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. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 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. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” 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. (1 Kings 18:36-40).
A day later…
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:1-4)
Background
In the build-up to Mt Carmel, Elijah demonstrated fearlessness like few in scripture. He recognized God as the true power source.
He confronted King Ahab, who called Elijah a “troubler of Israel”. At great personal peril, Elijah boldly suggested that it was really Ahab and his family who created trouble by abandoning the Lord’s commands and following Baal. Elijah offered a possible solution. A contest. Baal versus the God of Israel. 450 prophets for Baal. One prophet for the God of Israel. The god that could set the sacrifice on fire at Mt. Carmel would be the winner. Game on.
The prophets of Baal started first. It was early in the morning. They cried out to Baal to ignite the sacrifice. They danced. They prayed. All the time listening to the prophet of Israel smack talking. “Shout louder –Your God must be deep in thought; busy; traveling or maybe sleeping!”. The tension mounted. The frustration grew. It was now after lunch. Baal had not shown up.
Next it was Elijah’s turn. To add to the drama Elijah instructed that they pour water over the sacrifice to the God of Israel. Not once. But 3 times. And then Elijah prayed that the God of Israel would let his power be known. And the fire of the Lord burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and soil and even the trench of water. The God of Israel was the victor.
Elijah’s act of faith on a public stage has few scripture equals. Elijah knew the power of God. Ahab now knew the power of God. The Baal prophets saw the power.
But over the next day there is a shift.
Ahab left the scene. He went back and filled in Jezebel on the events of the previous day. Jezebel had a simple message delivered to Elijah – “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” And Elijah, the lion of faith the previous day, had a surprising response only a day later. Elijah was afraid and ran for his life for a full day into the wilderness.
He had quickly forgotten about the power of his God.
Reflections
Our personal view of God’s power can define our spiritual temperature. Deep down do we believe His best displays of power were thousands of years ago? Do we believe He is watching every detail of our lives and desires to unleash His power in both the big and the small?
And like Elijah we can quickly forget the power that has been breathed into our life. Healings from sickness. Positive medical test reports. Restored relationships. Pathways out of circumstances when we believed there was no hope.
We too easily forget the triumphs…and the power of the past. And focus on the obstacle in front of us.
Lord, the narrative of Elijah illustrates how easy it is to one day have faith and the next day to shift our line of sight to the perceived mountain in front of us. You are at our side in all times. You desire to demonstrate your glory in our lives. Help us to daily truly absorb and remember your power. To remember all the times that you have stood by our side and delivered us. To become more consistent in our faith. Amen.
What if we began to chronicle in our journal the real life demonstrations of power and answers to prayer that God has breathed into our life? And frequently read these entries as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to build faith for the obstacle ahead?
What if... 