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Reading: 1Kings
18:16-19:16; Psalm 51:15-17; Proverbs 13:6
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to
meet Elijah. Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab
said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?"
And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and
your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the
commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. Now
therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the
four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred
prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the
people, and said, "How long will you falter between two
opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow
him." But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah
said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD;
but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore
let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for
themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no
fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on
the wood, but put no fire under it. 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." Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,
"Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for
you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire
under it."
So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared
it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon,
saying, "O Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice; no
one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had
made.
And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said,
"Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he
is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and
must be awakened." So they cried aloud, and cut themselves,
as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood
gushed out on them. And when midday was past, they prophesied
until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But
there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me."
So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of
the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones,
according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to
whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall
be your name." Then with the stones he built an altar in
the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar
large enough to hold two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in
order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and
said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the
burnt sacrifice and on the wood." Then he said, "Do it
a second time," and they did it a second time; and he said,
"Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. So
the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the
trench with water.
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 You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and
that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD,
hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God,
and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice,
and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the
water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it,
they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is
God! The LORD, He is God!"
And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do
not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and
Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them
there.
Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there
is the sound of abundance of rain." So Ahab went up to eat
and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he
bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the
sea."
So he went up and looked, and said, "There is
nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again."
Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There
is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the
sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your
chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.'" Now it
happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds
and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went
to Jezreel. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he
girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of
Jezreel.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had
executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a
messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and
more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them
by tomorrow about this time." And when he saw that, he
arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs
to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and
came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he
might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my
life, for I am no better than my fathers!" Then as he lay
and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and
said to him, "Arise and eat." Then he looked, and
there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water.
So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the
LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said,
"Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for
you." So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the
strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as
Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and
spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD
came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here,
Elijah?"
So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of
hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant,
torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword.
I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."
Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the
LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and
strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in
pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and
after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the
earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was
not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his
mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.
Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing
here, Elijah?"
And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of
hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your
covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with
the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."
Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the
Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as
king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as
king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah
you shall anoint as prophet in your place."
(1Ki.18:16-19:16)
WORSHIP:
O Lord, open
my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do
not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not
delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will
not despise. (Ps.51:15-17)
WISDOM:
Righteousness
guards him whose way is blameless,
But wickedness overthrows the sinner. (Prov.13:6)
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