Elijah “Obedience in Spite of Being Out-Numbered”
I Kings 18:20-40
The next battle in the invisible war for the hearts of God’s people is about to take place. The time had come for Elijah to challenge Jezebel’s idolatrous religion, to expose the impotence of Baal, and to call the nation back to single-hearted faith in the Lord God of Israel.
“Mount Carmel was agreed on by Ahab. It would be a fitting site since it lay between Israel and Phoenicia, the lands of the deities in question. Also Mount Carmel was regarded by the Phoenicians as the sacred dwelling place of Baal. No doubt Ahab was highly pleased with this suggested site for the contest because it would have given the Baal prophets a definite advantage; but this did not worry Elijah.
It was also a geographically prominent location and thus a fit setting for Elijah’s contest.”
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” Walvoord & Zuck, p.526
I How will Israel know God, not Baal, has sent the rain?
What is Elijah’s challenge to the people? v.20, 21a
How do they respond? v.21b
What contest does Elijah propose? V.22-24a
“Elijah’s challenge leaves it to “the god who answers by fire” to decide which deity is real. Why fire? As the storm god, Baal was thought to hold lightning in his hand. And in Israel’s past, the true God had accepted the first sacrifice of Aaron’s priesthood by consuming an offering with fire from heaven (Leviticus 9:24). Whichever altar caught fire without human intervention would vindicate the entire worship system of either Elijah or the priests of Baal. If both sides had been praying for rain and then rain came, everyone would claim victory. But if Baal couldn’t cast his lightning on a simple altar while God repeated his past acceptance of an offering, the source of the ensuring rain would be obvious.”
”A Walk Through the Life of Elijah” p.29
How do they respond? v.24b
“Baal was supposedly a fertility god, the one who sent rain, caused the crops to grow, and provided food for his people. He was the one who supposedly sent fire (lightning) from heaven. The three-and-one-half-year drought and famine had been a great embarrassment to the worshipers of Baal. It seemed as if Elijah and his God rather than Baal were in control of the fertility of Israel. So Elijah’s test to Baal’s followers seemed like a good opportunity to vindicate their god and they readily agreed to it.”
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” Walvoord & Zuck, p.526
What are the rules of the contest? v.25
To what lengths do Baal’s prophets go? V.26-29a
When and how does Elijah taunt them? v.27
Does Baal respond? v.29b
II How does Elijah prepare His Sacrifice?
What does he do first? V.30-33a
What does he ask the people to do? V.33b-35
“The purpose of the soaking, of course, wasto show everyone present that the burning of the sacrifice that was to take place was not a natural phenomenon or a trick but was a miracle. Also the time involved in securing the water would have added to the tension of the hour.” “The Bible Knowledge Commentary” Walvoord & Zuck, p.527
What does he ask the Lord to do? Why? v.36-37
What miracle occurs? v.38
What do the people acknowledge? v.39
What does he command the people to do? v.40
“The killing of the 450 prophets of Baal, fulfilled the law’s demands that false prophets be executed (Deuteronomy 13:1-5),and that those embracing idolatry or inciting others to practice it were worthy of death. Further, these deaths were just retribution for Jezebel’s killing of the Lord’s prophets.” ‘MacArthur Bible Commentary” p.421
“God hates idolatry. He cannot stand by and let the objects of his great love be seduced and led away to destruction. That’s why he will not give up or go away until He has brought men and women to the place where they realize that their half-gods will never satisfy, and they turn from them to serve the living and true God.”
“Elijah, a Man Like Us” David Roper