FIVE SMOOTH STONES - The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherds Bag

FIVE SMOOTH STONES — The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherd’s Bag

Elijah informs the King that he will not allow rain for the next few years at God’s instruction. Afterwards Elijah must conceal himself from retribution by the king who blames him for the drought. Elijah first hides himself by the brook Cherith and is fed by ravens. After the brook dries up he follows the spirit to Zarephath where Elijah is led to a widow woman and stays with her and God supernaturally feeds their entire household for the remainder of the famine. The famine lasts for three and a half years (Luke 4:25; James 5:17) and during this whole time Ahab has men searching across whole kingdoms for Elijah. 1 Kings 18:10 “A s the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you .” Elijah called the powers of darkness to a showdown on Mount Carmel and Ahab brought four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and four hundred prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18:19) to confront one prophet of Jehovah, Elijah.1 Kings 18:20 “ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, fol- low him." But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. 24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God ." The test went on most of the day with the priests and prophets calling on the name of their gods and doing all that they could to tempt them into answering. They would jump onto the sacrifice, they would cut themselves, offering their own blood. Elijah allowed them to go until noon, at which time he began to speak up, mocking them and mocking their god. He told them to call louder, that perhaps their god was praying or sleeping.

Perhaps he had gone on a trip and only needed to be called back. At six o’clock, the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah began to go on the

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