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Sep 21 '08
September 21, 2008
“Fire from Heaven”
1 Kings 18:20-40
Today I just want to relate an old Bible story, one that you probably know very well—and we’ll do it like a “Columbo” murder mystery (you see who did it, then watch it be solved).
“Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.”
–1 Kings 18:38
Mt. Carmel got a visit from God on that incredible day.
That drama on the mountain had several key players:
God the Lord
Elijah the prophet of God
Ahab the king of Israel
450 priests of the sun-god Baal
Leaders of the tribes of Israel
Many spectators from the people of Israel
First, there was Elijah … his sudden entrance is recorded in 1 Kings 17:1
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."
And his spectacular exit can be seen in 2 Kings 2:11
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Those are the bookends of an explosive ministry: in between is an awesome stamp of God’s power! Even Elijah’s appearance made quite an impression – See 2 Kings 1:7-8
7 Then he said to them, "What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?" 8 So they answered him, "A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."
And then, Ahab … one of the worst kings to step into the history of the nation of Israel.
“The vile toad that squatted on the throne.” –R.G. Lee
This king’s testimony is found in 1 Kings 16:30-33
30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
• Married to the most wicked woman in history
• Introduced the worship of the pagan god Baal
There was so much spiritual adultery among God’s people … they were taught to worship other gods; and Israel’s kings had led the way – See 1 Kings 15:34
34 [Baasha] did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.
In considering this drama on Mt. Carmel, I want you to notice Three Testimonies
I. The Testimony of the Word of the Lord
a. An Announcement by the Prophet, v. 17:1 … "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." [No response – what could he say?]
It is time for judgment: all the evil in Israel was about to bear fruit.
(God’s punishment by withholding the dew and the rain)
Why this?
Baal supposedly had power over nature—now God will show everyone who’s really in charge.
“… except at my word,” said Elijah.
b. An Assistance for the Prophet, vv. 17:2-4
2 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 "And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
o God took care of His servant—if men don’t feed you, ravens may do it.
o God took care of His chosen—if all the brooks dried up, one would remain.
Look at vv. 7-14 … 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’"
When the brook dried up, God still provided. How did the flour and the oil last? (It doesn’t matter. It just did.)
Let the Lord be your provider; a little in His hand is sufficient for any need!
II. The Testimony of the Challenge of the Lord
a. Elijah Made an Appearance, vv. 18:1-2
(He just appears – i.e. the same as in Naboth’s vineyard)
1 And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth." 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.
Is this courage? Imagine …
o A national drought for past three years
o The wicked king Ahab presided over it
o An even worse queen Jezebel at his side
And Elijah is going to face this ruler: the situation was desperate, See vv. 18:3, 5-6
3 And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house … 5 And Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock. 6 So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
(Now look at vv. 7, 15-16)
7 Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is that you, my lord Elijah?" 8 And he answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’" … 15 Then Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today." 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
The next verse is critical … 17 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?"
What’s wrong with this picture?
i.e. If a ship wrecks on the rocks, the lighthouse and the fog bell are not responsible!
Sin caused the problem.
Sin confessed will solve the problem.
But, Ahab blamed Elijah for his crisis … and believers today sin and destroy themselves and the church; the preachers expose the sin in their preaching. Who is blamed for the problems in the church? The preacher!
Elijah quickly corrected the sinful king … 18 And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. [Again, notice there was no response]
The truth may hurt, but it’s still true.
(Then, the spectacle began) – vv. 18:19-20
19 "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table." 20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
It would be the greatest event of the prophet’s ministry, [v. 19]
450 prophets of the pagan god Baal
All the children of Israel
“together on Mount Carmel,” v. 20
(1,600 feet above sea level)
Imagine it, all the drama … the royal court, the king, a gigantic crowd
The announcer speaks,
“In this corner—450 priests of Baal; servants of the god now worshipped, servants of the king who rules.” [Cheers]
“And in this corner—Elijah.” [Yikes!]
A sheepskin mantle on his shoulders
A linen shirt
A leather girdle
Long, straggly hair hanging down his back
b. Elijah Made a Challenge, vv. 18:21-22
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
The question asked of them is asked of each one of us: How long will you falter between two opinions?
You can have only one God in your life. See Matthew 6:24
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
[Once more, no response] “But the people answered him not a word.” Why”
They were so far in sin they were paralyzed by it.
The priests took the bait … (and the hook … and the line and …)
Well, just listen to the rules, vv. 18:23-26a
23 "Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. 24 "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken." 25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it." 26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us!"
The Trap? “put no fire under it” [the god must do it]
Baal even got first strike, first impression. What a chance! What god could resist this?
1. Baal was the sun-god—lord of the elements: surely he could send fire.
2. Baal had the best time of day; he is worshipped when the sun is up.
3. Baal received a great opportunity—prove himself, then send rain in glory.
What happened? See verses 26b-29
26 … But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
o Elijah mocked Baal
o The priests worked harder
“But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.”
Failure! Baal is not a god after all.
(The people had their ladder up against the wrong tree)
III. The Testimony of the Power of the Lord
First, God’s Altar was Repaired, v. 18:30
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
i.e. Nehemiah (walls of Jerusalem); Ezra (the temple of God)
The people had totally rebelled in pagan worship, “… the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword.” (19:10)
Notice verse 31 … Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name."
• This was symbolic: God will not have a divided kingdom as His people, and Elijah would be a prophet to all of God’s people.
Read verses 32-35
32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood." 34 Then he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time; and he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
Why so much water? (fill trench) Why water? (prevent fire)
To increase the display of God’s power; to insure there was no claim of fraud.
Now, the moment of truth: and the people were probably saying, “Hah! We were right. Elijah really is crazy. It’ll take a miracle to burn that wood.”
i.e. missionary Otto Koning, his message God Enjoys the Impossible.
Was God saying, “Hey easy, Elijah, you’re making it too hard for Me there.”? Or … did He enjoy the challenge and say, “Stand back, Michael, I’m gonna hit that thing dead on!”?
Elijah prayed (imagine the silence that came over the crowd)—and what a prayer … See vv. 36-37
He was probably thinking, “These people will see who the Lord is.”
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."
Let Your power be seen
Let Your servant be affirmed
Let Your people be regained.
Did God hear the prayer of Elijah? Did God answer Elijah’s prayer?
Second, God’s Answer was Received, v. 18:38
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
(All consumed: bull, wood, even the dust, stones and earth)
i.e. God trumped the pagan god Baal—if it was a card game, God had a royal straight flush; Baal couldn’t even come up with a pair.
(A Shadow of the overwhelming victory at Calvary.)
The Lord spoke by fire from heaven to the people. He established His prophet Elijah’s mission, and condemned all of His worship competition.
How did the people respond? See verses 39-40
39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" 40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
They witnessed God’s power. Before they walked in sin. Now they rejected even the source of sin.
Our sins should be treated the same way, not one of them preserved. Rather than allow them to rule our lives, we should execute every last one. Reference 1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It was the only way to protect Israel. It is the only way to protect our faith.
Invitation: Has the world met your needs yet? It can’t (Baal). Are you ready to trust the Lord and surrender your life to Him?
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