The prophet Elijah prophesied during the years of the divided Kingdom. The House of Judah consisted of the tribes and tribal lands of Judah and Benjamin in southern Isra’el. The House of Israel consisted of the other ten tribes centered in the northern lands Isra’el. Ahab was King of Isra’el and married Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Tyre. Together they made up the most wicked consorts in Biblical history.
“Truly, there was never anyone like Ach’av. Stirred up by his wife Izevel, he gave himself over to do what is evil from Adonai’s perspective” (1 Kings 21:25).
When the famine that Elijah had prayed for came to an end, he met with King Ahab. Ahab blamed Elijah for all of Isra’el’s troubles, but Elijah corrected Ahab. Idolatry and Ba’al worship that he and his wife allowed in the kingdom brought Adonai’s judgment. To prove the power of Adonai, Elijah commanded King Ahab to gather the 450 prophets of Ba’al and the 400 prophets of Asherah. He commanded all of the Israelites to come to Mount Carmel.
“Eliyahu stepped forward before all the people and said, “How long are you going to jump back and forth between two positions? If Adonai is Adonai, follow him; but if it’s Ba‘al, follow him!” The people answered him not a word” (1 Kings 18:21).
Elijah challenged the prophets of Ba’al and himself, the prophet of Adonai. Each side would be given wood and a young bull to cut up and place on their altar. There would be no fire on the altar. Whicever God answered their cries by fire and consumed the sacrifice is the true Adonai. The prophets of Ba’al agreed to Elijah’s terms.
The prophets of Ba’al prepared their altar and sacrifice. They began to call on their gods from morning until noon with no response. Even as they jumped around their altar, nothing happened. Elijah began mocking their gods suggesting they were on vacation or even asleep. The prophets shouted louder and slashed themselves with knives and swords as was their cultural worship (Leviticus 19:28). This went on until near evening with no response from their gods.
Elijah gathered the Israelites and rebuilt the broken altar once used for worshiping Adonai. He used 12 stones, one for each of the sons of Jacob who had become the 12 Tribes of Isra’el. He dug a trench around the altar that could hold a half bushel of grain. He arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and laid it on the wood. He had the people pour pitchers of water on the sacrifice three times until the sacrifice was drenched and the trench filled with water.
1 Kings 18:36-37
Elijah’s Prayer
“Then, when it came time for offering the evening offering, Eliyahu the prophet approached and said, “Adonai, Adonai of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Isra’el, let it be known today that you are Adonai in Isra’el, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Hear me, Adonai, hear me, so that this people may know that you, Adonai, are Adonai, and that you are turning their hearts back to you.”
The nation of Isra’el during the days of Elijah was divided physically and spiritually. The House of Isra’el was living under the authority of a wicked King Ahab and his even more evil wife, Jezebel, who mocked the Elohim of Isra’el and those who put their faith in Him. The worship other gods defiled the Land with false prophets of Ba’al and Ashtoreth, and those who feared Adonai lost their strength to stand against the enemy within their boundaries.
Elijah’s prayer begins at the time of the evening sacrifice. Prayers don’t need a specific timeframe, but Elijah followed the protocol for the daily sacrifices which begin in the late afternoon/evening when the sun sets and a new day begins.
He acknowledges the One true Adonai, yod-hey-vav-hey who is the Elohim of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. This set his prayer apart from the false gods to whom the false prophets called upon. He clarifies who is Adonai in Isra’el at a time when the nation was not only torn in two, but worshiping false gods.
Elijah wants every one in Isra’el to know that he is a servant of Adonai. He does not call out these false prophets for his own purpose, but so that that the people of Isra’el may know that everything he does has been at the command of Adonai. It is Elijah’s desire that the nation of Isra’el understand that Adonai is turning their hearts back to Him. When his prayer is answered, he wants everyone to know Adonai is yod-hey-vav-hey!
After Elijah’s prayer, the fire of Adonai falls. It consumes the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and it even licks up the water in the trench. The people cried out “Adonai is yod-hey-vav-hey. Adonai is yod-hey-vav-hey.”
Elijah gathered the prophets of Ba’al and Ashtoreth and put them to death in the Kidron Valley.
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