Following the passing of Solomon, and the breaking up of his empire, there came a period of political unrest, with continued rivalry between Israel and Judah, accompanied by an insidious laxity in religious affairs, and when, at length, Ahab ascended the throne of Israel he "did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him" (I Kings 16:30), while his wife, Jezebel, a militant devotee of Baal-worship, easily persuaded her husband to support her pagan practices.
If ever the people of Israel needed a true prophet to recall them to their senses, they needed him now, and the need was met in the coming of Elijah. His first recorded act is typical of the man, for he dared to confront Ahab with a stern message of approaching famine, implying divine displeasure (I Kings 17:1; cf. Deut. 11:17). Later we find him on Mount Carmel, facing the assembled Israelites and some eight hundred and fifty pagan prophets, and there he made it plain that he had no patience with those who "halt [i.e., 'limp'] . . . between two opinions" (I Kings 18:21), dividing their allegiance between Yahweh and the supposed deity Baal. The fact that he took this firm stand, and received, we are told, a visible sign of divine favor and support, led the people to admit that "the Lord, he is the God" (verses 381.), while in due course the pagan prophets were done away with (verse 40). Stern, fearless, and rugged as he was, Elijah could show upon occasion a gentle kindliness, as when he multiplied a widow's scanty stock of oil, and later restored her son to life (I Kings 17:8ff.). At times Elijah was faced with discouragement, as when he asserted that the people had forsaken God's covenant, and slain his prophets, and concluded, "I, even I only, am left" (19:10); yet, when the "still small voice" (verse 12) informed him that there was yet much work for him to do, and that he was not alone in his loyalty, he went forward with renewed resolve (verses 15-19). Not only did he fearlessly denounce Ahab's judicial murder of Naboth (I Kings 21:22-24), but also censured Ahab's successor Ahaziah for failing to turn to God in time of sickness (II Kings 1:1-4). It is surely typical of Elijah's meteoric career that when his work was complete he should have ascended "by a whirlwind into heaven" (2:11).
The prophet Elisha is, in some respects, less outstanding than his predecessor, yet to him are attributed some of the most interesting healings performed in the Old Testament period. He brought back to life the son of the Shunammite woman (II Kings 4:32-36), and cured Naaman of his leprosy (II Kings 5), besides making harmless the "pottage" (4:38-41); while his feeding of a hundred men with a small number of loaves and some ears of corn, anticipated in a degree Jesus' multiplication of the loaves and fishes (II Kings 4:42-44; cf. John 6). Following Elisha's advice, the kings of Israel and Judah defeated the Moabites (II Kings 3:10ff.), while his clemency to certain Syrian captives provides further evidence of his statesmanship (6:22f.). Indeed, shortly before his passing, he was hailed as the great protector of Israel.
