17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.”
20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your 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 seahs[a] of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering 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 said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
The days of Israel here are dark, ruled as they are by a wicked King and his more wicked consorts and counselors, much as America is now. Between King Ahab and Elijah, the last living true prophet of the Lord, there was a natural enmity. Ahab had power but his rule was wicked and despotic, and his unfaithfulness to God had led Elijah to speak against him. Ahab blames Elijah for his troubles, an accusation the prophet of God does not let slide.
“Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.”
Elijah here is not only setting forth an open confrontation, something Ahab would have likely jumped at the prospect of, but subtly insinuates what was oft whispered about - that Ahab was ruled by his wife, that his wife was the really the master of the household, further that she was responsible too for bringing these priests of foreign gods into Israel’s midst.
The confrontation comes and Elijah challenges the people’s doublemindedness, their foolish delusion they can serve both God and the foreign gods. Elijah foreshadows the words of John in Revelation 3:15-16
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
This moderation and doublemindedness no doubt seemed reasonable and peaceful to the Hebrews, that there could be peace between different religions, as indeed many believe in our day. But the Lord tells us in his Holy word that “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me”. There cannot be any adulteration of our worship, but rather our worship belongs by right to God and God alone.
So Elijah sets forth this challenge to the prophets of Baal, numbering 450, that a contest of which offering could be burned. Thus explained the people of Israel find this contest reasonable, and so the prophets of Baal first try to summon their god, but find him unresponsive. Elijah viciously mocks them, deriding them and their false, pagan religion for the superstitious and gnostic nonsense that it is. These prophets went so far as to cut themselves and cry out, but still nothing.
Then Elijah the prophet of the Lord directed the people from the obvious failure of these false prophets back to him, gathered them, and asked that further water be poured over the wood and sacrifice. Not once, not twice, but thrice this was done, once again looking ahead to what would be revealed.
After waiting for the appointed time, Elijah here offered his prayer to God, which we may profit from looking on further.
“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
The heart aches hearing the obvious devotion and heartbreak of Elijah’s prayer for his broken and adulterous people. Even despite their wickedness Elijah obviously cares for them, as God does in sending this sign. It is reminiscent of Paul’s words in Romans 9:3, where he says “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”
And this heartache and appeal God answers with a thunderous, majestic display of his power.
“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
It was not hatred but love that called down fire from heaven, the cleansing fire of God. The Lord once more showed his mercy to his people. Israel had once more been redeemed, God would not let go of his faithful.
And finally, Holy Scripture here recounts the fate of the prophets of baal.
“And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.”
Unlike the tales of the Conquest of Caanan, where instead of following God’s command to wipe out the wicked, despotic, evil inhabitants Israel instead sought them for slaves, to plunder and enjoy the fruits of their labor. What might seem like a mercy was instead a great wickedness, aside disobeying God’s command, it would lead in later generations to adulteration, degeneration, and internal strife. God’s holy prophet Elijah allows no such mistake, but when he is given the opportunity now once and for all to crush these wicked pagans, he does so eagerly and thoroughly. We should similarly seek to do God’s will as Elijah does, eagerly and thoroughly. And perhaps our people will once more say “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”