Elijah and the Prohets of Baal

It is my hope and prayer that reading God's word will always bring encouragement and enjoyment. I have several favorite stories through out the 66 books and they just help me remember what an awesome God we worship and serve. One of my favorite characters of the old testament is Elijah, a prophet of God, who was used greatly to help Israel break away from worshiping Baal.

The story I am writing about takes place in 1 Kings 18 and tells us how Elijah has sent a messenger to King Ahab to meet with him. When the king and Elijah meet, Elijah tells the king to gather all Israel and its' prophets of Baal(450) and the prophets of Asherah(400) who ate at Jezebel's, the king's wife, table and they were all to meet at Mount Carmel. Does it seem strange to you that King Ahaz and Jezebel would have so many prophets advising them...talk about over kill and possible confusion. The prophets would have to have committee meetings to make sure they all say the same thing...kind of like our govt., but thus I digress.

Elijah issues the challenge to the people and the prophets that today they would know who was the real God and that is whom they would worship.  The challenge is as follows: the opposing prophets would take a bull and kill it and slice it up and place it on their altar, but no fire was to be started...their God would hear their requests and would burn their sacrifice.  This contest began in the early hours of the day(1 Kings 18:26) and continued till noon. All of these prophets of Baal were praying, more like pleading and begging, for Baal to answer them and burn their sacrifice, but nothing happened. NOTHING!  Can you imagine what these dedicated followers were thinking...Come on guys we are looking bad here and all the people are watching. Let's put a little more effort and power into our prayers.

Well, Elijah picks up on this minor inferiority complex(LOL) these guys are having and decides to make them feel even more stupid and powerless by taunting them. He tells them that maybe their god is sleeping, talking with someone else, is away on a trip, or just can't be bothered right now...the last one is mine and not in the text.  The prophets pick up the pace considerably because after all, their reputations, let alone their skins, are at stake. So, they begin to jump up and down on the altar, which must have been a site, and to cut themselves as was their custom.  I think the cutting helped set the tone for the commitment and seriousness of their effort...who knows, maybe a crowd pleaser.  This fiasco continues till the evening hours with Elijah taunting them the whole time. Nothing happens!

Elijah prepares his bull and places it on the 12 stones he has made as an altar. I think David Copperfield has a little of Elijah's blood for wowing a crowd. Elijah has the people pour four barrels full of water on the altar, and he has them do this two more times.  In addition, he has them dig trench around the altar which would hold approximately 13 quarts of water. The meat is soaked, the wood is soaked, and the trench is full of water and now Elijah calls upon the Lord to show the people who is really God and God sends fire down and it consumes the meat and even dries up the water. How do you compete with that? You don't.  Elijah had all the people bring the prophets down to a nearby brook and slew them all.  Can you imagine the word of mouth publicity from this event? Your grandchild on your knee and you are telling him or her about this. What a great event and what a great God we worship.