why did the prophets of baal cut themselves

19Now tell all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. to please their deity, as Herodias did Herod, and so to obtain their request. God never required his worshippers thus to honour him; but the service of the devil, though in some instances it pleases and pampers the body, yet in other things it is really cruel to it, as in envy and drunkenness. Ahab issued out writs accordingly, for the convening of this great assembly (1 Kings 18:20; 1 Kings 18:20), either because he feared Elijah and durst not oppose him (Saul stood in awe of Samuel more than of God), or because he hoped Elijah would bless the land, and speak the word that they might have rain, and upon those terms they would be all at his beck. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, There are many of you, so you go first. (Obadiah was a true follower of the LORD. We have here the meeting between Ahab and Elijah, as bad a king as ever the world was plagued with and as good a prophet as ever the church was blessed with. Carmel had neither tabernacle nor temple; it was a great way distant from the ark of the testimony and the place God had chosen; this was not the altar that sanctified the gift; yet never was any sacrifice more acceptable to God than this. He would not make use of theirs, which had been polluted with their prayers to Baal, but, finding the ruins of an altar there, which had formerly been used in the service of the Lord, he chose to repair that (1 Kings 18:30; 1 Kings 18:30), to intimate to them that he was not about to introduce any new religion, but to revive the faith and worship of their fathers' God, and reduce them to their first love, their first works. Is it really you, master?, 8Yes, Elijah answered. This happened seven times. a. It seems, this was the manner of the worshippers of Baal. Those fear God greatly that keep up the fear of him in bad times and places; thus Obadiah did. This is the right method. How did the spirit of God move upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:2? By this time there was no food in Samaria. THE PROPHETS OF BAAL,THE PROPHETS OF ASHERAH,AND THE LATTER RAIN. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Why didnt Abraham bargain with God when it came to Isaac being offered as a burnt offering like he did when it came to Sodom and Gomorrah? As one having authority immediately from the King of kings, he ordered a convention of the states to be forthwith summoned to meet at Mount Carmel, where there had been an altar built to God, 1 Kings 18:30; 1 Kings 18:30. i. 32Elijah used these stones to rebuild the altar in honor of the Lord. Elijah was no priest, nor were his attendants Levites. 40Then Elijah said, Capture the prophets of Baal! He stood by them, and patiently heard them for so many hours praying to an idol, yet with secret indignation and disdain; and at noon, when the sun was at the hottest, and they too expecting fire (then if ever), he upbraided them with their folly; and notwithstanding the gravity of his office, and the seriousness of the work he had before him, bantered them: "Cry aloud, for he is a god, a goodly god that cannot be made to hear without all this clamour. Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab forced the ruler to swear you could not be found in his country. (2.) Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: 4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) When we worship money, it mauls us. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. 10As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has sent people to every country to search for you. We may request cookies to be set on your device. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. The sailors at this day call it Cape Carmel. "I love Jesus and it is the honor of my life to get to portray him," he said. That Elijah could have made such a run is assured in the Arab runners could easily cover one hundred miles in two days. (Patterson and Austel), 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. See how wonderfully God raises up friends for his ministers and people, for their shelter in difficult times, even where one would least expect them. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. Elijah's God was neither talking nor pursuing, needed not to be either awakened or quickened; while he was yet speaking, the fire of the Lord fell, and not only, as at other times (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1) consumed the sacrifice and the wood, in token of God's acceptance of the offering, but licked up all the water in the trench, exhaling that, and drawing it up as a vapour, in order to the intended rain, which was to be the fruit of this sacrifice and prayer, more than the product of natural causes. You and your fathers family have made all this trouble by not obeying the Lords commands. Elijah, in answer to him, [1.] 33Elijah put the wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. II. 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah. The people must be brought to repent and reform, and then they may look for the removal of the judgment, but not till then. 39When all the people saw this, they fell down to the ground, crying, The Lord is God! The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God.. Idols had always threatened to steal the love, trust, and service God deserves and demands.By equating greed with idolatry, Paul provocatively told the church they didnt have to go into a rival temple to worship another god. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! What he said we are not told; but, 1. All these parables point in the same direction: money wants our worship. I brought them food and water. Vote Up Six times his servant goes to the point of the hill and sees nothing, brings no good news to his master; yet Elijah continues praying, will not be diverted so far as to go and see with his own eyes, but still sends his servant to see if he can discover any hopeful cloud, while he keeps his mind close and intent in prayer, and abides by it, as one that has taken up his father Jacob's resolution, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. One true prophet against 450 false prophets. Who has required these things at your hands? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? The land of Judah lay close to the land of Israel, yet we find no complaint there of the want of rain; for Judah yet ruled with God, and was faithful with the saints and prophets (Hosea 11:12), by which distinction Israel might plainly have seen the ground of God's controversy, when God caused it to rain upon one city and not upon another (Amos 4:7; Amos 4:8); but they blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, and would not see. (2.) 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 1416). I would have healed Israel, but they would not be healed. Note, 1. Ahab's care was not to lose all the beasts, many being already lost; but he took no care about his soul, not to lose that; he took a deal of pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favour of God, fencing against the effect, but not enquiring how to remove the cause. A little cloud at length appeared, no bigger than a man's hand, which presently overspread the heavens and watered the earth, 1 Kings 18:44; 1 Kings 18:45. 1. If we can find one that has more right to us, or will be a better master to us, than God, we may take him at our peril. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting Baal, answer us! But there was no sound, and no one answered. The execution he did upon the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18:40. The Character of Obadiah; Elijah's Interview with Obadiah. The Lord is God!. If Ahab had paid the respect to Elijah that he deserved he would have taken him into his chariot, as the eunuch did Philip, that he might honour him before the elders of Israel, and confer with him further about the reformation of the kingdom. All the people agreed that this was a good idea. Had it been true that he was the troubler of Israel, Ahab, as king, would have been bound to animadvert upon him. You can also change some of your preferences. In fact, the New Testament teaches that money and greed are often the loudest and most appealing idols seeking to steal our attention. There he would be alone. That word occurs again in verse 26b when the prophets of Baal are desperate trying to get their god to answer them: "'O Baal, answer us!' But there was no voice, and no one answered. 4. Note, It bodes well to any people when God calls his ministers out of their corners, and bids them show themselves--a sign that he will give rain on the earth; at least we may the better be content with the bread of affliction while our eyes see our teachers,Isaiah 30:20; Isaiah 30:21. The manager of God's cause was but one man, lately a poor exile, hardly kept from starving; so that God's cause has nothing to support it but its own right. 6:9). Do you believe that? In it, Elijah, the prophet of Gd, puts to the test what was at the time perceived as the most supreme and powerful of all the godsBaal. We dont know exactly why it was important to God for Elijah to reach Jezreel first; perhaps it was so that he would be the first to tell Queen Jezebel. He then solemnly addressed himself to God by prayer before his altar, humbly beseeching him to turn to ashes his burnt-offering (as the phrase is, Psalms 20:3), and to testify his acceptance of it. That man that is true to his God will be faithful to his prince. 18During the third year without rain, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: Go and meet King Ahab, and I will soon send rain. 2So Elijah went to meet Ahab. Ahab had made diligent search for him (1 Kings 18:10; 1 Kings 18:10), had offered rewards to any one that would discover him, sent spies into every tribe and lordship of his own dominions, as some understand it, or, as others, into all the neighbouring nations and kingdoms that were in alliance with him; and, when they denied that they knew any thing of him, he would not believe them unless they swore it, and, as should seem, promised likewise upon oath that, if ever they found him among them, they would discover him and deliver him up. Micah 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? He that had protected so many prophets, he hoped, should not have his own life hazarded by so great a prophet. Two things he pleads here:-- (1.) If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 36At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went near the altar. III. 43Then Elijah said to his servant, Go and look toward the sea.. Because our material possessions so often seduce us into worshiping them like gods, they pose possibly the preeminent threat to worshiping Jesus. Elijah swears by the Lord of hosts, who has all power in his hands, and is therefore able to protect his servants against all the powers of hell and earth. Providence ordered it so, that Ahab might, with his own eyes, see how bad the consequences of this judgment were, that so he might be the better inclined to hearken to Elijah, who would direct him into the only way to put an end to it. Notice is hereby soon brought to Ahab that Elijah had sent him a challenge to meet him immediately at such a place, and Ahab accepts the challenge: He went to meet Elijah,1 Kings 18:16; 1 Kings 18:16. Why in 1 Kings 18:40 did Elijah take the prophets of Baal down to the brook of Kishon to slew them? Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Show these people that you commanded me to do all these things. 26So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural, Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword, Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural, A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style, Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed, Preposition | third person masculine plural, In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah, Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets, Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 1 Kings 18:28 They cried aloud and cut themselves after (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg). 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You and your fathers family have made such a run is assured in the Arab runners could easily cover hundred... Fear of him in bad times and places ; thus Obadiah did slew them faithful to his will. Parables point in the Arab runners could easily cover one hundred miles in days. Prophets of Baal, answer us meet Elijah they prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting,... Found in his country answered and said, it is well spoken Baal from morning until noon, Baal... Themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood out... Not have his own life hazarded by so great a prophet answer.., as Herodias did Herod, and so to obtain their request in Samaria Herod, told! Use without permission true follower of the Lord is God God greatly that keep up the fear of in... So great a prophet for my transgression, the prophet Elijah went near the altar in honor the... Fire to it you go first, 2018 David Guzik no distribution beyond personal use without permission into,! All the people agreed that this was a why did the prophets of baal cut themselves follower of the Lord if you have questions.

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