*1 Kings 18:16-46
Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a test of God’s power on Mount Carmel, and God’s fire consumes his offering while Baal’s remains untouched.
- Elijah Confronts Ahab:
- Elijah, the prophet of the Lord, confronts King Ahab of Israel and challenges him to assemble the prophets of Baal and Asherah, along with all the people of Israel, at Mount Carmel.
- Elijah accuses Ahab of forsaking the commandments of the Lord and following the false gods of the land, leading Israel astray.
- The Showdown at Mount Carmel:
- Elijah proposes a contest between himself, representing the Lord, and the prophets of Baal, to determine which deity is the true God.
- The prophets of Baal agree to the challenge, and Elijah instructs them to prepare a sacrifice and call upon their god to consume it with fire.
- The Prophets of Baal’s Efforts:
- The prophets of Baal prepare their sacrifice and call upon Baal from morning until noon, dancing around the altar and crying out for Baal to answer them.
- Despite their fervent efforts, there is no response from Baal, and the altar remains untouched by fire.
- Elijah’s Mockery:
- Elijah taunts the prophets of Baal, mocking their futile efforts and suggesting that perhaps Baal is asleep or preoccupied, or that he has gone on a journey.
- Elijah urges the prophets of Baal to cry louder and inflict themselves with greater fervor, but there is still no response from Baal.
- Elijah’s Prayer and the Lord’s Response:
- Elijah repairs the altar of the Lord, which had been broken down, and arranges the wood and sacrifice upon it.
- Elijah then pours water over the sacrifice three times, saturating the wood and the altar, demonstrating the impossibility of human intervention.
- Elijah prays to the Lord, asking Him to reveal Himself as the one true God and to bring about a demonstration of His power.
- The Lord responds immediately, sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the water in the trench around the altar, leaving nothing behind.
- The People’s Response:
- Witnessing the miraculous display of God’s power, the people fall on their faces and declare, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
- They recognize the superiority of the Lord over Baal and acknowledge His sovereignty and authority as the one true God.
- Elijah’s Judgment on the Prophets of Baal:
- Elijah commands the people to seize the prophets of Baal and not to let any of them escape, and they obey his instructions.
- Elijah leads the prophets of Baal down to the Brook Kishon and executes them there, fulfilling the judgment of the Lord against those who lead Israel astray.
- The End of the Drought:
- After the defeat of the prophets of Baal, Elijah instructs Ahab to go and eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain approaching.
- Ahab obeys Elijah’s command, and Elijah goes up to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bows down to the ground and prays earnestly for rain.
- The Lord responds to Elijah’s prayer by sending a great rainstorm upon the land, bringing an end to the severe drought that had afflicted Israel.
In 1 Kings 18:16-46, Elijah trusts God completely, even when facing opposition, and God proves His power in an incredible way. This reminds us that no matter how challenging our circumstances may be, we can stand firm in our faith. Just like Elijah prayed with confidence, we should bring our needs to God, believing that He hears us. This passage also teaches us that God is the one true source of strength and help—we don’t need to rely on anything else to find purpose and direction in life.
1 Kings 18:16-46 (WEB)
18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”18 He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the LORD’s commandments and you have followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”The people didn’t say a word.22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it. 24 You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the LORD’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.”All the people answered, “What you say is good.”25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”26 They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.27 At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”28 They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.30 Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the LORD’s altar that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in the LORD’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seed. 33 He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.36 At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Hear me, LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.”38 Then the LORD’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “The LORD, he is God! The LORD, he is God!”40 Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!”They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up now and look toward the sea.”He went up and looked, then said, “There is nothing.”He said, “Go again” seven times.44 On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.”He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’ ”45 In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46 The LORD’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.