Life of Elijah 4

I hope we have been learning some valuable lessons from the Life of Elijah. How God provides how faith pleases God, how obedience brings the victory. Today we want to learn how Faithfulness to God is rewarding.

We find a huge gathering of people I had started to call it a camp meeting but refrained because there would have been a lot of tension and confusion there. Lets look at this pathetic gathering of people. All of Israel and the 450 priest’s of Baal. It sounds like the other 400 from Jezebels table didn’t make it.

We are talking thousands of people here. The elite the poor the rich the ragged, all bunched around this mountain for the showdown. Elijah being a gentlemen as well as I think wanting to show the people the truth allowed the 450 priests to go first. Can you imagine the show.

Now the drought should have already begun to bring doubts concerning Baal as he was “often portrayed as "Rider of the Clouds," and described in imagery associated with storms and meteorological phenomena, including clouds, thunder, lightning, and hail. The myth gives assurance of some stability in the physical world, assisted by humans in their service to the gods, that would allow continued human existence.” Dennis Bratcher

Now these priests were praying not for rain or water but for fire. Now Baal was supposed to have controlled bother rain and lightning. So we now have to challenges. The priest’s begin what a sight that must have been. Their costumes blowing in the hot dry breeze their dancing and chanting their incense and songs and prayers for hours. From morning to noon they did this. Then Elijah began to provoke and mock them. Louder your god must be sleeping or talking or on a journey. This only made them more intent on making the fire come. They cried louder they cut themselves till the blood gushed out, that isn’t just small cuts but huge gashes. This went on till evening sacrifice This could have been depending on when the change was made on the time of the evening sacrifice 2-3 pm or even as late as 6:00 pm there were some changes the law stated the later but when Jesus was crucified it was the first. I’m not sure which one it was at this time. It was still hours. And their god still hadn’t answered. May I just make a statement. Anytime we feel we have to do something to make God hear us we are missing the whole idea of praying. Sure we must obey God we must pray in faith but God doesn’t need us to “GET HIS ATTENTION” He is always watching his children and ever attentive to their cry. The weakest saint still makes the devil tremble