The Whole Story
On our journey through the Scriptures, 1 Kings 18 brings us to a dramatic and decisive confrontation on Mount Carmel.
Here, the prophet Elijah stands alone against the assembled prophets of Baal.
Israel’s hearts have drifted away from the Lord, lured by the empty promises of
a false god. Desperate to restore true worship, Elijah issues a bold challenge:
let him and the prophets of Baal prepare sacrifices but let the true God answer
by fire. Baal’s prophets cry to their powerless deity, cutting themselves and
dancing in vain. At last, Elijah steps forward and prays a simple prayer and
the Lord’s fire falls from heaven, consuming not only the sacrifice but the
stones, the dust, and even the water poured around the altar. In that fiery
moment, the Lord reveals His unmatched sovereignty, calling the people to
forsake their idols and acknowledge Him as the one true God.
Yet even this mighty demonstration points us beyond Elijah’s day to an even greater manifestation of God’s power and grace. Israel’s waywardness echoes our own, and the futility of Baal’s prophets mirrors the dead-end worship of earthly idols that cannot save. But God, in His mercy, would send another Prophet greater than Elijah — Jesus Christ — who would stand against the spiritual forces of darkness and prevail by His death and resurrection. At the cross, Christ displayed the reality and supremacy of God’s love and righteousness and consumed the penalty our sins deserved, clearing away every barrier between us and our Maker.
As we contemplate Elijah’s triumph on Mount Carmel, we are reminded that true redemption and renewed worship come only through the God who reveals Himself in power and truth, ultimately fulfilled in the saving work of Jesus, our risen Lord.
Jesus is here, even on
Mount Carmel.
1 Kings 18: 20-40
The Prophets of Baal Defeated
20 So, Ahab sent to all the people of Israel
and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to
all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different
opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And
the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I,
even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. 23
Let two bulls be given to us and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut
it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare
the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call
upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the
God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well
spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves
one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your
god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and
they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon,
saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And
they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked
them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is
relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be
awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with
swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday
passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there
was no voice. No one answered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to
all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he
repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve
stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the
word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your 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 seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood
in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill
four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And
he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do
it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the
altar and filled the trench also with water. 36 And at the time of the offering
of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in
Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at
your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you,
O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire
of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering 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 said, “The Lord, he is God; the
Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let
not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to
the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 1 Kings
18:20-40
Discussion Questions
What are some ways we “limp
between two opinions” in our spiritual lives today?
Why do you think people turn
to idols even though they fail to deliver? What idols are easiest for us to
justify?
What might it look like in your
life to “repair the altar of the Lord”? (i.e., restore intimacy and worship?)
What would it look like to pray
with Elijah’s boldness today? What are you praying that only God can do?
What evidence would you expect to
see in a life that truly declares, “The Lord, He is God!”?
END
Q: I have been asked to give a prayer at a
community event. I am a Christian. Should I pray in the name of Jesus, or
should I be more generic to bring unity?
A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Uniting in prayer to the gods of this world will avail nothing. A clear demonstration of this is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
Today’s lesson gives us another dramatic and
decisive confrontation by Elijah on Mount Carmel.
Israel’s hearts have once again drifted away
from the Lord, lured by the empty promises of a false god.
1 Kings 2 to 1 Kings 18
1 Kings 3 through 12 is all about Solomon's
story and reign (another 40 years). Through King David and King Solomon - the
Kingdom (all 12 Tribes) were united.
After Solomon's death, the northern tribes’
revolt, forming two separate nations - Israel and Judah.
Each nation experiences disastrous
consequences from having evil kings. Elijah appears on the scene today to
confront the king of Israel for their sin.
1 Kings 18:17-21
When he 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. 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.
“The human heart is an idol factory.”
John Calvin
Israel’s problem wasn’t that they had fully
rejected Yahweh — it was that they were trying to follow Him and Baal.
1 Kings 18:22-29
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.” Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and
prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god,
but do not light the fire.”
So, they took the bull given them and
prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon.
“Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered.
And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt
them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely, he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in
thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So,
they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their
custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their
frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no
response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
1 Kings 18:30-39
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come
here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had
been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended
from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be
Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug
a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the
wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. 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 18:40
Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the
prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them and Elijah had
them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
