In the moment of waiting for the miracle, Elijah repaired the broken altar and called the people by name, “Your name shall be Israel.” I don’t want to glaze over this without recognizing what is needed for revival. Much needed rain pattered down on the dusty soil, bringing a new season of fruitfulness to a dead land.
After seeing this amazing display, the people fell on their knees and proclaimed, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God! ( 1 Kings 18:39)” And as revival broke out in the land, the dams of heaven broke, too. At Elijah’s cry, God rained fire from heaven upon the altar, and the flames not only consumed the sacrifice, but the wood, the altar and the dust around it. God was the answer to this desert showdown, and only by his power would the people see his greatness. It would show that an all-powerful God had done what no other god could do.Īnd then, in his grand moment with the prophets of Baal pitted against the one man of God, Elijah cried out to God on behalf of the people of Israel. If the sacrifice lit, no one could claim happenstance or coincidence. Then, he drenched everything in water four times over. Elijah rebuilt God’s altar, dug a trench around it, and prepared a bull to lay across the altar. Undeterred, Elijah trusted God, and when it was his turn to call for fire, he upped the ante. And all of this without proof that God had ever acted as Elijah was asking.Slim chances of survival if God didn’t show up in fire.The king and queen who despised Elijah and wanted him dead.This was the ultimate Hunger Games scenario, and the odds were not in his favor.
No fire or spark sent down and now it was time for God to move. ( 1 Kings 18:27) The insults grew increasingly heated, and, as some theologians describe, Elijah asked if Baal hadn’t answered because he was busy in the bathroom. The 850 prophets who ate at the royal table, who’d condoned Ahab’s sin, were called out too.Įlijah, tired of waiting, began to taunt and make fun of the prophets. You know it gets serious when you start talking about family! Elijah told the king God had brought the drought because the people had turned from the one true God and worshipped Baal. Elijah shot back a retort and even included Ahab’s daddy and family as the one to cause trouble for the nation. All the Israelites had come from near and far, all the prophets rolled up, and King Ahab spoke to Elijah. God’s command could have very well been the death of Elijah, but Elijah boldly called out to King Ahab, challenged him to gather all the Israelites and the false prophets to meet at Mount Carmel. One big detail: JEZEBEL HATED ELIJAH MORE THAN AHAB. If he confronted the king, God said he would bring rain to the land. In the words of my mother, when things need to get awakened, God will sometimes light a fire under our butt to get us moving.Īfter three years of drought and barren lands, God told Elijah to meet King Ahab. As Elijah promised, he showed himself to be the one true God.
And in 1 Kings He threw down some heat and lit up some barbeque for Elijah to demonstrate His power. If God had a resume, I’m pretty sure it would include “trained in the use of a flamethrower.” In Exodus He’s lit up a bush and lead people like an ever-moving campfire by night.