April 19th

April 19th -- 1 Kings 18:16-46 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2018:16-46&version=NLT)

So Obadiah goes to King Ahab and tells him Elijah is coming (Elijah had told him to when they stumbled across eachother while walking along). When Elijah shows up before Ahab, he is greeted as a "troublemaker of Israel". At this, Elijah says that he has not been the cause of trouble (such as the drought from yesterday's passage), but Ahab and his family have caused it for their continued refusal to worship God and worship of the idol Baal. Elijah tells Ahab to summon all of Israel as well as the prophets who worshipped the idols (450 for Baal and 400 for Asherah), then meet him at Mount Carmel. Ahab does so.

Elijah calls out to the people at the mountain and asks how long the people will waver for, saying if God is God, follow him but if Baal is God then follow him. Nobody speaks. Elijah explains that he is the only prophet of God left, but Baal has 450 prophets. He asks for 2 bulls to be brought, and says Baal's prophets may choose theirs first. He explains that they will cut their bull into pieces and lay it on the altar, but not set fire to it, and he shall do the same with his bull. He says they shall call their god, and he shall call the Lord, and the one to answer first by setting the wood on fire is the real God. All the people agree to this.

Baal's prophets call to Baal from morning until noon, dancing and shouting. They get no answer. At noon, Elijah starts to mock them, telling them to call louder, for perhaps their god is asleep or on a trip. These prophets keep trying all afternoon, even cutting themselves to make blood run as was their custom. They have on answer. Elijah then calls the people to the altar of the Lord they had torn down. He remakes it from twelve stones (one for each tribe of Israel). He also dig a trench around it big enough to hold three gallons of water. He has four large jars filled with water and poured over the offering - three times so it filled the trench after it ran over the offering. When the time for usual evening sacrifices came, Elijah went to the alter and prayed that God would answer him so that the people would know God. Fire immediately flashes down from heaven and burns the bull, wood, stones, and dust. It also dries all the water in the trenches. When the people see it they cry out that the Lord is God. Elijah has the prophets of Baal seized and killed.

Elijah then tells Ahab a mighty rainstorm is coming, so he should go eat and drink. Ahab does so, and as he does Elijah climbs the mountain and prays. He tells his servant to look to the sea. He returns saying he saw nothing. Seven times Elijah sends his servant. On the seventh time the servant says he saw a small cloud rising from the sea. Elijah tells him to tell Ahab to hurry and get home or the rain will stop him. The sky became black with clouds and strong winds come up. Ahab leaves quickly for Jezreel. God gives special strength to Elijah who runs ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to Jezreel's entrance.

The Baal prophets tried for a day and got no answer. Elijah asked once and was answered immediately and far beyond what he had asked for. We have a God who can do anything. He is above and beyond all idols, and also science. In our world we have come to rely on science so heavily for our facts and truths. Some things science teaches us is true, and therefore does bring glory to God, as all truth is God's truth. However, some things science would have us believe are not true. Or, better put, science would have us believe in impossibilities. We recognize, though, that God overcomes those "impossibilities". If a scientist looked at Elijah's altar, he would say it would not burn - it had no fire and even if it did it was too wet to. Yet, Elijah called out to God, and fire from the sky burned the bull and wood, but also stone and dust, and it dried up 3 gallons of water. It's no wonder these people fell to their faces and cried out that the Lord is God. There is no way that any of it could have been staged, nor could the results have been denied. Nothing is impossible for God. Idols will fail to accomplish impossibilities, but God will not.

Well, that's all! God bless! Shalom!