(b) What lessons about the supremacy of God do we learn from this event ?
Explanation
(a) When Asa was thirty eight years on the throne at Judah, Ahab began to reign in Israel. Ahab married the daughter of Sidonian king called Jezebel. Because of this foreign woman whom Ahab married , he began to serve and worship baal. He built an altar for baal in Samaria and made an Asherah. During his reign as king, Ahab committed a lot of atrocities before God more than any other king that had lived and reigned before him. This made God to be annoyed.
As a result, God sent Elijah the prophet to warn him of his sins. There was a serious famine in the land of Samaria and as a result of the drought, Obadiah was sent by Ahab to look for springs of water and valleys for the animals so that they might not die. Ahab went to a different direction while Obadiah went on another in search of green pasture. In the process, Obadiah and Elijah met and Obadiah recognized Elijah. He bowed down at Elijah's feet and worshipped him. Elijah sent for Ahab. Obadiah delivered the message of Elijah to Ahab and Ahab appeared before Elijah and said: " Is it you troubler of Israel?" Elijah replied: " I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father's house because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the baals".
(b) From the encounter, the supremacy of God can be established in the following ways:
(I) To show His supremacy, God withheld the rain from falling as a punishment for sin.
(ii) For the period that the drought lasted, God provided food and water for Elijah.
(iii) God protected those prophets that were loyal to Him in the land of Israel during the period of famine and drought.