Kelli Trujillo Supporter Loving Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Teacher, Musician

The Bible doesn't specifically tell us where the water came from that Elijah used to douse the wood and the offering, but we can make some educated guesses based on what we see in scripture.

In the beginning of 1 Kings 18, we are told that people were ordered by the king to go out and search for water in every place possible:

1 d After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth." 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was e over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, 4 and f when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) 5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals." 6 So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

There are a couple of things to observe here about water sources: 

1) Somehow Obadiah had managed to find water for the hidden prophets. Did he find it? Did he pray and ask for miraculous provision? We're not told, but somehow Obadiah knew the secret of how to get water during the famine. Perhaps Elijah knew what Obadiah knew; they were contemporaries, united in speaking out against the rampant sin and idolatry of the Israelite royalty and the people they were leading astray. 

2) In spite of the severe drought and famine, there was still water to be found, as we read in verses 5-6. Perhaps Elijah had found water already and had it stored up, or perhaps the water he used was a result of the search that was ordered by Ahab.

Sometimes we jump to conclusions based on the limited information we're afforded as we read the Bible. There isn't a full account of the minute details of the famine here; we're simply told that the famine was "severe" and it hadn't rained for some time. This doesn't necessarily mean that there was no water to be found anywhere, only that water sources were limited due to lack of rain, and this caused a famine and concern for the welfare of animals and people.

I hope this helps.

June 01 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

stan jones Supporter

Mt Carmel Is no more than 15 - 20 miles from the Mediterranean sea and it was possible while the false prophets were preparing their alter Elijah had water brought up the mountain from the sea. The water from the sea contained Salt, which was required for the offering presented on the Alter by Elijah, which was consumed by the the all consuming fire of God.

March 15 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Yes, what Kelli Hamann said is one possibility. But I took a bus up to the top of Mt. Carmel with some other pastors, evangelists, and Bible teachers. It's right by the Mediterranean Sea. 

It was a wonderful excursion! It's so beautiful up there! And I just assumed the water came from the Mediterranean Sea.

February 24 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report