Elijah and the Prophets of Baal (Week 27, Part 3/6) 1 Kings 17-19 | June 27 – July 3 – powered by Happy Scribe
1 Kings 18 continues the war of ideas between Elijah, a prophet sent by God and King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.
At the center of the conflict was a battle over the hearts and minds of the Israelites testing whether they would follow the false gods favored by Ahab and Jezebel or return to the worship of their true God, Jehovah.
Elijah had already used his authority to seal the heavens causing a drought throughout.
The land in an attempt to get the Israelites to see a powerful manifestation of God’s power.
But now it was time for a.
More dramatic confrontation one that would demonstrate.
To the people in a more direct way the importance of following the true god. A contest was arranged by Ahab who summoned 850 prophets from his gods to Mount Carmel. On the side of Jehovah, there was.
Just one prophet Elijah.
All the people gathered to see what the outcome of this contest of the gods would be. Once the people were gathered Elijah gave a speech where he asked a simple.
Straightforward question how long HALCHI between two opinions?
If the Lord began, follow him. But if Ball, then follow him.
And the people answered and not a word.
Elijah pointed out one simple but powerful truth at times, the members of the House of Israel, both ancient and modern.
Try to keep 1ft in Zion and 1ft in Babylon.
We try to follow the commandments of God while not offending the worldly culture that surrounds us. The truth is that following and worshiping God have never been popular with the.
World or the worldly.
While we don’t seek to condemn anyone else there are times when we have to choose to obey God and that may require us to sacrifice some of the comfort and ease from just fitting.
In with the rest of the crowd.
With no answer from the crowd Elijah.
Arranged a dramatic demonstration of God’s power.
The prophets evolved the false god being worshiped and Elijah both took a bullock and placed it on their own altars. Each would call upon their gods and see which one sent fire from heaven.
To consume the sacrifice.
Elijah just wasn’t a prophet. He was also something of a showman. It wasn’t just enough for him to call down fire from heaven he wanted an indisputable show of the power of God. So while the prophets of Ball called out to their god from morning until noon elijah just watched and then sarcastically told them cry aloud for he is a god.
Either he’s talking or he’s pursuing or.
He’S on a journey or a prayer adventure. He sleeps and must be awakened. The prophets of Baal responded with even more dramatic actions including cutting themselves open.
And spilling their blood onto the altar. Elijah just waited patiently until the evening came and then proceeded to rebuild the Israelite altar that had been torn down.
He took twelve stones, each representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
As he rebuilt it he then put.
Wood for the sacrifice on the altar and instructed the people to fill four.
Barrels full of water and pour them onto the altar.
When they were finished, he asked them for four more barrels and poured them onto the altar as well. Then he instructed them a third time to fill four barrels full of water and pour them onto the altar. By the time the people were finished, even the trench surrounding the altar was.
Filled to the brim with water. It was only at this dramatic moment that Elijah uttered his prayer.
Oh, Lord, hear me that these people.
May know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again. And then the Scriptures record the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. Elijah’s question to the Israelites still hangs in the air. To all who wrestle with questions of belief and devotion, how long halty between two opinions?
Well, it would be nice if the profits in our day could arrange a.
Theatrical demonstration like Elijah did. Most of us don’t really need one.
We have seen the power of God.
Manifest in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We know he is there and that he lives and that he has power to save. We just haven’t fully committed yet. Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal is one of the most dynamic miracles in the entire Old Testament. But the most important miracle that happened that day was the change that came about in the hearts of the Israelites.
When modern Israelites commit to being on.
The Lord’s side, the same miracles become possible in our time.