Bible Reading1. 1 Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word.”
[13:18]2. 1 Kings 18:17-18 “When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals.’”
[04:20]3. 1 Kings 18:38-39 “Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.’”
[25:39]4. 1 Corinthians 4:12-13 “and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.”
[10:10]Observation questions1. In 1 Kings 18:17-18, what accusation does Ahab make against Elijah, and how does Elijah answer it?
[05:23]2. In 1 Kings 18:21, what two options does Elijah place before the people, and how do the people respond?
3. What repeated result is seen when Baal’s prophets cry out, dance, and cut themselves on Mount Carmel?
[21:23]4. Before Elijah prays, what steps does he take with the altar and the water, and what do those details make clear about what is about to happen?
[22:29]Interpretation questions1. Ahab calls Elijah the “troubler of Israel,” even though Ahab is the one who abandoned the Lord’s commands. Why do faithful words and faithful lives so often get blamed for the trouble that sin itself has caused?
[07:39]2. Elijah says the people are “limping” or “hobbling” between two opinions. What does that picture help show about divided loyalty, and why does divided loyalty keep a person from walking straight with God?
[15:35]3. The people say nothing when Elijah calls them to choose. Why is silence not neutral in this moment, and how can refusing to decide become its own kind of decision?
[17:21]4. The fire of the Lord falls on the sacrifice instead of on the people. How does that moment help explain both God’s holiness and God’s mercy, and how does it point forward to Christ?
[26:38]Application questions1. Is there any area of life right now where there is “hobbling between two opinions” with one foot toward the Lord and one foot toward something else? What does that look like in practice: schedule, money, ambition, comfort, relationships, or private habits?
[18:33]2. Idols still ask for time, focus, affection, and trust, but they cannot answer the heart. What has recently been promising satisfaction or security but leaving disappointment instead?
[22:10]3. Silence can feel safe, but silence still leaves things unchanged. Is there a step of obedience that has been delayed for too long—trusting Christ, confessing sin, ending compromise, or making something right with someone?
[17:37]4. Faithfulness may be misunderstood and even blamed. When truth-telling or obedience brings pushback, what kind of response comes most naturally: defensiveness, anger, withdrawal, or gentleness? What would it look like to answer plainly and graciously instead?
[10:10]5. Elijah repaired the altar that had been torn down rather than building a new one. What part of neglected worship may need rebuilding right now—Scripture, prayer, fellowship, serving, repentance, or time with God?
[28:23]6. Elijah prayed briefly and simply for God to turn hearts back to himself. Where is there a need to stop striving, stop performing, and simply ask God for mercy and help?
[24:33]7. The Lord is the God who answers in mercy. How does remembering that the fire fell on the sacrifice, and not on the guilty people, give fresh hope for someone who knows they have wandered?
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