When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him, but the nation of Israel was torn in two. Rejecting Rehoboam’s heavy hand on them, ten tribes set up a new kingdom in the north, under the rule of Jeroboam. Lest the people go back to Judah to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam set up two golden calves and revised history, claiming these idols represented the god that had brought their ancestors out of Egypt. To strengthen the separate identity of his kingdom and maintain his place as its king, he established a copy of Israel’s religion, complete with feasts, holy days, and altars.

At the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “0 LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, 0 LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, 0 LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36-37, NIV “Can you compare me to anyone? No one is equal to me or like me. Some people are rich with gold and weigh their silver on the scales. They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god. Then they bow down and worship it. They put it on their shoulders and carry it. They set it in its place, and there it stands; it cannot move from its place. People may yell at it, but it cannot answer. It cannot save them from their troubles. "Remember this, and do not forget it! Think about these things, you who turn against God. Remember what happened long ago. Remember that I am God, and there is no other God. I am God, and there is no one like me.” Isaiah 46:6-9

    Over the next several decades, the northern kingdom experienced a succession of assassinations and insurrections, and their own civil war, before a dominant leader named Omri emerged. Omri built Samaria and made it his capital, but Omri and his son Ahab did more evil than any of the kings before them, leading the people farther and farther away from the holy God of Israel.

    Enter Elijah. This dedicated, outspoken prophet of God constantly confronted Ahab and his Baal-worshiping wife, Jezebel. Elijah challenged Ahab to bring the prophets of Baal and Asherah to Mount Carmel for a “contest” with the God of Israel. Ahab accepted, and 850 prophets of Jezebel’s false gods stood against Elijah, the prophet of God.

    Elijah explained that each side was to build an altar and place a sacrifice on the altar, but the fire was to be provided by the god. Whichever god sent down Lire would show himself as the true God. Jezebel’s prophets went first. They prepared the sacrifice and spent all morning praying, dancing around the altar, and crying loudly to Baal, but nothing happened. Elijah began to taunt them, asking if Baal were asleep, or on a trip, or too busy to answer. All afternoon the prophets prayed even louder and cut themselves, but there was no answer.

    Just before evening Elijah called the crowd closer. Then he rebuilt the altar of God which was there, dug a ditch around it, placed wood upon the altar and the sacrifice upon the wood. Next he asked that water be poured over the altar — three times — so that water drenched the sacrifice and filled the ditch. Then Elijah prayed that God would show the people who was the only true God.

    Immediately heavenly fire fell from the sky, burning up the sacrifice, the wood, the rocks, and even the water in the ditch. Nothing was left but smoke. Seeing this awesome display of power, the crowd joined Elijah in chasing Jezebel’s prophets into the valley where Elijah killed them all. That day, the brook Kishon flowed red with the blood of Jezebel’s prophets, and the people gathered at Carmel were struck with fear and awe.

Reflection: God has no competition. He describes himself as a jealous god, and he will go to great lengths to bring his errant children back to him. He continually manifests his deity and his power so that those who seek him can have no doubt that he, and he alone, is God. Anyone or anything that supplants his rule as lord of our lives is as powerless to save us as was Baal.

Text copyright © 1997, Multnomah Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Title: "God Shows Himself to be God"
Author: Ron Rose
Publication Date: May 8, 2001

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