Utumishi Blog

In the first 16 verses of 1 Kings 18 we saw Yahweh protecting his messengers and so preserving his Word. Now to the contest…

2. Yahweh is the Real God

(vv17-46) When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you trouble of Israel?”  What a contrast … between the way Ahab and Obadiah greet Elijah. Obadiah greets Elijah by calling him my lord Elijah… Ahab refers to Elijah as the trouble of Israel. Hey, wait a minute your majesty… Elijah responds (v18) “I have not made trouble for Israel,”  “But you and your father’s family have.”  Ahab is the trouble and not Elijah.  You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed Baal.  Shall we  really trade Yahweh, the Maker of heaven and earth with god’s made of wood,  with idols – not necessarily graven images … but what of the many things we idolize, the things take hold of us to a point that Christ is not the centre, and ultimate focus in our lives?

(vv19-20) Elijah calls for a contest on Mt. Carmel.  The Baal prophets are wining and dining with the Queen. But the party is almost over.

The problem:

(v21) ‘Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.’

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other.” You can’t serve Yahweh and Baal at the same time… No half-hearted commitment to Yahweh the real God. Its either Yahweh or Baal. Friends, we cannot walk the fence with the Lord. We cannot have both ways. There is nothing more pathetic than to see a child of the living God tottering between two opinions, torn between a vital commitment to the Lord and seeking happiness in the gods of this world.

Will the real God stand up? Elijah has called for a contest. Is it showdown time or what? The cameras are ready….. This is a not a wrestling match, But a contest  for the world to know who is the Real God, who says what goes, whose voice we should hearken to, whose word stands forever.

(v22) The prophets of Baal and the people of the land have gathered…..  Elijah speaks and says to them, “I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left.” (Elijah does not let on about the one hundred prophets in Obadiah s protection programme). He is the only one in this unequal contest (1 versus 450). But literally speaking Elijah is not alone… because Yahweh the Almighty is with him. Elijah is in the majority. Elijah is saying, “Unless Yahweh is the one I claim He is, what, humanly speaking, can one man do against so many?” In view of what Elijah knew God would do, he was calling their attention (and ours) to an important truth. When we stand for the Lord of the Bible, we stand in the sovereign strength and majority of the true God of the universe who surrounds us with His hosts.  In a world where our faith in Jesus is being ridiculed and where some are being persecuted we should always remember that God is for us.

(vv23-28) “The God who answers by fire— he is God, He keeps His word.” This is the only way the people will know who is the real God. The preparations are over. It’s now prayer time. Will the Real God stand up! Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

(vv27-29) I love this… the real God does not sleep nor slumber, He does not go on safari, He changes not, He is all powerful , all knowing, He is ever present . What He can do no other god can do. I thank God for giving us Jesus Christ. He is what we need to have access to the Father. We don’t need to do all sorts of gymnastics for God to hear us. Verse 29: “no-one answered no-one paid attention.” Will the Real God please stand up?

Tension must be building up really fast here. Baal has refused to answer, or is it that Baal can’t hear because he is a god made by human hands.

It’s now prophet Elijah’s opportunity to let the world know who the Real God is.

(vv30-39) Because of neglect, the altar of Yahweh has fallen into ruin and needs to be repaired.  He uses twelve stones: Twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. This is also a reminder to the people of the God of Jacob, who made covenant with Jacob, the father of all Israel. He built the altar in the Name of Yahweh. This is to show that he believed and depended on Yahweh. After finishing, the altar is ready; it’s wetter than before. Baal did not answer, will the God of Elijah answer or is He also on safari?

Elijah steps forward and prays… remember he is all alone, therefore I guess there must be a lot of silence here… the people and the prophets of Baal are silent, watching and waiting to see what happens next. Ahab is also present  … Elijah does not seek glory for him but he does all this that the Yahweh may be glorified. The Cameras are in focus… Elijah prays:

1. That the Lord would “hear” him. We must be a people that God hears!
2. That the Lord would “show up” and that the people would “know that Yahweh alone is God.” We are in a position like Elijah, that if God doesn’t show up, we will utterly fail.
3. That they would also “know… that You (Yahweh) have turned their hearts back to You again.” Notice he didn’t ask God that the people would turn back to Him, but that they would “know” that the Lord Himself had already “turned their hearts.” May God turn our hearts back to Him.

Will the real God Please stand up! The results of Elijah’s prayer are fire…Aha!!! The Real God has stood up; His fire has burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. What else than to confess that Yahweh is God (v39). He is the real God. He is the same God that raised to life the son of the widow at Zeraphath (1 Kings 17). The real God has stood up!!!!  Where is the press…..? ? Here is the headline of the newspaper…. here is a news like no other. Yahweh is the Real God! He is a reality. He is second to none.

Verse 40:’ 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.’  The prophets of Baal are dead. Why kill them we may ask? Did God sanction it? This has been done as stipulated in the Mosaic law (Deut 13): that the prophet or dreamer that will direct people to worship idols must be put to death. Not even king Ahab can question this; after all it is written that such prophets should be killed.

In our next point, because Yahweh is the True and Living God, we shall see him fulfilling His word.