Title: Elijah’s Prayer Script: I Ki. 18:36-46
Type: Series on Prayer Where: GNBC 9-12-21
Intro: “Two Christians die on the same day and go to heaven. When they arrive in heaven they meet Peter, who is handing out the rewards (here, of course is a theological error). One of the men is a minister, and the other fellow who is standing just ahead of him is dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, a leather jacket, and jeans. While they are standing in line, he informs the minister that he was a cab driver in New York City. The cab driver receives a crown with many stars. The minister has high hopes for an even bigger crown. But his crown is smaller, with fewer stars. He can’t understand why he should be rewarded in this way, especially when the cab driver did so well. The minister protests, “I’m Joseph Snow, and I’ve served as pastor of The 1st Church for the last 25 years. How come my reward is less than this cab driver from New York City?” Peter responds, “Well, your reward is based upon the results of your ministry. While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed.” If God did reward the saints according to the results of their ministry (which he does not!), then Elijah should have received a substantial bonus in his paycheck after the contest on Mount Carmel.” (Bob Deffinbaugh sermon). This story was a showdown that became the turning point in Israel’s history.
Prop: Today we’ll examine Elijah’s Prayer in his Showdown with the Prophets of Baal.
BG: 1. I Ki.18 is one of the best-known stories of a prophet in the Bible. Elijah, the prince of the prophets, takes a stand against the pagan priest of 450 Baal and 400 Asherah.
2. Elijah’s first major task was to announce the drought due to the nation’s religious apostasy. His second major task is seen here in announcing the contest on Mt. Carmel between Jehovah and Baal to see who can end the drought and bring rain.
3. The most important question in the entire story is found in v.21 (Read). The question was essential to answer in Elijah’s time. It is no less essential today.
Prop: Let’s Examine 4 Important Aspects of Elijah’s Confrontation on Mt. Carmel.
I. The Challenge is Dropped – I Ki. 18:20-24,36-37
A. Elijah Confronts the National Apostasy of Israel.
1. Let’s take a moment to examine the background of this incredible event.
a. In chaps 17&18 we see what precipitates the spiritual showdown of Mt. Carmel. A severe drought, that God had Elijah proclaim so as to chastise Israel’s disobedience is now well into it’s third year (Ja. 5:17). The land is burned, barren and brown like West Texas in July. Livestock are dying. Famine in the land. Ahab the king is at wit’s end. Blames God’s prophet, not his and his people’s disobedience for the problems they are facing. Ahab despises the prophet who’s words and actions on more fully convict him of his own sin and rebellion. He refers to Elijah as “The troubler of Israel” (I Ki. 18:17) while never seeing it is his own lack of religious constancy which has brought the trouble! Ahab has tried to purge the land of the influence of Godly prophets, leading his nation further down the path of apostasy and depravity. The drought, which was supposed to lead Ahab to his spiritual sense has only pushed him further towards Baal. (Same true today. God brings pressure when we are in rebellion. Can either allow HS to work in heart or like Pharaoh of old, harden heart and further rebel.)
b. The people of the land were caught in this spiritual crossfire. When it suited they worshipped Yahweh, when it was more convenient, they worshipped Baal. Practicing religious pragmatism. We might call it syncretism. They didn’t really care if it was Yahweh or Baal, they just wanted rain for their crops and grass for their livestock. Whichever would bring rain they would worship. (Catholic Missions)
2. Notice what Precipitated the Encounter.
a. V.21 – We see the result of this syncretism. Elijah confronts the duplicity of the nation. “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?” The prophet pinpoints the problem: Israel was willing to dance with the devil (Baal) or walk with the Lord when it suited then and when it was convenient. Probably like not just a few of us here today! Want to walk with Jesus when it is convenient but ok with a dance or two with the devil as well. Elijah’s words at Mt. Carmel convict you and me today: “How long will you hesitate between 2 opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” Illust: I know this confrontation from personal experience. It was the Fall of 1986, I was attending an IV weekend retreat at Rose Hulman Un. The Lord said: “When do I get your whole life?” Illust: friend you can’t straddle a fence for long. You’re gonna tear your pants and your going to fall onto one side or the other.
b. I personally believe Ahab was trying to straddle that spiritual fence. I don’t think if you could have interviewed Ahab that he would’ve thought he was a religious apostate. From what I read, Ahab never actually quit being a Jehovah worshipper. However, he gave his awful wife, Jezebel, free reign to propagate her faith. I Ki. 22:6ff lets us see that he kept a band of prophets of Yahweh at his court. The names of his children that we know Ahaziah, Jehoram, and Athaliah, were all compounds with Jehovah/Yahweh. He tolerated some Jehovah worship as well as Baal. He could not conceive that his TOLERANCE could possibly be responsible for Israel’s troubles. Elijah identifies this tolerance as the real “troubler of Israel” (v.18) Ahab had tried to mix the two religions while Elijah called for a decision of undivided loyalty and a contest would be arranged to prove which should be worshipped. (Our President today?)
B. The Challenge is Thrown Down.
1. Elijah Throws Down the Proverbial Gauntlet.
a. Illust: This is like a great Western, say “High Noon”, where Gary Cooper takes on a gang of desperadoes single handedly, only ON STEROIDS! Here we see one man against 850 false prophets of Baal and Asherah (v.19). Elijah didn’t even carry a Colt or a Winchester. Rather he was armed with a holy conviction of the righteousness of God and the eternal Word of God. Illust: Some of you know my daughter, Mary, was put in that position Jr./Sr. year while an athlete at UI. There was vile and hateful thing be propagated by teammates and tacitly supported by coaching staff. As a senior, Mary was forced to speak. When she did, she was armed with a holy conviction of right & wrong and she used the WOG to support her case in defense of an ostracized teammate.
b. One man against 850 prophets. Not the best odds. Let me tell you something, Christian, God could care less about odds (Ask Gideon!) and neither should God’s people. Baal was supposed to be the god of nature. He was supposed to make it rain and yet the drought had now lasted 3.5 years. Elijah comes up with a challenge whereby the true God will be determined and the people will be forced to choose1 and for all.
2. The Uncommitted Nation watches in silence.
a. Notice v. 20 -21&23-24. The people’s response changes from “Not a word” to “That’s a good idea.” They are still playing it cautious. They don’t want to commit. Better play it safe and see. Better hedge my bets. “Don’t want anyone to think I am a Jesus freak.” “Wouldn’t want to jeopardize my chance at tenure or dissertation defense or… Then, in v.24, they can hedge their bets. Thinking: “Sure, if this really happens, I change my loyalties.”
b. Illust: If you are going to be a Bible believing Christian today you are going to be charged with the sin or “intolerance”. It is the most awful imputation that can be leveled in our moralistically free-falling, pluralistic society. “God (whichever one/ones you want to believe in that you and I have CONVICTION!) The intolerance of Elijah collided like train wreck with the tolerance of Elijah. And as in the case with any train wreck, there were going to be casualties.
C. Applic: For Elijah, the matter of undivided loyalty to Jehovah transcended all other consideration, even the well being of the nation. Religious faith is not a matter of expediency or accommodation. Its not a means to an end.
II. The Fire is Dropped- I Ki. 18:38
A. The Test is Determined.
1. Elijah lays out the challenge.
a. For Ahab, religious accommodation was the best policy; for Elijah, undivided loyalty was the only policy. In the light of the drought, the contest on Mt. Carmel was to give empirical evidence to all Israel that the god who answered by fire demanded undivided loyalty. (v.24)
b. Where did Elijah come up with this idea. I cannot be sure, but I think he got it from Leviticus 9. There Jehovah manifested Himself as the true God of Israel by causing fire to fall from heaven on the 1st sacrifice that was offered in front of the altar at the Tent of Meeting. That fire consecrated the Tabernacle and the sacrifice. It demonstrated the holiness and power of God in irrefutable terms. Just as Israel had needed to see God for Who He truly was then, they needed to again in the time of Elijah.
2. First We See the Prophets of Baal and Asherah take Center Stage.
a. This was a demonstration of religious pageantry at its finest. The 850 pagan priests were dressed in their white robes. Began their chants and incantations for 3 hours, yet no answer. They began in desperation to leap about the altar in hopes Baal would hear. Finally, in v. 28, under demonic influence they begin to slice and cut themselves in complete defiance to the explicit command in the WOG not to do this (Lev. 19:28; Dt.14:1) (Illust: Let me say this as gently as possible. If you are someone struggling with “cutting” you need to know that desire is from the enemy and not the Lover of your Soul. Christ can help you. He can remove that emptiness or pain.)
b. The prophet pokes fun at the perplexed pagans. V.27 – Elijah mocks the prophets. “Shout louder. Baal can’t hear. Maybe he’s on a trip. Maybe he’s busy. Maybe he’s asleep. Maybe he’s in the can! In their frenzy the distressed pagans begin to rave! They are out of control. (Joke: Do you know why Elijah mocked the prophets? They couldn’t make Baal!) Illust: The solemn sentence on pagan worship: v.29 “but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.” What is being said here: Syncretism is a lie. Ecumenicism is a spiritually bad joke. Any attempt at spirituality outside of Christ is hollow and silent. There are NOT multiple ways to God. There is ONE way to God! Jesus Christ said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through the Son.”
B. God Answers with Fire!
1. The Spotlight Pans onto Elijah as he takes center stage.
a. First Elijah repaired the old altar of Jehovah that had been in disrepair (v.30). He meticulously lays the sections of the oxen upon the altar of 12 stones which were representative of the 12 Tribes, the very ones in rebellion and silently observing. Next Elijah digs a trench around the altar and pours 4 pitchers of water on the offering and altar. Don’t think your water pitcher at home. Pots like at Wedding at Cana. Anywhere from 20-30 gallons each. Now, you may be asking, “Where did this come from if there was a drought? Med. Sea close by. Some other options. If you do the math 4x20= 80 or 4x30= 120. This is poured out 3x so about 240 – 360 gallons! Illust: About the same as water in a hot tub! Wanted EVERYONE to know there was no trickery or deception.
b. Now we see Elijah’s prayer in vv. 36-37 Elijah prays the Covenant Name of God and he prays it with a purpose, that the people might repent and turn to God. This prayer was brief. It was pointed. It was powerful. The pagans had been praying for hours. Elijah offers a few sentences. It is not so much the words of our prayer as it is the Person to Whom we pray!
2. After Elijah’s Prayer the Fire of God Falls!
a. Illust: Can you imagine this happening! That altar was drenched! The oxen section were soaked. The wood was soaked. The soil was soaked. No problem for God! The fire of God falls on the altar!
b. When it was about the time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah stopped the bleeding and defeated prophet of paganism and called down fire to consume the altar. He had the spiritual intelligence on the events of that hour and knew that he would gain victory for God at that time (1 Kings 18:36-39). Friend, there was a greater evening sacrifice than even Elijah’s on Carmel. We read in Mt. 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus the perfect and highest sacrifice of God released His Spirit at the time of the evening sacrifice.
c. C. Applic: God is the God of the impossible! He answers with fire. He is alive. He hears. He acts! He will share His glory with no idols!
III. The People Drop – I Ki. 18:39
A. Witnessing God’s Power the People Fall on their Faces.
1. This is an act of contrition.
a. This is a visible sign of repentance, humility, prostration. Illust: When we say “I fell flat on my face” we’re usually speaking figuratively. We use the phrase to indicate embarrassment. But in the bible, falling on one’s face is always literal.
b. Illust: In the Bible we see Moses and Aaron, and David, and 24 elders in heaven, Abram, Ashdodites, Ezra and Nehemiah and the people, we see Ezekiel, the wise men, the Disciples, lepers, Joshua, Balaam, Manoah and his wife, women at the tomb, as well as others when they were confronted with the power or holiness of God. And we see it again here! V.39. “The Lord, He is God!” Literally they are saying: “Yahweh is Elohim”
2. When Sinful Men see the Power of God prostration is the only option.
Illust: On July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edwards started a sermon that he would not finish. The fires of Great Awakening revival were burning brilliantly throughout New England. Iain Murray notes, As spring passed into summer 1741 no one could well keep track of the number of places which were also witnessing the revival. Churches, which in some cases had been cold and dry at the beginning of the year, were transformed before the end. Edwards had already preached his famous sermon: “Sinners in the Hands…” at his home church of Northampton with little or no visible effect. Now he was preaching it at Enfield a hardened church that was opposed to the revival burning over New England. The congregation that day was somewhat sullen and disrespectful. Contrary to popular notions, Edwards was not a “hell-fire preacher”. But let me tell you, the fire fell that day! People were convicted, souls turned to Christ! People lay prostrate on the floor and in the pews. They had become aware of the holiness and power of God and how miserable they were by comparison.
B. This Passage Demonstrates there is a Holy Conviction About the Person and Nature of God.
1. The idea of revival originates in the reality that, on the one hand, God is the decisive giver of all spiritual life and, on the other hand, humans, even those who are born again and part of God’s covenant family, from time to time drift into a kind of lifelessness and lethargy and backsliding and indifference and weakness. And when you put those two together — God as the giver of life and man as ever drifting towards lifelessness — what you get is the need for the hope of reviving, coming back to life — a fresh outpouring of God’s live-giving Spirit on his people. That is what revival is. (John Piper – “What is Revival…”) Israel had backslidden. They were hesitating between two opinions.
2. Revival Takes Place when people have a Holy Fear of God. When Israel sees God answer with fire and burn up the water logged wood and sacrifice, they know there is no God like Jehovah!
C. Applic: Leonard Ravenhill once said: “There are only two types of people the world. Not black or white or rich or poor. There are those who are dead in sin or there are those who have died to sin.”
IV. The False Prophets are Dropped – I Ki. 18:40
A. There are Dire Consequences for not Believing in the True God.
1. The rules of the contest were clear. God had won, hands down.
a. The people not only reached the right conclusion, they acted on it as they should have. They fell on their faces, acknowledging, “The LORD, is the true God! The LORD is the true God!” (verse 39). Elijah seized the moment. It was not enough just to profess that the Lord is God. It was time to practice God’s commandments. These 850 prophets had just demonstrated that they were false prophets, who, according to God’s law, must be put to death. It was a slaughter and it was never condemned by God.
b. In these verses we see the power of God manifested from heaven to do two things. First, we see men and women turning back to the Lord. We see revival, restoration, and repentance. Second, we see people become bold enough to defy Jezebel and Ahab and execute the Baal prophets. This was their covenant duty and a protective measure under the law of Israel (Deut. 13:4-5; 18:20).
2. There are dire consequences for not Believing in Jesus Christ. -Mt. 7:21-23 “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Friend, do not hesitate between two opinions! Seek Christ!)
B. We have a choice to make!
1. Illust- Tuesday I became aware of a “sermon” a local “pastor” preached last week. Sermon undermined the authority of Scripture. W/o a shred of evidence called into question Apostolic Authorship (Pauline) of Ephesians. If that wasn’t enough, and I cannot make this up…This “pastor” of a local Methodist Church held an Oprahish interviewed w/a Wiccan Priestess to discuss their “Core Values” which “They agreed were the same.” (Can you imagine Elijah going tv interviewing Asherah and Baal priest to discuss common core values!)
2. The fervent prayers of the righteous move the Holy Spirit of God to accomplish His work in the hearts of people. The objective is to turn them to the Lord and then, as God’s people, to give them courage to take a stand against the apostasy of our day. We need a bold witness. We need to refuse to be like the world, or to go along with its ideas, patterns, and schemes that are so clearly contrary to Scripture.
C. Applic: It’s very easy to hesitate between two opinions! Christian, if Jesus is God then serve Him! If not, then serve the world!
