1 Kings 18:30-32
“Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord.
After the complete failure of the prophets of Baal, it is now Elijah’s turn to call upon God. The first thing he did was rebuild the altar of the Lord that had been torn down by the prophets of Baal. Elijah gathered the original twelve stones that Jezebel’s priests had scattered over the top of the mountain, and he reverently placed them together as a symbol of God’s people gathered in worship around one Lord.
“And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And 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. And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.” (1 Kings 18.33-35 )
Elijah prepared the bull for the burnt offering as was the custom, except he had the people pour water on the bull and the wood. Three times he had them pour water on the sacrifice until it was thoroughly soaked, to the point that it ran down and filled the trench around the altar.
This was particularly interesting because of the severity of the drought. Water was very scarce, so using it to soak the sacrifice was an act of extravagance. The people didn’t hesitate or resist or complain, because their confidence in Elijah was increasing significantly.
“And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’” (1 Kings 18.36-37)
Elijah prays this great prayer, and it reveals his heart. It declares his purpose and motive. He wants it known that the Lord God of heaven is the one true God. He also wants it known that he is simply God’s servant, a true prophet who speaks and acts as the Lord instructs him.
Elijah then asks God to answer him. No shouting and jumping and hysterics like the prophets of Baal. Elijah seeks a response from God because he wants the Israelites to see and experience that the Lord is God and He is calling their hearts back to Him.
The people of Israel are God’s covenant people. His unique possession. A special people. The purpose of the drought was to get their attention and motivate them to turn away from Baal and return to worshiping the true God.
But after three and a half years they still stubbornly clung to idolatry. Therefore, Elijah asks God for an even more dramatic display of his power so that the people of Israel would know that the Lord is God and that Baal is a fraud.
Tomorrow we will see how God responds.
Coram Deo
