Elijah

Introduction: After the time of David there was once a King a bad king named Ahab. So the Lord God sent the prophet Elijah to confront the King. Here is the story from God’s word. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" "I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have

abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the idol Baal. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. When the people were gathered together Elijah went before the people and said, "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 said nothing. Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty

prophets. Bring us two bulls and let them choose one bull for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then let them call on the name of their god, and I will call on the name of the LORD and the God who answers by fire, he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good." So the prophets of the idol Baal prepared the sacrifice and called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me" and they came to him and he repaired the altar of the

LORD, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to the people, "Fill four large water pots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood." "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, 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. nswer me O LORD, answer me so these people will know that you are the one true God. 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 the people saw this, they fell to the ground and cried, "The LORD! He is God! The LORD! He is God!"