Elijah’s Mt Carmel Victory
August 21, 2019
Commentary
On the day appointed a great crowd gathered on Mount Carmel (v. 20). Mount Carmel, which was agreed on by Ahab, was a fitting location since it lay between Israel and Phoenicia, the lands of the Gods in question. Also Mount Carmel was regarded by the Phoenicians as the sacred dwelling place of Baal. No doubt Ahab was highly pleased with this suggested site for the contest because it would have given the Baal prophets a definite advantage; but this did not worry Elijah. It was also a geographically prominent location and thus a good setting for Elijah’s contest. The 450 prophets of Baal were there with their king. Elijah stood alone as a prophet of the living God . He asked, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions” (vv. 21-22)? The crowd of people remained silent and Elijah issued his challenge again to the 450 prophets of Baal.
They took two animals for sacrifice and placed them on the altar (v. 23). Elijah told the Baal worshipers to go first and call fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice (vv. 24-25). They leaped and danced around the altar but there was no fire. All morning Baal’s prophets … called on their god and danced around his altar to arouse him to action. (v. 26). Baal did not respond to their six-hour chanting for lightning, though rain and lightning often come readily to the Carmel mountain range near the Mediterranean Sea. At noon Elijah began to mock them and told them to holler louder (v. 27-29). Baal’s prophets responded by increasing the fervor of their appeals, working themselves into a frenzy. They even took knives and cut themselves but nothing happened. This mutilation of their own bodies was the custom of pagan worshipers for many centuries.
Application
The prophets of Baal cried and pleaded all morning to their gods and there was silence. The gods of power, status, appearance or material possessions that I may have are the same way. When I reach times of crisis and desperately call out to them there will only be silence.
1 Kings 18:20– 29 (NET)
20 Ahab sent messengers to all the Israelites and had the prophets assemble at Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the Lord is the true God, then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word. 22 Elijah said to them: “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but there are 450 prophets of Baal. 23 Let them bring us two bulls. Let them choose one of the bulls for themselves, cut it up into pieces, and place it on the wood. But they must not set it on fire. I will do the same to the other bull and place it on the wood. But I will not set it on fire. 24 Then you will invoke the name of your god, and I will invoke the name of the Lord. The god who responds with fire will demonstrate that he is the true God.” All the people responded, “This will be a fair test.”
25 Elijah told the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls for yourselves and go first, for you are the majority. Invoke the name of your god, but do not light a fire.” 26 So they took a bull, as he had suggested, and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped around on the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them, “Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.” 28 So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood. 29 Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, but there was no sound, no answer, and no response.