Three Years of Drought

Through the long years of famine, Elijah prayed earnestly and waited patiently while the hand of the Lord rested heavily on the stricken land. As he saw suffering and want on every side, his heart was wrung with sorrow, and he longed to bring about a reformation quickly. But God was working out His plan, and His servant was to pray on and await the time for action.SS 69.3

The apostasy in Ahab's day was the result of many years of evildoing. Step by step Israel had been departing from the right way, and at last the great majority had yielded themselves to the powers of darkness.SS 69.4

About a century had passed since, under King David, Israel had united in hymns of praise to the Most High in recognition of their entire dependence on Him for daily mercies. Then they sang:SS 69.5

O God of our salvation, ...
Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and
evening to rejoice.
Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it:
Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God,
which is full of water:
Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so
provided for it.
Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness;
And Thy paths drop fatness.
Psalm 65:5, 8, 9, 11

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
And herb for the service of man:
That He may bring forth food out of the earth;
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man.
O Lord, how manifold are Thy works!
In wisdom hast Thou made them all:
The earth is full of Thy riches.
Psalm 104:14, 15, 24

The land to which the Lord had brought Israel was flowing with milk and honey, a country where they need never suffer for lack of rain. “The land, whither thou goest in to possess it,” He had told them, “is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: but the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for.”SS 70.1

The promise of abundance of rain had been given on condition of obedience: “If ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain.”SS 70.2

“Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and then ... He [the Lord] shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.” Deuteronomy 11:10-14, 16, 17.SS 71.1

“If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes,” “thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 23, 24.SS 71.2

Plain were these commands, yet as the centuries passed, apostasy threatened to sweep aside every barrier of divine grace. Now the prediction of Elijah was meeting terrible fulfillment. For three years the messenger of woe was sought for. Many rulers had given their oath of honor that the strange prophet could not be found in their dominions. Jezebel and the prophets of Baal hated Elijah and spared no effort to bring him within reach of their power. And still there was no rain.SS 71.3