Elijah the prophet- an initiator or doer of the lord command?

I don't think that there is one who doesn't know Elijah the prophet- we all heard about the miracles that he has done with the widow's food or widow's son in the book of kings. But, one of the most important things about Elijah seems to be forgotten - the beginning of Elijah...

Maybe the beginning is forgotten because there is no clear start to him - he comes from no where land, like the Beatles sang, no one knows the name of his mother , how old is he, how was his childhood ,and there is one more important question about him -is he initiator or do the Lord's whishes?

If we want to under stand let us read what he said to us in his beginning as written in 1 kings 17:1-

 
"וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי מִתֹּשָׁבֵי גִלְעָד, אֶל-אַחְאָב, חַי-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו, אִם-יִהְיֶה הַשָּׁנִים הָאֵלֶּה טַל וּמָטָר--כִּי, אִם-לְפִי דְבָרִי. {ס}"

"And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

I gave you one option to translate this verse, but this one of two options- the second is that Elijah said the oath without asking The Lord if he can do it - this is his initiation - but we will never know - like Elijah came to us - he disappeared....

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Hebrew    Transcription   Translation
בַּצֹּרֶת      batsōret          Drought
יָזְמָה         yozmāh          Initiative
שְׁבוּעָה      Šbû'āh           Oath
עוֹשֶׂה          'ôśeh            Doer
יָזַם            yāzam           Initiate
דָּבָר          dābār             Thing

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