19 THE SUCCESS OF JEHOVAH

I am a missiologist, a trainer of missionaries. In Missiology this kind of public contest which proves the superiority of God over other gods is called a Power Encounter. Moses and the plagues and the scrolls burned at Ephesus recorded in Acts 19 are two other well-know illustrations of an effective power encounter. Elijah on Mount Carmel is probably the clearest and strongest illustration since it was an announced public contest the terms of which the assembly had agreed in advance. In this lesson Elijah soon obtains an answer by fire from his God. The prophets of Baal are forced to give up their cause, and now it is Elijah’s turn to produce his. Let us see if he faired better.

First, He repaired and fixed the altar. He would not make use of theirs, which had been polluted with their prayers to Baal, but, finding the ruins of God’s altar, which had previously been used in the service of the Lord, he chose to repair that. This was surely to demonstrate to them that he was not about to introduce any new religion, but to revive the faith and worship of their fathers’ God. Could this bring them to restore Jehovah as their first love, their first works? He could not bring them to the altar at Jerusalem unless he could unite the two kingdoms again. God had designed this would not now be done since God was punishing the kingdom by having it divided. By his prophetic authority, he could, however, rebuild God’s altar on Mount Carmel, and so reestablishes what had earlier been built there. When we cannot carry a reformation as far as we would like, we must do what we can and rather comply with some corruptions than not do our utmost towards the destruction of Baal.

He repaired this altar with twelve stones, according to the number of the twelve tribes which is recorded in verse 31, “Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” Though ten of the tribes had revolted to Baal, he would look on them as still belonging to God by virtue of the historic faith of their fathers. Even though those ten were unhappily divided from the other two politically, yet in the worship of the God of Israel they had communion with each other and the whole twelve were one.

A hint of the legitimate faith in Jehovah is made when Jacob is mentioned in connection with the repair of the altar. This image will shame Jacob’s degenerate seed, who worshipped a god which they now clearly saw could not hear nor answer them. Would this not encourage the prophet who was now to wrestle with the God of Jacob? Psalm 24:6 says, “Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.” Hosea 12:4 tells of Jacob struggling with the Lord in prayer. “He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there—

Second, having built his altar in the name of the Lord according to verse 32 by direction from God and with an eye to God, and not for Elijah’s own honor, Elijah prepared his sacrifice. Verse 33 says, “He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood.” Let’s compare that with what Isaac said to Abraham as they went up the mountain to worship. Isaac said here is the fire and the wood, but where is the sacrifice. Abraham said God would supply the sacrifice and God did. Now Elijah says here is wood and a sacrifice and God will supply the fire! If we, in sincerity, offer our hearts to God, He will, by His grace, kindle a holy fire in them.

Elijah was no priest, nor were his attendants Levites. Carmel had neither tabernacle nor temple; it was a great distance from the ark of the testimony and the place God had chosen. This was not the altar that sanctified the gift, yet never was any sacrifice more acceptable to God than this. Colossians 3:22 says “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord” and Hebrews 8:13 says “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.” When the actual details cannot be performed just as the Levitical system originally required, God accepted and accepts sacrifices done in the spirit of the law, not necessarily the letter of the law. So the worker works whether the foreman is watching or not and the sacrificer sacrifices as unto the Lord even if it is not at the temple. Elijah took his liberty to offer the sacrifice in a way quite acceptable under the circumstances.

Third, Elijah ordered a lot of water to be poured on his altar, for which he had prepared a trench to receive and hold it. Three times they poured a large jar of probably sea-water on this sacrifice, to prevent any possibility of a secret fire being under the altar. This would make the expected miracle all the more marvelous and wonderful. The more water, the more unlikely a fire; the less likely a fire, the greater the miracle when there was a fire. The greater the impossibility you face in your ministry, the greater is the miracle you may experience and the greater the testimony you will be able to tell.

Fourth, Elijah then solemnly expressed his prayer to God by prayer before His altar, humbly praying for Him to burn it up. Ps 20:3 says, “May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.” The Hebrew Bible has “Selah” inserted here. God may want us to pause and think about this. The ashes that would remain after the sacrifice was burned up would be an incontestable proof, a clear evidence, of a miracle. They may not have believed their eyes, but they would have to believe the lingering evidence of the ashes! These ashes would continue to testify of God’s acceptance of the sacrifice and evidence of the fire He sent.

His prayer was not long as he used no vain repetitions. Neither did he think he should be heard for his much speaking. The prayer was serious and composed, and showed his mind to be calm and sedate, and far from the emotion, dancing, body beating and slashing that Baal’s prophets had displayed. Verses 36 and 37 say, “At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.’”

Though he was not at the temple, the place appointed, he did choose the appointed time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. By this he connected his prayer and sacrifice with the altar at Jerusalem. Though he expected an answer by fire, yet he came near to the altar with boldness, and was not afraid of that fire. He addressed himself to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, connecting his faith and his prayer with the patriarch’s faith in God’s ancient covenant, and reminding people too of their relation both to God and the patriarchs. Three things he pleads for here, (1.) The glory of God: “that you, Lord, are God” (2) he was God’s servant, “that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command” and (3) The edification and building up of the people, “so these people will know  . . .”  Elijah wanted the people to turn their hearts back to God.

Fifth, God immediately answered Elijah by fire. Verse 38 is the pivotal verse in this part of the story. “Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.” Elijah’s God was neither talking nor pursuing and did not need to be either awakened or aroused. While Elijah was still speaking, the fire of the Lord fell, and not only, as at other times consumed the sacrifice and the wood, as an outstanding indication of the miraculous nature of the fire showing of God’s acceptance of the offering, “also licked up the water in the trench.” If the water was instantly boiled into steam, it would have been a noisy sound—shshshsh—sending steam into the air that was dry from three and half years of no rain. This would have been a great bit of drama.

Psalm 135:7 says, “He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” Surely this day that all happened at an accelerated rate. But this was not all; as though to complete the miracle, the fire consumed the stones of the altar, and the very dust, to show that it was no ordinary fire. It would require a very hot fire to consume stone and dirt. I, at an earlier stage in my live, worked at a glass factory and I know that stone (sand) can be melted to make glass, but this miracle surpassed that. It consumed the stone. Moses’ and Solomon’s alters were made holy by fire from heaven; but this fire was extra hot. It either destroyed the stone or melted into glass. We may well imagine what a terror the fire struck on guilty Ahab and all the worshippers of Baal, and how they fled from the physical heat and noise. It was powerful evidence of the reality of Jehovah in contrast to the falsity of Baal.

Sixth, observe the result of this fair trial. (1) The prophets of Baal had failed in their proof, and could give no evidence at all to demonstrate their pretensions on behalf of their god. They were perfectly exposed as phony and deceptive. Elijah had, by the most convincing and undeniable evidence, proved his claims on behalf of the true God of Israel. The people, as though they were a jury, gave their verdict on the trial, and they are all agreed in it; the case is so plain that they need not go from the bar to consider of their verdict or consult about it. Their verdict is unanimous. They fell on their faces, and all, as one man, said, “Jehovah, he is God, and not Baal; we are convinced and satisfied of it: Jehovah, he is  God.”

I think we can assume that in saying this it could be inferred, “If he be the God, he will be our God, and we will serve him only.” Some, we hope, had their hearts genuinely turned back to the true God. But it is possible that some of them were convinced only, but not converted. They yielded to the truth of God, that He is the true God, but stubbornly did not agree that He would be theirs. Blessed are those that have not seen what they saw and yet have believed. Let it forever be understood that this record of a real historical event points all sining persons to agree that Jehovah, He is God. The prophets of Baal, as criminals, are seized, condemned, and executed according to law. Verse 40 says, “Then Elijah commanded them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!’” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.” If Jehovah be the true God, Baal is a false God, to whom these Prophets of Baal had revolted, and seduced others to the worship of him; and therefore, by the express law of God, they were to be put to death. They needed no more proof of the fact; all Israel were witnesses of it: and therefore Elijah acting still by an extraordinary commission, though it did not become a precedent to be followed by others, orders all the false prophets to be slain immediately as the troublers of the land.

Ahab himself was probably so terrified with the fire from heaven, that he dared not oppose it. The 450 prophets of Baal were executed. Evidently the 400 prophets of Asherah did not attend, and so they escaped this execution. They are quite possible the 400 prophets referred to later in 1 Kings 22:6 who gave counsel that led to Ahab’s death recorded in 1 Kings 22. Israel experienced a great reformation that period. They had acknowledged the Lord to be God, and had consented to the execution of Baal’s prophets, that they might not seduce them any more. Sadly, however, the change in Israel was far short of a thorough reformation. Yet it was great enough that God opened the bottles of heaven and poured out blessings on His land that very evening.

Seventh, Elijah sent Ahab to eat and drink, probably for celebration and the joy that God had accepted the sacrifice, sent the fire and now was about to send rain. Ahab had evidently continued fasting all day it being a day of great expectation. Now, however, let him eat and drink for, though others perceive no sign of it, the spiritually sensitive Elijah, by faith hears the sound of abundance of rain. Verse 41 says, “And Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.’” God reveals His secrets to his servants the prophets; and yet, even without a revelation, Bible reading and believing people may foresee that whether blessings or judgments, whatever God rains down is just and fair. Rain is the river of God and is implied by Psalm 65:9 “You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.’

Eighth, Elijah, himself retired to pray. Verse 42 says, “So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” Though God had promised rain, yet he must ask for it. This is true for all of us. Zechariah 10:1 says, “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.” Elijah received fire and now hopes for rain. Though he had spent many months alone with God in preparation for this event, yet he must again get alone with God. We can take a lesson from this and always value the opportunities we receive or intentionally make to get alone with God. Otherwise, we have nothing to give when we are with people. He expresses his humility and the sincerity of his petition by bowing so low as to have his head between his knees. He had won a victory, but his job was not finished until the rain came.

Ninth, Elijah ordered his servant to tell him as soon as he discerned a cloud arising out of the sea, the Mediterranean Sea, which he could easily see to the west from the top of Carmel. Six times his servant is sent and goes to the point of the hill. Seeing nothing he brings no good news to his master. Yet Elijah continues to praying, will not be diverted so far as to go and see with his own eyes, but still sends his servant to see if he can see any hopeful cloud while he keeps his mind close and intent in prayer. In the spirit of Jacob he seems to be saying “I will not let you go unless you  bless me. He calmly prayed in public for fire beside his alter. Now he must be intense and pray long for rain, seven times. Rain is more likely to come than fire, but he must pray long for rain. Fire coming is unusual, but it came immediately. God was definitely communicating. 

Tenth, just as great blessings often arise from small beginnings so a little cloud finally which soon spread out over the heavens and watered the earth appeared. This was not as a morning cloud, which passes away, but one that produced a plentiful rain and a hint of more to come. Psalm 68:9 says, “You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.”

Eleventh, Elijah and Ahab both hurry. Ahab rode in his chariot, at ease and in state, Elijah ran on foot before him. If Ahab had paid the respect to Elijah that he deserved he would have taken him into his chariot, as the eunuch did Philip, that he might honor him before the elders of Israel, and confer with him further about the reformation of the kingdom. Since Ahab does not invite him to ride with him, he will run before him as one of his footmen, that he may not seem to be lifted up with the great honor God had put on him or to reduce his civil respect to his king, though he reproved him faithfully.

God’s ministers should make it appear that, how great soever they look when they deliver God’s message, yet they are far from seeking or overly valuing worldly grandeur: let them leave that to the kings of the earth. So this part of the story ends with the mighty Elijah running on foot before the evil king Ahab.

What a picture of a humble, uncomplaining, effective and influential leader!