Battle of the Gods (Kings 18:20-40)

Introduction

· Please turn to 2 Kings 18.

· One of the most famous gunfights in the Wild West took place in Springfield Missouri in 1865. Only two shots were fired, and the whole thing was over in a matter of seconds. It was between a chronic gambler Dave Tutt and Wild Bill Hickock. Not even sure the cause. Some say the disagreement was over a pocketwatch. “They were about 75 yards from each other with cap-and-ball revolvers when Hickok said, ‘Dave, don’t come any closer.” Tutt snapped off the first bullet and missed. (Keep in mind these were Civil War era pistols.) Hickok took a split second longer, steadied his gun with his left hand, carefully aimed, and shot Tutt square in the chest. Bill O’Neal, a Western historian and author of Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. “If there’s one thing Hickok proved in this singular gunfight, it’s that accuracy always takes precedence.” Source: https://www.cowboysindians.com/2015/08/top-10-gunfights/

· Today we are going to read of another duel. One over something far more important than a pocketwatch.

· This morning in our passage we return to the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. It is an exciting story, one of the best stories in all the Bible to show God’s power over false gods.

The Challenge (vv. 20-25)

· Read vv. 20-21 Elijah’s initial challenge and rebuke. Israel had been flirting with two different faiths.

· On the one hand, the Lord. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. On the other hand, Baal. A fertility god who specialized in farming, weather, and sexual reproduction. Yahweh, who had given his Law, and was to be approached through priests in a temple in Jerusalem. Or Baal, who was to be worshipped in pagan altars sacred trees, and stone pillars. Pick one, and serve him. But make sure you choose wisely!

· LIFE LESSON – Each one of us must choose who we will serve.

· Joshua, when advanced in years, after the conquest and settling in Canaan, challenges the people of Israel. Joshua 24:14–15 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 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.”

· Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:24 “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. Cf. Lk. 16:12-13 parable of dishonest manager.

· I have known many people over the years who called themselves Christians, but Christ seems to make very little difference in their life. Maybe they walked an aisle or prayed a prayer as a child. Profanity. Fornication. Lying. They may talk the talk, but they don’t seem to walk the walk. Not sure they really understand the gospel at all.

· Are you walking with God? If you were charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you in a court of law?

· Every single one of you must choose. It is not someone else’s choice. It is your own. Not your spouse. Men, it is not your wife. Children, it is not your parents. It is not your pastor’s choice. It is yours. You will stand before God personally and give an account.

· Read vv. 22-25. The proposal, the terms of the duel, or “rules of the game.”

The Great Battle (vv. 26-29)

· Read vv. 26-29.

· Such a sad scene. Few things are more heartbreaking than watching people sincerely and desperately worship a false god.

· Psalm 115:3–9 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.

· Think about the insanity of worshiping an inanimate object. Like a podium, or a phone.

· Paul was provoked at rampant idolatry. Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting …at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.

· We have a different problem today in America. I have never met a Baal worshiper. Have you? How about anyone with an Asherah pole? But many people deny the existence of God, or act as though he doesn’t much matter. We should be equally provoked. There is folly in this, too.

· Psalm 14:1–3 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”(Paul cites this in Rom. 3).

· We could call this the god of science, or of secular humanism.

· NY Governor Andrew Cuomo – When the COVID cases first began to drop, he emphasized, “The number is down because we brought the number down.” He emphasized: “God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that. A lot of pain and suffering did that . . . That’s how it works. It’s math. And if you don’t continue to do that, you’re going to see that number go back up.” This grieves me! It provokes me!

· Baal remained silent. Now it is Elijah’s turn.

· Read vv. 30-35. Elijah’s offering is prepared.

· All odds are against him. Severely outnumbered. Baal had more prophets. They got to choose the bull. From morning to noon. Crying aloud. Cutting and mutilating. And now, soaking wet. But there is one big difference. God is on his side!

· Read vv. 36-39

· My experience at Mount Carmel. In Spring 2000, I had the privilege of standing on Mount Carmel. There has been a monastery here for at least a thousand years. The hill is called "Muhraqa," Arabic for "flames." It was near here that fire came down from heaven, burning Elijah's sacrifice, the altar, the water, and scorching the earth, proving there is only one God. On Facebook, I posted some pictures. One of a statue of Elijah, a sword in his hand, with his foot on one of the false prophets, preparing to strike him.

· His name is not Baal, or Zeus, or Buddha, or Krishna, or Allah. There is only one God, and his name is Yahweh. All glory to our great God!

· This was for the benefit of the people.

· LIFE LESSON – There is only one true and living God.

· Meaning of Elijah – a combination of the two most common names of God: “Yahweh is God.” As stated before, A compound word. Eli is the shortened form of Elohim, a general name for God, the creator of the universe. Jah is a shortened form of Yahweh. So Elijah’s name literally means, “Yahweh is God.” And his name represents his mission. He will be proving that Yahweh alone – not Baal, or Asherah – or any other deity, is the true God.

· Deuteronomy 6:4–5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

· Isaiah 45:5–6 I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.

· In today’s pluralistic society, do not be ashamed by this truth. It is absolutely essential to believe. And we should rejoice in it, and praise God.

· BFM Article II: “There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.”

· We sang it this morning in the Apostle’s Creed. “I believe in God our Father I believe in Christ the Son I believe in the Holy Spirit Our God is three in One.”

Conclusion

· Read v. 40

· In this duel, just like many of the shootouts in the Wild West, only one party walks away from the confrontation. The false prophets are rounded up and killed for their blasphemy against the one true God, and for their guilt in leading the people astray. Their fate is shared by all false teachers both then and now. Jesus said those who mislead God’s little ones deserve to have a heavy millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the ocean.