Ahab was a very powerful king but also a very evil one. Ahab introduced the worship of Baal. As pointed out earlier, it was believed that Baal was the god of storms. In this time of great evil, God called Elijah, one of Israel鈥檚 greatest prophets, into service. By predicting a drought and having it come about just as Elijah said, God was directly challenging Ahab鈥檚 belief that Baal was the one who controlled the rain.
Causing a drought may seem like punishing Israel for their unfaithfulness, but it really is God reaching out to them to return to Him. He couldn鈥檛 be any more direct in letting them know that Baal was not the one to follow. God doesn鈥檛 punish us either, He disciplines us. Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us that God disciplines us because He loves us and it is for our good. Not everything bad that happens to us is discipline, but when we are headed in a wrong direction, God can use discipline to catch our attention and get us turned around.