Bible character overview - Elijah

Written by: My Store Admin

June 3, 2024

Time to read 5 min

Introduction:

Welcome to an insightful character overview of Elijah. Here you'll learn about who Elijah was, what he did, and his strengths and weaknesses. Also, we have provided questions related to the story of Elijah to provoke thought. They can also be used for personal/small-group studies.

Who was Elijah from the Bible?

Key facts

When: roughly around 900 B.C
Where: Gilead
Name meaning: 'Yahweh is my God'

Glimpse: Elijah was a great prophet of God who was not afraid to show it. Elijah, like many others within the Bible, was used to perform great miracles that directed all glory to God and shut down the plans and schemes of the enemy.

1 Kings 19:14 'He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.'

The battle of gods

Elijah was a peculiar man who dressed in animal hair and wore a leather belt. He was a great prophet of Israel during a time when Israel had fallen into idolatry and Baal worship. He is introduced declaring, to King Ahab, that there will be a drought. After this declaration, Elijah is sent away by God and eventually returns to Mount Carmel to confront Ahab, who calls him the "troubler of Israel.".

In the meantime, Jezebel had been killing off all the remaining prophets of the Lord. Elijah condemns Ahab for abandoning the Lord's commandments and challenges him to bring "the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.". He then proposes a contest to determine the true god. Each side would have a bull as a sacrifice, and whichever god sends fire to consume the sacrifice would be the true god.

The Samson card from the bible bumps game

Questions

→ Who are the key influencers in your life (Parents, friends, pastors, etc..)? How and why do they influence you?

→ Why is it important to stand up against evil and not stay silent?

"You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals"

1 Kings 18:18

Fire from heaven

The false prophets began chanting and cutting themselves in a desperate attempt to invoke their god, hoping for a response. They did this all day and into the evening, but there was no answer. Elijah mocked them, saying, "Shout louder! Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."

Eventually, Elijah had enough. He asked for his bull to be drenched with water, preparing it for the sacrifice. Then he called on the God of Israel. God responded by sending a mighty fire from heaven that completely consumed the sacrifice, along with the wood, stones, and even the water in the trench around the altar.

After this dramatic display of divine power, Elijah commanded that the false prophets be seized and executed, ensuring that the false worship of Baal would not continue.

Questions

→ How big is your faith? How has your faith in God grown over the years?

→ Why did the idol worshippers have so much faith in a false God? Can people have faith in the wrong things?

"When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!''

1 Kings 18:29

Passing the mantle

However, Ahab reported everything to Jezebel, who responded with a threatening message: Elijah would meet the same fate as the slain prophets. This message filled Elijah with fear, and he fled for his life. He retreated into the wilderness, feeling isolated and burdened, believing he was the last prophet of the Lord. In his despair, he prayed for death, feeling that he was God's final hope.

An angel visited Elijah and provided him with food and water to revive him. After his strength was restored, Elijah received reassurance from God. He learned that he was not alone; God had preserved 7,000 prophets in Israel who had not bowed to Baal.

Elijah then traveled and found Elisha, who would be his successor. He anointed Elisha and passed his mantle to him, symbolizing the transfer of prophetic authority. Later, Elijah was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, marking the end of his earthly ministry and the beginning of Elisha's prophetic role.

Questions

→ How did Elijah go from being so courageous to feeling so anxious?

→ Why is trusting in God's understanding better than trusting in our own?

“The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God”

1 Kings 19:17

Strengths:

Faith: Elijah didn't doubt one bit that God would do what He said He would do. He had great faith and used it mightily
Perseverance: Even after his anxious period, Elijah got back up and continued with his mission
No tolerance: He had no tolerance for evil and led his nation to repentance

Weaknesses:

Fear: Elijah feared Jezebel and her threat against him and it caused him to completely shut down and hide
Pride: Elijah thought he was God's only hope and so if he died God would have no one left. But God is not limited and is always in control

Conclusion

Elijah was a strong and mighty man of God who struggled with the same things as us, fear, anxiety, and depression. However, he knew to listen to God and follow his commands and he did not wallow in self-pity but continued on his mission. Elijah is an example to all that when we feel like giving up, we should never give up but keep going because God has a plan for our lives.

''For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life''

John 3:16

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The Author: OluKoye Williams

Koye Williams is the creator of the international game biblebumps. His mission is to see the people of the Bible brought to life in a new and exciting way whilst also providing opportunities to spend quality time with the family.

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