37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Ahab and the people expected that Elijah would, in this solemn assembly, bless the land, and pray for rain; but he had other work to do first. These were the 450 prophets of Baal; the 400 prophets of the groves (who, some think, were Sidonians), though summoned (1 Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 18:19), yet, as it should seem, did not attend, and so escaped this execution, which fair escape perhaps Ahab and Jezebel thought themselves happy in; but it proved they were reserved to be the instruments of Ahab's destruction, some time after, by encouraging him to go up to Ramoth-Gilead, 1 Kings 22:6; 1 Kings 22:6. To Christians this is a. They danced around the altar they had built. "In reconcilable differences (says bishop Hall) nothing more safe than indifferency both of practice and opinion; but, in cases of such necessary hostility as betwixt God and Baal, he that is not with God is against him." Choose a bull and prepare it. When Jezebel cut off God's prophets God cut off the necessary provisions by the extremity of the drought. Six times his servant goes to the point of the hill and sees nothing, brings no good news to his master; yet Elijah continues praying, will not be diverted so far as to go and see with his own eyes, but still sends his servant to see if he can discover any hopeful cloud, while he keeps his mind close and intent in prayer, and abides by it, as one that has taken up his father Jacob's resolution, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. You can also change some of your preferences. [3.] (4.) He also recognized, though, that people in his day faced a new, subtler, and perhaps even stronger temptation: to treat money as an idol like Baal, an idol to worship as a god to get what they wanted. Turn them again to the Lord God of hosts, from whom they have revolted, and all will be well quickly; this must be Elijah's doing. Like madmen they cut themselves in pieces with knives and lancets (1 Kings 18:28; 1 Kings 18:28) for vexation that they were not . Was John the Baptist conceived via an immaculate conception? Share III. All rights reserved. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . Note, It bodes well to any people when God calls his ministers out of their corners, and bids them show themselves--a sign that he will give rain on the earth; at least we may the better be content with the bread of affliction while our eyes see our teachers,Isaiah 30:20; Isaiah 30:21. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural, Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword, Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural, A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style, Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed, Preposition | third person masculine plural, In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah, Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets, Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 1 Kings 18:28 They cried aloud and cut themselves after (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg). God will provide himself fire. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. According to one ancient Canaanite myth, the father of Baal slashes his chest, arms, and back upon learning of his son's death. He that will thrive must rise betimes. It seems, this was the manner of the worshippers of Baal. But humans cannot serve two kings. Compare Mark 9:38; Mark 9:39; Matthew 21:30. He could not bring them to the altar at Jerusalem unless he could unite the two kingdoms again (which, for correction to both, God designed should not now be done), therefore, by his prophetic authority, he builds an altar on Mount Carmel, and so owns that which had formerly been built there. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Blessed are those that have not seen what they saw and yet have believed and been wrought upon by it more than those that saw it. Report. 2. Ahab issued out writs accordingly, for the convening of this great assembly (1 Kings 18:20; 1 Kings 18:20), either because he feared Elijah and durst not oppose him (Saul stood in awe of Samuel more than of God), or because he hoped Elijah would bless the land, and speak the word that they might have rain, and upon those terms they would be all at his beck. Elijah, in answer to him, [1.] Clarify Thou employest me; Lord, make it appear that thou dost so;" see Numbers 16:28; Numbers 16:29. 2. to please their deity, as Herodias did Herod, and so to obtain their request. How deaf Baal was to them. V. Elijah hereupon hastened Ahab home, and attended him himself. His parables tell of farmers destroyed in the midst of their prosperity because they hoarded wealth and failed to be rich toward God (see vv. Used by permission of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. God expressly forbade his worshippers to cut themselves, Deuteronomy 14:1. It was strange that so wicked a man as Ahab would prefer him to it and continue him in it; certainly it was because he was a man of celebrated honesty, industry, and ingenuity, and one in whom he could repose a confidence, whose eyes he could trust as much as his own, as appears here, 1 Kings 18:5; 1 Kings 18:5. For less than $5/mo. For the nations around Israel, Baal was the rider of the clouds, who brought the rains and blessed the earth.When Baal showed up, the heavens rained oil, the rivers ran with honey, mothers gave birth to healthy children, and even the dead could be raised. The sailors at this day call it Cape Carmel. Giving is what we do best; the air into which we were born. Giving signals and solidifies our allegiance to and dependence on God and his kingdom. 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. You and your fathers family have made all this trouble by not obeying the Lords commands. New Century Version (NCV). 5:3). 3. Like madmen they cut themselves in pieces with knives and lancets (1 Kings 18:28; 1 Kings 18:28) for vexation that they were not answered, or in a sort of prophetic fury, hoping to obtain the favour of their god by offering to him their own blood, when they could not obtain it with the blood of their bullock. hear us, O Baal! This was the way they worshiped, Douay-Rheims Bible So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood. Their perishing thus is the using, as the apostle speaks of them (Colossians 3:22), was to intimate the utter abolition of them after a little while, Hebrews 8:13. Note, The worship of idols is a most ridiculous thing, and it is but justice to represent it so and expose it to scorn. However, it is put to this experiment, "Let each side prepare a sacrifice, and pray to its God, and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God; if neither shall thus answer, let the people turn Atheists; if both, let them continue to halt between two." Obadiah begs to be excused from carrying this message to Ahab, for it might prove as much as his life was worth. V. The return of the mercy of rain, at the word of Elijah, 1 Kings 18:41-46. In the book of Acts, we read a most interesting and revealing number. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Share He is sure Ahab would be so enraged at the disappointment that he would put him to death for making a fool of him, or for not laying hands on Elijah himself, when he had him in his reach, 1 Kings 18:12; 1 Kings 18:12. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. Now if, upon trial, it appears that Baal is that one infinite omnipotent Being, that one supreme Lord and all-sufficient benefactor, you ought to renounce Jehovah and cleave to Baal only: but, if Jehovah be that one God, Baal is a cheat, and you must have no more to do with him." In a truly horrific passage, Jeremiah writes that our worship of idols consumes not only our flocks and herds but also our sons and daughters (Jer. Those who are called to appear and act in public for God must yet find time to be private with him and keep up their converse with him in solitude. A little cloud at length appeared, no bigger than a man's hand, which presently overspread the heavens and watered the earth, 1 Kings 18:44; 1 Kings 18:45. When they called on their god, nothing happened. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The long drought was over, and it was demonstrated that the prayers of Elijah both withheld the rain and then subsequently brought the rain. He mentions this, not in pride or ostentation, but to convince Elijah that though he was Ahab's servant he was not in his interest, and therefore deserved not to be bantered as one of the tools of his persecution. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Let it for ever be looked upon as a point adjudged against all pretenders (for it was carried, upon a full hearing, against one of the most daring and threatening competitors that ever the God of Israel was affronted by) that Jehovah, he is God, God alone. The prophets of Baal, as criminals, are seized, condemned, and executed, according to law, 1 Kings 18:40; 1 Kings 18:40. [People] who want to get rich, Paul declares, fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Tim. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his head between his knees. Christianos ad leones--Away with Christians to the lions. 14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me. When revisiting our site most interesting and revealing number they are not to fire... God expressly forbade his worshippers to cut themselves, Deuteronomy 14:1 see Numbers 16:28 ; Numbers 16:29 the. The book of Acts, we read a most interesting and revealing number shall slay me, and so obtain! Obadiah begs to be excused from carrying this message to Ahab, Get up! 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