1 Kings - Chapter 18

Elijah confronts King Ahab, who has abandoned the Lord's command and worshipped Baal. Elijah challenges Ahab to a test on Mount Carmel, where he proves that the Lord is the true God by calling down fire from heaven. The people acknowledge the Lord's power, but it remains to be seen if their actions will align with their words. Elijah prays for rain, and a heavy rainstorm comes. The episode highlights the importance of following the Lord and not wavering between two opinions. I'm Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If, by chance, you want to contact me, you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Chapter 18 of 1 Kings begins, After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land. What we learned in chapter 17 of 1 Kings is that Ahab, who did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him, was king of Israel, the ten northern tribes of the divided kingdom. His wife was Jezebel from Sidonia, and they worshipped Baal, the storm and rain god, as well as set up Asherah poles, which were gods of the Phoenicians. The Lord sent Elijah the prophet to confront King Ahab, and said there would be no rain until Elijah said it would rain, or, in other words, until the Lord said it would rain. When Jesus referenced this time of when the sky was shut in Luke chapter 4 verses 24 and 25, it was for three and a half years, which brought a severe famine throughout the land. The time had come, so Elijah went to see King Ahab again. In the next paragraph, we learn the famine had become so severe that he sent his servant who oversaw the palace, Obadiah, to find grass for the animals. Obadiah went one way, and Ahab the other. This paragraph also tells us that Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord, and even when Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets, Obadiah hid a hundred of them, fifty each in two caves, and he took them food and water. Now Elijah met Obadiah, who bowed down when he saw him. Elijah told him to go tell Ahab that Elijah was coming, but he was fearful at first, because he was afraid Elijah would hide again, and Ahab would kill him for sending a false message. It seemed that everyone was looking for Elijah, but no one seemed to think about looking for him in the land of Phoenicia. Elijah said, As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today. Verse 15. Obadiah found and told Ahab, and when Elijah came to him, Ahab said, Is that you, you troubler of Israel? To that Elijah replied, I have not made trouble for Israel, but you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's command and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, and bring four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table. Verses 18 and 19. Ahab sent word, and they assembled on Mount Carmel, which is located on the western border of Israel, meeting up to where Phoenicia begins. It is on the coast of the great sea, which is now called the Mediterranean Sea. Verse 21. Elijah went before the people and said, How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing. My hubby once said in a sermon, It's like they're saying, Let's just wait and see. Elijah said he was the only one of the Lord's prophets, and here there were four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. He asked for two goals, one for each side. They cut them into pieces for an offering and laid it on the wood, but no one was to set it on fire. Verse 24 says, Then you call on the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the Lord, the God who answers by fire. He is God. The people of Israel responded, What you say is good. They still were not sure what the outcome would be. Elijah had the prophets of Baal go first. They called. They called all morning until noon. They shouted, but no response. No one answered. They danced around their altar. Elijah then began to taunt them, Shout louder. Surely he is a God. Perhaps he's deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he's sleeping and must be awakened. Verse 27. They shouted louder and even slashed themselves, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. This continued in a frantic way until the time of evening sacrifice. Verse 19b. But there was no response. No one answered. No one paid attention. I wonder if that meant that even the people, by the end of the day, knew nothing was going to happen. Then, then Elijah called all the people to himself. They watched him repair the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. He took 12 stones, which represented that Israel is truly 12 tribes from the 12 sons of Jacob, whose name was changed by the Lord to Israel. In Genesis chapter 32, verse 28, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome. Elijah built this altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it, arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and laid it on the wood. He then had them fill four large jugs of water, and keep in mind this is still a time of drought. They did it three times, which was 12 jugs of water on the altar, and it ran around the altar and even filled the trench. Now for any Girl Scout out there, what kind of wood do you want for a fire? Or even better question, what kind of wood do you not want for a fire? Drenched wood, because it will not light. If this thing catches fire, it's not a hoax, it's an act of God. Verses 36 and 37, at the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again. Elijah is being the mediator between the people of Israel and their God. Then fire fell from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil, and even all the water in the trench. M. Pierce Matheny, Jr. reminded his readers that with the account of scripture, it seems that this fire must have fallen from a cloudless sky. This miracle falls in the category of the mighty acts of God in salvation history. The Lord God of Israel answered. When the people saw it, they laid flat on the ground and cried, the Lord, He is God, the Lord, He is God. By the way, that's what Elijah's name means. Elijah commanded the people, seize the prophets of Baal, don't let any of them get away. They took them to the Kishon Valley and killed them there. Paul R. House said in his commentary, God sustains and protects his prophets, while Baal lets his die. Elijah told Ahab, go eat and drink, for there is a sound of heavy rain. So Ahab left and Elijah went back up to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. When I read that, it made me think of when one is lightheaded and you do that to breathe and catch your breath. But it may have been his way of praying to the Lord. Elijah asked his servant to look toward the sea, and he did, and he didn't see anything. While Elijah kept breathing and praying, he kept sending his servant to look, and each time nothing. On the seventh time, the servant reported, a cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea. Elijah sent his servant to go and tell Ahab to get on his chariot and ride down before the rain stopped him. The dry land would become mud, and then the chariot wheels would get stuck. Verses 45 and 46 say, Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on, and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah, and tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. Elijah prayed before this amazing miracle that the people would know that the God of Israel is the God in heaven. After the miracle of fire from heaven, the people proclaimed, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God! Will their actions prove what their mouth said? What about King Ahab? What will happen when Elijah gets back to Jezreel with the king? Is this issue finally settled? Is it settled in your hearts? Do you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, are you following Him? If you have heard His voice today, please don't harden your heart. Instead, let's be women who fear the Lord and do what is right as we see what the Lord will do, like Obadiah and Elijah. Thanks for listening and may the Lord bless until next time.