Bible Men: Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

1 Kings 18

In my first post of Elijah, we learned that Elijah was a Tishbite, who lived in Gilead, and that he was a prophet proclaiming the word of the LORD God of Israel.   We learned that it was Elijah who told the wicked king Ahab that there would be no rain but by Elijah's word. And in that study we learned how the LORD God sent Elijah to the brook Cherith, and how the ravens were sent by God to feed Elijah.  After that Elijah was sent to the widow of Zarephath where she, her son and Elijah were sustained. And we learned how the widow's son died, and Elijah prayed fervently for him, and how, by the grace of God the child was raised to life again.

 Now in the third year, the LORD God spoke to Elijah again and said "go, shew thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth." There was a famine in the land by that time.  When Ahab learned that Elijah was coming, he went to meet him and greeted Elijah with these words, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" (V17) and Elijah responded "I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and hast followed Balaam" (V18)  The cause of Israel's problems rests on the king's shoulders because of his disobedience to the commandments of the LORD God.  But there is about to come a mighty demonstration of Sovereign God's awesome power and the answering of Elijah's prayers.

Elijah tells Ahab to "gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal, four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table"(V19) Jezebel is Ahab's wicked wife. And so Ahab gathers together all that Elijah asked for.  And Elijah addressed the congregation  with a question that reverberates down through history, even to us today. "How long halt ye between two opinions.?  If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him". (V21) Just as in Matthew 6:24 the Lord Jesus said "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon."  And just as the apostle Paul said  in Galatians 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
When the people heard Elijah ask this question, they "answered not a word"(V21) and no doubt wondered why they had been summoned there.



And now  Elijah tells them "I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men." (V22)And isn't it the same today?  not prophets perhaps, but how many people are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, standing apart from the world,  trusting him to lead them every day of their lives, and how many more follow after other religions, and other gods?  Surely the cults are full of them.  And the churches full of people who follow after "religiosity" - the doctrines of men, but not the truth of the Word of God.

Elijah continues on, asking for two bulls, and tells the prophets of Baal to choose one for themselves, cut it in pieces, put it on wood, but start no fire.  And Elijah would do likewise.  (V23)  and then "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. And all the people answered and said, it is well spoken."(V24)
 
Then Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, "choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us.  But there was no voice, nor any that answered.  And they leaped upon the altar which was made." (V25-26)  and then Elijah began to mock them, and said "Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked."(V27) His taunts only serve to drive the priests to cut themselves until they bled.  They prophesied until the time of the evening sacrifice, but there "was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded."( V28-29)  Its a sad day for those who hold to false gods when they finally realize that they were believing in something that was untrue.

And now Elijah said to all the people "Come near to me. And all the people came near unto him" and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.(V30) And he took twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and made a trench about it and he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said "fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood." (V31-33) and Elijah said to do this a second time and a third time. "and the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water." (V34)

At the time of the evening sacrifice, "Elijah the prophet came near and said LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.  Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again."(V36-37)   Not a little prayer here, Elijah is specific, and it is requesting the power of the LORD God of Israel. It also is requesting that Elijah be shown to be the LORD God's true servant and that all things were done not by Elijah's will but by the word of the LORD God. Another reminder of James 4:16 "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"

And then the power of the LORD is displayed "Then 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. " (V38)  And what was the response of the people?  "When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said "The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God." What do you think of the Lord Jesus?  Is He the Lord (head knowledge) or is He your Lord (heart knowledge)?

After that the prophets of Baal were all taken, not one of them escaped, and they were slain by Elijah near the brook Kishon.

Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."

Isaiah 43:11 "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."

vcg/August 2015