BUT THE PEOPLE WERE SILENT
1 Kings 18:17-39 17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18 And Elijah answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 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. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 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 of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 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. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
INTRO: 1 KGS 18:21 BUT THE PEOPLE WERE SILENT (UNDECIDED) (Series On David)
On My Tours Around Israel, we were taken to Nazareth. From a hill believed to be the place in Luke 4 where the people of Nazareth got angry with Jesus and wanted to throw him over a cliff, the tour guide showed us places: Mt. Tabor (Judges 4): Where Deborah instructed Barak to fight Sisera the Canaanite commander and where Sisera was killed. Mt. Moreh (Judges 7): Where Gideon fought the Medianite army. Mt. Gilboa (1 Samuel 31): Where Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines. Shunem (2 Kings 4): Below Mt. Gilboa where the Shunnamite woman accommodated Elisha and was promised a son who died and was raised back to life. Nain (Luke 7): 4 miles from Mt. Tabor where the widow’s son was raised back to life. Jezreel Valley that leads to Megiddo or Valley of Armageddon. From there you see the Jordan Valley, and especially Mt. Carmel where this passage took place - Prophet Elijah proposed a showdown with the priests of Baal due to Israel’s backsliding into idolatry. Wow!
BACKGROUND: WHAT WAS THE SPIRITUAL ATMOSPHERE?
The People Were Corrupt. Ahab & Jezebel, most wicked couple in the bible, led them into idolatry. 1 Kings 16:33 “…and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.” They forsook God and followed Baal. Jezebel blatantly honored and supported the priests of Baal. That nation like us today, had made a habit of honoring people who deserve none. We give accolades to perverse movie stars, and elevate to hero status, athletes and politicians who live ungodly and perverted lives. That says a lot about how far Christians have fallen from God. Thomas Carlyle: “Show me the man you honor and I will know what kind of man you are.” The People Were Confused. I Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” Idolatry had been a recurring problem in Israel - they gravitated in whatever direction the wind of popular opinion blew. People are in the same spiritual condition today. They are confused about who God really is and whether He even exists at all.
WHO WAS ELIJAH?
Elijah Was The Greatest Of All The OT Prophets During The Dark & Difficult Days Of Ahab & Jezebel. Jezebel’s evil influence and Ahab's leadership led the nation of Israel into idol worship. 1 Kings 16:33 Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. Elijah was a voice in the wilderness and light in the darkness. He stood in the gap for God when it was suicidal to do so. We need more heroes like him in our sin-sick society today. In 1 Kings 17, he had provoked 3½ years of no rain due to Ahab & Jezebel’s idolatry. Miracles already performed are fed by ravens, widow of Zarephath’s son raised to life. Ahab & Jezebel are killing of God’s prophets. Obadiah, palace administrator & believer, hides some in caves. Now a showdown.
THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONTESTS BETWEEN GOD & GODS AS SEEN IN THE BIBLE.
1. Exodus 7:10-13: The God Of Israel V/S The Gods Of The Egyptians. Rod Becoming Serpents. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Exodus 8:18-19 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not… 19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. Numbers 33:4 The Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which God had smitten: upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments.
2. 1 Samuel 5:1-7: God Of Israel V/S The God Of The Philistines (Dagon). The Philistines captured the Ark and took it into the temple of their god, Dagon. Next day, Dagon was fallen and feet and hands broken. God afflicted the city with boils and tumors.
3. 1 Samuel 17:43: God Of David V/S The God Of Goliath: 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 1 Samuel 17:45-46 David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied… that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
4. The God Of Phillip V/S The God Of Simon - Acts 8:9-13: Simon was a sorcerer in Samaria and bewitched the people. They said: “This man is the great power of God.” But Philip preached and they believed. Then Simon himself believed also, and put aside his witch practices.
5. Colossians 2;15 Jesus spoiled principalities and powers, making an open shew of them. These principalities and powers seek worship and claim to be gods. Jesus’ name defeated them.
6. 1 Kings 18:22-40: Elijah & Prophets Of Baal: This is a classic biblical example where a servant of God set up a battle between our God and the gods of His enemies.
ELEMENTS FOR REVIVAL THAT JOLTED A NATION BACK TO GOD
1. Elijah Prayed Earnestly That It Might Not Rain.
James 5:17 Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. This happened so Israel could realize they had sinned and brought God’s displeasure. The drought was to draw repentance and awaken their conscience. God often has to get our attention in the natural, before He can speak to us about the spiritual. We begin to get a picture of man whose concern for Israel was so great that he didn’t care if they suffered in the natural, if it led to spiritual revival. James doesn’t simply say, "he prayed," but that he prayed, "earnestly." He was so moved by their sinfulness that he earnestly asked God, "do whatever it takes to get this people’s attention."
2. They Were Calling Elijah Names – Trouble Maker.
Unbelievers Are Very Crafty. 1 Kings 18:17 Ahab meets Elijah and says, you troubler of Israel. Anytime there is a rebuke of sin, or a Christian waves the cross and points the way for sinner to come to Jesus someone does not like it. God’s messengers are called to preach against sin with conviction and compassion. 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. Acts 4:31 They spoke the word of God with boldness. I Don’t Know About You But I Want To Be Known As A Troublemaker. I want to make trouble for the devil. I want to make it hard for people to go to hell. I want to make it hard for depressed people to stay depressed. I want to make it hard for God’s people to stay broke. I want to make it hard for false prophets to fatten their pockets by preying on the ignorance of Gods people.
3. Elijah Caused Them To Realize There Was No Middle Ground Anymore –Decide.
At Least 4 Different Kinds Of People Referred To Here - [“Halt” = To Limp]
Those Who Attend Church But Are Not Part Of The Church [Convicted - but not convinced; not Born Again- no decision for Christ].
Those Who Are Straddling Between The World And God [“…You cannot serve two masters…” Luke 16:13].
Those Who Avoid Open Sin But Don’t Serve God Sincerely [“Good People”].
Those Who Privately But Not Publicly Confess Christ [Fear].
They Had Been Double Dipping, riding the fence, becoming polytheistic. They believed in the true God and they believed in Baal. They were doing a little bit of Baal and a little bit of God. You can't make a career of sitting on top of fences. You have to come to a decision. Neutrality with God is like treason or disloyalty. 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. With men like Elijah, there is no middle ground. John the Baptist was the same (Mark 6). Herod feared John the Baptist and beheaded him. We see this in churches where compromise is forcing pastors to remain silent. When Elijah came to Mount Carmel that day, the middle ground disappeared. Choose God and receive the blessed rain or reject God and live in a dry land. God hates lukewarmness so He honors no middle ground. The hot must get hotter and the cold get colder. Today in the USA, Christians are called the "Extreme Right". To be a Christian is to be mocked. But he couldn’t stop Elijah’s anointing. Don’t let him stop yours. You have already overcome. Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
4. Elijah Repaired The Broken Altar - What Does Broken Altar / Relationship Look Like?
When my delight in God is no longer as great as my delight in others, I have lost my first love.
When I do not willingly, cheerfully give to God’s work or others’ needs, I have lost my first love.
When I cease to treat every Christian as I would the Lord, I have lost my first love.
When I inwardly strive for world acclaims rather than approval of God, I have lost my first love.
When I fail to make Christ or His words known because I fear rejection, I have lost my first love.
When I refuse to give up activity which brings compromise, I have lost my first love.
When I become complacent to sinful conditions around me, I have lost my first love.
When I am unable to forgive another for offending me, I have lost my first love.
1 Kings 18:30 "And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down." Altars symbolize prayer, fellowship with God, dying to self, and yielding to the will of God. The fact that the altar was in a state of disrepair showed how far the people had gotten from God. Two Reasons Altar Broken Down: Satanic Attack On Prayer & The Law Of Entropy. Satan hates prayer and attacks it more than anything else. National prayer altar has been broken down symbolized by removal of prayer from our schools (1963). Even most Christian families have no altars. Satan fights prayer more than anything. Hell fears one pray-er more than a thousand givers (pay-ers). The 2nd Reason, I believe, for the broken altar is the Law of Entropy - meaning things left to themselves tend to break down. A garden gets covered with weeds. Christians have not intentionally forsaken prayer; they have drifted away from it. Prayer is importance to Elijah and he knows it is vital in restoring Israel. Thus the first thing he does is to repair the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
5. Elijah Reminded Them Of Who They Prophetically Were Supposed To Be.
1 Kings 18:31 "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:" 1 Kings 18:36 "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 of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word." There are no accidental words in scripture and the use of the name Israel is very important to what Elijah is doing. God changed the name of Jacob to that of Israel. Moses means to draw out of the water and out of Egypt. Jacob means supplanter or cheat and it describes him until he met God and changed to Israel which means prince with God. So Elijah is here drawing the attention of the Jewish people to fulfil their prophetic assignments. Christians should not live as heathen idol worshippers, but that they are a specially called and chosen to be "princes" with God. Elijah really tries to bring this home by the use of the phrase, "Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel," rather than the more common "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." By calling them the Israel of God repeatedly, Elijah was saying over and over again you have a destiny to fulfill, a high and holy calling.
6. The Prophets Of Baal Were More Enthusiastic Than The People Of God.
I Kings 18: 25 “And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us…” I Kings 18: 26b “…and they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he is sleeping, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.” We live in an age when the unbelievers are more excited than the Christians. Things have turned upside down. We sing like we are dead. They sing at sports and dance at nightclubs like they will live forever. Another thing is that God is not impressed with the fleshly fire of religious self-effort; no matter how enthusiastic it may be. He is looking for the fire of Holy Spirit-inspired commitment, dedication, love and service.
7. Elijah Methodically Arranged The Wood And The Sacrifice.
1 Kings 18:33 "And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood..." Elijah made preparation for the fire to come down. There are those who think revival is that man has nothing to do, God will do it all. There is a sovereign element to all moves of God, but God has decreed that man can help to bring about a move of God. 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." In Joshua 3:5, Joshua told the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Today’s sanctification produces tomorrow’s wonders. If we pray in secret He will reward in public. If we ask we will receive. There is a biblical way to prepare for revival and when that pattern is followed people can expect God to move. Elijah prepared the altar, the wood, and the sacrifice, in a methodical manner. He had also prepared the people with 3½ years of his prayers, a drought, and calling them together before the Lord. Elijah was simply following what he believed to be a proper pattern of behavior. Where there is no altar, there is no fire. Preparation is not optional it is essential. But that is not all. Too many have the form without the fire. The stone have been carefully laid. The wood has been properly laid. The sacrificed has been secured. Too many dried up preachers, preaching dried up sermons. to dried up members in dried up churches. We have the form. But where is the fire?
8. Elijah Filled The Altar With Water.
1 Kings 18:32 "...and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed." 1 Kings 18:33b-35 "...and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water." Elijah made it absolutely impossible for anything to happen other than what God alone could do. You don’t put water on a sacrifice you want to burn. Some revivals are flesh revivals and some so called moves of God are nothing more than human emotions. Elijah was a real man of God. He had no fear that a little water would stop a genuine move of God. In fact he viewed the water as an asset and an ally that would prove the move of God was genuine and not something of human production alone. Only God can make the impossible happen.
9. Elijah Made A Personal Sacrifice Not A Corporate One.
1 Kings 18:23 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under. In sacrificing to God, always start with yourself and not others. Why did Elijah use an ox? Elijah could have chosen a goat or dove or lamb. Why did he choose an ox? In Leviticus 16:6, when Aaron or anyone else wanted to make atonement for his own personal sins he chose an ox. He could have put a lamb there and made an offering for the whole crowd, but he would was making atonement for himself. You can't ask God to do a miracle in your life unless the sin in your life is taken care of. You need to be personally clean. The people were still unrepentant. A lamb could have been placed on that altar for them, but it wouldn't do any good. Just as Jesus' sacrifice on the cross will not save anyone unless they accept it.
10. The Odds Were Against Elijah – 450 To 1. But God Was With Him.
I Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire - he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good." God is not looking for a house full of lukewarm half-committed followers. He is looking for a sold-out, sanctified, consecrated committed soldier. Someone said, you and God make a majority. No, God is the majority. We Need To Remember: It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many they are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be; nor even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine may be - which God cares for. It’s the fervency of our prayers/ the constant faithfulness in prayer that wins the day and unleashes the power of God.”
11. Then The Fire Of God Came Down.
Fire Is Seen As A Symbol Of God’s Purity And Holiness. In Genesis 15:17-18, God, as a flaming torch, passed between the pieces of Abraham’s sacrifice, confirming His covenant with him. Here, the fire speaks of God’s purity, holiness, reliability. In Exodus 3:2-6, God appears to Moses in the burning bush. Again, the righteous purity and holiness of God is implied by the presence of fire – thus He commands Moses to remove his sandals for he was on holy ground. The pillar of fire assured Israel of God’s presence. 1 Kings 18:38 "Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." Revival is brokenness, the fire of God coming down on broken and contrite hearts. When the conditions are right, God will always respond with the fire of His presence.
12. Sin Was Removed From The Camp.
1 Kings 18:40 "And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there." The fire fell and there was a purging in the camp. The fire had a direct and dramatic impact on those under its influence - they forsook their sin! Chains were broken, scales fell off men’s eyes, strongholds were torn down. What Satan had spent a lifetime building up was pulled down in a few moments through a man who was consecrated to God, and living in holiness. Today’s preachers want to promote themselves. For Elijah fire was not a means of self-promotion, fundraising, or a photo-op, but a means that sin could be purged from the camp.
13. Spiritual Restoration Lead To Earthly And Financial Blessing.
1 Kings 18:41 "And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain." Because of sin there had been no rain for 3½ years, imagine the devastation, poverty, famine, unemployment, sickness, emaciation. All was about to change. When we go 1 inch in God’s direction, He is already 10 miles in ours. With the repentance came the rain of God, for man and beast alike, and the curse was lifted off the earth. When men seek first the kingdom of heaven, all these other things will be added to them. The rain restored crops, filled granaries and brought prosperity and economic recovery again to Israel.
CONCLUSION: WHERE MUST THE FIRE FALL AGAIN?
1. Lord Send Fire To Our Pulpits: Example: LA Preachers.
2. Lord Send Fire In Our Pews: Sin has gotten comfortable in many of our churches today.
3. Lord Send Fire In Our Leaders – Choirs, Ushers, Boards. Church leaders.
4. Lord Send Fire In Our Homes – Fighting going on.
5. Lord Send Fire On Our Jobs: Some held prisoners by jobs or compromised on the jobs.
6. Lord Send Fire On What We Hear, Watch, Take Part In: Fall on our entertainment.
7. Lord Send Fire On Our Computers And Ipad And Cell Phones: Fall on our internet.
CONCLUSION: DO YOU WANT TO WITNESS THE POWER OF GOD?
God has a destiny that He wants you to fulfill, that destiny requires that you leave the middle ground, repair your broken altar, and turn from sin, and when you do so God will respond by sending both the heavenly rain of His presence, and the earthly rain that He has withheld to get your attention.
1. If You Want To Witness The Power of God You Must Decide And Be Counted.
2. If You Want To Witness The Power Of God You May Have To Be Willing To Stand Alone.
3. If You Want To Witness The Power of God You Must Rebuild the Altars That Are Broken Down
4. If You Want To Witness The Power of God You Must Have A God Who Hears & Answers Prayers.
