Elijah - Part 4 - The God who answers by fire

1 King 18:20-46

The end of last week we saw that Ahab calls all the Israelites and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, these were people Jezebel looked after, and they are summoned to Mt Carmel. Ahab must have thought that Baal could win.

This encounter is one story that comes close to topping the God encounter stories in the Bible.

Moses at the Red Sea

David and Goliath

All these experience give a visual picture of a God that is great - or should we say, AWESOME!

Is it possible that we have been Christians for so long that we have lost the awe of God. We come to worship but our minds are drawn to something else that seems to demand our time and attention and we focus on what is trivial.

Pray that God would renew awe in us

There are a four challenges that we need to take serious from this passage.

Challenge #1 - You must decide who you will worship

Be a single minded worshipper!

Let’s look together...

1 Kings 18:20–21 CSB

20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.

This challenge was to the people - you can’t worship both Baal and the Lord - Yahweh! The challenge he puts to the people of Israel is this, “Go and serve your god fully! But decide WHO that is!” Don’t stay silent in that!

That’s a challenge repeated through Scriptures.

Joshua

Joshua 24:14–15 CSB

14 “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

Jesus

Luke 16:13 CSB

13 No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Let’s be honest, If that is true why does money affect our moods so much.

Why is this relevant for us today?

1.1. The inclination of your heart to is the worship of something

In Bible talk that is idolatry. That’s when we make seconday things ultimate things and when we make the ultimate thing, God a secondary.

Nature of every sin is a revelation of this truth.

If you wonder whether this is something that is true of you, ask, what is it that makes you fealful, sad, angry, lust.

1.2. You are responsible for your own heart and your worship

You can’t blame God or someone else for your failure in worship.

The work of Christ on the cross was what we needed for the path to true worship to be restored. Until that time that you were born again, you may have been to a worship service but you were not able to worship the true God.

This is what Elijah is making them aware of.

The Christian faith is not about a vague acknowledgement of God, but active submission of the will to the One true God. Single minded devotion.

Challenge #2 - Call on your god

1 Kings 18:22–29 CSB

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers with fire, he is God.” All the people answered, “That’s fine.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” 28 They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. 29 All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.

This is a challenge that played into the hands of Baal. Baal was, to them, the God of rain, but couln’t bring it.

Elijah taunts them

Maybe he is on a journey

Maybe he’s gone to the toilet

Maybe he’s asleep

They start to use greater measures to get their god’s attention. “...but there was no sound: no one answered, no one paid attention.”

We can pick up on some interesting observations from watching the prophets of Baal and their gods. The principles are true for our ages and the gods we are tempted to serve.

False gods promise something they can’t deliver – sex, money, power. Why is sin so enticing? We believe that we need that to make us happy. You can’t believe that these prophets of Baal believed that Baal would not answer!

The false gods demand strenuous effort. We will pretty much do anything – break someone’s character, throw money away on what is fading, work longer hours, become a people pleaser. We live under the condemnation that we’re not doing enough, not providing enough – we’ve lost that joy of saying, “With food and clothing, with that I will be content.”

They will be mocked because they can never answer.

They will not satisfy – they leave you in the drought

Psalm 135:15–17 CSB

15 The idols of the nations are of silver and gold, made by human hands. 16 They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. 17 They have ears but cannot hear; indeed, there is no breath in their mouths.

What is interesting for me is that we sometimes elevate our god to the place where we want to demand the true God to satisfy the demands of our real gods. I often hear it said that we’re cross with God because He never gave us what we wanted.

Maybe it’s because God wants you to know that He doesn’t worship you!

He knows what you need and because He loves you He’s not giving you what you want.

I feel that through the years Jenni and I have had to face this reality and challenge with this confidence:

Jeremiah 33:3 CSB

3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.

Challenge # 3 - See the true God

1 Kings 18:30–39 CSB

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down: 31 Elijah took twelve stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”—32 and he built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. 33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water. 36 At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.” 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 facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”

He calls the people to come and see!

There were times when God showed Himself glorious.

He parted the Red Sea

He Made Jericho fall

Even in my life there are times when I have seen God move miraculously.

Observable exercise.

12 stones - representing the 12 tribes of Israel. He is taking them back to the roots of who they were. Don’t forget where you came from.

He digs a trench around the altar

Stacks the wood

He takes the 2nd bull -cuts it into pieces

He invites active participation - 4 pots with water - 3 times - water fills the trench.

See the contrast between those who know God and those who don’t.

Frenzy vs calm confidence - He is aware of the reality that God is with Him.

Shouting vs speaking - He simply speaks knowing that God hears. We have God’s attention.

The way he mocked Baal was showing that Baal was a creation of their own imagination because He was like them.

Where do we see the revelation of the true God?

In Christ - in His death, burial and resurrection of Jesus

Miracle of new birth and the work of God in transforming lives

In God’s grace to His people

Tim Keller: “Jesus is the only God that if you find him, will satisfy you; and, if you fail him, will forgive you.”

We see it in creation

We see it in our worship

The challenge - See the true God and worship Him!

“Divided affections will never lead you into devoted worship to God.” Tony Merida

An undivided heart will lead to active obedience. That’s what we find when Elijah calls for the seizure of the prophets of Baal.

God doesn’t call us to do that today. But he does call us to put to death things in us that are not of Hs Spirit!

Challenge #4 - Wait confidently on God

1 Kings 18:40–46 CSB

40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let even one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there. 41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” 44 On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’ ” 45 In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Believe the God who sends fire can also send rain

Stands on the promise of God.

Prophetic ear - “I can hear the rain coming.” This isn’t positive thinking. He was speaking only what God has said and he had heard in the spiritual. My mother knew her sons would follow Jesus. It gave her rest when we gave her trouble.