The kings of Israel and Judah between 997 B.C. and about 910 B.C. ; the great prophet Elijah

While in the northern kingdom Jeroboam proceeded to worship golden calves and Canaanite idols, Rehoboam in the southern kingdom insulted JHWH through terrible forms of idol-worship. In 993 B.C., God gave him a serious warning through the Pharaoh of Egypt, who invaded the country with his army, entered Jerusalem, and robbed the temple of a number of its most valuable treasures.

Rehoboam died after reigning for 17 years and was succeeded by his son. He continued worshipping idols.

However, Rehoboam’s grandson, Asa, resolutely put an end to all forms of idol-worship. He did everything he could to turn the people back to the exclusive worship of their God JHWH. Asa was the king of Judah for 41 years (from 977 to 936 B.C).

In the period between 997 and about 910 B.C., there were constant and serious political and military tensions between the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. Practically all the time, the two kingdoms were in a state of war with each other.

In the period mentioned, the northern kingdom was in a very bad condition. Kings were killed, royal families completely massacred, and one dynasty was replaced by another one at a high speed. Between 976 B.C., the year when Jeroboam died, and 940 B.C., the northern kingdom used up no fewer than seven kings. Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Nadab. After only two years, this king was killed by Baasha, who also wiped out his entire family. Baasha excelled in military campaigns against Judah and in exuberant idol-worship. After his death, he was succeeded by his son Elah. Elah was also killed by someone from his household staff named Zimri. Again, Zimri not only killed the king but also wiped out his entire family. Then he appointed himself king.

This was more than the people could bear. They rose in rebellion against Zimri and wanted to appoint an army-commander king: Omri. This was more than Zimri could bear and he killed himself.

Besides Omri, there was a second candidate for the kingship, a certain Tibni, and at a given moment, it looked as if Israel had two kings.

In the end, Omri came out the victor. At his death, about 940 B.C., his son Ahab succeeded him. He was a bad man and a bad king. He was also an idol worshipper, a man who, as regards evilness, was only surpassed by his wife Jezebel. His main act of government consisted of building a large altar for Baal in the town of Samaria.

About this time, JHWH sent one of Israel’s greatest prophets to Ahab and His unfaithful people: Elijah. Elijah used harsh words to tell Ahab and Jezebel what God thought of them and also told them what their punishment would be: JHWH would see to it that it would not rain in Israel any more until Elijah had begged Him for it. Elijah would not make this plea until Ahab and his people had returned to the worship of JHWH.

After letting them know this punishment, Elijah went abroad and stayed there for some years. During these years, it never rained in Israel and the country and the people got dried up.

After three years, JHWH ordered Elijah to return to King Ahab. Ahab was furious. He thought that Elijah had brought a curse over the country.

Elijah asked Ahab to call all the hundreds of prophets of Baal together at Mount Carmel. Ahab did this and on this mountain, Elijah demonstrated before the people that Baal was an idol, an invention, a thing without strength or power, and that JHWH was Israel’s true and powerful God.

He asked the 450 prophets of Baal to sacrifice a bull to their god and to beg their god to descend from heaven and to consume the sacrificed bull before the eyes of the people. The prophets killed the bull, put it on the wood of the altar, and shouted hysterically for hours in an attempt to get Baal to come down and consume the bull, but nothing happened.

Then Elijah also killed a bull. He put the animal on the fire wood of the altar and offered the bull as a sacrifice to JHWH. He made the altar, the fire wood and the killed animal wet through with water.

After that, he did not begin to shout hysterically, but just prayed to his God and asked JHWH to accept the sacrifice from his hands.

God answered his prayer. A flash of light came from heaven which consumed the sacrifice, the wet wood, and the wet stones of the altar.

Now it was clear for all the people present who their true God was and who wasn’t. Led by Elijah, the people killed all the 450 false prophets that very same evening. This pleased JHWH so much that He immediately gave the country and the people plenty of rain.

Jezebel was so angry about the killing of her 450 Baal priests that she decided to have Elijah killed. He fled into the desert then, all the way to Mount Sinai, where centuries earlier Moses and his people had received the law from JHWH. Near this mountain, God appeared to Elijah and comforted him with the information that not all the inhabitants of Israel were idol-worshippers. About 7000 people had remained loyal to JHWH. On this occasion, JHWH also appointed the prophet Elisha as the successor of Elijah.

Even after these events, Ahab and Jezebel continued their horrible way of life. Just before his death, Elijah told them what their punishment would be: just like some decades before in the case of Jeroboam and in the case of Baasha, their entire dynasty and their whole family would be annihilated.

Shortly afterwards, Ahab was killed in a war against Syria.

During his reign, the northern kingdom had become totally alienated from the true worship of JHWH, which still took place in Jerusalem. In addition, the annual festivities prescribed by JHWH were not celebrated any more.

When Ahab died, he was succeeded by his son Ahaziah.

In the southern kingdom, Asa was succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat. When Jehoshaphat died, he was succeeded by his son Jehoram.

This happened about 915 B.C.

(The stories about the successive kings of Israel and Judah during the first century of their existence as separate nations and the acts of the prophet Elijah can be found in 1 Kings14:21 to the end).