Old Testament BST ; 1 Kings

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Feb 20, 2024

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BIBL 105 O LD T ESTAMENT B IBLE S TUDY T EMPLATE I NSTRUCTIONS For this assignment in three parts, you will be studying the Old Testament story of “Elijah and the Prophets of Baal” found in 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1–46. You will use the template below in order to complete a study of this passage. In your study, you will use the skills of Observation, Interpretation, Correlation, and Application that you have learned through your reading in Everyday Bible Study ( EBS ). You will complete this template in three parts and submit the same document each time, incorporating feedback from the instructor for each submission. I. Observation A. I have read 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1–46 in both a formal translation (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, or CSB) and a functional translation (NIV, NLT, or NCV). Highlight the correct answer. You can find various Bible translations by searching for them online ( EBS ch. 16). o Yes o No B. Identify the basic elements of the story you are studying ( EBS chs. 15 & 33). 1. Main characters: (List them) Elijah, King Ahab, the God of Israel, Obadiah, Jezebel, Baal and His Prophets, the people of Israel 2. Plot: (50–100 words) For several years, the Lord prevents rainfall in the land of Samaria. Upon the Lord’s word, the Prophet Elijah, King Ahab, and Baal and his prophets go to Mount Carmel. The power and authority of the Lord is demonstrated as well as the lack of power of the false god Baal. The people of Israel repent and recognize that the Lord is the true God. 3. Story structure: (50–100 words) Introduction: Elijah tells King Ahab that there will be a famine in all of Samaria, and that the Lord is in complete control of it. Inciting Incident: Previously, the Lord had told Elijah to stay away from King Ahab, but now he is told to go see him and show of God’s power to the people there. Rising Action: Elijah, King Ahab, Baal and his prophets, and the Israelites go to Mount Carmel and Elijah challenges the reality and power of Baal. Climax: The false god, Baal, fails to light the cut-up bull on fire, but when Elijah prays, God lights it on fire. Resolution: The Israelites repent and turn to God and the prophets of Baal are slaughtered. C. List basic observations about this passage using the Key Questions from EBS ch. 17. 1. Who: Elijah, King Ahab, the God of Israel, Obadiah, Jezebel, Baal & the prophets, and the Israelites. Page 1 of 5
BIBL 105 2. What: God brings a famine upon the land of Samaria, due to the sinful behavior of the people. After being told to refrain from visiting King Ahab, the Lord commands the prophet Elijah to go see King Ahab. Elijah goes to meet King Ahab on Mount Carmel, in order to demonstrate the power of God, and the lack of power and authority of Baal. 400 prophets of Baal were there as well as some Israelites. In order to demonstrate the authority of the true God, Elijah and King Ahab cut up a bull. Elijah says that they should both call out to their Gods, asking him to light it on fire. The prophets of Baal call out to him for hours and hours, but to no avail. When Elijah calls upon the Lord, fire immediately comes down from heaven. This demonstrates the power of Elijah’s God to the Israelites, and they repent. Elijah seizes the prophets of Baal and has them slaughtered. The Lord continues to be with Jacob. 3. Where: Samaria, Mount Carmel, Jezreel 4. When: During the reign of King Ahab During the ministry of the prophet Elijah 5. Why: Why did God send a famine on the land of Samaria? Due to the people’s rejection of the true God and their worship of Baal. 6. How: How was the superiority of the Lord displayed? By the fact that only Elijah’s bull was lit on fire, not by the prophets of Baal. II. Interpretation A. Determine the author’s main point. In 1–2 paragraphs (100–400 words) explain what you think the author is trying to communicate in this passage. Remember, the Old Testament narratives frequently communicate truth by showing it to us in story form instead of telling it to us by way of teaching or sermon. See EBS ch. 28. This Old Testament narrative strongly demonstrates not only the superiority, power and might of the one true God, but also His mercy and grace towards fallen people. The Israelites had been attempting to simultaneously worship God and Baal, which, obviously, is impossible. The difference between God and Baal is clearly demonstrated when the false God, Baal, fails to reign down fire from heaven. The reality of God was demonstrated to the Israelites when He lit the bull on fire. Additionally, this story demonstrates the mercy of God towards the Israelites, once again. Despite their rejection and sin, He gives them another chance and spares them from punishment. B. Based on your answer above, write out one principle from this passage. You should be able to express this principle in 1–3 sentences. See EBS ch. 33. God is a reality. He is not some brass statue that sits on a shelf. He is the superior being, who created us and loves us. Page 2 of 5
BIBL 105 III. Correlation A. How does this Old Testament narrative fit within the metanarrative of the Bible? State what type of story you believe this to be (creation, fall, redemption, or new creation) and explain why you believe this to be so. Your explanation should be 1 paragraph (100–200 words) in length. See EBS chs. 1–2. I believe that this Old Testament narrative is an example of the redemption of God’s people back to Himself. God used a demonstration of the difference in authority and power between Himself, the creator of the universe, and Baal, a false idol created by man, to open the eyes of the people and draw them back to Himself. This is a common theme seen in the Old Testament. The Israelites often fell into a pattern of sin, then repented, were forgiven, and then eventually fell again. Despite their continuous lack of faith and obedience, God continually poured out both mercy and justice, according to His perfect will. This narrative demonstrates both of those aspects of God’s character. B. How does your principle fit with the rest of the Scripture? This principle is the one you have written out in 1-3 sentences in the Interpretation section. If your principle is a true Biblical principle it will be reflected throughout the Scriptures. Where is the principle discovered in this Old Testament narrative found elsewhere in the Scriptures? Your explanation should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length. See EBS ch. 29. The following principle: “God is the superior being, who created and loves us.” is demonstrated through countless narratives and statements throughout the Old Testament. First and foremost, God’s superiority is demonstrated by the fact that He is the creator of the universe. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, ESV). Secondly, God’s superiority is demonstrated by His allowing the Israelites to be in dominion over their enemies: “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” (Exodus 18:11, ESV). Aside from the practical demonstrations, there are instances in the Scriptures in which God’s superiority is simply stated: “The Lord your God is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty, and he is to be obeyed. He does not show partiality, and he does not accept bribes.” (Deuteronomy 10:17, ESV). C. How does this Old Testament narrative reflect the person and work of Jesus Christ? State and explain at least one way that the principle of this narrative can be identified in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Your explanation should be 1 paragraph (100–200 words) in length. See EBS ch. 30. The record of tangible demonstrations of God’s power are not constrained to the times of the Old Testament. There are numerous occurrences throughout the New Testament in which Jesus demonstrates His power and superiority through a practical demonstration. This is one of the most beautiful aspects about the gospel. God, in His loving kindness, appeals to our humanity. He created us; He knows that we are feeble beings and will doubt and question the reality of His power. So, He provides an entire record of instances in which He clearly demonstrated His power to the people of the time. Page 3 of 5
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BIBL 105 IV. Application What points of application can be made using the Four Questions for Application ( EBS ch. 31)? State and explain 1 point of application for each of these four questions. Your explanation for each of these points should be 1 paragraph (100–200 words) in length. A. The question of duty As a child of God, we are commanded to live lives of complete obedience and utter surrender to the Lord. For the characters of the Bible, this “obedience” often meant something very different than what it might mean for most of us day. Often “obeying the Lord” entailed going against the government, entering dangerous territory, etc. In the case of this narrative, both Obadiah and Elijah, the prophet, were called to obey the Lord and in doing so, oppose their governmental authority. By way of their obedience and faithfulness, God demonstrated His power and superiority to the people, and many returned to Him. B. The question of character While this narrative provides us with an extremely dramatic example of the behavior we ought to avoid, it also provides us with numerous quality examples of character traits we should all aim to possess. In the character of Obadiah, we see an excellent example of bravery, in the face of grave danger. Obadiah chose to follow the Lord and hide the prophets, knowing full well he could die because of his actions. Elijah provides us with an example of prompt and exact obedience. Often, it can be tempting to say, “Okay, God, I’ll obey...but in a little bit.”, or maybe, “Ah, God, I just don’t feel like doing that, it scares me a little bit.”. Elijah was cognizant of the danger he was stepping into when he went to visit King Ahab, but he did it, correctly and immediately. He did that because God had commanded it of Him. We ought to strive to have these traits. C. The question of goals As believers in the Lord, it is critical that we keep our eyes and hearts centered on our central aim which is to bring glory and honor to the Lord in everything that we do. In our culture, it can be easy to become distracted or caught in the wiles of the world. That’s what happened to the Israelites in this narrative as well as in many other instances in the Old Testament. Instead of keeping their eyes and hearts focused on the Lord, they became distracted and became absorbed with the culture and practices of the peoples around them. In His mercy, the Lord reminded them and the surrounding peoples of His power and might and gently drew them back to Himself. D. The question of discernment As stated in Everyday Bible Study , “A discerning person is able to examine his surroundings and identify the things that are aligned with the viewpoint of God.” (EBS, Chapter 31). As seen in this narrative, the people of God became distracted and lost grasp of what was important. Especially in today’s culture, it is not a difficult thing to do. That being said, we need to be extremely careful in discerning what in this world is of God and what is not. We also need to watch out for our brothers and sisters in Christ to see if they are wandering from the truth or becoming distracted. If we notice that, we need to gently remind them of who God is and guide them back to Him. Page 4 of 5
BIBL 105 V. Teaching Create an opportunity to teach this passage in a Bible-study setting of your choosing. Examples could include a church setting, a family Bible study, or discussing the passage with a friend or roommate. Use the interpretive method learned above to study the passage (Observe), derive a principle (Interpretation), compare with other Scriptures (Correlation), and apply to everyday living (Application). Write a report below of at least 250 words. Comment on what went well, what was challenging, and what you learned overall through this experience. Page 5 of 5