The Showdown
Notes
Transcript
A contest is set up between Yahweh and Baal.
A contest is set up between Yahweh and Baal.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Elijah proposes the challenge, and so he also sets the parameters. 19
The challenge will take place on Mt. Carmel, a mountain range just to the north of Ahab’s capital city of Samaria.
All of Israel is to be told of this showdown; the people need to see, with their own eyes, which God is true and which is false.
Finally, he commanded Ahab to send the 400 prophets of Baal to represent the god that they led Yahweh’s people to worship.
Ahab follows Elijah’s directions.
I have serious doubts regarding Ahab’s allegiance to Baal.
I believe Ahab was a whipped husband who was too spineless to stand up to his wife 9/10.
Ahab gathers as many of the Israelites as he can.
He gathers Baal’s prophets at Carmel for the contest.
Elijah initiates the proceedings by speaking directly to the people.
Notice that he doesn’t say, “why are ye of the opinion that Baal is the true god?”
Instead, he accuses them of halting between two opinions.
Elijah’s words sound a whole lot like the words of Joshua in Joshua 24:15
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
The Israelites were trying to hedge their bets by serving God and Baal.
They were not completely loyal to either deity.
Part of Elijah’s mission on that mountain was to demonstrate for the people who the true God was.
If it was Baal, they should serve him.
If it was Yahweh, they needed to quit messing around and serve God with all of their hearts.
The way that they will prove the legitimacy of their God/god is through a test.
It can’t be a contest based on the size of the deity’s following.
After all, Elijah was outnumbered 450-1
Apparently, Baal had garnered more prophets than Elijah realized.
The God/gods must be given an opportunity to speak for themselves.
Elijah’s test is designed to give them that opportunity.
This test will prove which God is able to act for themself.
Elijah orders the following rules.
Each contingent will be given a bullock for sacrificing.
Each contingent will prepare their bullock according to the requirements of their religion.
The Bullock will then be laid on the altar and the wood.
No fire is to be provided however.
The prophets of Baal will call upon their god; Elijah will call upon the name of his God.
Whichever God/god answered by fire would be the true God.
Before Ahab or the prophets of Baal could speak, the people, all the people responded.
They had seen the inability of Baal to provide for them over the three years of drought.
They want to know the truth, and so this is a well-spoken test.
Thus, it was settled.
The prophets of Baal attempt to prove Baal is a true god.
The prophets of Baal attempt to prove Baal is a true god.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
Elijah lets them go first because there are so many of them.
They get to pick their bullock first.
They get to prepare it first.
They get to put it on the altar first.
Elijah is displaying a tremendous amount of confidence in this moment.
He’s showing that this isn’t a race.
It’s not whose God will respond first; it’s whose God will respond at all.
He’s taking a risk that there aren’t two deities.
He’s also, already setting himself to be at a disadvantage.
Baal is the god of the storm, if any god could start a fire it should have been the god who makes lightning, supposedly.
The prophets of Baal get busy.
They prepare the sacrifice, and they begin to pray.
But, there is no answer.
From morning until noon, the prophets of Baal called on their god with no response.
As time went on, they got more and more animated; leaping on the altar.
Around noon, Elijah starts to mock them.
He tells them to call out louder because, after all, Baal is a god and gods are busy.
Baal may be talking and can’t hear them.
He may be hunting and they need to get his attention.
Maybe he’s just not home because he went on a journey.
Or…maybe, he’s asleep because he got tired.
Elijah’s prodding motivates these prophets to extremism.
They start crying loudly.
They start cutting themselves.
So much so that the blood gushed out of them.
They are wearing themselves out, and now they are emptying themselves of their life.
This goes on until almost the time of the evening sacrifice, which was 3:00 PM
Despite of all their efforts, Baal had done nothing to answer or heed their petitions.
Elijah attempts to prove that Yahweh is the true God.
Elijah attempts to prove that Yahweh is the true God.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
Elijah calls the people over to himself.
He has been more than generous in giving the prophets a fair shot.
But, now, it is Yahweh’s turn.
The people look on as Elijah gets to work preparing the sacrifice.
He repairs the altar of God which had been built on this mountain before.
He digs a trench around the rebuilt altar.
He places the wood in order.
He kills the bullock and arranges it on the altar.
Elijah commands water to be brought from a nearby fountain.
There is actually a mountain in the Carmel mountain range that has a flat top.
It has plenty of room for the altars and the people to gather.
And it has a fountain that flows continually in the middle of it.
From this fountain commands that 4 barrels of water are to be filled and poured upon the sacrifice and the wood.
Now, I know you know, but water is usually used to prevent fire, not encourage it.
The people must have been shocked.
If the prophets of Baal had had any energy left, they surely would have laughed heartily at Elijah/
Elijah doesn’t just pour one round of 4 barrels on the altar, he pours out 3 rounds of water.
12 barrels of water.
The altar, the wood, and the sacrifice are all sopping wet.
The trench that he had dug around the altar is full of water.
Then, at the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah approached the altar and began to pray.
“Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.”
It’s a short prayer that may be as much for the benefit of the people who heard as it was to the God to whom it was directed.
It recognizes God’s position in Israel’s history.
It appeals to God’s will that His name be glorified and magnified in the earth.
It requests a legitimization of Elijah’s ministry.
It requests an impact that will result in the people turning back to God.
As soon as Elijah finished his prayer, God responded and sent fire from heaven.
The fire of God cared not for the water that was dripping from the altar.
It consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water in the trench.
In other words, there was nothing left.
The people instantly fell on their faces in recognition of God’s power.
Yahweh, He is Elohim! Yahweh, He is Elohim!
The Lord is God.
God’s display of power was indisputable.
Baal’s lack of response was blatantly obvious.
As we read this account, we are reminded of the foolishness of man’s propensity to seek after the false gods of this world.
Israel was unwilling to totally abandon Yahweh, but they thought it wouldn’t hurt to add Baal to their pantheon.
What they learned on that mountain that Baal was useless.
Their infatuation with him was not a harmless distraction.
Yahweh is a jealous God, and by cheating on Him with Baal the people had damaged their relationship with the only being that could do for them what they needed.
We must be careful that we don’t make the same mistake.
We must be careful that we don’t make the same mistake.
God doesn’t want part of your loyalty.
Don’t pull an Israel and halt between God and some other competitor.
God wants all of us.
If we could get a clear picture of God’s power, I doubt we would be interested in wasting out time with other gods.
The gods of this world are as inept today as they were in the days of Elijah.
They can’t give us what we seek.
If you believe that our God is the same as Elijah’s God, what is holding you back fro m giving Him your all?