1 Kings 18 is the infamous showdown between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal. It is tempting to read this and think, “This doesn’t really apply to me, I am not a prophet, just an ordinary person”. Remember, Elijah is simply being obedient to God’s Word at every stage. This is not a contest to determine if God is powerful enough to overcome evil; it is a platform for God Almighty to demonstrate His presence to His beloved people. The chapter begins, “After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” The famine in the land was severe and the people were near starvation. “So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab“. Often in scripture we see people enduring seemingly pointless difficulty, only to learn later that that it produced a renewed dependence on God. Has God been preparing you for something?
We read that “Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord… While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves… and had supplied them with food and water“. This man is doing all he can behind the scenes to honor God. His reaction is much like mine when it is time to actually speak hard truth to someone; I fear the repercussion. “If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me“. I love the reaction when King Ahab finally greets Elijah, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” Elijah spoke directly to the king’s disobedience, “You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals“. Then the prophet set the stage for God to display His acceptance. “Summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel“. The demonstration of God’s presence was not for the “four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah“; it was for God’s people. First Elijah addressed the people of Israel, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing.” I am reminded that accepting Jesus as Savior must be an active decision. Saying nothing is making a choice. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me“.
The chapter culminates with the prophets of Baal preparing a sacrifice. Elijah declared, “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire he is God“. Elijah taunted their false god, “Shout louder! …Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened“. Finally in the evening Elijah spoke to the people of Israel, “Come here to me“. There is a sense of tenderness, “They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins“. With God’s guidance all things in ruin can be repaired. Elijah then prayed, “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” “Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench“. Please note that the people did not have to prove their righteousness first. God first demonstrated His willingness to accept their sacrifice. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord -He is God! The Lord -He is God!” If you are looking for a sign of God’s existence, look no further than the cross. Romans 9:16 reminds us that God desires to restore us no matter how far we have fallen. “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”