In I Kings 17:1, we read that "Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
Brief though this introduction is, it casts light upon the significance of this brave and rugged seer. The fact that he is called "the Tishbite" may suggest that he came from a town named Tishbi or possibly Tishbeh, although its position has not yet been identified. The reference to Gilead indicates that whether or not he was born to the east of Jordan, he had recently been living in that wild and picturesque area.
His opening announcement to Ahab, a king already notorious for his idolatrous practices (see I Kings 16:33), identifies Elijah as a true prophet who did not hesitate to challenge anyone who failed to obey the dictates of the Lord. Such a lengthy drought as he predicted had long been considered a sign of divine displeasure (see Deut. 11:16, 17). Elijah reminded Ahab of the inevitable effect of his conduct, adding that the prophet himself, as God's representative, could still remit or lessen the penalty if Ahab would but renounce his evil ways. Since the king remained obdurate, the devastating drought soon began to take effect.
