1 Kings 18:45-46 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. 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.
God’s word through Elijah was proved true. The long drought was over, and it was demonstrated that the prayers of Elijah both withheld the rain and then subsequently brought the rain.
Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab: This was an obviously supernaturally empowered 14-mile cross-country run. We don’t know exactly why it was important to God for Elijah to reach Jezreel first; perhaps it was so that he would be the first to tell Queen Jezebel.
God prepared Elijah for this miracle
1 Kings 18:1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land."
The chapter started out with God speaking to Elijah and telling him to go and meet with King Ahab and that God would send rain on the land. Essentially, God was telling him, “Prepare yourself, it is about to rain.”
42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
Elijah had to pray down the rain in spite he was already informed by God that the rain was about to come.
When at the prayer of Elijah rain was given after so long a course of years, a little cloud not bigger than a person’s hand appeared, then grew as clouds do, and poured out such generous showers that all things were restored.
The prayer of a righteous
James 5:16 (NLT) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
God does miracles out of the ordinary course of things. Rain always happens in a natural cycle. There are seasons of drought. This was a miraculous rain. There are forces in operation in nature but may be we may compelled to recognize a greater force.
The rain that came on Elijah was a miraculous extension of God’s absolute power or an example of God’s ordinary power manifest in the outworking of nature.
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