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. 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, There are many of you, so you go first. III. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. Ahab had made diligent search for him (1 Kings 18:10; 1 Kings 18:10), had offered rewards to any one that would discover him, sent spies into every tribe and lordship of his own dominions, as some understand it, or, as others, into all the neighbouring nations and kingdoms that were in alliance with him; and, when they denied that they knew any thing of him, he would not believe them unless they swore it, and, as should seem, promised likewise upon oath that, if ever they found him among them, they would discover him and deliver him up. But it is strange to find such an eminently good man governor of Ahab's house, an office of great honour, power, and trust. Indeed, giving back to God and to his people is part of our DNA, a sign of our family resemblance to our generous Creator. [3.] Elijah told him to go and look again. Paul goes even further. Showdown on the mount Turn them again to the Lord God of hosts, from whom they have revolted, and all will be well quickly; this must be Elijah's doing. Roumie said he was drawn to both "The Chosen" and "Jesus Revolution" because of their scripts and characters, which "spoke to his heart.". Pray louder! he said. "I love Jesus and it is the honor of my life to get to portray him," he said. Ahab, like himself, basely accused Elijah. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. [1.] [1.] to please their deity, as Herodias did Herod, and so to obtain their request. Ahab is the Achan, the troubler, who follows Baalim, those accursed things. However, it is put to this experiment, "Let each side prepare a sacrifice, and pray to its God, and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God; if neither shall thus answer, let the people turn Atheists; if both, let them continue to halt between two." Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Six times his servant goes to the point of the hill and sees nothing, brings no good news to his master; yet Elijah continues praying, will not be diverted so far as to go and see with his own eyes, but still sends his servant to see if he can discover any hopeful cloud, while he keeps his mind close and intent in prayer, and abides by it, as one that has taken up his father Jacob's resolution, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. When we give, we reflect the image of our giving God. Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give. 45After a short time the sky was covered with dark clouds. 44The seventh time, the servant said, I see a small cloud, the size of a human fist, coming from the sea., Elijah told the servant, Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go home now. "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." He repaired this altar with twelve stones, according to the number of the twelve tribes,1 Kings 18:31; 1 Kings 18:31. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. IV. According to one ancient Canaanite myth, the father of Baal slashes his chest, arms, and back upon learning of his son's death. Prophets should be called seers, and shepherds, and watchmen, and ministers, rather than lords, as those that mind duty more than dominion. You and your fathers family have made all this trouble by not obeying the Lords commands. Was John the Baptist conceived via an immaculate conception? Once we remember that the Jews saw idolatry as the ultimate sin that put one outside the community of faith, we can hear the full force of Pauls words. But, since Ahab invites him not to ride with him, he will run before him (1 Kings 18:46; 1 Kings 18:46) as one of his footmen, that he may not seem to be lifted up with the great honour God had put upon him or to abate in his civil respect to his prince, though he reproved him faithfully. Pursuant to this order we have here, I. 25:3146). e. Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you: This was a word of faith from Elijah to Ahab. The prophets may have hoped that their actions would bring rain and end the drought. God's cause is so incontestably just that it needs not fear to have the evidences of its equity searched into and weighed. 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. The Bible states that during the encounter with Elijah the prophets of Baal, "And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them." ( 1 Kings 18:28 ) Where Do We See God's Power over Baal? Note, The worship of idols is a most ridiculous thing, and it is but justice to represent it so and expose it to scorn. With their experiences as a pastor, urban community development expert, and bestselling author of "When Helping Hurts" and president of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development, Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt, and Brian Fikkert offer eye-opening true stories of economic discipleship in action. Above two years he had lain hid with the widow at Zarephath, after he had been concealed one year by the brook Cherith; so that the third year of his sojourning there, here spoken of (1 Kings 18:1; 1 Kings 18:1), was the fourth of the famine, which lasted in all three years and six months, as we find, Luke 4:25; James 5:17. If I go tell King Ahab you are here, and he comes and doesnt find you, he will kill me! Yahweh took care of his own while the king who had turned to Baal because of his claim to bring home the economic bacon wandered the countryside hoping to find a bit of grass for the few horses and mules who hadnt died yet (see 1 Kings 18:45). II. English Revised Version These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. How deaf Baal was to them. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. ESV - The prophets of Baal went first. No one answered; no one paid attention (v. 29 ESV). He also brought them food and water.) The priests of Baal would pray to their god, and Elijah would pray to his God. Having built his altar in the name of the Lord (1 Kings 18:32; 1 Kings 18:32), by direction from him and with an eye to him, and not for his own honour, he prepared his sacrifice, 1 Kings 18:33; 1 Kings 18:33. Idols could do neither good nor evil. 27At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. Even in those bad times, when the calves were worshipped and the temple at Jerusalem deserted, yet there were some good people that feared God and served him, and some good prophets that instructed them in the knowledge of him and assisted them in their devotions. 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. 0 responses 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. Start FREE. And they did it the third time. They worshipped God to please the prophets, but worshipped Baal to please Jezebel and curry favour at court. He tells Elijah what great search Ahab had made for him and how much his heart was upon it to find him out, 1 Kings 18:10; 1 Kings 18:10. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, since there are many of you; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it ." So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, hear and answer us." He bids Obadiah go and tell the king that he is there to speak with him: Tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is forth-coming, 1 Kings 18:8; 1 Kings 18:8. It is a chapter in which are many things very observable. That Elijah could have made such a run is assured in the Arab runners could easily cover one hundred miles in two days. (Patterson and Austel), 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. His interview with all Israel upon Mount Carmel, in order to a public trial of titles between the Lord and Baal; a most distinguished solemnity it was, in which, 1. Wasnt killing too severe a punishment for the prophets of Baal? 41Then Elijah said to Ahab, Now, go, eat, and drink, because a heavy rain is coming. 42So King Ahab went to eat and drink. Mauled by Money: The Cost of Economic Idolatry, The Bible also teaches us that the wages of our economic idolatry is death. 23Bring two bulls. The service of God and the service of sin, the dominion of Christ and the dominion of our lusts, these are the two thoughts which it is dangerous halting between. 8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. Prove that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant. 6:9). 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. But this was not all; to complete the miracle, the fire consumed the stones of the altar, and the very dust, to show that it was no ordinary fire, and perhaps to intimate that, though God accepted this occasional sacrifice from this altar, yet for the future they ought to demolish all the altars on their high places, and, for their constant sacrifices, make use of that at Jerusalem only. The sailors at this day call it Cape Carmel. ), St. Joseph New Catholic Version New Testament. During all that time some of them prayed, while others of them prophesied, sang hymns, perhaps to the praise of Baal, or rather encouraged those that were praying to proceed, telling them that Baal would answer them at last; but there was no answer, nor any that regarded. When we read about the Israelites worshiping the god Baal in 1 Kings 18, we tend to think of them developing a preference for wooden idol images. They allow the proposal to be fair and unexceptionable "God has often answered by fire; if Baal cannot do so, let him be cast out for a usurper." The execution he did upon the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18:40. In it, Elijah, the prophet of Gd, puts to the test what was at the time perceived as the most supreme and powerful of all the godsBaal. 35So the water ran off the altar and filled the ditch. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. The long drought was over, and it was demonstrated that the prayers of Elijah both withheld the rain and then subsequently brought the rain. They explore six key biblical themes of worship, community, work, equity, creation care, and rest to dig into what the Gospel means for how we use our resources. One true prophet against 450 false prophets. The land of Judah lay close to the land of Israel, yet we find no complaint there of the want of rain; for Judah yet ruled with God, and was faithful with the saints and prophets (Hosea 11:12), by which distinction Israel might plainly have seen the ground of God's controversy, when God caused it to rain upon one city and not upon another (Amos 4:7; Amos 4:8); but they blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, and would not see. His interview with Obadiah, one of Ahab's servants, by whom he sends notice to Ahab of his coming, 1 Kings 18:2-16. 46The Lord gave his power to Elijah, who tightened his clothes around him and ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel. It also dried up the water in the ditch. I. Elijah reproved the people for mixing the worship of God and the worship of Baal together. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab forced the ruler to swear you could not be found in his country. At the end of the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit had . 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