1 Kings 18

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

YAHWEH VS. BAAL 1 Kings 17-18

Even a superficial survey of the narratives in the final Chapter s of I Kings and the opening Chapter s of 2Kings reveals that the materials here are quite different from those which thus far have been examined. The ministries of Elijah and Elisha are little more than a series of miracles. Few of their words have survived. It is for their works rather than their words that these prophets were remembered. These Chapter s certainly rank among the finest pieces of prose writing in the Old Testament. In the next sixteen Chapter s, the author focuses his attention, not upon the king, but rather upon the king’s prophetic opponentsElijah, Micaiah and Elisha. It is not his purpose to relate independent anecdotes, but rather to trace the efforts of Israel’s spiritual leaders to help their people emerge triumphant from a spiritual crisis precipitated by governmental policy.[406]

[406] Honor, JCBR, p. 244.

Because of the miraculous character of this section of Kings, critics have generally labeled the accounts as legendary. However, the narrative is so sober and circumstantial that, were it not for the supernatural elements, no critic would ever have thought to question its veracity. Furthermore, if there ever was a time when God needed to intervene in a mighty way in the stream of human history, it was in the time of Ahab. In that dark hour a determined effort was being made to stamp out the faith of Israel. The age demanded a messenger; the messenger must have credentials; the credentials could only be miraculous.[407] Only mighty miracles such as were performed by Elijah and Elisha could have been sufficient to counteract the influence of Jezebel and her eight hundred fifty priests and prophets. The greatest prophet is reserved for the worst age. Israel had never such an impious king as Ahab, nor such a miraculous prophet as Elijah[408] In the New Testament no prophet is mentioned and extolled so frequently as Elijah. He it was who was selected to represent that holy host of old covenant spokesmen on the Mount of Transfiguration where he, along with Moses, spoke with the Lord about His exodus (Luke 9:31).

[407] Hammond, PC, p. 380. [408] Ibid

One cannot conclude from Elijah’s silence regarding the Northern calf cult that the great prophet condoned this apostasy. Nor can it be legitimately argued that the antagonism toward calf worship arose later, long after the time of Elijah. It is best to think that Elijah was concentrating his attention on what he regarded as the greater evil and greater danger. Chapter s 17-18 deal with the early ministry of Elijah. In this unit the author describes (1) the great drought which Elijah announced during the reign of King Ahab (chap. 17); and (2) the great contest in which Elijah engaged on Mt. Cannel (chap. 18).

REVIEW OF CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I. FACTS TO MASTER

A. Important places to identify:

1. Tishbe

2. Mt. Carmel

3. Cherith

4. Brook Kishon

5. Zarephath

6. Jezreel

7. Samaria

B. Important persons to identify in relationship to this chapter:

1. Ahab

2. Jezebel

3. a widow

4. Elijah

5. Obadiah

C. Important numbers to remember:

1. Number of times Elijah stretched out on a dead child
2. Number of prophets Obadiah hid in caves
3. Number of prophets of Baal and Asherah
4. Number of stones in the altar erected by Elijah
5. Number of pitchers of water used on Mt. Carmel
6. Number of times those pitchers were emptied over the altar
7. Number of times Elijah’s servant made the trip to the summit of Mt. Carmel

D. Key words or phrases which should bring to remembrance the important events of this chapter:

1. ravens

2. caves

3. gathering sticks

4. altar

5. meal and oil

6. trench

7. upper room

8. cloud as small as a man’s fist

II. QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Elijah has been called the most important leader of the true worship of Yahweh since Moses and Samuel. How so?

What kind of spiritual lesson is contained in the account of the miraculous increase of the widow’s oil?

What is the missionary implication of Elijah’s trip to Zarephath? See Luke 4:26.

How would you contrast the religion of Ahab and that of Elijah?

What was the Carmel contest designed to demonstrate to Israel?

To Elijah, undivided religious loyalty was the only policy. To what degree do modern church leaders emulate Elijah?

How does Ahab’s address to Elijah, Troubler of Israel, illustrate the sinner’s psychology?

Why is the faithfulness of Obadiah especially to be com mended? What can one say about those prophets who were hiding in the caves?

What does this section reveal about the power of prayer? How many different prayers can you identify in this chapter?

Why did the widow blame Elijah for the death of her child? Was the child actually dead?

Why was Obadiah so fearful to relate to Ahab that he had seen Elijah?

How can the massacre of the Baal prophets at the river Kishon be justified?

How was Elijah able to outrun Ahab’s chariot back to Jezreel from Mt. Carmel?

Lessons in Living

THE FAITH OF THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH

1 Kings 17:8-16 Luke 4:25-26

I. Her Faith was *Challenged

Make me a little bread cake from it first. and afterward you may make one for yourself and your son*

II. Her Faith was *Put to Work

She went and did according to the saying of Elijah*

III. Her Faith was *Rewarded

She and her household ate for many days*

Drawings by Horace Knowles from the British and Foreign Bible Society

1 Kings 18:1-20

II. THE GREAT CONTEST ON CARMEL 18:1-46

Events in Israel during the years of Elijah’s self-imposed exile are not narrated in any detail. No doubt at first Jezebel and the Baal prophets assured the people that their god controlled the weather and not Yahweh. But as the months and years of drought continued, the people were increasingly filled with apprehension and alarm over the threat which Elijah had pronounced. Ahab scoured the countryside and even surrounding nations in an attempt to locate the Tishbite in order to vent his wrath upon the one who was regarded as the author of all the famine misery. Unable to get her hands on Elijah himself, Jezebel unleashed a fierce persecution on the prophetic order of which he was recognized as the head. But as the drought continued into the third and fourth years it is quite possible that the attitude of the people began to change. Maybe Baal and Asherah were only vanities; maybe Yahweh did control the heavens even as Elijah declared. The stage was set for a most dramatic confrontation between God and His would-be rivals. The author first discusses (1) the arrangements for the contest (1 Kings 18:1-20). He then describes (2) the contest itself (1 Kings 18:21-40), and (3) the aftermath of it (1 Kings 18:41-46).

A. THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTEST 18:1-20

When Elijah returned at God’s direction to his native land, the first official with whom he had contact was a faithful royal steward name Obadiah. Albeit somewhat reluctantly, Obadiah conveyed the news of Elijah’s return and whereabouts to the king. In a brief but highly charged encounter with Ahab, Elijah laid down the gauntlet with regard to the pagan prophets who were on Ahab’s payroll. It was a challenge Ahab could not disregard. The narrative moves through Elijah’s conversation with Obadiah (1 Kings 18:1-16) to his challenge of Ahab (1 Kings 18:17-20).

1. ELIJAH AND OBADIAH (1 Kings 18:1-16)

**TRANSLATION

(1) And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came unto Elijah in the third year, saying, Go and show yourself to Ahab, that I may send rain upon the face of the ground. (2) And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was heavy in Samaria. (3) And Ahab had called unto Obadiah who was over the house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD exceedingly; (4) and it came to pass, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) (5) And Ahab had said unto Obadiah, Go in the land unto all the wells of water and unto all the brooks; perhaps we shall find grass that the horses and mules might live, that we might not have to cut off some of the beasts. (6) And they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went the other way by himself. (7) And as Obadiah was in the way, behold Elijah met him, and he recognized him, and fell upon his face and said, Is this you, my lord Elijah? (8) And he said to him, It is I. Go, say to your master, Behold Elijah! (9) And he said, What have I sinned that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? (10) As the LORD your God lives, there is surely no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to seek you; and when they said, He is not here, then he made the kingdom or nation swear that it could not find you. (11) And now you are saying, Go and say to your master, Behold Elijah! (12) And it shall come to pass when I shall go from you, then the spirit of the LORD will lift you up where I know not; and when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will slay me; but I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. (13) Was it not told my lord that which I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, that I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the LORD by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? (14) And now you are saying, Go and say to your master, Behold Elijah; he will then slay me! (IS) And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I shall appear this day unto him. (16) And Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and he told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

COMMENTS**

When circumstances were just right for a dramatic confrontation between Yahweh and Baal, the Lord spoke to Elijah, instructing him to return to Israel and to Ahab because God was ready to send rain upon the land. The phrase in the third year (1 Kings 18:1) is difficult because it is not certain from what point the author is counting these years. The New Testament indicates that the famine lasted a total of three years and six months (Luke 4:25; James 5:17). If Elijah spent about a year at the brook Cherith and about two-and-a-half years at Zarephath, then it would be in the third year of his stay with the widow that God gave the prophet these new instructions.

The famine was severe in Samaria (1 Kings 18:2). The people were reduced to virtual starvation and probably were only able to sustain themselves by the importation of grains from Egypt and other less affected regions. At this point the author introduces one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament, Obadiah, whose name most appropriately means the servant of Yahweh.[422] Obadiah was the governor of Ahab’s palace in Samaria, a position of no little importance. It was probably not in spite of but rather because of Obadiah’s religious convictions that he had been entrusted with such an important office. Since he was a god-fearing man (1 Kings 18:3), Ahab could depend on his fidelity and conscientiousness. As proof of Obadiah’s devotion to the Lord, the author recounts the fearless deeds of this man of God during the period when Jezebel was persecuting the prophets of God. 1 Kings 18:13 suggests that this persecution took place while Elijah was absent from the land. Obadiah took a hundred of the faithful prophets who remained in the land and hid them, fifty to a cave. The division of the prophets into two companies was partly for the sake of security and partly for the sake of convenience. The greater the number to be fed, the greater the chance of detection. Throughout the period of Jezebel’s ruthless persecution, Obadiah took care of these men of God by supplying them with food and water (1 Kings 18:4). Feeding these men during this period of famine was a remarkable feat.

[422] The Jewish Talmud (Sank. 39b) suggests that this Obadiah may be the prophet whose book is found among the Minor Prophets. There is no basis for this assumption excepting the similarity in name.

It was while Obadiah was on an errand for his king that he encountered Elijah. Ahab had sent his faithful steward throughout the land in search of water near which grass might still be growing. The king was facing the unpleasant prospects of having to slaughter a portion of his livestock if fodder was not soon located (1 Kings 18:5). The king and Obadiah divided the land between them to facilitate the search (1 Kings 18:6). This personal inspection by the king and one of his chief officers marks the extreme straits to which the Israelites were now reduced. Whether or not the two men were accompanied by a retinue is uncertain.

When Obadiah met Elijah in the way, he instantly recognized the prophet. His humble obeisance and the terms in which he addressed Elijah reveal the profound reverence with which Obadiah regarded the man of God. The question Is this you? expresses the surprise of Obadiah at seeing Elijah, not any uncertainty as to identity (1 Kings 18:7). Elijah acknowledged that he was the long-missing prophet, and ordered Obadiah to go and inform the king that he was back (1 Kings 18:8).

Obadiah was horrified at the thought of announcing to Ahab that Elijah had returned because he knew the disposition of his master (1 Kings 18:9). In the name of Yahweh, Obadiah swore that Ahab had communicated with all neighboring and accessible courts in search for Elijah, and even had made these foreign kings swear that they had not harbored the prophet (1 Kings 18:10). It is ironic that Elijah was in Israel seeking an audience with the king while he was being sought for in foreign lands. Your God (1 Kings 18:10) implies the recognition of the close association of God and prophet. For this reason Obadiah regarded the request of Elijah to be unreasonable (1 Kings 18:11). He was afraid that when he went to inform the king of Elijah’s whereabouts, that the prophet would disappear. If such should happen, then Ahab would feel that his steward had lied to him or trifled with him and would certainly slay Obadiah. The sudden and mysterious disappearance and the long concealment of the prophet had given birth to the theory that the spirit of God had whisked him away.[423]

[423] Obadiah may be referring to Elijah’s astuteness in evading capture which the humble steward attributed to the Spirit of God, i.e. God’s wisdom or direction.

Obadiah wished to convince Elijah that the refusal to comply with his request was not prompted by a lack of loyalty to the cause of Yahweh. He pointed out that he was and had been from his youth a worshiper of Yahweh (1 Kings 18:12). In case Elijah had not heard of the noble deed he had performed, Obadiah related to the prophet how he had saved the hundred prophets (1 Kings 18:13). Should such devotion be rewarded with such a potentially dangerous assignment? (1 Kings 18:13). When Elijah took a solemn oath in the name of the Lord of hosts[424] that he would appear to Ahab that day (1 Kings 18:15), Obadiah went to seek Ahab and the king in turn hastened to confront the prophet (1 Kings 18:16)

[424] The hosts refer primarily to the armies of Israel (Cf. 1 Samuel 17:45). The designation Lord of Hosts was first used by Hannah (1 Samuel 1:11).

2. ELIJAH AND AHAB (1 Kings 18:17-20)

**TRANSLATION

(17) And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Is this you, O troubler of Israel? (18) And he said, I have not troubled Israel, but you and the house of your father in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and you have walked after the Baalim. (19) And now send, gather unto me all Israel unto Mt. Carmel, and the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at the table of Jezebel. (20) And Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and he gathered the prophets unto Mt. Carmel.

COMMENTS**

Ahab did not meet the prophet with a humble and contrite heart, but with sarcasm and belligerence. By means of a rhetorical question Ahab expressed his amazement that Elijah had ventured back into his presence. He addressed the prophet as the troubler of Israel (1 Kings 18:17). This term troubler (-okher) is interesting. The verb from which it comes is used in the Old Testament to denote alienation from society (Genesis 34:30) or from God (Joshua 6:18; Joshua 7:25; 1 Samuel 14:29) which results from some heinous crime or act. Ahab thus charged Elijah with being the one who by his actions had alienated the deity (Baal?) so that the rains had been withheld.

If Ahab thought that Elijah would throw himself on the mercy of the crown and beg pardon for the suffering he had caused the nation, he completely misjudged the man. In words seething with defiance, the Tishbite hurled the epithet back into the teeth of the king. It is you and your father’s house who have brought the trouble on Israel!. In the prophet’s accusation, you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have walked after the Baalim, the first you is plural and the second is singular. Preceding kings and the people as a whole had broken God’s commandments by the calf worship. But Ahab alone had introduced the Baal cult into the land. The plural Baalim (1 Kings 18:18) probably refers to the various images or statues of this god set up in the land of Israel.

The text does not indicate how Ahab reacted to the defiant response of Elijah. It may well be that the unexpected calmness and boldness of the prophet completely unnerved Ahab so that he could make no reply. In any case, Elijah hurled a challenge at the king. Let all Israel, i.e., the representatives of the nation, gather to Mt. Carmel along with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Asherah. These men are called prophets because they prayed to and spoke in the name of their respective gods. They were Jezebel’s ministers, probably imported from Sidon, and they were fed from the bounty of the queen (1 Kings 18:19).

Mt. Carmel was a most appropriate location for the prophetic showdown. Carmel is a ridge, rather than mountain, some twelve miles in length. Near the summit of the ridge is a plateau where the contest might well have taken place. A spring of water is close at hand which is said to flow even in the driest seasons. The selection of Carmel as the site of the confrontation was also dictated by the fact that it had a central and convenient location; that it was near the sea, from whence the rain-clouds would come; that it was of easy access from Jezreel; and that it was not only a holy place from earlier times (cf. 2 Kings 4:23), but also had its altar of the Lord. Carmel was in every way,[425] therefore, a most appropriate locality for the public vindication of Israel’s God and His prophet.

[425] Gray (OTL p. 395) also suggests that Carmel may have been a favored cult-center of Baal. Since it was near the border of Phoenicia, the hill was an ideal place for Elijah to throw down the gauntlet to Jezebel. Gray’s suggestion that Elijah’s associates were hiding in the caves of Carmel does not appear to this writer too likely.

Ahab immediately complied with the demands of Elijah and summoned the nation and the prophets of Baal to Mt. Carmel. The king sent unto the people, i.e., invited the people to attend the contest. He gathered the prophets of Baal, perhaps implying that they were unwilling to come and were forced to do so by the king (1 Kings 18:20). The prophets of Asherah probably did not attend the convocation because they were under the personal control of the queen, and she would not allow their participation.

1 Kings 18:21-40

B. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTEST 18:21-40

The story of the contest on Carmel is one that has excited the imagination of believers through the centuries. The narrative is somewhat lengthy and may for convenience be discussed under the following heads: (1) The preliminaries of the contest (1 Kings 18:21-24); (2) the prayers of the Baal prophets (1 Kings 18:25-29); (3) the preparations and prayer of Elijah (1 Kings 18:30-38); and (4) the punishment of the false prophets (1 Kings 18:39-40).

1. THE PRELIMINARIES OF THE CONTEST (1 Kings 18:21-24)

**TRANSLATION

(21) And Elijah came near unto all the people and said, How long are you going to hobble upon two crutches? If the LORD is God, go after Him; but if Baal, go after him. And the people did not answer a word. (22) And Elijah said unto the people, I alone remain as the prophets of the LORD, but the prophets of the Baal are four hundred fifty. (23) Now give to us two bullocks; and let them choose for themselves one bullock and let them cut it, and put it upon the wood, and put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bullock, and put it on the wood, and I will put no fire under it. (24) Then call on the name of your god, and as for me, I will call on the name of the LORD, and it shall come to pass that the God who answers with fire, He is God. And all the people answered and said, The thing is good.

COMMENTS**

There is no way to know the size of the crowd that assembled on the spacious plateau atop Carmel, but no doubt the dramatic confrontation attracted hundreds if not thousands. It was the masses rather than the king which Elijah hoped to reach on Carmel, and so it is to them that he directed his rhetorical question: How long are you going to hobble upon two crutches, i.e., seeking the support of both Yahweh and Baal simultaneously.[426] The prophet called for a clear-cut decision. Let the people choose between Baal or the Lord and then commit themselves wholeheartedly to that deity who was truly God. Awed by the presence of the king and prophets of Baal on the one side and by Elijah on the other, the people answered not a word (1 Kings 18:21). Perhaps also they were convicted in their own consciences and were consequently speechless.

[426] This translation was proposed by Fohrer and followed by Gray (OTL, p. 396). Some difference of opinion exists as to the actual meaning of the word translated crutches; it is rendered opinions by KJV, RSV and NASB.

To set the stage for the contest Elijah called the attention of the people to the fact that he stood alone that day as sole representative of the Lord.[427] On the other hand, Baal’s prophets[428] numbered four hundred fifty (1 Kings 18:22). But why did Elijah call attention to this obvious fact? Perhaps his motives were psychological and he was attempting to cast himself in the role of an underdog to gain the sympathetic support of the masses. It may be also that he wished to underscore the fact of his absolute confidence even though outnumbered. Certainly he was trying to stress the fact that truth is not determined by numbers.

[427] It is useless to speculate as to why the one hundred prophets mentioned in 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:13 were not present. It may be that they were still in hiding in some remote area and had not heard of the contest. During the Jezebel persecution some prophets had died (1 Kings 20:7 ff.), some had fled to Judah, some had gone into hiding, and some had knuckled under to the royal policy (1 Kings 22:6-27).

[428] The prophets of Asherah were not present. Either Jezebel had forbidden their presence, or they shrank from the ordeal.

Since his opponents were so numerous, and since they were supported by the crown, Elijah proposed that they supply the two sacrificial bullocks. One was to be selected and prepared by the Baal prophets and one by Elijah. Elijah offered his rivals their choice of the oxen as a guarantee that he would use no sleight of hand and that they would have no excuse that the victim was less fit for sacrifice. The bullocks were to be placed on the altar wood, but no fire was to be set to the wood (1 Kings 18:23). The people were then instructed to call on the name of their god Baal. The failure of the people to take a clear-cut stand for the Lord in 1 Kings 18:21 is tantamount to their choosing Baal as their god. Elijah, on the other hand, would call on the name of the Lord. Whichever deity responded to the prayers of His worshipers and consumed the sacrificial bullock with fire from heaven would be recognized as true God. Since Baal claimed to be the god of storm and lightning such a proposal could not be rejected by those sympathetic to Baal. So the people, whether eagerly or reluctantly, gave their assent to the proposed test (1 Kings 18:24).

2. THE PRAYERS OF THE BAAL PROPHETS (1 Kings 18:25-29)

**TRANSLATION

(25) And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose for yourselves one bullock and prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it. (26) And they took the bullock which was given to them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until midday saying, O Baal, Answer us! But there was no sound, nor one who answered. And they limped around the altar which had been made. (27) And it came to pass at noon, that Ely ah mocked them and said, Cry with a loud voice for he is a god; either he is meditating, or having a bowel movement, or he is on a journey! Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened! (28) And they called with a loud voice and they cut themselves according to their manner with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. (29) And it came to pass when noon was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the sacrifice; but there was no voice, nor any to answer, nor any who heard.

COMMENTS**

Having gained the assent of the people, Elijah turned to the splendorously clad prophets of Baal and repeated the proposal (1 Kings 18:25). The prophet had put them in a position in which they could hardly refuse the test and retain the respect of their constituents. Because the prophets of Baal were so numerous, Elijah suggested that they go first in the contest. He was anxious that the impotency of these Baal prophets be fully manifested before he demonstrated his own power with God. Perhaps the implied argument is that they being so numerous could prepare the sacrificial bullock much more quickly than could the lone prophet of the Lord.

The prophets of Baal declined the opportunity to select the bullock and took the one which was given them by representatives of the people or by Elijah himself. They prepared the animal in the prescribed manner, and then began to call on the name of Baal. From morning until noon they continued to cry out that Baal would hearken to their prayers, but there was no response of any kind. They then began to limp, i.e., dance about the altar in an attempt to attract the attention of their mute master (1 Kings 18:26).

At noon Elijah began to needle his opponents with sarcasm: Cry with a loud voice, for he is a god at least in your estimation! In condescending tones Elijah offered some possible explanations for Baal’s lack of response. Perhaps he was meditating or talking; maybe he was having a bowel movement;[429] or maybe he was on a trip; or then again, maybe he was just a late sleeper and needed to be awakened! (1 Kings 18:27). Elijah’s barbs stirred the Baal prophets to renewed vigor as if to testify to their undying faith in their god. Grabbing the swords and spears of soldiers standing nearby they began frantically to cut themselves, hoping by this act of self-mutilation to attract the attention of their god[430] (1 Kings 18:28). These men were absolutely sincere in their faith!

[429] Lit., turn aside, which in Hebrew is a euphemism for having a bowel movement as is indicated by Judges 3:24 and 2 Samuel 24:3. Montgomery (ICC, p. 302) calls this the raciest comment ever made on pagan mythology.

[430] Gray (OTL, p. 399) sees this self-laceration of the Baal prophets as an act of imitative magic. By shedding blood, the vital essence, they would magically compel their deity to release the vital waters from the heavens.

3. THE PREPARATIONS AND PRAYER OF ELIJAH (1 Kings 18:30-38)

**TRANSLATION

(30) And Elijah said to all the people, Draw near unto me. So all the people drew near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which was broken down. (31) And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the children of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, Israel shall be your name. (32) And he built with the stones an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, which would contain two seahs of seed. (33) And he arranged the wood, and cut the bullock in pieces, and put it upon the wood. And he said, fill four barrels with water, and pour them upon the burnt offering and upon the wood. (34) And he said, Repeat this, and they repeated it. And he said, Do it a third time, and they did it a third time. (35) And the water ran around the altar, and also the trench was filled with water. (36) And it came to pass at the time of offering sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet drew near and said, O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and according to Your word I have done all these things. (37) Answer me, answer me, O, LORD, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again. (38) And the fire of the LORD fell, and it consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and the water which was in the trench it licked up.

COMMENTS**

Elijah allowed his opponents all the time he could in view of the great work he himself had to perform that day. The Baal prophets had been prophesying,[431] i.e., praying to and praising Baal, for six or more hoursfrom early morning to the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice about three in the afternoon[432] (1 Kings 18:29). Elijah called the people to him so that they might have a good view of all he was about to do. He wanted eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses so that there could be no suspicion of hoax or magic. The prophet began his demonstration by rebuilding the broken-down altar of the Lord (1 Kings 18:30). This altar may be one of the high places where Israelites worshiped prior to the establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem. On the other hand the altar may have been built by some of the faithful Yahweh worshipers who would not bow the knee to Baal or to the golden calf. Scarcely any doubt can exist that this was one of the altars which Ahab or Jezebel had ordered torn down (1 Kings 19:10). Elijah’s repairing the altar was an act of profound significance. It showed him as the restorer of the law and the true religion.

[431] Honor (JCBR, p. 262) proposes instead of translating they prophesied that the Hebrew should be rendered they worked themselves into a fit of rage or madness.

[432] The evening offering was probably offered in Old Testament times when it was offered during the intertestamental period, at the ninth hour or three o-‘clock in the afternoon. See Acts 3:1; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:30; Josephus, Ant. XIV, 4.3.

Twelve stones went into that restored altar, symbolizing the twelve sons of Jacob. This act was both a protest against the schism and a reminder that the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom had no exclusive rights to the God-given name Israel (1 Kings 18:31). Thus with twelve stones removed from the ruins of the broken down altar, Elijah built a new altar in the name of the Lord, i.e., by His authority and for His glory. A trench was dug about the altar as deep as the grain measure containing two seahs of seed (1 Kings 18:32). The seah was a third of an ephah which was slightly larger than a bushel. The sacrificial bullock was cut in pieces and laid on the altar wood. The prophet then ordered that four pitchers of water be poured on the sacrificial animal and the wood beneath (1 Kings 18:33), and this he ordered repeated two more times (1 Kings 18:34). So much water was poured over the altar that it ran down and filled the trench[433] around the altar (1 Kings 18:35). The object of these repeated drenchings of the victim and altar was to exclude all suspicion of fraud.[434][435]

[433] The Hebrew could also be translated, he (Elijah) filled the trench which would imply that additional water besides the twelve pitchers was used to fill the trench.

[434] An ancient tradition has it that the Baal prophets had hidden a man beneath or within their altar who was to ignite the sacrifice at the proper moment; but he died of suffocation. Stanley, IJC, II, p. 258, n. 5.

[435] Possibly the pouring out of the water also had symbolic significance. It may have been a symbolic petition for rain, or a symbol of repentance (cf. 1 Samuel 7:3-14).

It was about three o-‘clock in the afternoon (cf. 1 Kings 18:29) when Elijah drew near his water-drenched altar, lifted his eyes heavenward, and began to pray. He addressed Yahweh as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He designedly substituted Israel for the more common name Jacob in this formula in order to proclaim Yahweh as the God of Israel (the nation). He prayed that God would vindicate Himself and His prophet. The fire from heaven would indicate that all which Elijah had said with regard to the famine three years earlier and all that he had done with regard to organizing the confrontation with the Baal prophets had been done through the word of the Lord (1 Kings 18:36).

Earnestly Elijah called upon God to hearken to his prayer that the people might be convinced that Yahweh alone was God and that He still loved them enough to perform this sign to bring about their conversion[436] (1 Kings 18:37). This dramatic prayer had no sooner fallen from the lips of Elijah when fire from heaven (lightening?[437]) fell upon that altar. The tongues of fire not only consumed (lit., ate up) the sacrificial animal and wood, they also disintegrated the stones, scorched the dust about the altar, and even licked up the water in the trench (1 Kings 18:38).

[436] Cf. Mai. 1 Kings 4:5-6 where a similar ministry of conversion is to be performed by the antitypical Elijah, John the Baptist.

[437] Jon Ruthven (JETS, XII, 111-115) argues persuasively for the likelihood that lightning is meant. He demonstrates that the absence of clouds in the sky need not preclude the possibility of a lightning stroke.

4. THE PUNISHMENT OF THE FALSE PROPHETS (1 Kings 18:39-40)

**TRANSLATION

And when all the people saw this, they fell upon their faces and said, The LORD, He is God, the LORD, He is God. And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal! Let no man escape from them. And they seized them, and brought them unto Elijah unto the brook Kishon; and he slew them there.

COMMENTS**

The people reacted to this divine demonstration instantly and decisively. Recognizing in the fire the token of the divine presence, they fell on their faces and continued to shout in unison, Yahweh is God, Yahweh is God! (1 Kings 18:39). Seizing the initiative of that emotion-packed moment, Elijah ordered the Baal prophets to be apprehended. The prophet then led the throng down to the base of the hill where flows the river Kishon and there slew (i.e., instigated the slaying of) the pagan prophets (1 Kings 18:40). It is not quite certain why the prophet resorted to the Kishon for the slaughter unless it be that he was seeking a means of disposing of the bodies. Perhaps he anticipated that when the great flood of water came shortly, that these bodies would be swept on out to sea.

The slaughter of the Baal prophets has been called an act of gross fanaticism and cruelty by some; others have seen in it a wild and terrible vendetta for Jezebel’s persecution and possible murder of the Lord’s prophets. The following considerations tend to place this action in the proper perspective.

1. The Law of Moses required in three separate passages the execution of those who worshiped false gods and especially those who taught others to so worship (Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 17:2-7). However repugnant this slaughter might have been to Elijah personally, he was under obligation to carry out the Law.

2. Whereas it was normally the duty of the theocratic ruler to carry out such executions, in Elijah’s day the king was corrupt, powerless, and himself an idol worshiper.

3. Elijah had just proved that the Lord was God; now he must likewise prove that the Law of God was not dead.

4. These prophets had been instrumental in corrupting the people of God and had thereby threatened the very existence of true religion.

5. The action was allowed and approved by God who other wise would hardly have answered the prayer which Elijah offered following the massacre.

6. Idolatry and irreligion are not today to be avenged by sword or fire, not because these sins are any less grievous, but because the duty of punishing these crimes has been re served for God himself.

7. Whereas the Law specified stoning as the punishment for idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:10; Deuteronomy 17:5), the sword was used in this instance because of the numbers involved and the lateness of the after noon hour.

1 Kings 18:41-46

C. THE AFTERMATH OF THE CONTEST 18:41-46

**TRANSLATION

(41) And Elijah said onto Ahab, Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the tumult of rain. (42) Then Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went unto the top of Carmel, bowed himself to the ground, and put his face between his knees. (43) And he said unto his servant, Go up, I pray you, Look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Return seven times. (44) And it came to pass on the seventh time that he said, Behold a little cloud like the hand of a man going up from the sea. And he said, Go up and say to Ahab, Hitch up your chariot and go down that the rain detain you not. (45) And it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heavens became black with clouds and wind, and there came a great rain. And Ahab rode away, and went to Jezreel. (46) And the hand of the LORD was upon Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab unto the entrance of Jezreel.

COMMENTS**

It would appear that king Ahab had accompanied the crowd to the Kishon. The king was wise enough to realize that he could in no wise intervene to rescue the condemned prophets from the angry throng. It may be too that the king was none too sorry to see these charlatans executed. In the excitement of the day’s activities the king had had nothing to eat or drink.[438] Elijah therefore instructed Ahab to go up and have a meal. It is probable that the attendants of the king had spread a tent for him upon the plateau, and had brought food for the whole day with them. By these instructions the prophet was suggesting that there was no longer any cause for anxiety or alarm on the part of the king. Since the people had repented, and the wicked had been cut off from the land, the drought could now be removed. In Elijah’s prophetic mind he could already hear the sound of a great rain (1 Kings 18:41).

[438] It may have been that the king was observing a fast, such as was customary on occasion of intercession in drought (cf. Joe 1:14) or some other calamity.

After Ahab returned to the plateau to have his meal, Elijah made his way to one of the prominent knolls of Carmel where he could enter into earnest intercessory prayer. The prayer posture of the prophet is somewhat peculiar. He seems to have been squatting with his head between his knees. The purpose here was to induce concentration.[439] After some moments of petition, Elijah dispatched his servant to a higher elevation from which the Mediterranean could be clearly viewed. His concentration in prayer was so extreme that Elijah could not stop to scan the sky to see if his prayer had been answered.

[439] Montgomery, ICC, p. 306.

Seven times the servant was instructed to return to his observation post (1 Kings 18:43). God had promised rain (cf. 1 Kings 18:1), and Elijah was confident that He would keep that promise. Without murmur the devoted servant executed the prophet’s orders. On his seventh trip to the summit, he spotted a small cloud no bigger than the palm of a man’s hand. Such small clouds were harbingers of rain in Palestine (cf. Luke 12:54). Elijah then dispatched his servant to the plateau where Ahab was dining to announce to the king that he should make haste to go to Jezreel lest he be caught in the downpour and be unable to cross the flood-swollen Kishon (1 Kings 18:44).

In the meanwhile, the sky blackened, a wind arose, and a great rain[440] swept across the plain of Esdraelon. Ahab made his way toward Jezreel as fast as he could (1 Kings 18:45). The hand of the Lord came upon Elijah, which not only implies that the prophet received supernatural guidance, but supernatural strength as well. Girding up his loins, i.e., gathering about his waist his long flowing robe, Elijah set out running toward Jezreel and actually arrived at the gate of the city prior to Ahab and his chariot (1 Kings 18:46). Over this distance it would not be impossible for a man to outstrip a horse and chariot, especially since the man would run cross-country while the chariot would have to stick to the now muddy road-bed. Elijah believed he had struck the death blow to the pagan practices promoted by the royal court and he wished to be in Jezreel to further any reformation efforts that the hapless Ahab might inaugurate. He knew Ahab would need all the help he could get to bolster his courage as he came face to face with his wicked wife Jezebel.

[440] The usual word for rain is matar. Here, however the word geshem is used which signifies a cloudburst, tempest or deluge. See Honor, JCBR, p. 268.