Centuries after Elijah confronted Ahab, Paul wrote about the believer’s confidence in God in the face of massive obstacles.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else? (Romans 8:31-32).
The prophet began his assault on the popular, but terribly wrong belief, that Baal was god not Yahweh.
Elijah then came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word (1 Kings 18:21).
Here is James’ commentary on people who “limp with two opinions.” He writes, “The doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:7-8).
Double-minded people can be quite religious, but like those whom Elijah confronted, they combine the worship of the one and only God with other idols. In Elijah’s day, people gave their devotion to Yahweh and the fertility god, Baal.
Today, you can attend a church that combines the worship of God and material possessions. The description, “prosperity gospel,” is applied to this kind of syncretism.
Other churches focus on social justice, the LBGTQ community, or MAGA beliefs in addition to the message of the Bible. These causes become wrong when they blend the attitudes and actions of Jesus with something that opposes His core mission.
A prominent international pastor was asked about religion in America. He identified entertainment as the primary spirit dominating America and American Christianity.
Who wants to attend a boring church service? I have never wanted to inflict a boring sermon on my audience. However, the primary purpose of worship is to meet with God, not to be entertained.
When entertainment is a significant motivation for church services, we run the risk of blending the worship of the one and only God with the entertainment idol of our culture.
Idols Exposed
Isaiah spoke of a day when human idols would be worthless before the glory of God’s majesty.
On that day people will throw away
to the moles and to the bats
their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
which they made for themselves to worship,
To enter the caverns of the rocks
and the clefts in the crags,
from the terror of the Lord
and from the glory of his majesty,
when he rises to terrify the earth. (Isaiah 2:20-21)
Elijah put the prophets of Baal to the test to see if their god was anything more than a work of human creation.
The 450 prophets of Baal were to place a bull on an altar and Baal was to ignite a fire under their sacrifice.
Like the worthless idols of Isaiah’s prophecy, Baal failed them miserably. They cried out to Baal, cut themselves with knives to induce Baal’s sympathy, and endured Elijah’s mockery. Nothing worked, because the world’s false gods are worthless.
An old hymn reveals the truth about idols. In the light of Jesus’ presence, all the things of earth become strangely dim.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full, in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
God – A Consuming Fire
Even though water was scarce, Elijah found enough to cover his sacrifice until the trench beneath the bull was filled with water.
The prophet prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding.
Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back” (1 Kings 18:36-37).
God answered the prayer and fire from heaven completely consumed the sacrifice.
Reflections
When Jesus was on the cross, His tormentors demanded a sign. If fire had come from heaven and consumed the religious authorities and Roman soldiers, people would have been in awe much like the crowd in Elijah’s day.
Jesus revealed God through death on the cross and a resurrection witnessed by only a few faithful followers.
The way God reveals His reality in the face of counterfeit gods is through the actions and attitudes of His followers. When we live lives that reflect the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and 1 Corinthians 13, cultural idols will grow strangely dim in the light of Jesus that shines through us.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 