Elijah the Tishbite

Artwork : Carville Primary School Pupils

The story of Elijah the prophet, is rather like watching a football match between two opposing teams, who both want to win very much.

Cruel King Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel are on one side, encouraging people to support an idol, Baal.

Elijah’s team seems to have fewer players, well hardly any, but Elijah has God on his side.

And so the ball goes from one end to the other and back again.

In the end the wicked king and his queen are defeated, but as the game plays itself out, we see Elijah at times

defeated and depressed and full of self-pity, yet he places himself in God’s hands, battles on and wins.

Listen to the story of Elijah and Ahab’s struggle (1 Kings ch 17-19) and keep a running score of the victories and defeats of the ‘game’ they play.
What is your final score? It should look something like this:

Elijah foretells a drought (goal to Elijah)

Elijah runs away in fear (goal to Ahab)

Elijah saves the life of a widow’s son (goal to Elijah)

Ahab tells Elijah what he thinks of him(goal to Ahab)

Elijah tells Ahab what he thinks of him (goal to Elijah)

Elijah challenges Ahab’s prophets to a contest and wins (goal to Elijah)

God sends rain to end the drought (goal to Elijah)

Elijah is forced to hide in a cave (goal to Ahab)

God meets with Elijah and arranges for 3 men to join his side (goal to Elijah)

Ahab and Jezebel rob Naboth of his vineyard, & kill him(goal to Ahab)

Elijah condemns them and proclaims their doom! (goal to Elijah)

The king and queen both die (goal to Elijah)

Elijah is carried to heaven in a whirlwind (goal to Elijah)

Final score: Elijah 8 – Ahab 4

Summarise this story in the style of a football announcer.

24 Elijah the Tishbite:

1 Kings 16.29 to the end of Chapter 18

(to the tune ‘Michael Finnegan’)

Ahab son of Omri, King of Israel,

had for a wife, a queen called Jezebel.

Both turned from God,

to an idol called Ba-al. * * *

King Ahab and Jezebel of Israel,

did rebel.

Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead,

he was a prophet, who made them very mad!

“God will send a drought,

with no rain to be had!” * * *

said the Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead,

very sad!

In the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan,

Elijah hid from this man and his woman.

The ravens fed him in the

evening and the morning,* * *

in the Wadi Cherith, of the Jordan,

it wasn’t fun!

Later he left for a town, named Zarephath,

there he saved a widow’s son from death.

Fed them, and their thirst Elijah quenched.* * *

in Zarephath town where he did rest,

being a guest.

Then back he went to a mount name Carmel;

faced the king, overcame his prophets. Well,

so I’m told, the people turned to God again,* * *

and the clouds returned and the rain it fell,

at Carmel!