Dear Trekker,
If you want some fascinating reading, pick up your Old Testament and turn to I Kings 18, the “meat” this month of MEN. And if you have an extra five or ten minutes, read chapters 17, 18 & 19 in the Living Bible or the Message. (Do it now before continuing your reading of my measured, but meager words.)
I marvel at the stories of the Old Testament. The “Old Testament” as we Christians call it, reveals God’s love and “reach out” to a species He created specially in His own image, a Divine calling of a certain people group (the Hebrew people) to Himself, and finally, the projections of prophets of the Messiah who would save the whole world of people! That is all history! Along the way, OT writers chronicle the best and worst of man and woman in their response to God’s initiatives.
No OT figure is more fascinating than Elijah, in my opinion. Elijah has no renown Hebrew pedigree, “He was from Tishbe in Gilead” (I Kings 17:1). Elijah, the word, means “Yahweh (Hebrew for God) is my God” or “my God is Yahweh,” whichever you prefer. He lived 900 years before Christ, a prophet during the reign of King Ahab of Israel. How does one like Elijah become a prophet? Not sure! How did prophets get “God’s word?” Not sure! Dreams and visions were common means. In Elijah’s case, what he did with God’s word was as decisive and effective as the word itself. He proclaimed what he knew to be truth and acted upon it. His miracle statement in I Kings 17 to the widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17:13-24) and his healing, resurrecting actions in belief of his own inspired statements proved his prophetic authority.
I Kings 17 is really prelude for the main event in I Kings 18. Three years later God commissioned Elijah to tell King Ahab that rain would come again to end the famine. It is significant that Elijah was wanted by Ahab as Ahab blamed Elijah for the famine (v 17). Elijah fired back: “You’re talking about yourself,” announced Elijah. “For you and your family have refused to obey the Lord and have worshipped Baal instead (v 18).” Notice the tie-in between true worship and required obedience to the living God. Worship without obedience (in any age), is hollow and not true worship at all.
Notice the boldness of Elijah as he challenges Ahab! He sets the stage, the showdown of who is true God, Jehovah or Baal! “Now (King Ahab), bring all the people of Israel to Mount Carmel, with all 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah (alleged wife of Baal) who are supported by Jezebel,” wife of Ahab. (Perhaps ardent feminism has been around a long time.) Elijah against 850 prophets total! With God, odds are meaningless.
Ahab accepted the challenge! And here is the challenge which underscores the evil: “How long are you going to waver between two opinions?” Elijah asked, “If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, then follow Him?” What is key here? One cannot have two masters, two equal Gods. Double mindedness is revealed, and it is the precursor to being a loser! As the New Testament words of Jesus, “No man can serve two masters…” (Matthew 6:24) declare, worship of God plus anything else is impossible to pull off. Yet, it’s been tried in every age. Baal was neither the first or last false God who “desired” allegiance and produced nothing.
The people of Israel had broken their covenant with God and Elijah was standing alone! But God “needs” only one true prophet to accomplish His work…one who believes and acts in obedience. Belief and obedience are inseparable! Always! So a sacrifice was prepared with no fire. “Whoever lights the sacrifice (without wood) is the true God,” Elijah challenged. Picture the setting. Oh what a story! Elijah said, “You first,” to the 450 prophets of Baal.” All morning they incantated! Of course, to no avail! They cut their bodies (v. 28) as was their heathen custom. But no reply, no voice from heaven, no answer.
When Elijah springs into action upon his turn, he prepared the alter and poured four barrels of water on the bull carcass and the wood. And then Elijah ordered it done again for good measure! And yet again! As Elijah prayed to God for the evening sacrifice, “fire flowed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, the dust and even evaporated all the water in the ditch (twelve barrels). When the people saw it, they shouted with faces on the ground, “Jehovah is God!” Jehovah is God!” (v 30-37).
Dramatic demonstration of God’s power? You betcha! Impossibility of worshipping the true God Jehovah and anyone else? You betcha! Doublemindedness produces total instability (James 1:8). For sure!
Why does man make false images of the true God?” “How stupid,” one says. Yet false Gods are a deterrent, disruptor and destroyer of true worship in every age and generation. What are the false Gods of today? What is the man-made mammon of the 21st century? Fill in the blanks! Technology has run amuck, and our “treasure” is buying it as a modern-day Baal. Technology is not bad, but it is a tool, not a God! And what about the sports/leisure industry? Where does our money go? Can’t we “have our cake and eat it too?” No, we cannot! True allegiance, by definition, is singular, and progressively eliminates all competitors.
Our perennial tendency to “create our own Gods” is likely a reason the Ten Commandments begin as they do. “No Gods before (other than) me…no graven images.” The Apostle Paul outlines the problem when writing to the Romans, Chapter 1:21-23, the Living Bible: “Yes, they know about him (God), all right, but they wouldn’t admit it or worship him or even thank him for his daily care. And after a while they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what he wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused. Claiming themselves to be wise without God, they became utter fools instead. And then, instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they took wood and stone and made idols for themselves, carving them to look like mere birds and animals and snakes and puny (mortal) men.”
Trekker, yes, Elijah was quite a man! Little wonder John the Baptist was seen as Elijah. (Though reincarnation is not taught in Scripture!) The story is brilliant in its teaching, its truth and its promise and example for us. How bold can we be in our day? God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Will we trust Him to do great and mighty things as Elijah did? It takes commitment, trust and time honored follow-through obedience!
Desiring to be like Elijah, your friend,
Jim Meredith