Elijah | Showdown at Mount Carmel Episode 3 | Kings to Captivity
Elijah, one of the greatest prophets to have ever lived,
was born in Gilead which is located in modern day Jordan.
This hilltop marks the reputed place of his birth,
but it was across the river in Israel
where his most significant work would take place.
At the time, Israel was in deep sin and apostasy
and they were worshiping Baal instead of God.
This troubled Elijah greatly, and the time came when God told him
to go to the king's palace with a warning of judgment.
At the time, Israel was split.
There were the northern tribes and the southern,
and he went to King Ahab who was presiding over the northern tribes.
[music]
Elijah made his way into the king's palace
where he walked straight before the king
and declared that it would not rain for three years
because of Israel's sin.
After making a swift exit, he was nowhere to be found
and the warning soon spread across the land.
Elijah found refuge firstly by the Brook Cherith,
and then after it had dried up he went to the widow of Zarephath
where miraculously they were sustained
as the flour and oil was replenished each day.
At the end of three years the land was parched,
people had died, and Elijah was called by God to speak to the king again.
[music]
Appearing before the king who so despised him,
Elijah told him to meet him, along with the prophets of Baal, on Mount Carmel.
Mount Carmel was known for its lush green beauty but it had dried up
and it would be the place for the showdown
between Elijah and the prophets of Baal,
between the true God and false gods.
As the people gathered there, Elijah cried out to them,
‘How long halt ye between two opinions?
If the Lord be God, then follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.’
No one responded.
[music]
Elijah then set the ground rules.
There would be two bulls chosen, two altars made.
The prophets of Baal were to go first,
and they had to call down fire from heaven.
All day they cried out to their gods but nothing happened.
At the end of the day they were out of ideas and it was now Elijah's turn.
He instructed that 12 pots of water be poured on the altars first,
then humbly crying out to his God,
he called for God to show to the people that He was the real God.
[music]
The sight was stunning,
and the people who had seen this contrast between God and Baal cry out,
‘The Lord He is God! The Lord He is God!’
The prophets of Baal, though,
were still unrepentant and they were destroyed.
And then Elijah, in the midst of the blinding rain that fell,
led King Ahab's chariot back to his palace.
Upon hearing about the day's events from King Ahab,
his wife Jezebel wasn't impressed
and was even more determined to kill Elijah.
[music]
When Elijah heard this,
fear and despair overtook him and he ran away,
eventually ending up in Mount Horeb after a 40-day journey.
Elijah went through an experience that many of us do,
in that after his great spiritual victory here on Mount Carmel
he went to a time of deep despair and discouragement.
Often times we can be prone to doubt and depression
right after a spiritual high.
Whilst in Horeb and wondering if there would ever be a revival
and reformation in Israel,
God came to him and told him
that He had 7,000 that had still not bowed the knee to Baal.
Sometimes we can feel like Elijah
in that we're the only one who's worshiping God where we live
and sometimes it can overtake us.
In those moments we need to remember God's word to Elijah,
that He has 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal,
and remember that we are not alone.