1 Kings 18
Some time later, about 3 years into the drought, Elijah is told to return to Israel and confront king Ahab again, after this rain would come back.
The famine by this stage was severe in the land and Ahab had split from his palace administrator Obadiah, to try and find some pasture for the royal horses otherwise they would have to be slaughtered
Obadiah was a good man who had hidden 100 prophets of God while the queen, Jezebel, was trying to eradicate all worship of God.
Elijah met Obadiah on the road and told him to go and fetch Ahab.
Obadiah went a bit nuts, "Are you trying to kill me? You will disappear while I'm gone and then Ahab will have my guts for garters." (that was a paraphrase by the way)
Ahab greeted Elijah with a typically warm greeting "So you are here, you troubler of Israel?"
Elijah's riposte is equally warm "It is you and your family that cause more trouble than me!"
Elijah arranged for a show down on Mount Carmel witnessed by the ordinary people - a kind of, I don't think scientific is the right word, demonstration.
The test was that the true God should step forward and prove to the people Baal and Asherah were on one side with 400 priests and prophets and God was on the other side with a lone Elijah.
The challenge was build your alter, put wood on it and slaughter a sacrifice for burning but not set fire to it.
In a spirit of generosity, Elijah suggests that the priests of Baal get on with it as there were so many of them.
The priests of Baal started to chant, dance and call on Baal to set fire to the burned offering.
They did this for about 3 hours, from morning to noon. Around noon, Elijah started to get a bit bored and started winding them up.
"Surely Baal is a god, he must be able to hear you, shout louder, perhaps he is on holiday, or business trip?"
"Perhaps he is on the loo and deep in thought or asleep?"
The priests of Baal went a bit mental and started to cut themselves and shout louder, but no fire, not even a lightening bolt or any response from Baal.
They carried on with this all day and as the sun set Elijah called the people- he built an alter using 12 uncut stones, he laid the wood on it and arranged the sacrifice, and dug a trench around it.
He then asked for 4 large jars of water to be bought and poured over the whole offering. he then ordered the action repeated 2 more times.
Given that they are at the top of a mountain, and into 3 years without rain - I suspect that this act would have been quite difficult. Having said that, God would now have a bit more effort with the fire.
Elijah prayed a simple prayer to God, that he would show his power in Israel.
Fire from God came down and burned the sacrifice, wood, stones and evaporated all the water.
At this Israel believed in God and at Elijah's command killed all 400 priests of Baal
To Ahab, Elijah urged him to eat and drink something as he could hear the sound of rain in the distance.
Elijah continued in prayer and asked his servant to see what he saw in the sky, 6 times he said nothing, the 7th time he saw a cloud as big as a man's fist.
Eliah told Ahab to get into his chariot and ride for his city otherwise he would be bogged down, God gave Elijah power and he outran Ahab and his chariot back to town
This chapter has some really great drama and special effects worthy of an Indiana Jones ending!
Some time later, about 3 years into the drought, Elijah is told to return to Israel and confront king Ahab again, after this rain would come back.
The famine by this stage was severe in the land and Ahab had split from his palace administrator Obadiah, to try and find some pasture for the royal horses otherwise they would have to be slaughtered
Obadiah was a good man who had hidden 100 prophets of God while the queen, Jezebel, was trying to eradicate all worship of God.
Elijah met Obadiah on the road and told him to go and fetch Ahab.
Obadiah went a bit nuts, "Are you trying to kill me? You will disappear while I'm gone and then Ahab will have my guts for garters." (that was a paraphrase by the way)
Ahab greeted Elijah with a typically warm greeting "So you are here, you troubler of Israel?"
Elijah's riposte is equally warm "It is you and your family that cause more trouble than me!"
Elijah arranged for a show down on Mount Carmel witnessed by the ordinary people - a kind of, I don't think scientific is the right word, demonstration.
The test was that the true God should step forward and prove to the people Baal and Asherah were on one side with 400 priests and prophets and God was on the other side with a lone Elijah.
The challenge was build your alter, put wood on it and slaughter a sacrifice for burning but not set fire to it.
In a spirit of generosity, Elijah suggests that the priests of Baal get on with it as there were so many of them.
The priests of Baal started to chant, dance and call on Baal to set fire to the burned offering.
They did this for about 3 hours, from morning to noon. Around noon, Elijah started to get a bit bored and started winding them up.
"Surely Baal is a god, he must be able to hear you, shout louder, perhaps he is on holiday, or business trip?"
"Perhaps he is on the loo and deep in thought or asleep?"
The priests of Baal went a bit mental and started to cut themselves and shout louder, but no fire, not even a lightening bolt or any response from Baal.
They carried on with this all day and as the sun set Elijah called the people- he built an alter using 12 uncut stones, he laid the wood on it and arranged the sacrifice, and dug a trench around it.
He then asked for 4 large jars of water to be bought and poured over the whole offering. he then ordered the action repeated 2 more times.
Given that they are at the top of a mountain, and into 3 years without rain - I suspect that this act would have been quite difficult. Having said that, God would now have a bit more effort with the fire.
Elijah prayed a simple prayer to God, that he would show his power in Israel.
Fire from God came down and burned the sacrifice, wood, stones and evaporated all the water.
At this Israel believed in God and at Elijah's command killed all 400 priests of Baal
To Ahab, Elijah urged him to eat and drink something as he could hear the sound of rain in the distance.
Elijah continued in prayer and asked his servant to see what he saw in the sky, 6 times he said nothing, the 7th time he saw a cloud as big as a man's fist.
Eliah told Ahab to get into his chariot and ride for his city otherwise he would be bogged down, God gave Elijah power and he outran Ahab and his chariot back to town
This chapter has some really great drama and special effects worthy of an Indiana Jones ending!
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