Elijah
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19 Now therefore send, [and] gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four
hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jeze-bel's table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
Elijah faced a great challenge. Israel was backslidden – again. King Ahab had led the people into
idolatry. His wife, Jezebel, was a very wicked woman who controlled her husband and manipu-lated
things her own way. She hated Elijah because he was God’s man.
The people worshipped Baal, a false God, brought into popularity by Jezebel. There were 850 prophets
of Baal who were leading the people astray. Elijah thought he was alone in his work for God, but he
would not back down in his conviction or his faith in God. Though the false prophets were many and
Jezebel wanted him dead, Elijah took a bold stand.
He called the people to make a decision!
21. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD
[be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Sadly, the people remained silent. Why? Perhaps they were afraid of Jezebel and Ahab. Perhaps they
preferred the worship of Baal, which allowed many evil practices – self serving things – unholy sexual
practices.
You see, Satan will offer you what you want. He will give you your own way. He will make many
promises. But he will not ful-fill them. He will just steal your soul.
The people would not make a decision. So Elijah challenged these false prophets to prove their god.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets
[are] four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it
in pieces, and lay [it] on wood, and put no fire [under]: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay [it] on
wood, and put no fire [under]:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that
answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Now, we know that a false God is nothing. There is only one true and living God. So, Elijah was not
afraid to call upon his God to do something and let the false prophets try to get their false God to do
something. It was no contest.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress [it] first;
for ye [are] many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire [under].
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed [it], and called on the name of
Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But [there was] no voice, nor any that
answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he [is] a god; either
he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, [or] peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood
gushed out upon them.
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.
Now, it was Elijah’s turn.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And
he repaired the altar of the LORD [that was] broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom
the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy 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 measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid [him] on the wood, and said, Fill
four barrels with water, and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do [it] the second time. And they did [it] the second time. And he said, Do [it] the third
time. And they did [it] the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at [the time of] the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet
came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou [art]
God in Israel, and [that] I [am] thy servant, and [that] I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou [art] the LORD God, and [that]
thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and
the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench.
Elijah made it difficult – more difficult than necessary – but he wanted there to be no question that it was
the living God who an-swered his prayer. He soaked the wood and the sacrifice till it could not possibly
burn. Then he stepped back and called on God. God answered mightily.
Now, Elijah – and God – had their attention.
39 And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God;
the LORD, he [is] the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took
them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
So Elijah had all the false prophets slain. He got rid of the evil in-fluence. The people were now ready
to serve God.
But isn’t it sad that God has to prove himself so?
Now hear me! This nation is filled with false religions, false prophets, false beliefs. They are leading
people astray. Also, there is corruption in leadership. (There always is.)
But God is still on the throne and ruling the universe.
I do not suggest that we call these false prophets to a contest as Elijah did. But I do suggest that we
begin to realize that we serve the living God, while they serve idols that are no gods at all. We serve the
God who can answer from heaven.
We need to begin to draw on His power to affect the world around us. God is real! God is powerful!
God can and will answer our prayers! God is still in control!
Are we so dull and backslidden as Israel was in Elijah’s day that we cannot make a decision who we will
serve and that we will stand up for Him.
I ask today as Elijah asked, “How long will you wait? How long before you will take a stand? How long
before you will take your place in God’s work?”
When Elijah called out on Mt. Carmel, God answered with fire and consumed the offering.
When the disciples called out in the upper room, God answer with the fire of the Holy Ghost and power.
He filled the church with power.
If we will call out today in sincerity and desperation to God, He will answer!
hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jeze-bel's table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
Elijah faced a great challenge. Israel was backslidden – again. King Ahab had led the people into
idolatry. His wife, Jezebel, was a very wicked woman who controlled her husband and manipu-lated
things her own way. She hated Elijah because he was God’s man.
The people worshipped Baal, a false God, brought into popularity by Jezebel. There were 850 prophets
of Baal who were leading the people astray. Elijah thought he was alone in his work for God, but he
would not back down in his conviction or his faith in God. Though the false prophets were many and
Jezebel wanted him dead, Elijah took a bold stand.
He called the people to make a decision!
21. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD
[be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Sadly, the people remained silent. Why? Perhaps they were afraid of Jezebel and Ahab. Perhaps they
preferred the worship of Baal, which allowed many evil practices – self serving things – unholy sexual
practices.
You see, Satan will offer you what you want. He will give you your own way. He will make many
promises. But he will not ful-fill them. He will just steal your soul.
The people would not make a decision. So Elijah challenged these false prophets to prove their god.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets
[are] four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it
in pieces, and lay [it] on wood, and put no fire [under]: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay [it] on
wood, and put no fire [under]:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that
answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Now, we know that a false God is nothing. There is only one true and living God. So, Elijah was not
afraid to call upon his God to do something and let the false prophets try to get their false God to do
something. It was no contest.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress [it] first;
for ye [are] many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire [under].
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed [it], and called on the name of
Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But [there was] no voice, nor any that
answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he [is] a god; either
he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, [or] peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood
gushed out upon them.
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.
Now, it was Elijah’s turn.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And
he repaired the altar of the LORD [that was] broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom
the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy 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 measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid [him] on the wood, and said, Fill
four barrels with water, and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do [it] the second time. And they did [it] the second time. And he said, Do [it] the third
time. And they did [it] the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at [the time of] the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet
came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou [art]
God in Israel, and [that] I [am] thy servant, and [that] I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou [art] the LORD God, and [that]
thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and
the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench.
Elijah made it difficult – more difficult than necessary – but he wanted there to be no question that it was
the living God who an-swered his prayer. He soaked the wood and the sacrifice till it could not possibly
burn. Then he stepped back and called on God. God answered mightily.
Now, Elijah – and God – had their attention.
39 And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God;
the LORD, he [is] the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took
them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
So Elijah had all the false prophets slain. He got rid of the evil in-fluence. The people were now ready
to serve God.
But isn’t it sad that God has to prove himself so?
Now hear me! This nation is filled with false religions, false prophets, false beliefs. They are leading
people astray. Also, there is corruption in leadership. (There always is.)
But God is still on the throne and ruling the universe.
I do not suggest that we call these false prophets to a contest as Elijah did. But I do suggest that we
begin to realize that we serve the living God, while they serve idols that are no gods at all. We serve the
God who can answer from heaven.
We need to begin to draw on His power to affect the world around us. God is real! God is powerful!
God can and will answer our prayers! God is still in control!
Are we so dull and backslidden as Israel was in Elijah’s day that we cannot make a decision who we will
serve and that we will stand up for Him.
I ask today as Elijah asked, “How long will you wait? How long before you will take a stand? How long
before you will take your place in God’s work?”
When Elijah called out on Mt. Carmel, God answered with fire and consumed the offering.
When the disciples called out in the upper room, God answer with the fire of the Holy Ghost and power.
He filled the church with power.
If we will call out today in sincerity and desperation to God, He will answer!