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. 4. They just added Baal worship to their insurance policy. They worshipped God to please the prophets, but worshipped Baal to please Jezebel and curry favour at court. 13Havent you been told what I did? Surely you think he is talking or meditating (as the word is) or he is pursuing some deep thoughts, (in a brown study, as we say), thinking of somewhat else and not minding his own matter, when not your credit only, but all his honour lies at stake, and his interest in Israel. Moses's altar and Solomon's were consecrated by the fire from heaven; but this was destroyed, because no more to be used. Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. 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. And now, 1. Should the explanation in Genesis on how God created plants before the sun affect the understanding of creation? 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. That man that is true to his God will be faithful to his prince. 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. 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. 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). Wasnt killing too severe a punishment for the prophets of Baal? 3. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:4), slew them,1 Kings 18:13; 1 Kings 18:13. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. Elijah's God was neither talking nor pursuing, needed not to be either awakened or quickened; while he was yet speaking, the fire of the Lord fell, and not only, as at other times (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1) consumed the sacrifice and the wood, in token of God's acceptance of the offering, but licked up all the water in the trench, exhaling that, and drawing it up as a vapour, in order to the intended rain, which was to be the fruit of this sacrifice and prayer, more than the product of natural causes. 39When all the people saw this, they fell down to the ground, crying, The Lord is God! 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 . God, at length, ordered Elijah to present himself to Ahab, because the time had now come when he would send rain upon the earth (1 Kings 18:1; 1 Kings 18:1), or rather upon the land. Share But humans cannot serve two kings. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. April 28 2020 Such was Elijah's zeal, no doubt, against the idolatry of Baal, and such his compassion to his people, that he thought it long to be thus confined to a corner; yet he appeared not till God bade him: "Go and show thyself to Ahab, for now thy hour has come, even the time to favour Israel." Worship, after all, is an economic issue. In fact, the New Testament teaches that money and greed are often the loudest and most appealing idols seeking to steal our attention. A little cloud at length appeared, no bigger than a man's hand, which presently overspread the heavens and watered the earth, 1 Kings 18:44; 1 Kings 18:45. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. I. "As long as God keeps bringing me stories that I can honor him with, to me, it doesn't matter what genre they . Thou employest me; Lord, make it appear that thou dost so;" see Numbers 16:28; Numbers 16:29. Money becomes a spiritual power that too often uses us rather than the other way around. (1.) Thats why Jesus warned his followers to watch out for all kinds of greed (see Luke 12:15). 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. Rain is the river of God,Psalms 65:9. 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. Who has required these things at your hands? 2. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. Elijah told him to go and look again. It was great condescension in God that he would suffer so plain a case to be disputed, and would permit Baal to be a competitor with him; but thus God would have every mouth to be stopped and all flesh to become silent before him. The sad state of Israel at this time, upon two accounts:--. The Holy Bible, New Century Version. 1416). God expressly forbade his worshippers to cut themselves, Deuteronomy 14:1. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. He maketh fire come down from heaven in the sight of men and so deceiveth them,Revelation 13:13; Revelation 13:14. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Elijah told him to go and look again. Ahab, like himself, basely accused Elijah. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. Answer The account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is recorded in 1 Kings 18. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. A good answer provides new insight and perspective. As for why the worship of Baal and Asherah specifically was such a problem for Israel, there are several reasons we can cite: first, the worship of Baal and Asherah held the allure of illicit sex, since the religion involved ritual prostitution. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Their greedy hearts created other gods out of every coin in their coffers. There was a heavy rain: Gods word through Elijah was proved true. From Pretty Statues to Silver and Gold: Jesus or Mammon? i. He went in quest of grass, and found him from whose word, at God's mouth, he must expect rain. We find that the beast which deceived the world does it. Has the book of Amos been fulfilled or is it a reference to end times? 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. Had it been true that he was the troubler of Israel, Ahab, as king, would have been bound to animadvert upon him. e. Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you: This was a word of faith from Elijah to Ahab. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. I have followed the Lord since I was a boy. 27At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. 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. " 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 . The Contemporary Parallel New Testament with KJV, NIV, NKJV, NASB, and more! Ahab issued out writs accordingly, for the convening of this great assembly (1 Kings 18:20; 1 Kings 18:20), either because he feared Elijah and durst not oppose him (Saul stood in awe of Samuel more than of God), or because he hoped Elijah would bless the land, and speak the word that they might have rain, and upon those terms they would be all at his beck. Idols had always threatened to steal the love, trust, and service God deserves and demands.By equating greed with idolatry, Paul provocatively told the church they didnt have to go into a rival temple to worship another god. II. 1. Elijah satisfied him that he might with safety deliver this message to Ahab, by assuring him, with an oath, that he would, this very day, present himself to Ahab, 1 Kings 18:15; 1 Kings 18:15. But the primary attraction to Baal wasnt a pretty statue; it was an economic promise. He himself retired to pray (for though God had promised rain, he must ask it, Zechariah 10:1), and to give thanks for God's answer by fire, now hoping for an answer by water. (3.) They covet the precedency, not only for the honour of it, but that, if they can but in the least seem to gain their point, Elijah may not be admitted to make the trial. King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the king's palace. ESV - After all, if youre a farmer, its only practical to invest in getting the rider of the clouds to like you. God immediately answered him by fire, 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Kings 18:38. Dont let any of them run away! The people captured all the prophets. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 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. Each would take a bull and place it on their own altar. Does God gives us political leaders or do we vote them by choice? 4. [People] who want to get rich, Paul declares, fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Tim. We are fairly put to our choice whom we will serve,Joshua 24:15. 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah. Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him! 28The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they worshiped. No, he waives the prescription, and enters upon the merits of the cause:--"There can be but one God, but one infinite and but one supreme: there needs but one God, one omnipotent, one all-sufficient. The wind began to blow, and soon a heavy rain began to fall. The execution he did upon the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18:40. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. For less than $5/mo. 17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? The execution he did upon the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18:40. [4.] To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? Is it really you, master?, 8Yes, Elijah answered. The purpose of the prophet's request was to demonstrate who was the true God that deserved the people's dedicated worship. (2.) 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. Does the devil have power to make us sick? One true prophet against 450 false prophets. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel. 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. How did the prophets tithe and to whom? At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his head between his knees. They likely continued going to church, paying their tithes, and saying a prayer or two now and againespecially on holidays. So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 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? Compare Psalms 135:7. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Obadiah recognized Elijah, so he bowed down to the ground and said, Elijah? By this time there was no food in Samaria. 3King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the kings palace. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. There he would be alone. The sailors at this day call it Cape Carmel. Those few that escaped the sword were forced to abscond, and hide themselves in caves, where they were buried alive and cut off, though not from life, yet from usefulness, which is the end and comfort of life; and, when the prophets were persecuted and driven into corners, no doubt their friends, those few good people that were in the land, were treated in like manner. 1. Community answers are sorted based on votes. 5Ahab said to Obadiah, Lets check every spring and valley in the land. He that will thrive must rise betimes. 23Bring two bulls. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! However, it is put to this experiment, "Let each side prepare a sacrifice, and pray to its God, and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God; if neither shall thus answer, let the people turn Atheists; if both, let them continue to halt between two." Elijah, in answer to him, [1.] Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. It is said that Baal was the son of a god called el. But in this chapter his appearance was as public as before his retirement was close; the days appointed for his concealment (which was part of the judgment upon Israel) being finished, he is not commanded to show himself to Ahab, and to expect rain upon the earth, 1 Kings 18:1. Elijah would endeavour to convince their judgments, and no doubt it was by special warrant and direction from heaven that he put the controversy between God and Baal upon a public trial. Joseph and Daniel were preferred because there were none so fit as they for the places they were preferred to. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 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. 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. Elijah, doubtless, had a special commission from God to put it to this test, otherwise he would have tempted God and affronted religion; but the case was extraordinary, and the judgment upon it would be of use, not only then, but in all ages. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. This happened seven times. All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED. Why did king Ahab have to die? Jesus knew all about gods such as Baal. In it, Elijah, the prophet of Gd, puts to the test what was at the time perceived as the most supreme and powerful of all the godsBaal. [1.] Israel being thus far reformed that 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, though this was far short of a thorough reformation, yet it was so far accepted that God thereupon opened the bottles of heaven, and poured out blessings upon his land, that very evening (as it should seem) on which they did this good work, which should have confirmed them in their reformation; see Haggai 2:18; Haggai 2:19. They leaped up and down, or danced about the altar (so some): they hoped, by their dancing, to please their deity, as Herodias did Herod, and so to obtain their request. It is a chapter in which are many things very observable. How sharp Elijah was upon them, 1 Kings 18:27; 1 Kings 18:27. 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." He durst not strike him, remembering that Jeroboam's hand withered when it was stretched out against a prophet, but gave him bad language, which was no less an affront to him that sent him. 7While Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. "Shout louder!" he said. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, There are many of you, so you go first. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. 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). 6:9). 9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? 22Elijah said, I am the only prophet of the Lord here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. 20So Ahab called all the Israelites and those prophets to Mount Carmel. Yet, bad as things were. And he said, Do it the third time. God will provide himself fire. 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. The managers of Baal's cause were 450 men, fat and well fed (1 Kings 18:22; 1 Kings 18:22), besides 400 more, their supporters or seconds, 1 Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 18:19. 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