Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal

1 Kings Chapter 18

After many months of drought the Lord told Elijah to go talk to King Ahab and tell him that rain would soon come. So Elijah went to appear before the King. Meanwhile the famine had become severe in Samaria. So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a follower of the Lord and once when Jezebel tried to kill the Lord's prophets, Obadiah hid one hundred of them in two caves, with food and water.) Ahab told Obadiah to check every spring and valley to see if they could find enough grass to save at least some of the horses and mules. So they divided the land and Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

As Obadiah was walking, he saw Elijah coming toward him and he fell down before Elijah. Elijah said for Obadiah to run tell the king that he was there. Obadiah protested, thinking that Elijah was sending him to death at the hands of Ahab because every time Ahab searched for Elijah and was told he was not there, the king would force the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim. Obadiah was afraid that as soon as he left Elijah, the Spirit of the Lord would carry him away and when Ahab couldn't find Elijah, he would kill Obadiah. But Elijah swore to Obadiah that he would present himself to Ahab that very day.

So Obadiah went to Ahab and told him about Elijah, and Ahab went out to meet him. "So it is you, is it- Israel's troublemaker?" said Ahab. And Elijah replied, "I have made no trouble for Israel. You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal. Now bring all the people of Israel to Mount Carmel with all 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, who are supported by Jezebel."
And Ahab summoned all the people and prophets at Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood before them and said, "If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were silent.

Then Elijah sent for two bulls and let the prophets of Baal choose the one they wanted and prepared it for their altar, but did not set fire to it. Elijah prepared the other bull and lay it on his altar, but did not set fire to it. Elijah then told them to call upon the name of their god to set fire to the wood and he would call upon his God to set fire to the wood and the God who answered would be the true God. The people agreed.

The prophets of Baal called his name all morning and danced wildly around the altar. By noontime Elijah began to mock them, so they shouted louder and cut themselves as their normal custom. Then Elijah had the people come around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He took 12 stones to represent the tribes of Israel and dug a trench and built an altar. Then he piled wood and laid pieces of the bull over it. They filled four large jars of water and poured it over the offering and the wood three times. Then Elijah prayed to God to prove that all he had done was at God's command. Immediately the fire flashed down from heaven and burnt up the bull, the wood, stones and dust. It licked up the water in the ditch and when the people saw this, they fell on their faces and cried out, "The Lord is God!"

Then Elijah had all the prophets of Baal seized and they were taken down to the Kishon Valley and killed. Then Elijah told Ahab that a might rainstorm was coming. So Ahab prepared a feast, but Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and fell to the ground and prayed. Then he told his servant to look toward the sea seven times, until the servant saw a small cloud about the size of a hand rising from the sea. then Elijah shouted for Ahab to climb into his chariot and go home or the rain would stop him. Soon the sky was black with clouds and a heavy rainstorm came. Then the Lord gave a special strength to Elijah and he ran ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Ahab brought 850 pagan prophets to Mt. Carmel to match wits with Elijah. With the wicked king's backing, many pagan prophets sprang up to counter the words of God's prophets. But Elijah showed the people that speaking a prophecy wasn't enough - one needed the power of the living God to fulfill it. Using 12 stones to rebuild the altar took courage because it reminded the people of the split between the tribes.

Elijah ran the six miles back to the city in order to give Ahab a last chance to turn from his sin before joining Jezebel. His run ensured that the correct story of what happened would reach Jezebel.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Is there someone in your lifetime like Elijah , who challenges you to take a stand and follow the true God? If we just continue to drift along with whatever is pleasant and easy, we might find ourselves someday worshiping a false god. Also, power, status or material possessions can become our god if we devote our lives to them. Be like Elijah, take a stand for our God. Deep in your heart, you know our true God. Pray to him each day for guidance and he will answer.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, and Arlene’s nephew David. Pray for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer. Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS. Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who was given 14 months to live with cancer, but has made it six years. The pain has returned and she needs our prayers.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has 90 percent of her speech back and is home from the hospital and having rehab for the paralysis on one side of her body. Continue to pray for her recovery.
Pray for Robert Sargent with lung cancer and Marthaline Sargent with serious health issues. Update on Stella: She has shed the feeding tube and is taking formula on her own! But breathing problems are still with her, though improving all the time. She continues to have a long road, so prayers are still needed. She has been moved to a St. Louis hospital.
Pray for Carolyn’s friend Margaret and her husband who were in a car accident. As elderly drivers they may face a life change which may cost them their independence. Let’s all raise our voices to God to hear our prayers.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake,those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.