Year 7, Day 359: 1 Kings 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Here is another powerful story in the message of Kings.  Israel is in the midst of a drought.  God sends Elijah to Ahab to announce that the drought will be over and He will restore rain to the land.  Don’t miss this point.  Tis chapter is about the preeminence of God far more than it is about the miraculous ability of God to supersede nature.

How can we be sure that this story is more about the preeminence of God than it is about His power?  Look at the challenge that he puts before the people as they get ready tom make the sacrifice.  Elijah challenges the people thusly: “How long will you waver between two options?”  While the power of God is impossibly impressive, the most important dynamic here is that God is the one who should be worshipped.

In this context, Elijah does come to Ahab.  Before the rain comes, though, Elijah has Ahab gather the prophets of Ba’al.  Elijah wants to show them why it is God who should be worshiped instead of Ba’al.  Again, this story is about the preeminence of God.

The prophets of Ba’al send practically all day calling to Ba’al.  They cannot get the sacrifice to light.  They cannot convince Ba’al to consume his sacrifice.  Elijah even sees cause to mock them as they try their various means of calling to Ba’al and have no success.

When Elijah has given the prophets of Ba’al time to rove that Ba’al is an inept god, Elijah prays to God.  Elijah even dumps water all over the sacrifice just to make a point.  Fire comes down from heaven and utterly consumes the sacrifice.  In fact, the fire even burns up the ground and the stones of the altar!  Elijah takes the opportunity to convince the gathered crowd to kill the prophets of Ba’al.

Then, the rains come.  As God said to Elijah, the land receives rain.  God keeps His promises.

God is more powerful than Ba’al.  God is more powerful than nature.  God is certainly more powerful than us.  It is indeed Him who deserves our worship.  We should stop wavering between options and choose to worship Him.

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