Was John the Baptist conceived via an immaculate conception? Then he said, Do it a third time, and they did it the third time. Baal's prophets were so far from being convinced and put to shame by the just reproach Elijah cast upon them that it made them the more violent and led them to act more ridiculously. Idols had always threatened to steal the love, trust, and service God deserves and demands.By equating greed with idolatry, Paul provocatively told the church they didnt have to go into a rival temple to worship another god. They thought to trim the matter, and play on both sides, as the Samaritans, 2 Kings 17:33. I will prepare the other bull, putting the meat on the wood but not setting fire to it. 12The Spirit of the Lord may carry you to some other place after I leave. There he spoke with us. Carmel had neither tabernacle nor temple; it was a great way distant from the ark of the testimony and the place God had chosen; this was not the altar that sanctified the gift; yet never was any sacrifice more acceptable to God than this. "Surely he is a god! Prove that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant. Twelve barrels of water (probably sea-water, for the sea was near, and so much fresh water in this time of drought was too precious for him to be so prodigal of it), thrice four, he poured upon his sacrifice, to prevent the suspicion of any fire under (for, if there had been any, this would have put it out), and to make the expected miracle the more illustrious. God's ministers should make it appear that, how great soever they look when they deliver God's message, yet they are far from affecting worldly grandeur: let them leave that to the kings of the earth. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. Compare Mark 9:38; Mark 9:39; Matthew 21:30. No one who was present that day missed the point. Those that fear God need not go out of the world, bad as it is. Thou employest me; Lord, make it appear that thou dost so;" see Numbers 16:28; Numbers 16:29. Yahweh would have none of it. Did they tithe to themselves? New Century Version (NCV). 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, "Shout louder, for he is a god! V. The return of the mercy of rain, at the word of Elijah, 1 Kings 18:41-46. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. I. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Had he, by his spies, surprised Elijah, he would have triumphed over him; but, now that he was thus surprised by him, we may suppose he even trembled to look him in the face, hated him, and yet feared him, as Herod did John. Excerpted from "Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give," by Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt and Brian Fikkert. There was one very good man, who was a great man at court, Obadiah, who answered his name--a servant of the Lord, one who feared God and was faithful to him, and yet was steward of the household to Ahab. Such living falls far short of the life Jesus invites us to experience. (The Lord changed Jacobs name to Israel.) "In reconcilable differences (says bishop Hall) nothing more safe than indifferency both of practice and opinion; but, in cases of such necessary hostility as betwixt God and Baal, he that is not with God is against him." The prophets of Baal went first. This he calls (1 Kings 18:21; 1 Kings 18:21) halting between two opinions, or thoughts. Little wonder, then, that when King Ahab chose to marry a woman from Baal territory, the farmers in Israel built a house for this new god and welcomed him to the neighborhood (see 1 Kings 16:31). And he said, Do it the third time. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. (2.) Note, Those who profess religion should study to recommend themselves to the esteem even of those that are without by their integrity, fidelity, and application to business. Hence we read of those that hide themselves in the top of Carmel,Amos 9:3. He is sure Ahab would be so enraged at the disappointment that he would put him to death for making a fool of him, or for not laying hands on Elijah himself, when he had him in his reach, 1 Kings 18:12; 1 Kings 18:12. Report As for why the worship of Baal and Asherah specifically was such a problem for Israel, there are several reasons we can cite: first, the worship of Baal and Asherah held the allure of illicit sex, since the religion involved ritual prostitution. He stood by them, and patiently heard them for so many hours praying to an idol, yet with secret indignation and disdain; and at noon, when the sun was at the hottest, and they too expecting fire (then if ever), he upbraided them with their folly; and notwithstanding the gravity of his office, and the seriousness of the work he had before him, bantered them: "Cry aloud, for he is a god, a goodly god that cannot be made to hear without all this clamour. Elijah did not interrupt them, but let them go on till they were tired, and quite despaired of success, which was not till the time of the evening sacrifice,1 Kings 18:29; 1 Kings 18:29. How senseless, how brutish, were they in their addresses to Baal! Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:4), slew them,1 Kings 18:13; 1 Kings 18:13. When we cannot carry a reformation so far as we would we must do what we can, and rather comply with some corruptions than not do our utmost towards the extirpation of Baal. Baal and his prophets were confounded. 2. Share And nothing can't answer you when you call out to it! The God who answered by fire, igniting the sacrifice on the altar, was the true God. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting Baal, answer us! But there was no sound, and no one answered. 46The Lord gave his power to Elijah, who tightened his clothes around him and ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel. What is the meaning of the parable of the rich man and his manager? Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Click on the different category headings to find out more. God demands no more from us than he can make out a title to. He mentions this, not in pride or ostentation, but to convince Elijah that though he was Ahab's servant he was not in his interest, and therefore deserved not to be bantered as one of the tools of his persecution. The steps taken towards redressing the grievance, by Elijah's appearing again upon the stage, to act as a Tishbite, a converter or reformer of Israel, for so (some think) that title of his signifies. And will a nation change their god?" Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. Bread and water were now scarce commodities, yet Obadiah will find a competence of both for God's prophets, to keep them alive for service hereafter, though now they were laid aside. 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. But in this chapter his appearance was as public as before his retirement was close; the days appointed for his concealment (which was part of the judgment upon Israel) being finished, he is not commanded to show himself to Ahab, and to expect rain upon the earth, 1 Kings 18:1. Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. Probably on that mountain they had an eminent high place, where formerly the pure worship of God had been kept up as well as it could be any where but at Jerusalem. 30Then Elijah said to all the people, Now come to me. So they gathered around him, and Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. His parables tell of farmers destroyed in the midst of their prosperity because they hoarded wealth and failed to be rich toward God (see vv. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 40Then Elijah said, Capture the prophets of Baal! The people must be brought to repent and reform, and then they may look for the removal of the judgment, but not till then. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. He went in quest of grass, and found him from whose word, at God's mouth, he must expect rain. April 2018. Roumie said he was drawn to both "The Chosen" and "Jesus Revolution" because of their scripts and characters, which "spoke to his heart.". Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Does God gives us political leaders or do we vote them by choice? Such was Elijah's zeal, no doubt, against the idolatry of Baal, and such his compassion to his people, that he thought it long to be thus confined to a corner; yet he appeared not till God bade him: "Go and show thyself to Ahab, for now thy hour has come, even the time to favour Israel." Should the explanation in Genesis on how God created plants before the sun affect the understanding of creation? Second, Baal was a false god and men were not to worship him. Obadiah begs to be excused from carrying this message to Ahab, for it might prove as much as his life was worth. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive and not have to kill our animals. 6So each one chose a part of the country to search; Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah in another. What was the result of this fair trial. It was strange that so good a man as Obadiah would accept of preferment in a court so addicted to idolatry and all manner of wickedness. Then he dug a ditch around the altar that was big enough to hold about thirteen quarts of seed. When we give, we reflect the image of our giving God. So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. All rights reserved. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his head between his knees. Let us see if he speed better. Start FREE. (2.) To demonstrate that he was neither ashamed of, nor afraid for, what he had done, though he knew how Jezebel would resent it, but durst venture himself in the midst of his enemies, as being confident of the Divine power and protection. (Poole), ii. Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. Elijah, like himself, boldly returned the charge upon the king, and proved it upon him, that he was the troubler of Israel,1 Kings 18:18; 1 Kings 18:18. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. This will, by no means, justify those who ridicule the worshippers of God in Christ because the worship is not performed just in their way. 1 Kings 18:40. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. Elijah told him to go and look again. But God would not suffer the devil to do it now, because the trial of his title was put on that issue by consent of parties. 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