At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36-37 (ESV)
I love the faith of Elijah. He lives His life listening to God and obeying right away, no matter how frightening the the mission God gives him.
In chapter 17, Elijah, on God’s command, declares that it will not rain until he declares that it will again. We saw Elijah miraculously provided for by God. He saved the lives of a widow and his household. His faith brought the widow’s son back to life. If you missed these devotionals, check them out by clicking the title you wish to view:
The Empty Jar Miracle
A Filled Jar is Not the End of the Story
Three years have gone by. Ahab and Jezebel, the ruling couple of Israel, are worshipping false gods and have been hunting down and killing the true prophets of God. Miraculously, God has protected and hidden Elijah from Ahab and Jezebel.
There is still a drought in the land because God has not told Elijah to declare that it will rain yet.
God tells Elijah to go and present himself to Ahab and then God will bring rain to the land once more.
Ahab knows about Elijah. He has been sending out people searching for Elijah. He wants to kill this famous prophet of God.
Elijah disregards the danger to himself and presents himself to Elijah.
When he [Ahab] saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.” 1 Kings 18:17-18 (ESV)
Ahab’s evil has brought trouble, drought, and famine for all of Israel. Elijah calls him out on it and sets the scene for one of the most amazing miracles in history.
“Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “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. 1 Kings 18:19-21 (ESV)
The people were indecisive. They didn’t know whether to trust Elijah and the one true God or their king and the prophets of the false god Baal. They said nothing.
I would hope that I would not be so timid or waffling in the same situation.
Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 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.”
Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” 1 Kings 18:22-24 (ESV)
450 to 1. Some would say that those options are NOT favorable. But, Elijah knows His God. The scope of the God of miracles makes Elijah’s side greatly outnumber that of the prophets of Baal. With God, nothing is impossible…nothing is unreachable.
Elijah proposes a test. The people agree to it.
So, the prophets of Baal prepare the bull. They put it on the altar. They plead with Baal from morning until noon.
No response. No answer at all.
They dance around the altar. When Elijah taunts them that perhaps Baal is sleeping and needs to be woken up, they shout louder and cut themselves. Blood flows from them. They frantically prophesy all day, long into evening.
No response. Nothing happens.
Then Elijah draws the people over to himself. He repairs and rebuilds the altar of the Lord (which had been torn down) with twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. He digs a trench around it that would hold about 24 pounds of seed. He arranged the wood on the altar, prepared the bull, and placed it on top.
Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”
“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 1 Kings 18:33-35 (ESV)
I don’t know about anyone else, but when I am building a fire, I don’t douse the firepit with so much water that it fills it, runs over the edges, and fills the trench around it. Seems like a pretty impossible way to start a fire.
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36-37 (ESV)
I love this! No jumping and dancing and self-mutilation. No hours upon hours of wailing and pleading. Just a simple prayer that God will show Himself as Who He really is.
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.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” 1 Kings 18:38-39 (ESV)
Fire from Heaven. Not just a little flame like from a match. Fire fell and consumed everything. The bull, the wood, the stones, the soil, the water. Everything.
In that moment, the true nature of the God of Israel is revealed. There is a shift in the whole nation. The people recognize that they have been deceived by their rulers. Ahab and Jezebel have led them to worship a god who doesn’t respond. Never answers. Doesn’t do anything,
But God. The real God. The one true God is made public.
The people see that the very nature of God is to do the impossible. Not just a little bit. But the sweeping, unbelievable, and utterly unreachable is transformed into a certainty when He gets involved.
“The Lord – He is God! The Lord – He is God!”
That is the result when God does the miraculous. He gets all the glory. All the acclaim. All the fame.
When most people lift up and glorify things that are not the true God (as they are doing in today’s world) but God’s people honor and obey the one true God, the stage is set for God to do the miraculous.
All that is necessary is that one person knows the living God. That one person listens and obeys. That one person is willing to disregard the danger or embarrassment and leap when God says, “leap.” One person who will go up against overwhelming odds with only their belief that God is Who He says He is. That one person who believes in the miracle-working nature of God and acts on that belief.
The miracle of the one.
I want to be a person like that.
Action Step: There is a theory in secular productivity books that your success depends on becoming the person you need to be to be successful. Who you are determines what you will do. The crazy thing is that what you do everyday in the small decisions of life is forming you into the person you are. So, I am making a point to develop a relationship with God that hears His voice, the strength of character to obey even when it means danger or embarrassment, the faith to take action on Who you know God to be.
When I try to put these things off until ‘sometime’ or ‘at some point in the day’, they don’t happen at all. So I am waking up a little earlier to make sure I put first things first: reading my bible, communicating with God, and working on developing my character. Who will join me on this quest?
Dear God, help me to see Your true nature and believe in Your true nature. Open my ears to hear. Seal my heart to forget danger or embarrassment in the pursuit of obedience to Your will. I want to be a person who ushers in Your miraculous and brings You glory and honor. In Jesus’ name, amen.