Elijah vs. Ahab

Ahab was the King of Israel and Elijah the man of God. Ahab reigned for 22 years and did badly in the sight of God.
And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all that were before him (1 Kings 16:30).
Ancient history usually puts the blame on women. Ahab's case is no exception. Historians put the blame on Jezabel, the wife of Ahab.
he took for wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him (1 Kings 16:31b).
Jezebel was brought up to worship Baal. When she became the queen of Isarel, naturally she would put a stop to the worship of Yahweh, the traditional religion in Israel. Therefore, Jezebel ordered the extermination of prophets of Yahweh (1 Kings 18:4). Obadiah, who managed the house of Ahab, saved 100 of them and hid them in caves (1 Kings 18:4b). He had frustrated Jezebel's attempt to wipe out Yahwehism in Israel.
Elijah proved to be a thorn for Ahab, making his life uncomfortable. He announced the punishment of drought (1 Kings 17:1) and left Israel. When he returned, Ahab called him the troubler of Israel (1 Kings 18:17). But Elijah retorted.
And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father's house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals." (1 Kings 18:18).
Elijah proposed the contest between him and the prophets of Baal. This was a contest between the worship of Baal and the worship of Yahweh. Israel was in need of a revival of Yahwehism and Elijah carried the day. At the end, Yahweh won the contest hands down and 450 prophets of Baal were killed by the people. Yahwehism returned with a vengeance. What was the reaction of the King of Israel?

Ahab couldn't care less. At the suggestion of Elijah, he went up to eat and drink (1 Kings 18:42a)!
What did the man of God do after winning the contest?
And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42b).
Can you do this trick, putting your face between your knees? Mind you, this can only be found in this particular verse in the Bible.
Obviously, Elijah was praying to God. What did he pray for? Did Elijah pray for the souls of the false prophets? Did he pray for rain? No matter what Elijah prayed for, the author of the First Book of Kings certainly had put Ahab in a bad light. Unlike their contemporary counterparts, kings in ancient time cared little for the welfare of their subjects. We are left only with prophets to worry about the well-being of the people, spiritual as well as physical. As a dramatic finale to the story, Elijah outran Ahab who rode on a chariot to return to Jezreel before the rain caught them both.
And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel (1 Kings 18:45-46).
The author of this Elijah cycle was a master story-teller. What better way than this one can one think of to end the story?

Dear Lord, You respect our freedom to choose our way of life. I humbly exercise my freedom to choose You as mine life. Amen.