Scripture Helps
1 Kings 12–13; 17–22
After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king and increased the people’s burdens. The people revolted and were divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam, king of the Northern Kingdom, introduced idolatry and other wicked practices among his people. Later, Elijah was a prophet during the reign of Ahab in the Northern Kingdom. The Lord sent a drought according to Elijah’s word. The Lord preserved Elijah and eventually led him to a widow in Zarephath, who fed him for many days. Elijah brought the widow’s son back to life. To show the people that the God of Israel is the only true God, Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to a contest. Elijah prevailed in the contest, and the drought ended. When Jezebel tried to kill Elijah, he fled to Mount Horeb, where he had a powerful spiritual experience with the Lord.
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Background and Context
What happened to the kingdom during the reign of Rehoboam?
After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king over all of Israel. Rehoboam increased the people’s burdens, which led the ten northern tribes to rebel against him. They appointed Jeroboam as their king and formed what became known as the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The Northern Kingdom endured for about two centuries before the Assyrians conquered it and captured many of the people. These tribes were eventually scattered throughout the nations of the earth. They have since become known as the lost ten tribes of Israel.
The Southern Kingdom was composed of the territory belonging to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It was called the Kingdom of Judah and was headquartered in Jerusalem. This kingdom came to an end when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC.
Why did Jeroboam make two golden calves?
Jeroboam feared that his people would travel south to worship in the temple in Jerusalem and eventually rejoin the Southern Kingdom. To prevent this, he had two golden calves made, established new places of worship, introduced alternative feasts, and appointed his own priests. Jeroboam may have intended for the golden calves to serve as substitutes for the ark of the covenant. Regardless of Jeroboam’s intentions, his actions led his people into apostasy.
The Lord sent a prophet from Judah to warn Jeroboam about his wickedness and idolatry. Despite witnessing miraculous signs of the Lord’s power, Jeroboam did not repent and continued to promote idol worship.
What do we know about the widow of Zarephath?
Little is known about the widow before her encounter with Elijah. She lived in Zarephath, a Phoenician city where the people worshipped Baal and other false gods. Although she was a non-Israelite, she exercised great faith in Jehovah and His prophet Elijah. During His mortal ministry, the Savior used the widow’s example to condemn His own people for their unbelief in Him.
Why might Elijah have asked the widow to feed him first?
Elder Lynn G. Robbins, an emeritus General Authority Seventy, taught:
“A handful of meal would be very little indeed, perhaps just enough for one serving, which makes Elijah’s response intriguing … : ‘And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first’ [1 Kings 17:13; emphasis added]. …
“Elijah understood the doctrine that blessings come after the trial of our faith [see Ether 12:6; Doctrine and Covenants 132:5]. He wasn’t being selfish. As the Lord’s servant, Elijah was there to give, not to take.”
Widow of Zarephath, by James Johnson
What did Elijah mean when he asked, “How long halt ye between two opinions?”
The translation of Elijah’s question in the King James Version of the Old Testament is based on a Hebrew idiom that likely referred to a bird hopping between two branches. During Elijah’s time, many Israelites tried to worship multiple gods alongside Jehovah. Elijah’s message was a call for people to stop wavering and fully commit to Jehovah.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught:
“When the people had come together, Elijah said unto them, ‘How long halt ye between two opinions? [or in other words, ‘When will you decide once and for all?’] if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.’ …
“Today Elijah might say:
How did the contest between Elijah and the priests of Baal demonstrate Jehovah’s power?
“Baal was the Canaanite storm god, associated with lightning and rain.” Yet during the contest with Elijah, no fire came when the priests of Baal called upon their false god. The priests of Baal were also powerless to prevent Elijah from causing a drought by sealing the heavens. In contrast, Jehovah sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice and altar, even though both had been drenched with water, which was scarce during the drought. Jehovah’s power was so obvious that all who were present fell to the ground and proclaimed, “The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.” To further demonstrate Jehovah’s power over the elements, Elijah then helped bring about a storm that ended the drought.
Elijah Contends against the Priests of Baal, by Jerry Harston
What does Elijah’s experience teach us about how God communicates with His children?
After Ahab reported to Jezebel what happened between Elijah and the priests of Baal, Jezebel swore an oath that she would have Elijah killed within 24 hours. Elijah fled from the land of Israel and traveled many days until he came to Mount Horeb, or Sinai.
Elijah’s experience with the Lord at Mount Horeb stands in stark contrast to his earlier encounter with the priests of Baal, when the Lord manifested Himself in a dramatic way. At Horeb, the Lord was not in the wind, fire, or earthquake but instead spoke through a “still small voice.”
Modern prophets and apostles have emphasized that it is much more common for the Lord to communicate with His children in subtle ways than through dramatic manifestations. President Dallin H. Oaks cautioned: “We need to know that the Lord rarely speaks loudly. His messages almost always come in a whisper.” President Boyd K. Packer taught: “The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all.”
Why did Elijah cast his mantle on Elisha?
See “2 Kings 2:12–13. What is significant about Elijah’s mantle falling to Elisha?”
Why did the Syrians believe Israel’s God had power over the hills but not the plains?
In many ancient cultures, people believed that a god’s power was limited to a specific nation, geographical feature, or area. The Syrians may have believed that the Lord’s power was limited to the hills and mountains because He had visited the Israelites at Sinai. This motivated them to move the fight to the valleys so they could win the battle. Despite the Syrians’ belief, the scriptures make it clear that Jehovah is God “over all the earth.”
Did the Lord send a lying spirit to Ahab’s prophets?
The account recorded in 1 Kings 22 is also found in 2 Chronicles 18. The Joseph Smith Translation of 2 Chronicles 18:20–22 clarifies that the Lord found a lying spirit among Ahab’s prophets rather than put a lying spirit in them. Ahab’s false prophets persuaded Ahab to go to battle against the Syrians despite Micaiah’s prophecy that Israel would be defeated and Ahab would die in battle. Ahab went into battle in disguise but was still killed.
Learn More
The sealing power
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D. Todd Christofferson, “The Sealing Power,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 19–22
The widow of Zarephath
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “A Handful of Meal and a Little Oil,” Ensign, May 1996, 29–31
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Carol F. McConkie, “Live According to the Words of the Prophets,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 77–79
Elijah and the priests of Baal
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D. Todd Christofferson, “Firm and Steadfast in the Faith of Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 30–33
The still, small voice
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Jorge F. Zeballos, “Let Us Not Fail to Feel,” Ensign, July 2018, 59–61
Media
Video
Images
Jeroboam and Rehoboam, by Ted Henninger
Bible Maps, no. 3, “The Division of the 12 Tribes”
Charity Never Faileth, by Elspeth Young
Elijah Raises the Widow’s Son from Death, by Robert T. Barrett
A photograph of Mount Carmel in Israel
Elijah, by Wilson J. Ong
An Angel Came to Elijah, by Walter Rane