Elijah challenged the people of Israel to choose between the true God and the heathen god, Baal. He announced there would be no rain until he said so. This was a direct affront to Baal who was supposed to be the god in charge of rain.


After three rainless years, Elijah taught an object lesson to prove the Lord is God. The lesson showed God’s amazing control of every detail. Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal prayed all day for fire from heaven, but nothing happened. Then Elijah prayed two sentences, and the fire fell. The people shouted, “The Lord – He is God!” Rain followed soon afterward.


The object lesson proved that God is in charge of rain and fire. But it also demonstrated how far in advance God plans His lessons. Elijah’s name literally means, “Yahweh is God,” or as English translations say, “The Lord – He is God!” So when the people shouted, they were shouting, “Elijah!” God had seen to it that Elijah was named after the purpose of the object lesson, to proclaim that the Lord indeed is God!