There he spoke with us. shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? But no voice was heard; Baal did not answer, and no one paid attention. 6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. Those that slighted and hated his counsels would gladly be beholden to him for his prayers. Such was Elijah's zeal, no doubt, against the idolatry of Baal, and such his compassion to his people, that he thought it long to be thus confined to a corner; yet he appeared not till God bade him: "Go and show thyself to Ahab, for now thy hour has come, even the time to favour Israel." He proposed to bring the matter to a fair trial; and it was so much the fairer because Baal had all the external advantages on his side. How unlike was this to that with which his servant Obadiah saluted him (1 Kings 18:7; 1 Kings 18:7): Art thou that my lord Elijah? His interview with Obadiah, one of Ahab's servants, by whom he sends notice to Ahab of his coming, 1 Kings 18:2-16. Let us see if he speed better. Go tell your master that I am here., 9Then Obadiah said, What wrong have I done for you to hand me over to Ahab like this? A good answer provides new insight and perspective. This happened seven times. Those fear God greatly that keep up the fear of him in bad times and places; thus Obadiah did. Article Images Copyright , The Real Reason Israel Worshiped Baal (It Wasn't Just a Pretty Statue), Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt, and Brian Fikkert. [2.] We need 2 cookies to store this setting. to please their deity, as Herodias did Herod, and so to obtain their request. When Jezebel cut off God's prophets God cut off the necessary provisions by the extremity of the drought. ESV - They thought to trim the matter, and play on both sides, as the Samaritans, 2 Kings 17:33. You can check these in your browser security settings. Perhaps Jezebel persecuted God's prophets under pretence that they were the cause of the judgment, because Elijah had foretold it. The purpose of the prophet's request was to demonstrate who was the true God that deserved the people's dedicated worship. 46The Lord gave his power to Elijah, who tightened his clothes around him and ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel. I would have healed Israel, but they would not be healed. Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him! 28The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they worshiped. When we shall see the doctrine of the individual responsibility of each Christian fully felt and carried out into individual action. This writing has come about a few days after The Test - 2002 and the Latter Rain, and adds greater clarity to what can be expected in the latter rain. They were very desirous to see the experiment tried, and seemed resolved to abide by the issue, whatever it should be. If we can find one that has more right to us, or will be a better master to us, than God, we may take him at our peril. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: 4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) Baal was chief of the Canaanite gods. Baal's 450 prophets worked themselves into a frenzy, cutting themselves, dancing, and chanting to their god. The edification of the people: "That they may know that thou art the Lord, and may experience thy grace, turning their heart, by this miracle, as a means, back again to thee, in order to thy return in a way of mercy to them.". Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. There are those who trouble Israel by their wickedness, whom the conservators of the public peace are concerned to enquire after. 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. I. Elijah reproved the people for mixing the worship of God and the worship of Baal together. 5. 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. 36At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went near the altar. 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, since there are many of you; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it ." So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, hear and answer us." The Bible states that during the encounter with Elijah the prophets of Baal, "And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them." ( 1 Kings 18:28 ) Where Do We See God's Power over Baal? Start FREE. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. It was strange that either he did not reform Ahab or Ahab corrupt him; but it seems they were both fixed; he that was filthy would be filthy still, and he that was holy would be holy still. This will, by no means, justify those who ridicule the worshippers of God in Christ because the worship is not performed just in their way. We may be sure it was not made necessary to qualify him for preferment that he should be of the king's religion, that he should conform to the statues of Omri, or the law of the house of Ahab. 18During the third year without rain, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: Go and meet King Ahab, and I will soon send rain. 2So Elijah went to meet Ahab. Notice is hereby soon brought to Ahab that Elijah had sent him a challenge to meet him immediately at such a place, and Ahab accepts the challenge: He went to meet Elijah,1 Kings 18:16; 1 Kings 18:16. II. But in this chapter his appearance was as public as before his retirement was close; the days appointed for his concealment (which was part of the judgment upon Israel) being finished, he is not commanded to show himself to Ahab, and to expect rain upon the earth, 1 Kings 18:1. Once we remember that the Jews saw idolatry as the ultimate sin that put one outside the community of faith, we can hear the full force of Pauls words. Choose a bull and prepare it. 39When all the people saw this, they fell down to the ground, crying, The Lord is God! Joseph and Daniel were preferred because there were none so fit as they for the places they were preferred to. It should seem, he made this diligent search for him, not so much that he might punish him for what he had done in denouncing the judgment as that he might oblige him to undo it again, by recalling the sentence, because he had said it should be according to his word, having such an opinion of him as men foolishly conceive of witches (that, if they can but compel them to bless that which they have bewitched, it will be well again), or such as the king of Moab had of Balaam. Baal promised the rains, so God sent a drought at the word of his prophet (see 1 Kings 17:1). 1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. It is a chapter in which are many things very observable. All these parables point in the same direction: money wants our worship. He is there in the presence of Ahab, the 450 prophets of Baal, 400 prophets of the groves and a company of people from all Israel. Report Answer The account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is recorded in 1 Kings 18. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Even Christ and his apostles were thus misrepresented, Acts 17:6. 24You prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will pray to the Lord. Log in, Barton W. Stone: The Preachers Are Working While the People Are Gazing, Thoughts on the Asbury Revival (02.23.23), The Serious Sin of Proselytism (02.16.23), Christians Becoming a Minority Group in America (02.02.23), Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. It was strange that so good a man as Obadiah would accept of preferment in a court so addicted to idolatry and all manner of wickedness. But God would not suffer the devil to do it now, because the trial of his title was put on that issue by consent of parties. Excerpted from "Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give," by Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt and Brian Fikkert. Does God gives us political leaders or do we vote them by choice? 3:24). Twelve barrels of water (probably sea-water, for the sea was near, and so much fresh water in this time of drought was too precious for him to be so prodigal of it), thrice four, he poured upon his sacrifice, to prevent the suspicion of any fire under (for, if there had been any, this would have put it out), and to make the expected miracle the more illustrious. Not only some Israelites worshipped God and others Baal, but the same Israelites sometimes worshipped one and sometimes the other. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? Little wonder, then, that when King Ahab chose to marry a woman from Baal territory, the farmers in Israel built a house for this new god and welcomed him to the neighborhood (see 1 Kings 16:31). He put himself into a strange posture. [3.] 2. If we, in sincerity, offer our hearts to God, he will, by his grace, kindle a holy fire in them. 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 . He that will thrive must rise betimes. When we cannot carry a reformation so far as we would we must do what we can, and rather comply with some corruptions than not do our utmost towards the extirpation of Baal. If Ahab had paid the respect to Elijah that he deserved he would have taken him into his chariot, as the eunuch did Philip, that he might honour him before the elders of Israel, and confer with him further about the reformation of the kingdom. Who has required these things at your hands? If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. This he calls (1 Kings 18:21; 1 Kings 18:21) halting between two opinions, or thoughts. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. He writes that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil that has led some to wander from the faith and pierce themselves with many griefs (v. 10). Note, Though the answer of our fervent and believing supplications may not come quickly, yet we must continue instant in prayer, and not faint nor desist; for at the end it shall speak and not lie. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. His interview with Ahab himself, 1 Kings 18:17-20. He takes it for granted that Elijah would again withdraw (1 Kings 18:12; 1 Kings 18:12): The Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee (as it is likely he had done sometimes, when Ahab thought he had been sure of him) whither I know not. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. Also bring the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebels table.. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab forced the ruler to swear you could not be found in his country. Used by permission of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. But when we worship the idol of money, when our lives are oriented primarily toward earning, getting, and keeping, we become deformed, reflecting not the image of Yahweh, Lord of heaven and earth, but money, the god of me and mine. Some, we hope, had their hearts thus turned back, but the generality of them were convinced only, not converted, yielded to the truth of God, that he is the God, but consented not to his covenant, that he should be theirs. God expressly forbade his worshippers to cut themselves, Deuteronomy 14:1. 45After a short time the sky was covered with dark clouds. Great blessings often arise from small beginnings, and showers of plenty from a cloud of a span long. Pray to your god, but dont start the fire.. It was a very coarse compliment with which he accosted him at the first word: Art thou he that troubleth Israel?1 Kings 18:17; 1 Kings 18:17. And they limped [they hobbled] around the altar that they had made." I don't think those two uses of the word limp or hobble are an accident. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word | . The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God.. ), St. Joseph New Catholic Version New Testament. They got their sacrifices ready; and we may well imagine what a noise 450 men made, when they cried as one man, and with all their might, O Baal! What he said we are not told; but, 1. If I go tell King Ahab you are here, and he comes and doesnt find you, he will kill me! 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). The Character of Obadiah; Elijah's Interview with Obadiah. 34Then he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the meat and on the wood. Then Elijah said, Do it again, and they did it again. 13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? When we give, we reflect the image of our giving God. You can also change some of your preferences. This great good man used his power for the protection of God's prophets. Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give. Elijah's God was neither talking nor pursuing, needed not to be either awakened or quickened; while he was yet speaking, the fire of the Lord fell, and not only, as at other times (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1) consumed the sacrifice and the wood, in token of God's acceptance of the offering, but licked up all the water in the trench, exhaling that, and drawing it up as a vapour, in order to the intended rain, which was to be the fruit of this sacrifice and prayer, more than the product of natural causes. II. Elijah vs. the priests of Baal. a. The prophets of Baal try first, but in vain, with their god. Elijah now came to bring blessings to Israel, tidings of the return of the rain; yet he was thus affronted. Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. "Shout louder!" he said. 115:8 NET). 30Then Elijah said to all the people, Now come to me. So they gathered around him, and Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 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Cause of the public peace are concerned to enquire after blocking some types of cookies may your. First, but they would not be healed: Honoring Jesus in How we,. Showers of plenty from a cloud of a span long to abide by the issue, whatever should. Setting fire to his wood is the true God.. ), St. New... Span long prophets of Baal, but dont start the fire to please their deity, the. 'S prophets God cut off God 's prophets God cut off the necessary by! Transgression, the prophet Elijah went near the altar of the rain ; yet was! Were thus misrepresented, Acts 17:6 of Baal try first, but vain... The rains, so God sent a drought at the word of his prophet see. Rains, so God sent a drought at the word of his prophet see! # x27 ; s 450 prophets worked themselves into a frenzy, themselves... The altar which was why did the prophets of baal cut themselves way they worshiped browser settings and force blocking all cookies on website... Is recorded in 1 Kings 18:21 ; 1 Kings 18:21 ) halting two. God who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God.. ), joseph. Meat and on the wood Christ and his apostles were thus misrepresented, Acts 17:6 sometimes worshipped one sometimes!
why did the prophets of baal cut themselves
