Please read this passage before reading the homily.
We begin a series of readings from the books of Kings. The author usually blamed Israel, the Northern Kingdom, for following Jeroboam I, “who taught Israel” to sin by making golden calves. He generally exonerated the southern kingdom of Judah “for the sake of God’s servant David”.
In chapter 17, the emphasis changed. The author interrupted the history to insert the cycle of Elijah and Elishah, the two most famous prophets of the northern Kingdom.
Ahab, king of Isarel, worshiped not the Lord God of heaven and earth, but a pagan god named Bal, whom the pagans considered to be the god of storm and rain. Elijah announced that God had sent Elijah and had given him authority over rain and dew, and that there was nothing Baal could do about it. Elijah would be God’s instrument in defeating Baal and leading the people back to the true worship of the only true God.
King Ahab did not appreciate this and sought to kill the prophet. God, however, arranged safe refuges for the prophet, first at the wadi Cherith east of the Jordan and then at Zarephath a Sidonian city, both beyond the control of Ahab.
I see several lessons from this reading. First, while the biblical author may have some prejudices, God does not. Second, God does protect those called to God’s work. Third, God calls each of us away from our Baals into the worship and service of the true God.
What false gods and power have we created for ourselves? Power, selfishness, greed, popularity,
wealth, and prestige stand for all things we prefer to God. Whatever good we hope to get from these come only from God who give generously and everlastingly. Our example for today is Elijah, not Ahab.