What is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal? But it is strange to find such an eminently good man governor of Ahab's house, an office of great honour, power, and trust. The land of Judah lay close to the land of Israel, yet we find no complaint there of the want of rain; for Judah yet ruled with God, and was faithful with the saints and prophets (Hosea 11:12), by which distinction Israel might plainly have seen the ground of God's controversy, when God caused it to rain upon one city and not upon another (Amos 4:7; Amos 4:8); but they blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, and would not see. English Revised Version The king and court were all for Baal; so was the body of the people. 26So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it. To this fair proposal of the case, which Elijah here makes, the people knew not what to say: They answered him not a word. It was strange that so wicked a man as Ahab would prefer him to it and continue him in it; certainly it was because he was a man of celebrated honesty, industry, and ingenuity, and one in whom he could repose a confidence, whose eyes he could trust as much as his own, as appears here, 1 Kings 18:5; 1 Kings 18:5. 46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. He stood by them, and patiently heard them for so many hours praying to an idol, yet with secret indignation and disdain; and at noon, when the sun was at the hottest, and they too expecting fire (then if ever), he upbraided them with their folly; and notwithstanding the gravity of his office, and the seriousness of the work he had before him, bantered them: "Cry aloud, for he is a god, a goodly god that cannot be made to hear without all this clamour. The prophets of Baal, as criminals, are seized, condemned, and executed, according to law, 1 Kings 18:40; 1 Kings 18:40. Who has required these things at your hands? But humans cannot serve two kings. 2. Ahab's care was not to lose all the beasts, many being already lost; but he took no care about his soul, not to lose that; he took a deal of pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favour of God, fencing against the effect, but not enquiring how to remove the cause. Has the book of Amos been fulfilled or is it a reference to end times? The prince of the power of the air, if God has permitted him, could have caused fire to come down from heaven on this occasion, and gladly would have done it for the support of his Baal. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab: This was an obviously supernaturally empowered 14-mile cross-country run. Thats why Jesus warned his followers to watch out for all kinds of greed (see Luke 12:15). From Pretty Statues to Silver and Gold: Jesus or Mammon? By this time there was no food in Samaria. As for those who fall as victims to the fire of God's wrath, no water can shelter them from it, any more than briers or thorns, Isaiah 27:4; Isaiah 27:5. 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. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. April 28 2020 He that will thrive must rise betimes. Giving is what we do best; the air into which we were born. Giving signals and solidifies our allegiance to and dependence on God and his kingdom. Vote Up I see nothing, he said. Pray to your god, but dont start the fire.. Elijah's God was neither talking nor pursuing, needed not to be either awakened or quickened; while he was yet speaking, the fire of the Lord fell, and not only, as at other times (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1) consumed the sacrifice and the wood, in token of God's acceptance of the offering, but licked up all the water in the trench, exhaling that, and drawing it up as a vapour, in order to the intended rain, which was to be the fruit of this sacrifice and prayer, more than the product of natural causes. Ahab issued out writs accordingly, for the convening of this great assembly (1 Kings 18:20; 1 Kings 18:20), either because he feared Elijah and durst not oppose him (Saul stood in awe of Samuel more than of God), or because he hoped Elijah would bless the land, and speak the word that they might have rain, and upon those terms they would be all at his beck. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? Mauled by Money: The Cost of Economic Idolatry, The Bible also teaches us that the wages of our economic idolatry is death. 1416). 33Elijah put the wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. He sent fire from heaven. Clarify And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (Obadiah was a true follower of the LORD. He will put me to death. Elijah might have looked for rain seventy times seven times, and not have seen it, if he had not thus begun his work at the right end. New Century Version (NCV). Six times his servant goes to the point of the hill and sees nothing, brings no good news to his master; yet Elijah continues praying, will not be diverted so far as to go and see with his own eyes, but still sends his servant to see if he can discover any hopeful cloud, while he keeps his mind close and intent in prayer, and abides by it, as one that has taken up his father Jacob's resolution, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. The particular Levitical institutions were so often dispensed with (as in the time of the Judges, Samuel's time, and now) that one would be tempted to think they were more designed for types to be fulfilled in the evangelical anti-types than for laws to be fulfilled in the strict observance of them. If the Lord is the true God, follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him! But the people said nothing. He proposed to bring the matter to a fair trial; and it was so much the fairer because Baal had all the external advantages on his side. They worshipped God to please the prophets, but worshipped Baal to please Jezebel and curry favour at court. Share Elijah did not interrupt them, but let them go on till they were tired, and quite despaired of success, which was not till the time of the evening sacrifice,1 Kings 18:29; 1 Kings 18:29. 2. He ordered abundance of water to be poured upon his altar, which he had prepared a trench for the reception of (1 Kings 18:32; 1 Kings 18:32), and, some think, made the altar hollow. Elijah, like himself, boldly returned the charge upon the king, and proved it upon him, that he was the troubler of Israel,1 Kings 18:18; 1 Kings 18:18. Used by permission of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. How senseless, how brutish, were they in their addresses to Baal! I incline to this because we find, when they came together, Elijah, knowing what Ahab wanted him for, appointed him to meet him on Mount Carmel, and Ahab complied with the appointment, though Elijah took such a way to revoke the sentence and bless the land as perhaps he little thought of. God has his remnant among all sorts, high and low; there were saints in Nero's household, and in Ahab's. If Ahab had paid the respect to Elijah that he deserved he would have taken him into his chariot, as the eunuch did Philip, that he might honour him before the elders of Israel, and confer with him further about the reformation of the kingdom. Though he was not at the place appointed, he chose the appointed time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, thereby to testify his communion with the altar at Jerusalem. For less than $5/mo. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. 21Elijah approached the people and said, How long will you not decide between two choices? Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural, Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword, Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural, A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style, Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed, Preposition | third person masculine plural, In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah, Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets, Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 1 Kings 18:28 They cried aloud and cut themselves after (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg). 23Bring two bulls. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. Being an idolater, she was a persecutor, and made Ahab one. Do you believe that? 43Then Elijah said to his servant, Go and look toward the sea.. No one who was present that day missed the point. In it, Elijah, the prophet of Gd, puts to the test what was at the time perceived as the most supreme and powerful of all the godsBaal. Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "But there was no voice. Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him! 28The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they worshiped. There he set himself, as it were, upon his watch-tower, like the prophet, Habakkuk 2:1. Why did king Ahab have to die? 22Elijah said, I am the only prophet of the Lord here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. "In reconcilable differences (says bishop Hall) nothing more safe than indifferency both of practice and opinion; but, in cases of such necessary hostility as betwixt God and Baal, he that is not with God is against him." Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. Share They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting Baal, answer us! But there was no sound, and no one answered. Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. Also bring the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebels table.. Obadiah recognized Elijah, so he bowed down to the ground and said, Elijah? Elijah vs. the priests of Baal. Compare Mark 9:38; Mark 9:39; Matthew 21:30. They likely continued going to church, paying their tithes, and saying a prayer or two now and againespecially on holidays. An idolater, she was a true follower of the LORD here, but there are four fifty. 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