The Prophets of Baal  (1 Kings chp 18)


Elijah was an Old Testament prophet, who lived during the reign of King Ahab.  At this time, there was a famine in Samaria, and Elijah had been sent by God in order to prove that he was the true God - over and above the other gods (especially Baal) which the people had started to worship.  As a result of the drought, the King sent his servant Obadiah (a secret follower of God) into the countryside, to search for fertile land.  He happened across Elijah, who expressed a desire to meet the king - Obadiah told Elijah that he was scared to tell Ahab of his presence, as he was afraid that the king's reaction would be to kill his servant in his anger.  But he followed Elijah's instructions, and Ahab did not lash out against him - rather he and Elijah met that very same day.  Ahab spoke of Elijah as "the worst trouble-maker in Israel".

Elijah then devised a challenge for Ahab, in order to prove who was the true God - Baal or the real God (Ahab's wife, Queen Jezebel, had persecuted many followers of the true God, as well as introducing hundreds of prophets of Baal from her hometown of Sidon).  Elijah asked Ahab to mobilise four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and four hundred prophets of Asherah, and lead them up Mount Carmel.   The prophets of Baal chose a bull, cut it in pieces, and placed it on wood on their altar, in order to sacrifice it.  They then had to call upon their god to light the fire for them, to prove his power - they all cried Baal's name from morning until noon.  Elijah mocked them, suggesting that their god was asleep, was relieving himself, or gone on a journey.  So they continued crying out, and cut themselves with their swords.  But they had still received no sign from Baal by mid afternoon.

Then Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord (which had been torn down) by using twelve stones, which symbolised the twelve tribes of Israel.  He dug a trench around the altar (large enough to hold almost fourteen litres of water), then he prepared the bull on the wood.  Next, he asked the people to fill four jars with water, and tip it over the sacrifice and the wood - they did this three times over, and the trench was filled with water.  Then Elijah prayed to God, who sent fire which not only burnt the bull and the wood, but also the stones, as well as consuming the water in the trench!  Then Elijah ordered that the prophets of Baal should be seized, and they were put to death at the brook of Kishon.

Elijah then went to the top of Mount Carmel, and sent his servant to look at the sea, seven times.  Until the final attempt the servant saw nothing.  But the seventh time, he saw a small cloud rising out of the sea, and soon there were many rain clouds, signalling the end of the drought.  He sent a message to Ahab telling him to return to his palace in Jezreel before the rain could stop him.  Elijah then ran ahead of him all the way.



Themes

• Drought - the drought (sent by God) had been going on for three years, and passed only when the power of the true God had been made clear to the people.
• True God - through Elijah, the identity of the true God was revealed.
• Peace - Elijah did not need noise and commotion in order to call on God.
• Punishment - the prophets of Baal were put to death for their beliefs.
  

Contemporary Issues

• False gods/influences in today's world.
  
• Standing up for what you believe to be right.
• Courage.

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The Still Small Voice  (1 Kings chp 19)

Queen Jezebel was angry with Elijah, because he had put so many prophets of Baal to death.  He fled south, to the land of Judah.  On his way, he reached Mount Sinai, and took shelter in a cave on the mountain.  He was angry because he felt he had failed, and the people of Israel had been disobedient to God.  While he was in the cave, a strong and furious wind blew past the cave, which broke the rocks in pieces, but God was not in the wind.  Then there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake.  After that, there was fire, but God was not in the fire.  But then there was a soft whisper of a voice - and this was the voice of God, speaking to Elijah.  Elijah went out of the cave, and spoke with God.  God told him that there were others who worshiped him as the true God, and would not turn to Baal.  He then told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor, who would continue to convey God's message to the people.  He promised that there were at least seven thousand people in Israel who were still loyal to him.


Themes

• Escape - Elijah was fleeing from Queen Jezebel.
• God - the powers of nature bombarded the mountain where Elijah was sheltering, but the true God was to be found in the peace of the still small voice.
  

Contemporary Issues

• Often, one finds what one is really looking for in the least predictable places.

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