The Prophet Of Fire
In the third year of the
famine this
command came from the LORD
to Elijah: "Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain
upon the earth." So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.
The famine was so severe in Samaria that Ahab had called Obadiah,
the overseer of the palace. Obadiah was very loyal to the LORD;
for when
Jezebel tried to kill the prophets of the LORD, he took
a hundred and hid them in a
cave and kept them supplied with
bread and water. Ahab said to Obadiah, "Come, let us go through
the land to all the springs and to all the brooks, in the
hope that we
may
find grass, so that we can save the
horses and mules
and not
lose all of them." So they
divided the land between them, Ahab
going in one direction and Obadiah in another.
While Obadiah was on the way, Elijah
suddenly met him. As
soon as Obadiah knew him, he fell on his face and said, "Is it you,
my lord Elijah?" He answered, "It is; go, tell your master:
'Elijah is here.'" But Obadiah said, "What
sin have I done, that
you would give your servant over to Ahab to kill me? As surely
as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation nor kingdom where
my lord has not sent to find you; and when they said, 'He is not
here,' he made each of the kingdoms and nations take an oath,
that no one had found you. Now you say, 'Go, tell your lord,
Elijah is here!' As soon as I have left you the
spirit of the LORD
will carry you to a place unknown to me, so that when I come and
tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will put me to death, although
I, your servant, have been loyal to the LORD from my youth! Have
you not been told what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of
the LORD, how I hid a hundred by fifties in a cave and fed them continually
with
bread and water?" Elijah answered, "As surely as
the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will show myself to
Ahab to-day."
So Obadiah went to Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet
Elijah. As soon as Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is it you, you
who have brought
trouble to Israel?" He answered, "I have not
brought trouble on Israel, but you and your father's house have;
because you have failed to follow the commands of the LORD and
have run after the Phœnician gods. Now therefore call together to
me at Mount Carmel all the Israelites and the four hundred and
fifty prophets of the god Baal who eat at Jezebel's table."
So Ahab sent for all the Israelites and gathered the prophets
together at Mount Carmel. Then Elijah came to the people and
said, "How long are you going to falter between worshipping the LORD
or Baal? If the LORD is the true God, follow him, but if Baal,
then follow him." But the people were silent. Then Elijah said
to the people, "I, even I only, am left as a prophet of the LORD, but
there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. Let us take two
oxen; let them choose one
ox for themselves and cut it in
piece
s and
lay it on the wood, without lighting any fire, and I will dress the
other ox and lay it on wood, without lighting any fire. Then you
call on your god and I will call on the LORD. The god who answers
by
fire is the true God." All the people answered and said, "It is a
fair offer."
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the
oxen for yourselves and dress it first, for you are many, and call on
your god, without lighting any fire." So they took the ox which
he gave them and dressed it, and called on their god from morning
until noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us." But there was no voice nor
answer, although they leaped about the altar which they had built.
When it was noon, Elijah mocked them, saying, "Call loudly, for
he is a god; either he is thinking, or he has gone out, or he is on a
journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!" Then
they called loudly and cut themselves, as was their custom, with
swords and lances until the blood gushed out upon them. When
noon was past, they cried out in frenzy until the time of the offering
of the evening sacrifice; but there was neither voice nor
answer nor
was any attention paid to their cry.
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come
near to me." And
all the people
drew near to him, and he rebuilt the altar of the LORD
which had been thrown down. Then around the altar he made
a ditch that would hold about two bushels of seed. When he had
placed the pieces of wood in order, he cut up the ox and laid it on
the wood. Then he said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on
the burnt-offering and on the pieces of wood." And he said, "Do
it the second time"; and they did it the second time. He said, "Do
it the third time"; and they did it the third time, so that the water
ran round the altar. And he also
filled the ditch with water.
When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet
came near and said, "O the LORD, God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of
Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, that I
am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy command.
Hear me, O the LORD, hear me, that this people may know
that thou, the LORD, art God, and that thou mayst win their hearts."
Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the burnt-offering
and the wood, the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that
was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their
faces and cried, "the LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God." But
Elijah commanded them, "Take the prophets of Baal; do not let
one of them escape!" So they took them down to the Brook Kishon
and there put them to death.
Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink; for there are
signs of a heavy rain." So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah
went up to the top of Carmel and crouched down upon the earth,
with his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, "Go
up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked and said,
"There is nothing." But seven times he said, "Go again." So the
servant went back seven times, but the seventh time he said, "There
is a
cloud as small as a man's hand rising out of the sea."
Then Elijah said, "Go, say to Ahab, 'Make ready your chariot;
go down, that the rain may not stop you.'" In a little while the
heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy
rain. And as Ahab rode toward Jezreel, Elijah was given divine
strength, so that he tightened his belt and ran before Ahab to the
entrance to Jezreel.
