But it was utterly false concerning Elijah; so far was he from being an enemy to Israel's welfare that he as the stay of it, the chariots and horsemen of Israel. I. Elijah reproved the people for mixing the worship of God and the worship of Baal together. 38 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. (5.) Now God made those who said they were Jews and were not, but were of the synagogue of Satan, to come, and, in effect, to worship at his feet, and to know that God had loved him,Revelation 3:9. We are made in the image of this generous King, wired to reflect his generosity to the rest of creation. When Jezebel cut off God's prophets God cut off the necessary provisions by the extremity of the drought. Elijah was no priest, nor were his attendants Levites. IV. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 2. If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! There he would be alone. Deuteronomy 14:1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 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. A deceived heart had turned them aside, they could not deliver their souls by saying, Is there not a lie in our right hand? 18During the third year without rain, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: Go and meet King Ahab, and I will soon send rain. 2So Elijah went to meet Ahab. When they saw the fire consume both the burnt offering and the entire altar, they answered, " The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God " (1 Kings 18:39). 29The afternoon passed, and the prophets continued to act like this until it was time for the evening sacrifice. The manager of God's cause was but one man, lately a poor exile, hardly kept from starving; so that God's cause has nothing to support it but its own right. How did the prophets tithe and to whom? He will kill me!, 15Elijah answered, As surely as the Lord All-Powerful lives, whom I serve, I will be seen by Ahab today.. He knew, by the Spirit, where to meet him, and we are here told what passed between them. April 28 2020 ), St. Joseph New Catholic Version New Testament. Baal's prophets were so far from being convinced and put to shame by the just reproach Elijah cast upon them that it made them the more violent and led them to act more ridiculously. After all, if youre a farmer, its only practical to invest in getting the rider of the clouds to like you. 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. Baal was chief of the Canaanite gods. His new conquest will be lost if he do not look about him quickly." The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God.. if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. Jeremiah 2:11. 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." One may guess how people stand affected to God by observing how they stand affected to his people and ministers. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. Their heart is divided (Hosea 10:2), whereas God will have all or none. He repaired this altar with twelve stones, according to the number of the twelve tribes,1 Kings 18:31; 1 Kings 18:31. 35So the water ran off the altar and filled the ditch. They could say nothing to justify themselves, and they would say nothing to condemn themselves, but, as people confounded, let him say what he would. They thought to trim the matter, and play on both sides, as the Samaritans, 2 Kings 17:33. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. This he calls (1 Kings 18:21; 1 Kings 18:21) halting between two opinions, or thoughts. Idols could do neither good nor evil. Rain is the river of God,Psalms 65:9. 3:24). From Pretty Statues to Silver and Gold: Jesus or Mammon? 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. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive and not have to kill our animals. 6So each one chose a part of the country to search; Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah in another. The people, as the jury, gave in their verdict upon the trial, and they are all agreed in it; the case is so plain that they need not go from the bar to consider of their verdict or consult about it: They fell on their faces, and all, as one man, said, "Jehovah, he is the God, and not Baal; we are convinced and satisfied of it: Jehovah, he is the God" (1 Kings 18:39; 1 Kings 18:39), whence, one would think, they should have inferred, "If he be the God, he shall be our God, and we will serve him only," as Joshua 24:24. A good answer provides new insight and perspective. English Revised Version Indeed, giving back to God and to his people is part of our DNA, a sign of our family resemblance to our generous Creator. Some, we hope, had their hearts thus turned back, but the generality of them were convinced only, not converted, yielded to the truth of God, that he is the God, but consented not to his covenant, that he should be theirs. He pleads that he did not deserve to be thus exposed, and put in peril of his life: What have I said amiss?1 Kings 18:9; 1 Kings 18:9. 17When he saw Elijah, he asked, Is it youthe biggest troublemaker in Israel?, 18Elijah answered, I have not made trouble in Israel. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. [3.] Tyrants and persecutors, in their passion, are often unreasonably outrageous, even towards their friends and confidants. Elijah's Trial of the False Prophets; the Destruction of Baal's Prophets. He takes it for granted that Elijah would again withdraw (1 Kings 18:12; 1 Kings 18:12): The Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee (as it is likely he had done sometimes, when Ahab thought he had been sure of him) whither I know not. Elijah vs. the priests of Baal. Let it go on therefore to a trial. Note, Those who profess religion should study to recommend themselves to the esteem even of those that are without by their integrity, fidelity, and application to business. He writes that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil that has led some to wander from the faith and pierce themselves with many griefs (v. 10). There he spoke with us. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting Baal, answer us! But there was no sound, and no one answered. Thou employest me; Lord, make it appear that thou dost so;" see Numbers 16:28; Numbers 16:29. (2.) The Contemporary Parallel New Testament with KJV, NIV, NKJV, NASB, and more! While Baal worshipers went hungry during the drought, God fed Elijah meat and bread delivered to him daily by carrier ravens (see v. 6). 22Elijah said, I am the only prophet of the Lord here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. 22 Then 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. I incline to this because we find, when they came together, Elijah, knowing what Ahab wanted him for, appointed him to meet him on Mount Carmel, and Ahab complied with the appointment, though Elijah took such a way to revoke the sentence and bless the land as perhaps he little thought of. But humans cannot serve two kings. Like fools, they leaped upon the altar, as if they would themselves become sacrifices with their bullock; or thus they expressed their great earnestness of mind. He insists upon it that we mortify our lusts and corruptions; but corporeal penances and severities, such as the Papists use, which have no tendency to that, are no pleasure to him. God will provide himself fire. Showdown on the mount Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. Ahab issued out writs accordingly, for the convening of this great assembly (1 Kings 18:20; 1 Kings 18:20), either because he feared Elijah and durst not oppose him (Saul stood in awe of Samuel more than of God), or because he hoped Elijah would bless the land, and speak the word that they might have rain, and upon those terms they would be all at his beck. Why did the prophets of Baal cut themselves? But every bit of ourselves we give to our stuff we snatch away from our true King. But his corruptions got the better of his convictions, and he was glad to get clear of him, as Felix of Paul, when he dismissed him, and adjourned his conference with him to a more convenient season. V. The return of the mercy of rain, at the word of Elijah, 1 Kings . 732 views, 45 likes, 11 loves, 7 comments, 73 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from : 22 2023 . Nay (1 Kings 18:13; 1 Kings 18:13), Was it not told my lord how I hid the prophets? [3.] hear us, O Baal! And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. V. Elijah hereupon hastened Ahab home, and attended him himself. And nothing can't answer you when you call out to it! There are those who trouble Israel by their wickedness, whom the conservators of the public peace are concerned to enquire after. Elijah told him to go and look again. No one answered; no one paid attention (v. 29 ESV). [2.] "Shout louder!" he said. Let it for ever be looked upon as a point adjudged against all pretenders (for it was carried, upon a full hearing, against one of the most daring and threatening competitors that ever the God of Israel was affronted by) that Jehovah, he is God, God alone. 2. 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. Does the Bible encourage the practice of Lent? Has the book of Amos been fulfilled or is it a reference to end times? 34Then he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the meat and on the wood. Then Elijah said, Do it again, and they did it again. Elijah sought not his own glory but in subserviency to God's, and for his own necessary vindication. 36At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went near the altar. Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, he prayed. Does God gives us political leaders or do we vote them by choice? These were the 450 prophets of Baal; the 400 prophets of the groves (who, some think, were Sidonians), though summoned (1 Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 18:19), yet, as it should seem, did not attend, and so escaped this execution, which fair escape perhaps Ahab and Jezebel thought themselves happy in; but it proved they were reserved to be the instruments of Ahab's destruction, some time after, by encouraging him to go up to Ramoth-Gilead, 1 Kings 22:6; 1 Kings 22:6. To this fair proposal of the case, which Elijah here makes, the people knew not what to say: They answered him not a word. Asked April 28 2020 If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. "I love Jesus and it is the honor of my life to get to portray him," he said. If, in this trial, they could but bring it to a drawn battle, their other advantages would give them the victory. IV. 14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. His interview with Obadiah, one of Ahab's servants, by whom he sends notice to Ahab of his coming, 1 Kings 18:2-16. 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. I. Elijah sent Ahab to eat and drink, for joy that God had now accepted his works, and that rain was coming; see Ecclesiastes 9:7. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Providence ordered it so, that Ahab might, with his own eyes, see how bad the consequences of this judgment were, that so he might be the better inclined to hearken to Elijah, who would direct him into the only way to put an end to it. We become increasingly committed to a lifestyle of an abundance of possessions. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural, Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword, Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural, A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style, Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed, Preposition | third person masculine plural, In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah, Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets, Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 1 Kings 18:28 They cried aloud and cut themselves after (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg). After Israel had gone more than three years without rain as a judgment for their idolatry, the prophet Elijah confronts the evil king Ahab and challenges him to a spiritual showdown. The sad state of Israel at this time, upon two accounts:--. How senseless, how brutish, were they in their addresses to Baal! And will a nation change their god?" (The Lord changed Jacobs name to Israel.) They worshipped God to please the prophets, but worshipped Baal to please Jezebel and curry favour at court. And they limped [they hobbled] around the altar that they had made." I don't think those two uses of the word limp or hobble are an accident. Thats why Jesus warned his followers to watch out for all kinds of greed (see Luke 12:15). Share Though ten of the tribes had revolted to Baal, he would look upon them as belonging to God still, by virtue of the ancient covenant with their fathers: and, though those ten were unhappily divided from the other two in civil interest, yet in the worship of the God of Israel they had communion with each other, and they twelve were one. Elijah is not the Achan: "I have not troubled Israel, have neither done them any wrong nor designed them any hurt." Let us see if he speed better. IV. But when we worship the idol of money, when our lives are oriented primarily toward earning, getting, and keeping, we become deformed, reflecting not the image of Yahweh, Lord of heaven and earth, but money, the god of me and mine. The steps taken towards redressing the grievance, by Elijah's appearing again upon the stage, to act as a Tishbite, a converter or reformer of Israel, for so (some think) that title of his signifies. All these parables point in the same direction: money wants our worship. Dont let any of them run away! The people captured all the prophets. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 0 responses Elijah first surrendered, or rather discovered, himself to Obadiah. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. II. Excerpted from "Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give," by Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt and Brian Fikkert. There he set himself, as it were, upon his watch-tower, like the prophet, Habakkuk 2:1. 46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. This is the right method. Report 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. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. This was not as a morning cloud, which passes away (though Israel's goodness was so), but one that produced a plentiful rain (Psalms 68:9), and an earnest of more. They just added Baal worship to their insurance policy. 10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. This writing has come about a few days after The Test - 2002 and the Latter Rain, and adds greater clarity to what can be expected in the latter rain. It does not appear that either the increase of the provision or the raising of the child had caused him to be taken notice of at Zarephath, for then Ahab would have discovered him; he would rather do good than be known to do it. Trust ye not in lying words, saying . " By afternoon, worshippers of Baal were cutting themselves up and ripping off their clothes, writhing in unspeakable suicidal frustration.When he called on them to shout and wake up . 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. The God therefore that has power to pardon sin, and to signify it by consuming the sin-offering, must needs be the God that can relieve us against the calamity. Obadiah recognized Elijah, so he bowed down to the ground and said, Elijah? The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. Elijah, in answer to him, [1.] You have gone after the Baals. 39 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. 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