Note, Those who profess religion should study to recommend themselves to the esteem even of those that are without by their integrity, fidelity, and application to business. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. "Surely he is a god! We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. In the myth, Baal returns to life when the rains come. Our idols never stop consuming and destroying that which we hold most dear. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. As for those who fall as victims to the fire of God's wrath, no water can shelter them from it, any more than briers or thorns, Isaiah 27:4; Isaiah 27:5. He ordered abundance of water to be poured upon his altar, which he had prepared a trench for the reception of (1 Kings 18:32; 1 Kings 18:32), and, some think, made the altar hollow. Ahab had made diligent search for him (1 Kings 18:10; 1 Kings 18:10), had offered rewards to any one that would discover him, sent spies into every tribe and lordship of his own dominions, as some understand it, or, as others, into all the neighbouring nations and kingdoms that were in alliance with him; and, when they denied that they knew any thing of him, he would not believe them unless they swore it, and, as should seem, promised likewise upon oath that, if ever they found him among them, they would discover him and deliver him up. Used by permission of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Mauled by Money: The Cost of Economic Idolatry, The Bible also teaches us that the wages of our economic idolatry is death. 732 views, 45 likes, 11 loves, 7 comments, 73 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from : 22 2023 . 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. 29The afternoon passed, and the prophets continued to act like this until it was time for the evening sacrifice. 2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. We may request cookies to be set on your device. (2.) By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Answer The account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is recorded in 1 Kings 18. They just added Baal worship to their insurance policy. That man that is true to his God will be faithful to his prince. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 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. According to one ancient Canaanite myth, the father of Baal slashes his chest, arms, and back upon learning of his son's death. Click on the different category headings to find out more. V. Elijah soon obtains from his God an answer by fire. (2.) Ahab had continued fasting all day, either religiously, it being a day of prayer, or for want of leisure, it being a day of great expectation; but now let him eat and rink for, though others perceive no sign of it, Elijah, by faith, hears the sound of abundance of rain,1 Kings 18:41; 1 Kings 18:41. shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 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. 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. That wanting to get rich inevitably causes such destruction? 3. And now, 1. Even in those bad times, when the calves were worshipped and the temple at Jerusalem deserted, yet there were some good people that feared God and served him, and some good prophets that instructed them in the knowledge of him and assisted them in their devotions. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. [4.] " 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 . He sent fire from heaven. (Mark 6:20). Being an idolater, she was a persecutor, and made Ahab one. How did the prophets tithe and to whom? Their perishing thus is the using, as the apostle speaks of them (Colossians 3:22), was to intimate the utter abolition of them after a little while, Hebrews 8:13. The prophets of Baal try first, but in vain, with their god. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! "I love Jesus and it is the honor of my life to get to portray him," he said. Their greedy hearts created other gods out of every coin in their coffers. Pray louder! he said. Their heart is divided (Hosea 10:2), whereas God will have all or none. Obadiah would not have accepted the place if he could not have had it without bowing the knee to Baal, nor was Ahab so impolitic as to exclude those from offices that were fit to serve him, merely because they would not join with him in his devotions. We find that the beast which deceived the world does it. All the people agreed that this was a good idea. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. 44The seventh time, the servant said, I see a small cloud, the size of a human fist, coming from the sea., Elijah told the servant, Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go home now. 15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to day. Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. (5.) The long drought was over, and it was demonstrated that the prayers of Elijah both withheld the rain and then subsequently brought the rain. 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." (1.) He does not insist upon their relation to Jehovah--"Is he not yours, and the God of your fathers, while Baal is the god of the Sidonians? 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life, 9 Christians You Don't Want to Sit Beside on Sunday Morning, 6 Truths about Jesus Coming into the World, Inspiring Mother Breaks Down after Earning Golden Buzzer with Celine Dion Hit, 7 Ways Anxiety Dominates the Christian Mind. He would not make use of theirs, which had been polluted with their prayers to Baal, but, finding the ruins of an altar there, which had formerly been used in the service of the Lord, he chose to repair that (1 Kings 18:30; 1 Kings 18:30), to intimate to them that he was not about to introduce any new religion, but to revive the faith and worship of their fathers' God, and reduce them to their first love, their first works. Is it really you, master?, 8Yes, Elijah answered. God expressly forbade his worshippers to cut themselves, Deuteronomy 14:1. Thou employest me; Lord, make it appear that thou dost so;" see Numbers 16:28; Numbers 16:29. 36At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went near the altar. You have gone after the Baals. The God therefore that has power to pardon sin, and to signify it by consuming the sin-offering, must needs be the God that can relieve us against the calamity. Two things he pleads here:-- (1.) In Pauls opinion, love of money wounds the worshiper, woos them away from the faith, and wells up in all sorts of other evils. Blessed are those that have not seen what they saw and yet have believed and been wrought upon by it more than those that saw it. He thought Elijah was not in good earnest when he bade him tell Ahab where he was, but intended only to expose the impotency of his malice; for he knew Ahab was not worthy to receive any kindness from the prophet and it was not fit that the prophet should receive any mischief from him. Why did king Ahab have to die? The people, as the jury, gave in their verdict upon 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: They fell on their faces, and all, as one man, said, "Jehovah, he is the God, and not Baal; we are convinced and satisfied of it: Jehovah, he is the God" (1 Kings 18:39; 1 Kings 18:39), whence, one would think, they should have inferred, "If he be the God, he shall be our God, and we will serve him only," as Joshua 24:24. Yahweh would have none of it. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. He that had protected so many prophets, he hoped, should not have his own life hazarded by so great a prophet. 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. Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, he prayed. [3.] Had it been true that he was the troubler of Israel, Ahab, as king, would have been bound to animadvert upon him. (1.) (Obadiah was a true follower of the LORD. Turn them again to the Lord God of hosts, from whom they have revolted, and all will be well quickly; this must be Elijah's doing. We may well imagine what a terror the fire struck on guilty Ahab and all the worshippers of Baal, and how they fled from it as far and as fast as they could, saying, Lest it consume us also, alluding to Numbers 16:34. In the book of Acts, we read a most interesting and revealing number. Excerpted from "Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give," by Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt and Brian Fikkert. If the Lord is the true God, follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him! But the people said nothing. 40Then Elijah said, Capture the prophets of Baal! And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 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. He fitted up an altar. The prophets of Baal, as criminals, are seized, condemned, and executed, according to law, 1 Kings 18:40; 1 Kings 18:40. II. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. Then Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley, where he killed 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? Baal was chief of the Canaanite gods. 13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

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