Elijah Proves to Baal Worshipers The Lord God is the Only God |
1 Kings 18:1-46 1 Kings [in Smaller Chunks] |
In the 3rd year, it [happened] after many days, [that] the Word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, Go [show] yourself to Ahab & I will send rain upon the earth [& Elijah did so.] |
There was a [severe] famine in Samaria. And Ahab called [for] Obadiah, [who was in charge of Ahab's palace.] (Now, Obidiah greatly feared [respected] the Lord [God]: for Obidiah took 100 prophets & hid them 50 [to a] cave & fed them with bread & water, when [queen] Jezebel [massacred the other] prophets of the Lord). |
And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all the fountains of water & all the brooks, [trying to find] grass to save the horses & mules alive, [so] we [don't] lose all the [animals.] |
So, they divided [up] the land between them & Ahab went 1 way by himself & Obadiah went another way by himself. And as Obadiah was in the [road, he saw] Elijah, [who] met him. [Obadiah] knew him & fell on his face & said, [Are] you my lord, Elijah? He answered, I am. |
Go tell your lord, [Ahab, Come see,] Elijah is here. [Obadiah] said, What [is my sin] that you would deliver [me,] your servant, into the hand of Ahab to [kill] me? |
As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom [where] my lord, [Ahab,] hasn't sent to [find] you. When they [told Ahab,] He isn’t you there, [he made the kingdoms & nations take] an oath that they [hadn't] found you. |
And now, you say, Go, tell your lord, [Ahab, Come see] Elijah is here. It shall [happen,] as soon as I am gone from you, the Spirit of the Lord shall carry you [someplace] I [don't] know & so when come & I tell Ahab & he can't find you, he shall [kill] me. |
But I, your servant, [has] feared [respected] the Lord from my youth. [Weren't] you told, my lord, what I did & how I hid the 100 prophets, 50 [to a] cave & fed them with bread & water, when Jezebel [killed the other] prophets of the Lord? |
And now you say, Go tell your lord, [Ahab, Come & see] Elijah is here. He shall [kill] me. And Elijah said, As the Lord of Hosts lives, before Whom I stand, I will [certainly show] myself to [Ahab] today. |
So, Obajiah went to meet Ahab & told him & Ahab went to meet Elijah. It [happened,] when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab [asked] him, Are you [the one who] troubles Israel? |
And [Elijah] answered, I haven't troubled Israel; but you & your father's house [have,] in that you have [abandoned] the commandments of the Lord & have followed Baalim. |
Therefore, now send [for] & gather to me all [of] Israel to Mount Carmel & 450 prophets of Baal & [Asherah's] 400 prophets of the groves [who] eat at Jezebel's table. |
[Exodus 34:12-14 You [pay attention,] lest you make a covenant [contract] with the inhabitants of the land, [where] you go, lest they be a snare in the midst of you. |
But you shall destroy their altars, break their images & cut down their groves. For you shall [not] worship [any] other god: for the Lord, Whose Name is Jealous, is a jealous God.] |
So, Ahab sent & gathered all the children [people] of Israel & the prophets together to Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people & said, How long [have you been torn] between 2 opinions? |
If the Lord [is] God, follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him. [No one said] a word. Then, Elijah said to the people, I [am] the only prophet of the Lord [who remains;] but [Baal has] 450 prophets. |
Therefore, let them give us 2 [bulls] & let them choose 1 [bull] for themselves & cut it [into] pieces & lay it on wood [with] no fire under [it.] I will [prepare] the other [bull] & lay it on wood [with] no fire under [it.] |
And you, call on the name of your gods & I will call on the Name of the Lord. And the God [Who] answers by fire, [shall] be God. All the people said, It is well spoken. |
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose 1 [bull] for yourselves & [prepare] it 1st, [since] you are many & call on the name of your gods, but [you aren't to put] fire under [it.] |
They [prepared] the [bull] & called on the name of Baal, from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped on the altar [that] was made. |
It [happened] at noon, Elijah mocked them & said, Cry [out louder,] for he is a god; either he is talking, or is busy, or on a journey, or [maybe he's sleeping] & must be [awakened.] |
They cried [out louder] & cut themselves with knives & lancets, after their [tradition,] till blood gushed out upon them. And it [happened,] when midday was past, [Baal's prophets] prophesied until the evening sacrifice, [but] there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any [god] that [paid attention.] |
And Elijah said to all the people, Come [close] to me [& they did.] [Elijah] repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down & Elijah took 12 stones, according to the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the Word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall [now] be your name. |
And [Elijah] built an altar with the 12 stones in the Name of the Lord & put a trench [around] the altar, [deep enough to hold] 2 measures of seed. [Elijah] put the wood in order & cut the [bull into] pieces & laid [them] on the wood. |
[He] said, Fill 4 barrels with water & pour it on the sacrifice [to be burned] & on the wood. [Then, Elijah] said, Do it a 2nd time & they did it a 2nd time. [Elijah] said, Do it a 3rd time & they did it a 3rd time. |
And the water ran [around] the altar & filled the trench with water. It [happened] at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah, the prophet, came near & said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac & of Israel, let it be known this day that You are the God in Israel & that I'm Your servant & I have done all these things at Your Word. |
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, [so these] people know that You are the Lord God, [so] they turn their hearts back [to You] again. Then, the fire of the Lord fell & [burned] the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust & licked up the water in the trench. |
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces & said, The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God. Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal & [don't let any] of them escape. |
And they took them & Elijah brought them down to the Brook [of] Kishon & [killed] them there. Elijah said to Ahab, Get up & eat & drink; for there is the sound of [an] abundance of rain. So, Ahab went to eat & drink. |
And Elijah went up to the top of [Mount] Carmel & [threw] himself down on the [ground] & put his face between his knees. [Elijah] said to his servant, Go up now & look toward the sea. He went up & looked & said, There is nothing. |
Elijah said, Go again 7 times. It [happened on] the 7th time, he said, [Look,] there [arises] a little cloud [up] out of the sea, like a man's hand. [Elijah] said to [his servant,] Go up & say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot & [go] down, [so] the rain [doesn't] stop you. |
And. It [happened] in the [meantime,] that the heaven was black with clouds, wind & [heavy] rain. And Ahab rode & went to Jezreel. An the hand of the Lord was on Elijah & he [strapped his belt around his clothes] & ran [in front of] Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. |