Articles
God Is The God of Rain
God is the God of Rain
"And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. (1Kings 16:31-33)
Jeroboam had set up a false religion including calf worship. He thus 'reintroduced' idolatry among Israel. Almost every king after him sinned 'walking in the steps of Jeroboam who taught Israel to sin'. Now comes Ahab and he goes even further in his apostasy from God by marrying Jezebel.
Her father's name was Ethbaal which is said to be a "personal name meaning “with him is Baal." (Holman Illust. Bible Dict.). Through this marriage Baal worship is re-introduced into Israel. (Israel had 'yoked themselves to Baal of Peor back in the exodus period according to Numbers 25:3-5). He adopted HER religion and thus Baal worship became the official state religion for the northern tribes. The prophets of Baal were said to 'eat at the table of Jezebel' (1Kgs. 18:19). She then set out to exterminate the prophets of Yahweh (1Kngs. 18:4).
Baal is if from a word meaning 'lord', 'master', 'husband'. As such it was first used as a title and then became the name for the storm/fertility god. The worship of Baal was attached to the coming of rain and thus was regarded as essential to the agricultural dependent Israel. The worship of Baal would insure the needed rain for their crops. The worship of Baal included the burning of their children in sacrifice to him (Jer. 19:4-6). This was coupled with orgiastic rituals often associated with such fertility rites. The worship of Baal was indeed the popular religion in Israel during this time.
In fact, the worship of Baal became so predominant that it could be said that ONLY 7000 (out of the total population of the northern 10 tribes) had NOT bowed their knee to Baal (1 Kgs. 19:18). This set up the classic showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. God sent Elijah who prophesied of a drought which lasted for three years! (1Kings 17:1, 18:1).
This helps us understand the whole thing about 'rain' in the story of Elijah. The giving and withholding of rain at the command of the prophet of God was a direct challenge to the very power of Baal! Elijah could pray to God and the rain would stop. Then he could pray to God and the rain would return. (cp. James 5:17-18). It is not Elijah but God that provides and withholds the rain.
God is the true God. It is God that created the universe and God that upholds the world. It is God that gives rain (cp. Deut. 11:14-17; 28:12; Job 5:10; Psalm 135:7; Jer. 5:24; etc.) It is little wonder that God destroyed Israel for such apostasy and idol worship that was a direct insult unto Him.
Exodus 20:2-5: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…".
