“Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” (1 Kings 18:24)
Message:
Have you ever thought if you are alone on the battlefield? Have you ever felt like you were outnumbered, outmatched, or out of options? Have you ever faced a situation that seemed impossible to overcome? If you have, you are not alone. Elijah, one of the greatest prophets of God, encountered a similar fate. Irrespective of this, he availed himself to be used for the glory of God.
The era Prophet Elijah was during the dark and difficult days of king Ahab, when his wife Jezebel had led the people astray to worship Baal, a canaanite god. At this time, Baal was regarded as a valuable addition to worshipping the Most High God. The people could not choose the path that seemed right for them, so many people worshipped both. God brought drought upon the land through Elijah in order to demonstrate that the false gods of nature were really no gods at all.
Elijah was sent by God and to meet the king who has sought him throughout the period of the famine. After a confrontation between the two, the showdown began with Elijah proposing a test: both he and the prophets of Baal would prepare sacrifices on separate altars, and whichever God answers by sending fire to consume the offering will be acknowledged as the true God.
The grand challenge began on Mt Carmel, with the prophets of Baal desperately calling upon their deity without success from morning till noon. The glorious climax was , when Elijah led a powerful prayer to Yahweh, who immediately sends fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice. This miraculous display of divine power leads to the downfall of Baal worshipers and reaffirms Yahweh’s supremacy.
Baal worship in our modern day is not a literal practice of worshipping the ancient Canaanite god, but rather a metaphor for idolatry and immorality that goes against God’s will. It can take many forms, such as abortion, pornography, entertainment, materialism, and sexual immorality. These acts are similar to the ancient practices of Baal worship, which involved child sacrifice, sexual perversion, and idolatry.
Modern Baal worship can result in God’s judgment and wrath, just as it was done in the Old Testament. We have to repent of our sins and turn away from anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. We shouldn’t be like the Israelites who were double-minded in their choice between baal and Yahweh. Our God is a jealous God and deserves our worship and allegiance alone.
In addition to setting ourselves apart from the world, prayer should always be our spiritual weapon. In every situation, no matter how hopeless it may seem, we have to pray to God. Let us pray like Elijah and see the power of God in our lives. We need to pray with faith, humility, sincerity, and boldness. We have to rise up and pray for God’s glory, for God’s will to prevail in our lives, and for his people. Let us pray and expect God to answer.
Food for Thought:
One pius man with a greater God is superior to a multitude with a lesser god.
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DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF GOD
1. His Name is Elohim
https://samnetanel.org/archives/1632
2. The Supreme Judge
https://samnetanel.org/archives/1632
3. The God who Answers with Fire
https://samnetanel.org/archives/1634
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