exhibiting His sovereignty over Baal’s traditional spheres of authority, Yahweh established His right to Israel’s undivided loyalty. Israel must look to Yahweh, the one true God (18:24, 37, 39), for the necessities of life. Baalism was not an option. This dramatic confrontation, precipitated by Ahab’s blatant Baalism, was inevitable. In fact the conflict had been brewing for centuries, during which Yahweh had utilized the same polemical strategy as in Elijah’s day. Throughout Israel’s early history