What happened that day on Mount Carmel? A historic battle is about to climax between two opposing kingdoms, the Kingdom of Baal and the Kingdom of Yahweh—the infamous Queen Jezebel and King Ahab versus Elijah, the prophet of the Lord.
That day one righteous man, Elijah, awaited the arrival of his countrymen, divided in their allegiance. Would they stand with him or against him? Today, as we witness the disintegration of our own country, it serves as a reminder that this is not the first time evil forces have attempted to take over a country or even the world. Throughout history, this has happened repeatedly. Discover how Elijah confronted the wicked powers of a King, Queen, and a deluded nation in the 9th Century BC. What occurred on Mount Carmel that day? Why is it meaningful to us today?
Ahab, son of Omri, did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those kings before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him. 1 Kings 16:30-33
After many days and living with the Widow of Zarephath, Elijah received the word of the Lord, saying: “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” The drought lasted three years and six months. If you remember, Ahab and the King’s household minister, Obadiah, were searching for grass and water for King Ahab’s animals. (Never mind the starving citizens because of the severe drought.) Obadiah came upon Elijah walking in search of the King. He told Obadiah, “Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” Remember, Obadiah, the King’s top minister, had been hiding the prophets of the Lord from Jezebel—a risky business. Jezebel had sent out murder squads from within her prophets of Baal to kill the prophets of the Lord. Obadiah did as Elijah told him, and King Ahab found Elijah.
When Ahab approached Elijah, he said, “It is you, you troubler of Israel?”
Elijah answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. Therefore, send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” Enraptured by his evil wife, Jezebel, Ahab allowed her to use her position as queen to corrupt the country against God’s anointed, murdering many prophets and spearheading the pagan worship of Baal among the people, forbidden by Yahweh.)
Ahab complied, seemingly unwilling to go up against this mighty prophet who had, on command, stopped the rain for three years and six months. Ahab sent messengers throughout the country, and when your King has an event, you best show up.
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If you have ever been to Mount Carmel’s summit, it is a magnificent location even today. The lofty Cypress trees and the ocean below, so very different from Elijah’s rocky home in Gilead, must have filled Elijah’s head with sweet ocean breezes as he walked across the sprawling flat knoll overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, lush with both pine and cypress.
This was the culmination; for Elijah, there was no turning back. For Ahab, this was a chance to elevate himself before his people. Nevertheless, Elijah would pray for Ahab to repent, even though the man had taken up with a wicked wife and was leading the nation astray.
Honestly, Ahab had shown himself as a remarkable politician and a proficient military leader. Once-in-awhile he even listened to a prophet. On the other hand, he was a King of Israel who’d married an idol-worshiping princess of the Phoenicians. His responsibility as King was to lead the nation in righteous worship. It was unheard of, except that King Solomon himself had served as the example to the kings who followed. He’d married hundreds of wives with their strange gods and then constructed places for them to worship, wholly against Yahweh’s decree—a disgraceful example of leadership, which resulted in a divided kingdom.
“Ahab is the consummate politician. Baal is merely another means by which he may increase his power through popularity. It’s always about the bottom line with Ahab.” _AJB
So as Elijah waited atop the mountain, he must have wondered: would Ahab repent and lead the people back to the one true God? The God who had brought them to this land of beauty like no other. Or would he continue to follow his wife’s beguiling lead?
(How do we know that Elijah believed the King might repent? When this entire spectacle was over, Elijah outran Ahab to his residence to find out. He waited for the King but was disappointed in the response.)
It took some days for the magistrates, officials and citizens from around Israel to journey to the mountaintop. When they arrived on Mount Carmel, they came by the thousands. These were Elijah’s countrymen, those he was there to call back to their Lord. And yet, they were given to idolatry of the worst sort. Furthermore, this idolatry always found and still culminates in human sacrifice. It never fails; the Earth is replete with it.
Elijah Waits.
He has prepared himself both spiritually and physically. Jezebel’s prophets of Baal (450) soon show up as the people fill the mountaintop. Marching forward with their conical hats, arrayed in purple, blowing horns and sackbuts. It must have been quite the show. Of course, Jezebel is not there, and neither are her other 400 prophets of Asherah. Strange that she didn’t attend.
Ahab is in attendance. Maybe he thinks we will finally get some rain and receive the credit for this victory atop Mt. Carmel. After all, he called the people to come. Possibly Elijah will fail and be killed. He determines, either way, I will win.
Years later, as things worsened, the prophet Isaiah warned Judah that because of their evil Baal worship, not only would the people of Israel in the North be taken away and enslaved, but Judah in the South would also.
“But you, draw near, you sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer and her who plays the harlot; at whom do you jeer, at whom do you open your mouth, do you stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit, who burn with lust among the terebinths, under every green tree, who slaughter children in creeks, among the clefts of the rocks…” Isaiah 57:3-4
You can read this entire grand spiritual spectacle in 1 Kings 18.
I’d like to make a few points:
1. Elijah took control of the situation from the beginning. He stepped forward to the people and spoke.
“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him.” The point is: that the people had placed idols before the Lord, who had saved them and given them their land as their inheritance. Dead idols. Idols inherited from the people of the land.
2. Even wildly outnumbered, Elijah set the terms and the contest in motion as he was inspired. They would have an idol-burning ceremony, and the 450 prophets would go first. “You call upon the name of your God, and I will call upon the name of Yahweh. The God who answers by fire is God. All the people answered, “It is well-spoken.”
“Baal is the name given to the ancient Canaanite-Phoenician deity that was previously called Hadad, who was the god of fertility (childbirth) and rain and storms.”
3. Elijah stood to the side, and the prophets of Baal began. They danced, called out, and implored Baal (God of the Clouds and Rain) to bring the rain and replenish the crops. After hours of wildly dancing and being taunted by Elijah, they began cutting one another with knives and drawing blood—which was their custom, a part of their religious rites. A religion inspired by Satan hoping to trick and deceive the people.
“They cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets till the blood gushed out upon them.” I Kings 18: 28
As we know, finally, by afternoon, the profits of Baal laid down, spent and exhausted. They were now weak. Elijah now demonstrated the full power of Yahweh. He poured water everywhere, dousing the bull sacrifice over and over. He made it as wet as could be.
And he put the wood in order, cut the bullock in pieces, laid it on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour them on the burnt sacrifice and wood. And he said, Do a second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water. 1 Kings 18:28-35 KJV
“And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.”
“Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that these people may know that thou art the LORD God and that thou hast turned their heart back again.” After the fire struck, Elijah had the men seize the prophets of Baal.
They dragged them down to the brook Kishon, and Elijah beheaded them. Not long after, the rain came across the land.” I Kings 18:16-17
A concluding point should be made: The war between good and evil is real. Some of you might say, how could you murder those poor prophets of Baal? The truth is that they were attempting to corrupt and turn every person, adults and children, to evil.
Satan conceived the world’s idols; he hates you, me, and everyone who’s not his follower. The God of this world is a deceiver and wants to usurp God’s throne. His every desire is to make you his willing slave—if you refuse, he will try to kill you. However, as Elijah, you have the protection of God Almighty.
Elijah’s actions returned the people to the one true God—for a time. Unfortunately, they eventually fell away. Finally, after endless attempts by the Creator to rescue them, ultimately, the Assyrians enslaved Israel and the Babylonians Judah. For generations, Israel was a land of a few people, desolate.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints… Ephesians 6:12-18
This grand demonstration of the power of God, displayed by a faithful man of God, Elijah, is but a foreshadowing of the day to come when the most loyal of all, our brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, brings forth his army to finally and ultimately destroy the works of darkness. In the meantime, we, too, can stand utilizing our sword: The Sword of the Spirit. It is mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. If Elijah was a servant and prophet of God and did such wonders, think how you and I have been given the Spirit of God in Christ. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and sons and daughters of the highest, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
Next time, we will see how the man Elijah responds when Queen Jezebel sends him a private note promising that he won’t live beyond the next day.
To start at the beginning of this series: Example of Faith: Elijah Introduction & Background
