Chapter 171. 1 Kings 18:20-4020So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22Then 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. 23Let 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: 24And 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. 25And 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. 26And 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. 27And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked 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. 28And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29And 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. 30And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33And 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. 34And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that 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. 37Hear 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. 38Then 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. 39And 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. 40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (1 Kings 18:20‑40) Elijah on Mount Carmel.
WHEN all the priests of Baal had come to Mount Carmel, and the children of Israel had likewise assembled there, Elijah came to them and said to the people, “How long do you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him.”
The people did not answer a word. They had had Baal and his priests for several years, and famine had been the consequence. No doubt their consciences were touched by the question. Elijah reminded the people that he was the only one remaining of the prophets of the Lord, while there were four hundred and fifty of Baal’s. Then he asked the priests for two bullocks and desired them to dress one for themselves, and he himself would dress the other, neither of them putting fire under their sacrifices, “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,” said Elijah. All the people answered, “It is well spoken.” This was a fair request. The priests of Baal claimed that their god represented the sun and fire. Therefore he ought surely to answer them by fire. But Baal could not hear, there was neither voice nor answer, although the priests called to him from morning till noon, crying, “O Baal, hear us!” They leaped upon the altar they had made. Elijah laughed at them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is talking or has something else to do, or is on a journey; perhaps he is asleep, and must be awakened.” The poor blind priests continued their calling, cutting themselves with knives till the blood gushed out, but their god was silent! O, how different from the true God who could say, “Before they call I will answer.” “Whose ear is ever open unto their cry.” “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me.” Our God is a living God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, and who delights to answer the prayers of His children.
When evening came Elijah called all the people. “Come near unto me,” he said tenderly. They had seen what Baal was, now they should learn that the Lord is God!
The people came near to the prophet, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down; then he took twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, although they were then divided. With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and dug a trench around it. After Elijah had laid wood on the altar and cut the bullock in pieces and laid him on the wood, he called on the people to fill four barrels with water, and to pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. Up to this time the people had silently looked on, but now they helped the prophet and did his bidding. Three times they did the same thing, till the water ran around the altar, and the trench was filled with it.
At the time of the evening sacrifice the prophet came near and prayed, saying, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and 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 the people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their hearts back again.”
The Lord did not keep Elijah waiting for his answer, but He sent down His fire to consume the burnt offering; the wood also was burnt, and the stones and dust; the water in the trench was all dried up. When the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and said, “The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God.”
When the people had turned back again to the God of their fathers, Elijah told them to take the priests of Baal to the brook Kishon and slay them there, for God had commanded Moses that such should be put to death because they would turn the people away from the Lord their God (Deut. 13:1-51If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. 5And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. (Deuteronomy 13:1‑5)).
Elijah’s heart must have been glad indeed to see what an influence his bold faithfulness to the Lord had had upon his brethren, the children of Israel. May we who know the Lord as our Saviour be as faithful! The results, whether we see them or not will surely be for the Lord’s glory and the blessing of those around us.
ML 01/21/1917