IMITATE THEIR FAITH/"GET UP, GO DOWN TO MEET AHAB

 Elijah and Elisha worked hard to build up the people spiritually. Evidently, they took the lead in training other prophets, who may have been organized into schools of some kind. In time, though, Elijah received a new assignment from Jehovah: "Get up, go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel." (1 Kings 21:18) What had Ahab done?

The king was already and apostate, the worst of Israel's kings to that point. He had married Jezebel and had caused Baal worship to flourish in the land, with the king himself taking part. (1 Kings 16:31-33) Baalism included family rites, ritual prostitution, and even child sacrifice. Further, Ahab ha recently disobeyed a command from Jehovah to execute the wicked Syrian King Ben-hadad. Ahab's refusal evidently had to do with the prospect of monetary gain. (1 Kings chapter 20) Now, though, the greed, materialism, and violence of Ahab and Jezebel sank to new depths.

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