The God Who Answers

(Part 2)

“Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.”

                                                                                                1 Kings 18:21

 Too often we waver between believing God and believing Baal! What is Baal? Baal is, most certainly, a false god; but it is also anything we trust in rather than God or above God.  Elijah demonstrated unwavering faith in God. The depth of Elijah’s faith is seen 1 Kings 18: 25-29:

“Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, and no one paid attention.”

Around midday, Elijah began to “bust their chops” a little bit. He taunted them to shout louder and he ridiculed their behavior.  As I read this, I thought to myself, these are big words from a man who still had a heap to pray over himself! However, Elijah knew from the start that nothing was going to happen for them. They shouted, danced, slashed themselves and frantically prophesied for hours and hours:

“But there was no response, no one answered, and no one paid attention.”

                                                                                                1 Kings 18:29

After allowing everyone to see that worshipping Baal was futile, Elijah then began to make provision for God’s answer! Before he prays a single word, Elijah begins to make preparations to receive from God. Elijah dug a trench, built an altar, arranged the wood and prepared the sacrifice; but then he does something unusual. Elijah, then, drowns the sacrifice, wood, and altar with water. He pours on so much water that the trench surrounding the altar fills up. He was so convinced that God was about to answer that he actually poured gallons of water on his own sacrifice. Elijah wanted to be certain that no one was mistaken! The god who answers? He is God!

 Pastor Scott Burr

http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/