18 THE FAILURE OF BAAL

God would use Elijah to turn Israel again to the Lord God of hosts, from whom they had revolted, and all will be well quickly. Many years later an angel appeared to Zechariah in the temple and told him his son, John the Baptizer, would perform a similar ministry. Luke 1:16,17 says, “16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”” This teaching comes from the story of the original Elijah. This was Elijah’s finest hour.

First, Elijah does, in fact, show himself to Ahab. Elijah seems to have had a reputation for disappearing. Even later when it became time for Elijah to leave the earth, as recorded in 2 Kings 2:16, some thought Elijah might be carried to and deposited at some unknown place, “‘Look,’ they said, ‘we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.'” Obadiah had understandably feared Elijah was not in good earnest when he told him to tell Ahab where he was. Obadiah was sure Ahab would be so enraged at the disappointment of not meeting Elijah after expecting or trying to meet him that he would put Obadiah to death for making a fool of him, or for not laying hands on Elijah himself, when he had him in his reach.

Tyrants and persecutors such as Ahab, in their passion, are often unreasonably outrageous, even towards their friends and confidants such as Obadiah was. Obadiah pleads that he did not deserve to be exposed to this unnecessary danger. What have I said amiss? Verses 9, 13 & 14 say, “‘What have I done wrong,’ asked Obadiah, ‘that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!’” Obadiah mentions his service to the prophets, not in pride, but to convince Elijah that though he was Ahab’s servant he still tried to serve the true Lord. He, who at the risk of his life had protected so many prophets, hoped he would not have his own life endangered by so great a prophet as Elijah.

Now we will look at the steps taken towards correcting Israel’s problem at it source. Obadiah delivers and Ahab receives the message that Elijah will meet with Ahab. Verse 16 says that the two men met. We may suppose it was a great surprise to Ahab to hear that Elijah, for whom he had looked so long and not found, was now found without him seeking him. Had he found and surprised Elijah, Ahab would have been delighted, but to be found and surprised by Elijah was not such a pleasant experience. Ahab was not in control. And neither would he be in control when they soon meet at the top of Mount Carmel. Well might Ahab fear Elijah just as Herod feared John. Normally, we might expect that a prophet might fear the king, but when the prophet is in the right and the king is in the wrong, it is more likely that the king would fear the prophet. I would rather be a humble prophet and be in the right than to be a mighty king and be on the wrong side. I think you would too.

We have in this lesson the meeting between Ahab and Elijah, as bad a king as ever the world had and as good a prophet as ever God’s people had. Ahab, true to his evil form, basely accuses Elijah. He dare not strike him, remembering that Jeroboam’s hand withered when it was stretched out against a prophet, but gave him bad language, which was still an affront to the God who sent him. It was a very coarse compliment with which he accosted him at the first word as verse 17 records, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” How unlike this greeting was that with which his servant Obadiah had saluted him, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?” Obadiah feared God greatly; Ahab had sold himself to work wickedness; and both men revealed their character by the way they greet the prophet. It is possible for us usually to guess how or what people think about God by simply observing how they treat His people and ministers. Elijah now came to bring blessings to Israel, good news of the return of the rain; yet he was insulted like this by Israel’s king! Had it been really true thatElijah was the troubler of Israel, Ahab, as king, would have been bound to appropriately punish him. There are those who trouble a nation, but it was completely false concerning Elijah. So far was he from being an enemy to Israel’s welfare that he was a great spiritual support and influence in it. He was the chariots and horsemen of Israel. It has been the experience of the best and most useful of men and women to be called and counted the troublers of the land, and to be run down as public irritations. Even Jesus and His apostles were misrepresented like this as Act 17:6 verifies, “6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here.”

Elijah, like himself, boldly returned the charge towards the king, and proved it to him, that he was the troubler of Israel, “I have not made trouble for Israel, but you and your father’s family have.” Elijah is not the Achan: “I have not troubled Israel, have neither done them any wrong nor planned to do them any harm.” The person who arouses or earns God’s judgments does the mischief; not the ones that merely reveal them or gives warning of them so that people may repent and prevent them. God says, I would have healed Israel, but they would not be healed. Ahab, follow me and you will see who is the real Achan, the troubler of Israel. Ahab is the Achan, the troubler, who follows Baal. Serving Idols is not a good way to lead a nation.

 

Second, Elijah, as one having authority immediately from the King of kings, ordered a great convention and contest at Mount Carmel, where there had been an altar built to God, as we will see in verse 30, “Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come here to me.’ They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down.” Probably on that mountain they had an important high place, where formerly the pure worship of God had been kept up as well as it could be anywhere but at Jerusalem. To this place Israel was to come to meet with Elijah. The prophets of Baal who were dispersed all over the country along with those who were Jezebel’s domestic chaplains, also are to make their personal appearance. Ahab issued the commands accordingly, for the convening of this great assembly as verse 20 reports, “So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.” Either he feared Elijah and dared not oppose him, just as Saul stood in awe of Samuel more than of God, or he hoped Elijah would bless the land and speak the word that they might have rain. We do not know how genuine his desire was to bring all the prophets there, but he did bring them. He may have hated Elijah’s wisdom nevertheless was eager to receive the benefits of his prayers.

Third, Ahab and the people expected Elijah would, in this solemn assembly, bless the land, and pray for rain. Oh yes, but he had other work to do first. The people must be brought to repent and reform, and then they may look for the removal of the judgment, but not until then. This is the right method. God wants to first prepare our heart, and then cause his ear to hear; He will first turn us to Him and then turn Himself to us. This is born out in what Psalm 10:17 and 80:3 say, “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,” and “Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” Deserters must not look for God’s favor until they return to their allegiance. Elijah might have looked for rain seventy times seven times and not have seen it if he had not begun his work at the right end as he did.

Three years and a half’s famine would not bring them back to God. Elijah would try to dramatically influence their opinion and no doubt it was by special instruction and direction from heaven that he proposed the contest between God and Baal in such a public trial. It was a great condescension for God that He would allow such a plain idolatrous case to be disputed, and would permit Baal to be a competitor with Himself; but this was God’s way to have every mouth stopped and all flesh silent before Him. God’s cause is so incontestably just and fair that it needs not fear any challenge from anyone. God will win.

Fourth, Elijah reproved the people for mixing the worship of God and the worship of Baal together. Not only some Israelites worshipped God and others Baal, but the same Israelites sometimes worshipped one and sometimes the other. This seems to be the meaning of verse 21, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” They worshipped God to please the prophets, but worshipped Baal to please Jezebel and gain favor at court. They thought they could play both sides, as the Samaritans as recorded in 2 Kings 17:33, “33 They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.” Now Elijah shows them the absurdity of this. Is Jehovah not yours, and the God of your fathers, while Baal is the god of the Sidonians? Jeremiah said a similar thing, in Jeremiah 2:11, “Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols.” Really. Will a nation change its god? There can be but one God, infinite, supreme, omnipotent, and all-sufficient God. There is only one. What need is there for any addition to a God who is already perfect?

If, in a contest, it appears that Baal is that one infinite omnipotent Being, that one supreme Lord and all-sufficient benefactor, you ought to renounce Jehovah and cleave to Baal only: but, if Jehovah is that one God, Baal is a cheat, and you must have no more to do with him.” Scripture records other times when the same choice was offered to God’s people. Joshua 24:15 is a good example of this. “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” If we can find one that has more right to us, or will be a better master to us than God, we may take him if we choose. Elijah’s proposal was fair and the people could not refute it. They could say nothing to justify themselves, and they would say nothing to condemn themselves.

Fifth, Elijah proposed bringing the matter to a fair trial; and it was so much the fairer because Baal had all the external advantages on his side. The king and court were all for Baal; so was the body of the people. The champions of Baal’s cause were 450 men, fat and well fed besides 400 more, supporters mentioned in verse 19, “And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” The manager of God’s cause was but one man,  recently a poor exile in hiding in Sidon, hardly kept from starving; so that God’s cause has nothing to support it but its own right. However, it is put to this experiment, “Let each side prepare a sacrifice, and pray to its God. If neither will answer, let the people turn Atheists; if both answer, let them continue to halt between two.” Elijah, doubtless, had special direction from God to put it to this test, otherwise he would have tempted God and affronted godliness; but the case was extraordinary, and the judgment based on it would be of use, not only then, but in all ages.

It is an instance of the courage of Elijah that he dared stand alone in the cause of God against such powers and numbers; and the issue encourages all God’s witnesses and advocates then and now never to fear the face of man. Elijah does not say, “The God that answers by water” (though that was the thing the country needed), but “The god who answers by fire—he is God.” The God that has the power to pardon sin, and to show it by consuming the sin-offering, must be the real God that can relieve us of the drought. He Who can give fire can give rain. Baal could not send fire or rain, but God could and did send both.

Sixth, The people agree with him, “What you say is good” (24). They agree that the proposal is fair. “God has often answered by fire; as our history has repeatedly indicated by the fire descending on the sacrifice. So if Baal cannot do so, let him be cast out for a pretender and false.” They were very eager to see the experiment tried, and seemed resolved to agree to the outcome, whatever it would be. Those who were firm for God doubted not but it would end to His honor; those who were indifferent were willing to be determined; and Ahab and the prophets of Baal did not dare oppose for fear of the people and hoped that either they could obtain fire from heaven (though they never had yet), or that Elijah could not either. If, in this trial, they could only bring it to a drawn battle, their other numeric and state-supported advantages would give them the victory. Let it go on therefore to a trial.

Seventh, The prophets of Baal try first with their god, but in vain. Elijah makes clear that they are not to light the fire themselves. Verse 25 says, “Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” In our next lesson we will see that he makes his case very strong by insisting that water be poured on the altar on which he places his sacrifice. Knowing that the working of Satan is with lying wonders, he takes care to prevent a fraud. We can see next how urgently and with a lot of noise the prophets of Baal appeal to Baal. They got their sacrifices ready; and we may well imagine what a noise 450 men made, when they cried as one man, and with all their might, O Baal! hear us, O Baal! answer us; Great and mighty Baal, send fire! This went on for some hours, longer than Diana’s worshippers made their cry, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. How senseless, how brutish, were they in their addresses to Baal!

Like fools, they leaped on the altar, as if they would themselves become sacrifices with their bull; or in this way they they expressed their great earnestness of mind. They leaped up and down, or danced about the altar. Like madmen “they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.” God never required His worshippers to honor Him this way; but the service of the devil, though in some instances it pleases and pampers the body, yet in other things it is really cruel to it, as in envy and drunkenness. It seems, this was the manner of the worshippers of Baal. God expressly forbade his worshippers to cut themselves Deuteronomy 14:1, “You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead,”

Eighth, Elijah was harsh with them. He stood by 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 expecting fire (then if ever), he teased them with their foolishness; and bantered them: “Cry aloud, for he is a god, a goodly god that cannot be made to hear without all this clamor. Surely you think he is talking or meditating or he is pursuing some deep thoughts, thinking of something else and not minding his own matter, when all his honor lies at stake, and his interest in Israel will be lost if he does not look about him quickly.” The worship of idols is a most ridiculous thing, and it is fair to say so and expose its error. Baal’s prophets were so far from being convinced and put to shame by Elijah that it made them the more violent and led them to act more ridiculously.

Ninth, Baal was deaf to them. Elijah did not interrupt them, but let them go on until they were tired which verse 29 says was the time of the evening sacrifice, “they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice.” During all that time some of them prayed, while others of them prophesied, sang hymns, perhaps to the praise of Baal, or rather encouraged those that were praying to proceed, telling them that Baal would answer them at last; but there was no answer, nor any that regarded. Idols could do neither good nor evil.

The prince of the power of the air, if God has permitted him, could have caused fire to come down from heaven and gladly would have done it for the support of Baal. We find that the beast which deceived the world does it as recorded in Revelation 13:13&14, “And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.” God would not allow the devil to do it in Elijah’s day. This was a contest to which two sides had agreed.

The stakes were high. As we see, Baal failed.