What a solemn and searching question Elijah asked the people at this time! “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” What a challenge! “And the people answered him not a word.” How stubborn their hearts were! They had not turned to the Lord, even after more than three years without rain. They still clung to Baal their false god, even though he had not delivered them from the dire famine — for such is the heart of man.
Perhaps the one who reads these lines is going through a deep trial. Have you turned to the Lord, dear unsaved one, or are you, like Ahab, blaming Him for your trouble? You know that all other help has failed, and yet you halt between two opinions. The enemy of your soul would keep you from the Lord, who calls you in grace, longing to bless and save you. Decide for Christ today.
Elijah told the people to take two bullocks; they could choose one, while he would take the other. They could take their bullock first, and cut it into pieces and prepare it for a sacrifice; he would prepare his after. They had four hundred and fifty prophets for Baal, and a great following, while he stood alone for the Lord, the true God of Israel. He told them not to put any fire under their sacrifice, but to call upon Baal to send fire and consume it. Nor would he put any fire under his sacrifice, but that he would call upon the Lord, and the god who answered with fire would be the true God.
To this the people all agreed, and so the priests of Baal prepared their sacrice first. Then they called upon Baal from morning till noon, but there was no answer to their cries. They even leaped upon their altar, crying, “O Baal, hear us.” Then Elijah mocked them, saying that perhaps their god was away on a journey, or asleep and needed to be awakened. This made them still more fanatical, and they cried aloud and cut themselves till the blood gushed out. Still there was no answer, and now it was about the time of the evening sacrifice. How foolish is the fanaticism and endless repetition in false religion coared with the simplicity of the truth of God!
Elijah came forward at this time and asked all the people to come near to him. He then repaired the altar of the Lord which was broken down, using twelve stones as representing the twelve tribes of Israel. He made a trench about the altar, and prepared the sacrifice and the wood. He then told the people to draw four barrels of water and pour it over the sacrifice and the wood. He told them to do it a second and a third time, until the water ran down and filled up the trench.
At the time of the evening sacrifice he stood by the altar and prayed in a few simple words, asking the Lord to show that He was the true God, thus turning the hearts of the people back to Himself. “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. And 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.” How could they help but acknowledge this in the presence of such a marvelous display of His power! What a contrast to Baal, who was but a dumb idol.
ML 05/27/1956