Elijah on Mount Carmel

Elijah on Mount Carmel

Text: 1 Kings 18:16-40

Pray and Read

Q: What does this story teach us about God?

This story teaches us about God’s holy jealousy.

Holy jealousy is what a person feels when someone they are in a covenant relationship with is unfaithful to them and gives their love to someone else.

God wasn’t being petty or selfish in condemning Israel for worshipping Baal. His jealousy was justified because Israel was in a covenant relationship with Him and not with Baal.

When Rebekah and I were just friends and even later when we were dating, she could have chosen to meet other guys and get to know them. Once I put a ring on it, that ring symbolized that we had entered a covenant and she was unavailable to other men. If she had dated another man while we were engaged, I would have had holy jealousy and been rightfully angry with her and the other man. This is what God felt in our story.

This story teaches us about God’s mercy.

God didn’t have anything to prove to Elijah, Ahab, or the prophets of Baal. He was just as powerful and sovereign before He sent fire down as He was after Elijah prayed. God have proven Himself to Israel MANY times over the years, so a new miracle was not necessary.

Why did God send the fire when He didn’t have to? To show mercy to Israel. He gave them a sign when He didn’t have to because He wanted them to repent and turn back to Him.

This story teaches us about God’s judgment.

In God’s mercy, He won the contest against Baal by sending fire so that His people would worship Him alone and turn from false gods, but those who did not confess Him as Lord were still killed in the end.

This is a pattern in the Bible that we need to pay attention to:

God proves Himself so we can repent and believe.

Some people still reject Him.

Those people are separated from Him because they rejected His offer of forgiveness.

A contest like the one in our story happens in my own heart every day. When I wake up in the morning and throughout my day, I have to decide whether the Lord is God or an idol I have made.

Like the prophets of Baal who danced until they were exhausted and cut themselves to get the attention of their false god, I often wear myself out and hurt myself and others when I try to get the attention of the gods of productivity, church growth, acceptance, money, and affirmation.

You have idols, too, but they are probably different from mine. What we have in common is that we have to make the choice all day every day to declare God has Lord of our life instead of our idols by what we say and do.

Q: How should I respond to this story?

Praise God for His jealousy.

God’s jealousy for you as one of His people motivates Him to save you, protect you, and keep you until the end for Himself. When we think of God’s jealousy for His people and what He is willing to do to have them, it should give us great assurance of our salvation and security in Him!

Thank God for His mercy.

If you are a Christian, remember when God revealed Himself to you in the Gospel when He didn’t have to and thank Him for saving you.

Flee God’s judgment.

You may be “hesitating between two opinions” this morning just like Israel was. You may be calling on other idols in your life to solve your problems, or demanding a sign from God before you follow Him. Decide right now to turn away from your idols and turn to God through faith in Jesus alone.

Idols will wear you out. Jesus will give you rest.

Idols will make you hurt others. Jesus will make you bless others.

Idols will give you anxiety. Jesus will give you peace.

A child summarized this story well in this statement:

“We know God is real because He answers our prayers.”

Take a moment of guided prayer.

In your heart, take a moment to speak to God.

Tell Him what you think about Him.

Is there anything you need to confess?

What do you need to thank Him for?

What needs do you have that you can ask Him for?

Close in Prayer.