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Since Baal was considered the god of the sky, or “the storm god,” it would be a drought that God would use to grab the people’s attention. God was setting the scene to demolish this false god. This Baal-worship attitude was completely insulting to the Lord and I think it’s amazing that God’s patience was as lengthy as it was.
Let me give you another example. Picture yourself as a father or mother of young children. Maybe you already are a parent or grandparent? You provide your children with everything they need. It is by your work that they are able to sleep in a bed. It is by your hand that they are able to eat a meal. It is by your labor that they are enabled transportation. The list could go on and on.
Now picture what your response would be if they suddenly decided that it wasn’t you who was providing them any of these things, but rather, the small statue that rests on their bedroom dresser. Each day they would ignore your blessings and your love to worship their idol. You would find them in their bedroom constantly bowing down to this idol, asking it to provide dinner for the night. Then when they went to the fridge and found leftovers, they would praise the idol for it’s power to deliver! It’s ridiculous right? Yes. Ridiculous. Insulting. Insane.
God’s patience had worn thin. He was about the burst the bubble of these Baal worshippers and show them that the rain (and everything else in this world) comes from Him and Him alone.
Amazingly, we see God call Elijah and provide for him every step of the way. Even though the drought comes, Elijah is provided for. We see the contrast in this chapter between the people’s choice of idols and Elijah’s reliance on God.