I Hear the Sound of Abundance of Rain
1 Kings 18:41-46
Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”
So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’”
45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
One of the most fascinating stories in the Old Testament is the story of the Prophet Elijah. He is a very interesting character. He has been called God’s no-name prophet. He simply comes on the scene from nowhere, and pronounces a drought to Ahab, the wicked king of Israel who was married to the wicked Jezebel.
This couple had killed the prophets of God, built and erected altars of worship to Baal, and instituted idolatrous Baal worship in the nation of Israel. We learn in James 5:17, “Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.”
There was a three and one-half year drought that brought devastation to the northern kingdom of Israel. Elijah the Prophet became a wanted man. Ahab put a price on his head. God hid him away until he was ready to use him to break the back of Baal and bring revival to His people.
The Lord today has a number of hidden prophets that He is getting ready to promote. These no-name prophets are going to rise in the spirit of Elijah with an end time message that will bring true revival to the Church. Are you weary of the hype that we substitute for holiness? Are you weary of the manipulative tactics of men that bring people into bondage instead of freedom.
I for one am ready for an authentic move of God’s Spirit that will break the back of idolatry and bring us into a true freedom that comes through salvation and deliverance. We know very little about this prophet. He is simply called, “Elijah the Tishbite.” He comes out of nowhere. He has no pedigree. He is not from royalty, nor is he found in the lineage of the priests. He simply comes out of the wilderness with a message and a supernatural ministry.
Some scholars refer to him as the prophet of the supernatural. The Jewish community today is looking for him to return. At the Passover Seder they set a place for him at the table and send the children outside during the meal to look for him.
In our text there is a showdown between the prophets and priests of Baal and this wanted man of God. This showdown took place on Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel was a prominent peak in a range of mountains that stretched southeast from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was home to Canaanite sanctuaries of pagan weather deities. It was the perfect place for a confrontation to show the superiority of the Lord over Baal. The Canaanites believed that Baal was in charge of the rain and the weather.
It was there on that mountain that Elijah built an altar, covered it with water, and prayed. It was there that God showed His superiority over Baal, and answered by fire. Elijah rose up with the people and killed the prophets and priests who led the people in worship to this false God. It was on this mountain that God broke through to demonstrate His power.
God is about to breakthrough in our society today. Our society is much like ancient Israel. We have been captured by this same idolatrous worship. Baal worship is characterized by sexual perversion, the shedding of innocent blood, and the worship of the environment.
We find this idolatrous worship in all aspects of our society today. But like Elijah, we serve the God who answers by fire. There is a confrontation coming. We are standing on the threshold of a mighty visitation of God’s power and presence! We are at the door of an unprecedented harvest.
What happened after God answered by fire? Elijah prayed and the three and one-half year drought was broken. This drought was a result of Israel’s idolatry. Immediately after this great victory Elijah instructs his servant to go and look toward the Mediterranean Sea. Elijah prayed, and seven different times he sent the servant to look for the cloud. In 1 Kings 18:44 on the seventh time the servant returns with this news. “There is a cloud the size of a man’s hand.”
What was Elijah’s reaction? He instructs his servant to give the following message to Ahab: “Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” We learn in verse 45 that the skies grew dark and there was a heavy rain.
We are living in drought conditions today. This drought is a spiritual drought that will only be broken by an outpouring of God’s Spirit. Like Elijah of old “I hear the sound of an abundance of rain.”
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