The Elijah Challenge: Choosing Fire in a Lukewarm World
In 1 Kings 18, we witness one of the most epic showdowns in the Bible. Picture this: it's like a scene straight out of the movie "Tombstone," but instead of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday, we have the prophet Elijah, declaring he's not after revenge, he's after a reckoning.
On one side, we have a group of seemingly open-minded religious leaders. These folks believe in Yahweh... but they also believe in a whole host of other gods. Over time, they've added Baal, Asherah, and a whole pantheon of deities to their spiritual playlist. Sensitive to the culture around them, they don't like drawing lines in the sand or making anyone feel excluded. Everyone's welcome to the party.
On the other side stands one lone prophet, Elijah. In today's world, he'd probably be labeled as narrow-minded and intolerant. But he holds to an unwavering belief that Yahweh is the one and only God.
Elijah kicks off this showdown with a question that cuts to the heart of the matter: "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people remain silent.
Faced with this indecision, Elijah proposes a test. Bring two bulls for sacrifice, but hold the fire. The 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah will pray first. If either of these "gods" is real, they'll answer by fire. Then, Elijah will pray to the Lord. The god who answers with fire – that's the real deal.
If you know the story, you know it doesn't end well for the 850 false prophets. They pray, they cut themselves, they beg their empty idols from sunrise to sunset. But no fire comes. Elijah even throws in a little mockery, suggesting they shout louder in case Baal is busy in the restroom.
After the false prophets exhaust themselves, Elijah takes the stage. But lighting a dry pile of wood would be too easy for the Lord, creator of the heavens and the earth. So Elijah orders a trench dug around the altar and drenches the sacrifice, the wood, and the altar itself. He keeps pouring water until the trench is overflowing.
Baal and Asherah couldn't even ignite a dry pile of kindling. Elijah brings the Lord an unburnable mess. The prophets of the false gods used fancy words and self-harm to show their devotion. Elijah simply prayed. 1 Kings 18:36-39 describes the stunning climax:
"At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: 'Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.'
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 'The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!'"
The Elijah Challenge Today
We live in times that eerily echo those of Elijah. Our culture pushes pluralism and syncretism, telling us that all paths lead to the same destination. It's a tolerant culture that's ironically intolerant of those who deviate from its own orthodoxy. Even in church, I've encountered resistance when I speak about sin, the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice, or the reality of judgment.
If we listen to the world around us, we could easily fall into the same trap as the Israelites in Elijah's time. We might start adding other "saviors" to Jesus, or watering down God's Truth to just one truth among many.
Our calling, like Elijah's, is to pick up the mantle of truth and hold it high. We are called to be those who stand unashamedly for the one true God, even when it's unpopular, even when it's uncomfortable. Because in the end, there's only one fire that truly matters.
With You;
Pastor Tim
