Let us therefore never despise the day of small things, but hope and wait for great things from it. 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life, 9 Christians You Don't Want to Sit Beside on Sunday Morning, 6 Truths about Jesus Coming into the World, Inspiring Mother Breaks Down after Earning Golden Buzzer with Celine Dion Hit, 7 Ways Anxiety Dominates the Christian Mind. We dont know exactly why it was important to God for Elijah to reach Jezreel first; perhaps it was so that he would be the first to tell Queen Jezebel. He tells Elijah what great search Ahab had made for him and how much his heart was upon it to find him out, 1 Kings 18:10; 1 Kings 18:10. Some, we hope, had their hearts thus turned back, but the generality of them were convinced only, not converted, yielded to the truth of God, that he is the God, but consented not to his covenant, that he should be theirs. Jeremiah 2:11. It should seem, he made this diligent search for him, not so much that he might punish him for what he had done in denouncing the judgment as that he might oblige him to undo it again, by recalling the sentence, because he had said it should be according to his word, having such an opinion of him as men foolishly conceive of witches (that, if they can but compel them to bless that which they have bewitched, it will be well again), or such as the king of Moab had of Balaam. 12The Spirit of the Lord may carry you to some other place after I leave. Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Elijah is not the Achan: "I have not troubled Israel, have neither done them any wrong nor designed them any hurt." Ahab is the Achan, the troubler, who follows Baalim, those accursed things. And the people answered him not a word. Christianos ad leones--Away with Christians to the lions. Such living falls far short of the life Jesus invites us to experience. These were the 450 prophets of Baal; the 400 prophets of the groves (who, some think, were Sidonians), though summoned (1 Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 18:19), yet, as it should seem, did not attend, and so escaped this execution, which fair escape perhaps Ahab and Jezebel thought themselves happy in; but it proved they were reserved to be the instruments of Ahab's destruction, some time after, by encouraging him to go up to Ramoth-Gilead, 1 Kings 22:6; 1 Kings 22:6. 1416). Though ten of the tribes had revolted to Baal, he would look upon them as belonging to God still, by virtue of the ancient covenant with their fathers: and, though those ten were unhappily divided from the other two in civil interest, yet in the worship of the God of Israel they had communion with each other, and they twelve were one. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Baal and his prophets were confounded. This he calls (1 Kings 18:21; 1 Kings 18:21) halting between two opinions, or thoughts. God's cause is so incontestably just that it needs not fear to have the evidences of its equity searched into and weighed. Those halt between them that are unresolved under their convictions, unstable and unsteady in their purposes, promise fair, but do not perform, begin well, but do not hold on, that are inconsistent with themselves, or indifferent and lukewarm in that which is good. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Little wonder, then, that when King Ahab chose to marry a woman from Baal territory, the farmers in Israel built a house for this new god and welcomed him to the neighborhood (see 1 Kings 16:31). Pray to your god, but dont start the fire.. 732 views, 45 likes, 11 loves, 7 comments, 73 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from : 22 2023 . The sailors at this day call it Cape Carmel. But when we worship the idol of money, when our lives are oriented primarily toward earning, getting, and keeping, we become deformed, reflecting not the image of Yahweh, Lord of heaven and earth, but money, the god of me and mine. Didnt the prophet trick him? This was not as a morning cloud, which passes away (though Israel's goodness was so), but one that produced a plentiful rain (Psalms 68:9), and an earnest of more. He went in quest of grass, and found him from whose word, at God's mouth, he must expect rain. II. It is a chapter in which are many things very observable. According to one ancient Canaanite myth, the father of Baal slashes his chest, arms, and back upon learning of his son's death. He put himself into a strange posture. To Christians this is a. Report God's ministers should make it appear that, how great soever they look when they deliver God's message, yet they are far from affecting worldly grandeur: let them leave that to the kings of the earth. Elijah allows it to them (1 Kings 18:25; 1 Kings 18:25), gives them the lead for their greater confusion; only, knowing that the working of Satan is with lying wonders, he takes care to prevent a fraud: Be sure to put no fire under. Obadiah feared God greatly; Ahab had sold himself to work wickedness; and both discovered their character by the manner of their address to the prophet. He stood by them, and patiently heard them for so many hours praying to an idol, yet with secret indignation and disdain; and at noon, when the sun was at the hottest, and they too expecting fire (then if ever), he upbraided them with their folly; and notwithstanding the gravity of his office, and the seriousness of the work he had before him, bantered them: "Cry aloud, for he is a god, a goodly god that cannot be made to hear without all this clamour. One true prophet against 450 false prophets. III. His prayer was not long, for he used no vain repetitions, nor thought he should be heard for his much speaking; but it was very grave and composed, and showed his mind to be calm and sedate, and far from the heats and disorders that Baal's prophets were in, 1 Kings 18:36; 1 Kings 18:37. II. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. The people join issue with him: It is well spoken,1 Kings 18:24; 1 Kings 18:24. Does the devil have power to make us sick? 21Elijah approached the people and said, How long will you not decide between two choices? Twelve barrels of water (probably sea-water, for the sea was near, and so much fresh water in this time of drought was too precious for him to be so prodigal of it), thrice four, he poured upon his sacrifice, to prevent the suspicion of any fire under (for, if there had been any, this would have put it out), and to make the expected miracle the more illustrious. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. The Bible states that during the encounter with Elijah the prophets of Baal, "And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them." ( 1 Kings 18:28 ) Where Do We See God's Power over Baal? That man that is true to his God will be faithful to his prince. (2.) He knew, by the Spirit, where to meet him, and we are here told what passed between them. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. (2.) April 2018. The Character of Obadiah; Elijah's Interview with Obadiah. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. 13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? Ahab and the people expected that Elijah would, in this solemn assembly, bless the land, and pray for rain; but he had other work to do first. Now God made those who said they were Jews and were not, but were of the synagogue of Satan, to come, and, in effect, to worship at his feet, and to know that God had loved him,Revelation 3:9. He also brought them food and water.) 2. IV. Like madmen they cut themselves in pieces with knives and lancets (1 Kings 18:28; 1 Kings 18:28) for vexation that they were not answered, or in a sort of prophetic fury, hoping to obtain the favour of their god by offering to him their own blood, when they could not obtain it with the blood of their bullock. What is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal? This was the way they worshiped, Douay-Rheims Bible So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood. 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah. Great blessings often arise from small beginnings, and showers of plenty from a cloud of a span long. We are made in the image of this generous King, wired to reflect his generosity to the rest of creation. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. As such he tries to counterfeit the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The servant went and looked. 25:3146). 37Lord, answer my prayer so these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you will change their minds., 38Then fire from the Lord came down and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the ground around the altar. Obadiah begs to be excused from carrying this message to Ahab, for it might prove as much as his life was worth. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. When Jezebel cut off God's prophets God cut off the necessary provisions by the extremity of the drought. Does My Passion Mean That I'm Being Called? Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab: This was an obviously supernaturally empowered 14-mile cross-country run. Showdown on the mount 2. Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Ahab had continued fasting all day, either religiously, it being a day of prayer, or for want of leisure, it being a day of great expectation; but now let him eat and rink for, though others perceive no sign of it, Elijah, by faith, hears the sound of abundance of rain,1 Kings 18:41; 1 Kings 18:41. Tyrants and persecutors, in their passion, are often unreasonably outrageous, even towards their friends and confidants. If, in this trial, they could but bring it to a drawn battle, their other advantages would give them the victory. The particular Levitical institutions were so often dispensed with (as in the time of the Judges, Samuel's time, and now) that one would be tempted to think they were more designed for types to be fulfilled in the evangelical anti-types than for laws to be fulfilled in the strict observance of them. Do you believe that? What he said we are not told; but, 1. He pleads that he did not deserve to be thus exposed, and put in peril of his life: What have I said amiss?1 Kings 18:9; 1 Kings 18:9. 46The Lord gave his power to Elijah, who tightened his clothes around him and ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel. 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