Elijah was God's prophet to the northern kingdom during the reigns of the third-dynasty kings:
Ahab, who ruled from 874 to 853 BC,
Ahaziah, who ruled from 853 to 852 BC, and
Joram, who ruled from 852 to 841 BC.
Elijah showed his dedication to the Lord by declaring that he served the living God of Israel.
Elijah stopped the dew and rain to challenge Baal, who supposedly controlled these natural forces. Their absence, until God instructed Elijah to speak, started the contest with Baal that would peak on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18).