The Prophet Elijah

Lesson

The Fyre Festival

So we’re going to talk about the prophet Elijah today. But in order to talk about Elijah, we have to talk about an evil king named Ahab.

So I think I have a way that I can describe the situation under King Ahab…

Has anyone ever heard of the Fyre Festival?

Several years ago, some of the biggest influencers in the world posted on Instagram and TikTok about an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime event. They began talking about a music festival unlike anything ever done before. It was called the Fyre Festival, and it promised private beaches, luxury villas, gourmet meals, and performances from some of the biggest bands in the industry. The festival was marketed as an elite getaway for the rich and famous, and only a select few would get to experience it.

Videos showed private jets flying over crystal-clear waters, yachts docked at the main port, and bonfires on the beach with live music. People everywhere were desperate to be part of it. The price? Thousands of dollars per ticket. But that wouldn’t stop anyone. This was the festival of the century. But the world didn’t know that behind the scenes, the entire thing was built on a massive lie.

The mastermind behind Fyre Festival was Billy McFarland, a young entrepreneur who had made a name for himself by promising luxury experiences for the ultra-wealthy. He was charismatic, confident, and persuasive—someone who could talk his way into anything. They hyped up the festival so much that thousands of people bought tickets without even questioning if it was real. But there was one major problem: There was no festival.

As the festival date got closer, the team behind Fyre Festival knew they were in trouble. Instead of canceling or telling the truth, they kept the lie going. They assured guests that everything was fine and their luxury experience was waiting for them. Even as the island was falling apart, Billy kept making promises, convincing people this would still be the most incredible event in history.

Then the day arrived. Thousands of people flew to the Bahamas, expecting paradise. What they found was a disaster zone. Instead of private villas, guests were given half-built disaster relief tents—the same ones used for emergency shelters after hurricanes. Instead of gourmet food, they were handed cold cheese sandwiches in Styrofoam containers. The music acts? Every single one had canceled. There were no bathrooms, no electricity, and barely enough water for the guests who had spent their life savings to be there.

Billy McFarland had led thousands of people down a path of deception and destruction. He promised them something great, but in the end, he only brought disaster.

This is what King Ahab did in the Bible. As king of Israel, he had the responsibility to lead the people in truth and righteousness. But instead of doing what was right, he led them into false worship. He promoted idol worship, turned the nation away from God, and caused massive spiritual destruction. Just like the people at the Fyre Festival, the Israelites followed King Ahab without questioning if he was leading them in the right direction.

The Path to Compromise

If I put this in perspective for us…

Imagine America, in which Christianity remains the most prominent religion… a country founded on worship of God… Sundays are days in which churches are filled… imagine that all of that changed.

Imagine waking up and finding that Christianity is no longer accepted as a respected faith in your country. And a new religion has been declared the faith of America. Every place of worship is expected to go this way.

Church buildings are now repurposed into temples to some foreign god. Instead of pulpits, there are statues of false gods.

Schools now only allow prayer in this new way. Businesses have to remove Bible verses.

Those who refuse are labelled as rebels, outsiders, and threats to the new order.

Okay, what happened in Israel was not a whole lot different. Ahab was given the responsibility of leading Israel, God’s people. But instead of honoring the Lord, Ahab made a destructive decision - he changed the official worship to Baal.

1 Kings 16:30–33 NLT

30 But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. 31 And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. 32 First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. 33 Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.

So this is a wild deal going on here, for sure. Ahab had made this decision to turn Israel toward worshiping Baal. And this was a complete spiritual collapse.

Ahab built a temple for Baal. He made altars for Baal. He let the people away from God’s commandments.

But that’s definitely not all. He married a woman named Jezebel. I’m sure you’ve heard that name before! (Check out Webster’s dictionary here!)

Now she was FULLY devoted to Baal worship. And together, they aggressively pushed Israel into idolatry.

All of this wasn’t just a casual compromise. It was a bold rebellion against God.

Can someone tell me what compromise is?

It’s to let go of your principles. To let up on what you say you believe, especially when it would make things easier for you in your mind.

Compromise rarely happens at once. I starts very subtle. And it’s often disguised as something harmless or insignificant. So let’s talk about it, because this is very important…

It can start with a single decision that seems small - a slight bending of convictions, a moment of silence when truth should be spoken, a thought that this “one time” won’t really matter.

At first, it might not even feel like a big deal. After all, one little concession doesn’t change everything, right???

This is why we have to be watchful. Compromise never seems dangerous at first, but it’s one of the enemy’s most effective weapons.

Satan rarely tempts us with blatant, obvious evil. Instead, he whispers little things that are convincing.

But every small step away from truth weakens our ability to recognize deception when it comes.

So we have to look at who and what influences us. It might seem like we have the ability to overcome the influences we allow into our lives. But after a while, they can become harder and harder to withstand.

Samson eventually gave in to the temptations of Delilah.

Judas was led into betrayal by his desire for money.

King Saul was enticed by power and blinded by his ego.

Regardless of any of these situations, it would seem if they had allowed men and women of God to influence them rather than allowing their focus to be on sinful or worldly things, they may have been saved from their mistakes.

You might think that the people you spend time with, the music you listen to, and the things you watch have no impact on you because you pray and worship on Sundays, but eventually, you will lose sight of what is truly important.

The Bible tells us our enemy will try to destroy us any way he can.

1 Peter 5:8–9 NLT

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

So we have to be faithful and watchful. And allow good influences to guide and protect us at all times.

“Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.”

Jordan B. Peterson

Ask yourself: What influences need to be addressed in your life? How can I strengthen myself against sin and the enemy?

The One Who Resisted Compromise

Even though compromise was all over Israel with Ahab as king, one man resisted compromise.

Elijah was a prophet who refused to bow to pressure, even when the entire nation had turned against the Lord. (Very different from Jonah!)

During Ahab’s reign, Baal worship was at its peak.

Baal was believed to be the god of rain, fertility, and prosperity.

Elijah comes along and declares that there would be no rain except if he speaks it. That was a direct challenge to Baal!

If Baal was truly a god, why couldn’t he bring the rain? As time passed, land started drying up. And it started to be seen: Baal was powerless, and the Lord alone had control over rain.

This went on for three and a half years. But even with all the suffering that came with no rain, Ahab refused to turn back to God. He blamed Elijah and set our to kill him.

Finally God tells Elijah to present himself to Ahab. And this led to the most famous showdown of Elijah’s life. It’s at Mt. Carmel (which coincidentally holds no caramel at all).

So Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a public demonstration of power.

He proposed a test: two altars would be built - one for the Lord and one for Baal. Each side would place a sacrifice on their altar, but they would not set fire to it. They would call upon their god to send fire from heaven. And the god who answered would be the TRUE God.

The prophets of Baal went first.

From morning until evening, they’re out there crying out to Baal. They’re shouting. When shouting doesn’t work, they’re dancing. Here’s some crazy, so buckle up: they’re even cutting themselves in desperation.

But there was no answer.

1 Kings 18:29 NLT

29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

Their god was silent because he was nothing more than a false idol.

Then Elijah stepped forward.

He rebuilt the altar of the Lord. He places a sacrifice on it, and he drenches it with water first - to make it abundantly clear that no human trick could ignite it.

Then, when the time for evening sacrifice came around, Elijah prayed.

1 Kings 18:36–37 NLT

36…“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

IMMEDIATELY, fire fell from heaven. It consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones of the altar, and even the water that filled the trench!

The people all around fell on their face, crying:

1 Kings 18:39 NLT

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

In that moment, the truth was undeniable!

Elijah then orders the capture and execution of the 450 prophets of Baal to rid idolatry out of Israel.

Soon after, Elijah prayed again, and rain returned to the land, breaking the long drought, again proving Baal didn’t control the weather, the Lord did.

So let’s bring this home…

Elijah’s story isn’t just another thing that happened in the Bible. It’s a challenge for us today.

We live in a world that constantly pressures us to compromise our faith, to accept lies, and to mix truth with deception. And what we need to do is stand firm, like Elijah. (I see him as this immovable force for God!)

When society calls evil good and good evil, we have to remember that the truth doesn’t change. And we can’t waver between two opinions. Either we serve God fully, or we risk falling into the same deception that led Israel astray.

Conclusion

How do we stand for truth in a world that promotes compromise?

Know the Word of God - We cannot stand for truth if we do not know it. We must be deeply rooted in Scripture, able to discern between right and wrong.

Refuse to be silent - Elijah, John, and Jesus all boldly proclaimed the truth, even when it was unpopular. We, too, must be willing to speak up.

Live what we believe - Our actions must reflect our convictions. It is not enough to know the truth—we must live it out daily, setting an example for others.

Trust God with the outcome - When we stand for truth, we can be sure God will sustain us, just as He did with Elijah

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