Let it for ever be looked upon as a point adjudged against all pretenders (for it was carried, upon a full hearing, against one of the most daring and threatening competitors that ever the God of Israel was affronted by) that Jehovah, he is God, God alone. Even Christ and his apostles were thus misrepresented, Acts 17:6. shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? When Jezebel cut off God's prophets God cut off the necessary provisions by the extremity of the drought. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. (2.) St. Joseph New Catholic Version New Testament: Pocket Edition - Slightly Imperfect, St. Joseph New Catholic Version New Testament: Pocket Edition. Choose a bull and prepare it. But this was not all; to complete the miracle, the fire consumed the stones of the altar, and the very dust, to show that it was no ordinary fire, and perhaps to intimate that, though God accepted this occasional sacrifice from this altar, yet for the future they ought to demolish all the altars on their high places, and, for their constant sacrifices, make use of that at Jerusalem only. The Baalites are forced to give up their cause, and now it is Elijah's turn to produce his. Because our material possessions so often seduce us into worshiping them like gods, they pose possibly the preeminent threat to worshiping Jesus. 4When Jezebel was killing all the Lords prophets, Obadiah hid a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. He fitted up an altar. When Jezebel was killing all the LORD's . I. He went in quest of grass, and found him from whose word, at God's mouth, he must expect rain. That Elijah could have made such a run is assured in the Arab runners could easily cover one hundred miles in two days. (Patterson and Austel), 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. Tyrants and persecutors, in their passion, are often unreasonably outrageous, even towards their friends and confidants. 1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. "As long as God keeps bringing me stories that I can honor him with, to me, it doesn't matter what genre they . He withdrew to a strange place, to the top of Carmel, which was very high and very private. Once we remember that the Jews saw idolatry as the ultimate sin that put one outside the community of faith, we can hear the full force of Pauls words. This writing has come about a few days after The Test - 2002 and the Latter Rain, and adds greater clarity to what can be expected in the latter rain. But it is strange to find such an eminently good man governor of Ahab's house, an office of great honour, power, and trust. 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. Baal and his prophets were confounded. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! 115:8 NET). 5Ahab said to Obadiah, Lets check every spring and valley in the land. God will provide himself fire. Those who are called to appear and act in public for God must yet find time to be private with him and keep up their converse with him in solitude. See how wonderfully God raises up friends for his ministers and people, for their shelter in difficult times, even where one would least expect them. 3King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the kings palace. It is a very bad thing to halt between God and Baal. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive and not have to kill our animals. 6So each one chose a part of the country to search; Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah in another. Obadiah therefore could with a good conscience enjoy the place, and therefore would not decline it, nor give it up, though he foresaw he could not do the good he desired to do in it. 1. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Providence ordered it so, that Ahab might, with his own eyes, see how bad the consequences of this judgment were, that so he might be the better inclined to hearken to Elijah, who would direct him into the only way to put an end to it. Thither all Israel must come, to give Elijah the meeting; and the prophets of Baal who were dispersed all the country over, with those of the groves who were Jezebel's domestic chaplains, must there make their personal appearance. We have here the meeting between Ahab and Elijah, as bad a king as ever the world was plagued with and as good a prophet as ever the church was blessed with. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? Didnt the prophet trick him? [4.] And now, 1. After Israel had gone more than three years without rain as a judgment for their idolatry, the prophet Elijah confronts the evil king Ahab and challenges him to a spiritual showdown. 0 responses 10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. It is a chapter in which are many things very observable. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. 45After a short time the sky was covered with dark clouds. From Genesis to Revelation, we see that one of our Creator Kings primary qualities is his lavish generosity. They danced around the altar they had built. The execution he did upon the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18:40. By this time there was no food in Samaria. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. The wind began to blow, and soon a heavy rain began to fall. The people join issue with him: It is well spoken,1 Kings 18:24; 1 Kings 18:24. Giving is what we do best; the air into which we were born. Giving signals and solidifies our allegiance to and dependence on God and his kingdom. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Had it been true that he was the troubler of Israel, Ahab, as king, would have been bound to animadvert upon him. Note, The worship of idols is a most ridiculous thing, and it is but justice to represent it so and expose it to scorn. 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, There are many of you, so you go first. He that had protected so many prophets, he hoped, should not have his own life hazarded by so great a prophet. As he had shown the tenderness of a father to the sons of the prophets, so he showed the reverence of a son to this father of the prophets; and by this made it appear that he did indeed fear God greatly, that he did honour to one that was his extraordinary ambassador and had a great interest in heaven. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. How unlike was this to that with which his servant Obadiah saluted him (1 Kings 18:7; 1 Kings 18:7): Art thou that my lord Elijah? They could say nothing to justify themselves, and they would say nothing to condemn themselves, but, as people confounded, let him say what he would. Showdown on the mount And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. Note, Early piety, it is to be hoped, will be eminent piety; those that are good betimes are likely to be very good; he that feared God from his youth came to fear him greatly. When they saw the fire consume both the burnt offering and the entire altar, they answered, " The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God " (1 Kings 18:39). Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. They allow the proposal to be fair and unexceptionable "God has often answered by fire; if Baal cannot do so, let him be cast out for a usurper." There he spoke with us. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Report. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. [2.] The Lord is God!. Probably on that mountain they had an eminent high place, where formerly the pure worship of God had been kept up as well as it could be any where but at Jerusalem. But the primary attraction to Baal wasnt a pretty statue; it was an economic promise. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. He could not bring them to the altar at Jerusalem unless he could unite the two kingdoms again (which, for correction to both, God designed should not now be done), therefore, by his prophetic authority, he builds an altar on Mount Carmel, and so owns that which had formerly been built there. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. You can also change some of your preferences. His parables tell of farmers destroyed in the midst of their prosperity because they hoarded wealth and failed to be rich toward God (see vv. What occasion for addition to that which is perfect? 4. How did the spirit of God move upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:2? They explore six key biblical themes of worship, community, work, equity, creation care, and rest to dig into what the Gospel means for how we use our resources. It is an instance of the courage of Elijah that he durst stand alone in the cause of God against such powers and numbers; and the issue encourages all God's witnesses and advocates never to fear the face of man. He then solemnly addressed himself to God by prayer before his altar, humbly beseeching him to turn to ashes his burnt-offering (as the phrase is, Psalms 20:3), and to testify his acceptance of it. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. II. 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 1 Kings 18:40. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. Does the Bible encourage the practice of Lent? Baal promised the rains, so God sent a drought at the word of his prophet (see 1 Kings 17:1). Though he was not at the place appointed, he chose the appointed time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, thereby to testify his communion with the altar at Jerusalem. " By afternoon, worshippers of Baal were cutting themselves up and ripping off their clothes, writhing in unspeakable suicidal frustration.When he called on them to shout and wake up . Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. God demands no more from us than he can make out a title to. But God listened to his prophet. Compare Psalms 135:7. You have gone after the Baals. It was strange that so good a man as Obadiah would accept of preferment in a court so addicted to idolatry and all manner of wickedness. God will first prepare our heart, and then cause his ear to hear, will first turn us to him, and then turn to us,Psalms 10:17; Psalms 80:3. Joseph and Daniel were preferred because there were none so fit as they for the places they were preferred to. Elijah, like himself, boldly returned the charge upon the king, and proved it upon him, that he was the troubler of Israel,1 Kings 18:18; 1 Kings 18:18. There was one very good man, who was a great man at court, Obadiah, who answered his name--a servant of the Lord, one who feared God and was faithful to him, and yet was steward of the household to Ahab. Elijah swears by the Lord of hosts, who has all power in his hands, and is therefore able to protect his servants against all the powers of hell and earth. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. If the Lord is the true God, follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him! But the people said nothing. Nothing creates more trouble to a land than the impiety and profaneness of princes and their families. The prophets of Baal try first, but in vain, with their god. [1.] a. 2. 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. This happened seven times. The God who answered by fire, igniting the sacrifice on the altar, was the true God. [1.] 34Then he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the meat and on the wood. Then Elijah said, Do it again, and they did it again. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. Ahab rode in his chariot, at ease and in state, 1 Kings 18:45; 1 Kings 18:45. 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 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. Wasnt killing too severe a punishment for the prophets of Baal? 40Then Elijah said, Capture the prophets of Baal! Ahab's care was not to lose all the beasts, many being already lost; but he took no care about his soul, not to lose that; he took a deal of pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favour of God, fencing against the effect, but not enquiring how to remove the cause. Elijah now came to bring blessings to Israel, tidings of the return of the rain; yet he was thus affronted. Let it go on therefore to a trial. The Contemporary Parallel New Testament with KJV, NIV, NKJV, NASB, and more! Two things he pleads here:-- (1.) The priests of Baal would pray to their god, and Elijah would pray to his God. 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. Bread and water were now scarce commodities, yet Obadiah will find a competence of both for God's prophets, to keep them alive for service hereafter, though now they were laid aside. Kings primary qualities is his lavish generosity he withdrew to a strange place, the. Check every spring and valley in the Arab runners could easily cover one hundred miles in two days why did the prophets of baal cut themselves,. 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