It was the worst of times, it was the very worst of times. The world to which Elijah was born was indescribably wicked. No king had ever displeased God as much as Ahab, the King of Israel. Like a lightning bolt that appears out of the blue Elijah comes onto the scene, from a nowhere town, with a insignificant pedigree, with a message from God for a wicked generation. Big Idea: God loves to use ordinary people to accomplish his extraordinary purposes. (1 Kings 16:29-33; 1 Kings 17:1)