The Day that the LORD God Answered by Fire
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1 Kings 18:1-2, 24, 31, 20-46
Introduction:
- Surrounded as we are with a plurality of religious and other persuasions, all claiming to speak the truth and explain their unique best way to “god” and “peace,” those willing to ask probing questions, must inquire as to how so many suggested, often contradictory versions of truth, can all be valid. Questions and comments that depart from the present approved consensus that was once inconceivable are increasingly spurned and labelled as intolerant and a violation of charter and or first amendment rights.
- But even more pressing questions are:
- Why does the LORD allow this cacophony of professed spokespersons for God/gods who continue to proclaim their messages which are inconsistent with the word of the LORD?
- What does it mean to hear the word of the LORD and proclaim it accurately?
- Why do so many people, most who should know better, accommodate what is contrary to the word of the LORD and choose not to unequivocally confess “The LORD, he is God”?
While the events graphicly described in 1 Kings 18, seem to be about the epic confrontation between one man, Elijah, the man of God, the prophet of the LORD and spokesperson of the word of the LORD and 450 prophets of Baal (400 prophets of Asherah/ Jezebel), there are others in the broader context who were also impacted by the tsunami of these events.
- The people of Israel who had not totally rejected God and were trying to combine the worship of God and Baal – 1 Kings 18:20
- Obadiah and 100 LORD’s prophetswhom Obadiah had hidden and provisioned – 1 Kings 18:13
- “Ahab,the son of Omri, who did more evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.” (1 Kings 16:30) and his wife Jezebel.
On the day that the LORD God answered by fire:
1. The word of the LORD came to Elijah who obeyed– 1 Kings 18:1
- Confronting Ahab – 1 Kings 18:17-20
- Questioning all the people of Israel - 2 questions – 1 Kings 18:21
“How long will you go limping between two different opinions?”
“How long halt you you between two opinions?” KJV
Halt that is maimed/crippled
But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
That was a day when allegiance to the king and worship were closely connected. With Ahab’s permission and endorsement Jezebel and insured that - 1 Kings 16:31-33; 18:13, 19.
Baal - “Meaning ‘lord, husband, owner,’ Baal was the predominate god in the Canaanite religion. He was the storm god who provided the rain necessary for fertility of the land. The worship of Baal was widespread among the Canaanites with many local manifestations under various other titles, the Tyrians call him Baal Melgart. The worship of Baal had infiltrated Israel long before Ahab (Judges 2:11, 13; 3:7; 10:6, 10; 1 Sam 12:10. However, Ahab gave it official sanction in Samaria through building a temple for Baal (1 Kings 16:32; 2 Kings 3:2). (MacArthur Study Bible)
What is the practice of Baal?
“Ritualistic Baal worship, in sum, looked a little like this: Adults would gather around the altar of Baal. Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity. Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants — men and women alike — would engage in bisexual orgies.Dec 22, 2000”
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.
Israel professed rejection of Baal worship at the end of Samuel’s ministry
And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’
Asherah
How was Asherah worshiped?
“Asherah was patronized by female royals such as the Queen Mother Maacah (1 Kings 15:13). But more commonly, perhaps, Asherah was worshiped within the household and her offerings were performed by family matriarchs.”
Asherah worship was deeply sensual, involving illicit sex and ritual prostitution. It was closely associated with the worship of Baal: “The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles” (Judges 3:7, NLT).
Indecision - hearts were divided.
but you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.
So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children’s children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars.
For now they will say:
“We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord;
and a king—what could he do for us?”
They utter mere words;
with empty oaths they make covenants;
so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds
in the furrows of the field.
Jesus spoke to this.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
This echoed what God had commanded.
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”
Call to decision that echoed to challenges of Moses and Joshua.
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Many of life’s decisions eminate from who we decide to serve spiritually.
And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
AND THE PEOPLE DID NOT ANSWER HIM A WORD.
2. The word of the LORD was affirmed/the God who answers by fire, he is God – 1 Kings 18:22-38
- Baal did not answer/send fire - the 450 prophets of Baal called; limped around the altar from morning until noon; cut themselves and raved middayuntil twilight – cc Ex 29:39,41
- The LORD God answered by fire – 1 Kings 18:30-38
- People called near – 1 Kings 18:30 - midday.
“COME NEAR TO ME.”
AND ALL THE PEOPLE CAME NEAR.
- The altar of the LORD that had been thrown down was repaired/built in the name of the LORD, with 12 stones according to the word of the LORD that came to Jacob – 1 Kings 18:30-31.
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.
God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
= Trench, wood in order, bull cut in pieces/laid on the wood, 4 jars of water filled 3 times and drenching everything/filling the trench. At offering of oblation accepted time – a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD – Nu 28:8, 1-8 Elijah’s prayer/plea:
· “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are the God in Israel, and that I am your servant and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD are God and that you have turned their hearts back.”
3. The word of the LORD applied – 1 Kings 18:39-40
- By all the people;
- Fell on their faces and confessed, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD he is God.”
We are told that when ALL the people saw it, the events recorded 1 Kings 18:26-38, but especially in contrast to lack of response of Baal to the pleadings of the 450 priests, how the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel answered by fire so dramatically, they all fell on their faces and confessed.
Ahab is not mentioned but we can assume that he was probably also overwhelmed.
The prophets of Baal did not fall on their faces, confess their errors and beg for forgiveness. That is obvious in the events described later.
Two fold confession, “The LORD, he is God. The LORD, he is God.”
While the two fold confession left no question as what all of the people saw, it was a:
Confession of what they saw.
Confession of what they agreed to - v 24 - the LORD God upon whom Elijah called, answered by fire. The LORD affirmed that he is God.
- To the prophets of Baal – false prophets
- Executed – Deut 13:1-5, 13-18; 17:2-7.
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again. None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping all his commandments that I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
“If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- Retribution for Jezebel’s killing the Lord’s prophets – 1 Kings 18:4, 13
Prophets of Baal were seized, taken and slaughtered at the brook Kishon, that drains the Jezreel Valley (north of Mount Carmel) from the the east to the northwest.
While the severity of the punishment seems severe in today’s terms we do well to remember:
The prophets of Baal had been guilty of or instrumental in:
Spiritual treason.
Murdering men of God and the word of the LORD
Human sacrifices to Baal
What about Ahab?
Kings seen as annointed left for God to punish.
King David, understood that the LORD should left to punish those whom he has annointed.
But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?” And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.”
Perhaps Ahab’s heart was a bit softened. Later, we read that Ahab seemed to repent but short term only when Elijah confronted him directly for killing Naboth.
And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”
4. A cause for celebration, a source of strength – 1 Kings 18:41-46
- A sound of the rushing of rain - sound of abundance of rain (KJV)
Ahab advised to back up to the top of Mount Carmel (from brook Kishon) eat and drink, that is having seen how the LORD, he is God answered by, celebtrate the lifting of the curse, there is the sound of the rushing of rain.
Rain had been withheld by God because:
Those who said that they were his people refused:
To hear God, refused to recognize sins and ask God to forgive them
To be taught the good way and walk in it.
God’s granting rain upon their land was an expression of God’s mercy and faithfulness to them and the land that He had given them. Solomon’s prayer touched on much more than lack of rain - famine, receiving foreigners who repent, when their enemies have a change of heart and repent.
When he dedicated the temple, Solomon prayed that when heaven was shut up, the people would understand that it was because of their sin, acknowledge/confess their sin and ask God to forgive them,
“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
- Elijah’s and Israel’s “humble submission to God”
Whereas Ahab went up to eat and drink, which was warranted and he was told to do, while Ahab was eating and drinking, Elijah bowed himself down to the earth and put his face between his knees. Elijah prayed
Falling on ones face is always synonymous with praying -
Moses & Aaron, Joshua, Jehoshaphat & Jesus - Nu 20:6; Josh 5:14; 2 Chron 20:18; Matt 26:39. Moses.
“So I lay prostrate before the Lord for these forty days and forty nights, because the Lord had said he would destroy you.
- The Lord’s cursed lifted/God answered Elijah’s prayer/a great rain.
Servants looked 7 times before a small cloud, then black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
- The hand of the LORD continued hand on Elijah.
And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
This was the hand of the LORD
God our strength.
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
As we long for a fresh moving of the Spirit of God in our hearts, for what must we prayerfully ask God?
1. Selfless obedient men and women who hear the word of the LORD and call on other professed believers to conform to the word confessing the LORD, he is God and in Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life.
We live among not only admitted unbelievers who reject the word of the LORD, and must be called to repentance confess their sin and repent.
But more sadly, there are an increasing number professing believers who are limping between two opinions. They profess to be believers but they have accomodated unbelievers.
There is a wide range of where some are limping. Some are have the odd limp. Others have a limp so severe that what they accomodate and affirm is so contrary to the Gospel and what Jesus taught that we must ask whether they are of the faith.
The word of LORD is our final of faith and practice, not how we feel, not what some leader or preached says, not what my teachers or friends say if what they say denies the word of the LORD.
An Elder in an “evangelical” Baptist has for a number of years been taking part in 40 hours for life. He stands silently across the street from a location where abortions are performed. He holds a sign with a sign with the words, “Abortion Kills Babies./Children” He was asked to change the words on his sign. Ironically, he was not asked by those who worked at the clinic or those who entered and exited the clinic. Those who made the demand were the vocational elders and most of the lay Elders. If the wording of the sign was not changed, he was expected to resign as an Elder. He has resigned and one other Elder has followed
2. For present day Elijah’s, Obadiah’s, and people of God who with grace and truth will humbly explain to those who will listen or will not listen that the troublers in our days are really those who dismantle the once accepted just and true moral foundations which were once self evident.
Our is a day when the message is increasingly be tolerant, accept everyone for who they are or have decided who they are.
I understand that and appreciate the need for grace and truth. The problem is the majority want to define truths in their own terms not in terms of the word of the LORD.
Too many want to do what is right in their own eyes. Regretabbly, that also includes some professing believers.
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Unless people are pointed to the word of the LORD, their corrupt hearts will lead them astray.
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
Left to ourselves we think that we know more than God and reject what He says. Instead, most welcome and embrace Satan’s lies.
Questioned God’s word.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Denied God’s word.
You will not die.
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
Added to God’s word.
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
3. During times of crisis, those whose hearts are open to the word the LORD and his desire, will all God to turn their hearts back to Him.
Before we can have showers of blessing and abundance of rain, sometimes we need crisis to remind us that without God we have nothing.
Some of us are familiar with and might remember a hymn that we used to sing. It was based on God’s promise of future showers of blessing that would come when the LORD’s covenant of peace was realized.
And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.
In that hymn, “Showers of Blessing” there is a reference to “sound of abundance of rain”.
As much as we long for showers of blessing, and seasons refreshing, God coming to honour His word, those true lasting showers of lasting blessing will come only people God’s people affirm the word of the LORD as it ded
4. For clear answers to prayer and for the LORD’s hand on His people.
When we mention the hand of the LORD, some of might have incorrect preconceived ideas that stem from not being well taught or false teachers.
The word of the LORD explains what happens when the hand of the LORD is on His people - one heart, doing what the word of the LORD commands, teaching the word of the LORD, people of discretion, advances in ministry, hands strengthened for ministry
The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.
For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18;
And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
AWV/ Oct 8/23