Bible Men: Elijah and the Little Cloud Like a Man's Hand

1 Kings 18:1, 41-46

Previously on this blog I have posted about Elijah the prophet of God.  Part 1 was of Elijah being sustained by a widow of Zarephath, and Part 2 was of Elijah and his confrontation with the prophets of Baal.  This post, concerning Elijah and the little cloud like a man's hand takes place after Elijah's confrontation with those prophets.

In the day of Elijah the prophet, the word of the LORD came unto him to tell the wicked king Ahab that there would be neither dew nor rain for three years and this brought a great famine on the land.  In the third year of the drought there came a day when "the word of the LORD came to Elijah saying "Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth." (1 Kings 18:1)  And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. "And there was a sore famine in Samaria."(V2)

When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" V17 Elijah answered "I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim."  king Ahab knows now that this famine is not from Elijah, but because of his own disobedience to the commands of God.

After that Elijah has his confrontation with the prophets of Baal, and this is covered in depth in my  post of Elijah and the prophets of Baal ( go here to read). In that confrontation, Elijah prays to the LORD God "let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant...Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.." (18:36-37) and then the fire of the LORD fell, and the people fell on their faces and said The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God." (18:38-39) king Ahab witnessed this confrontation because earlier Elijah had told him to "send and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal, four  hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred...."(V19)