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Text -- 1 Kings 18:16-46 (NET)
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Elijah Confronts Baal’s Prophets
18:16 When Obadiah went and informed Ahab , the king went to meet Elijah .
18:17 When Ahab saw Elijah , he said to him, “Is it really you , the one who brings disaster on Israel ?”
18:18 Elijah replied , “I have not brought disaster on Israel . But you and your father’s dynasty have, by abandoning the Lord’s commandments and following the Baals .
18:19 Now send out messengers and assemble all Israel before me at Mount Carmel , as well as the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah whom Jezebel supports .
18:20 Ahab sent messengers to all the Israelites and had the prophets assemble at Mount Carmel .
18:21 Elijah approached all the people and said , “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision ? If the Lord is the true God , then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word .
18:22 Elijah said to them : “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left , but there are 450 prophets of Baal .
18:23 Let them bring us two bulls . Let them choose one of the bulls for themselves, cut it up into pieces , and place it on the wood . But they must not set it on fire . I will do the same to the other bull and place it on the wood . But I will not set it on fire .
18:24 Then you will invoke the name of your god , and I will invoke the name of the Lord . The god who responds with fire will demonstrate that he is the true God .” All the people responded , “This will be a fair test .”
18:25 Elijah told the prophets of Baal , “Choose one of the bulls for yourselves and go first , for you are the majority . Invoke the name of your god , but do not light a fire .”
18:26 So they took a bull , as he had suggested , and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon , saying , “Baal , answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer . They jumped around on the altar they had made .
18:27 At noon Elijah mocked them, “Yell louder ! After all, he is a god ; he may be deep in thought , or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip . Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened .”
18:28 So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood .
18:29 Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, but there was no sound , no answer , and no response .
18:30 Elijah then told all the people , “Approach me.” So all the people approached him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down .
18:31 Then Elijah took twelve stones , corresponding to the number of tribes that descended from Jacob , to whom the Lord had said , “Israel will be your new name .”
18:32 With the stones he constructed an altar for the Lord . Around the altar he made a trench large enough to contain two seahs of seed .
18:33 He arranged the wood , cut up the bull , and placed it on the wood .
18:34 Then he said, “Fill four water jars and pour the water on the offering and the wood.” When they had done so, he said , “Do it again .” So they did it again . Then he said , “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time.
18:35 The water flowed down all sides of the altar and filled the trench .
18:36 When it was time for the evening offering , Elijah the prophet approached the altar and prayed : “O Lord God of Abraham , Isaac , and Israel , prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command .
18:37 Answer me, O Lord , answer me, so these people will know that you , O Lord , are the true God and that you are winning back their allegiance .”
18:38 Then fire from the Lord fell from the sky. It consumed the offering , the wood , the stones , and the dirt , and licked up the water in the trench .
18:39 When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said , “The Lord is the true God ! The Lord is the true God !”
18:40 Elijah told them, “Seize the prophets of Baal ! Don’t let even one of them escape !” So they seized them, and Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley and executed them there .
18:41 Then Elijah told Ahab , “Go on up and eat and drink , for the sound of a heavy rainstorm can be heard.”
18:42 So Ahab went on up to eat and drink , while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel . He bent down toward the ground and put his face between his knees .
18:43 He told his servant , “Go on up and look in the direction of the sea .” So he went on up , looked , and reported , “There is nothing .” Seven times Elijah sent him to look.
18:44 The seventh time the servant said , “Look , a small cloud , the size of the palm of a man’s hand , is rising up from the sea .” Elijah then said , “Go and tell Ahab , ‘Hitch up the chariots and go down , so that the rain won’t overtake you.’”
18:45 Meanwhile the sky was covered with dark clouds , the wind blew, and there was a heavy rainstorm . Ahab rode toward Jezreel .
18:46 Now the Lord energized Elijah with power; he tucked his robe into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> 1Ki 18:16; 1Ki 18:17; 1Ki 18:17; 1Ki 18:18; 1Ki 18:18; 1Ki 18:19; 1Ki 18:19; 1Ki 18:21; 1Ki 18:21; 1Ki 18:22; 1Ki 18:24; 1Ki 18:24; 1Ki 18:24; 1Ki 18:25; 1Ki 18:26; 1Ki 18:26; 1Ki 18:26; 1Ki 18:27; 1Ki 18:28; 1Ki 18:28; 1Ki 18:28; 1Ki 18:29; 1Ki 18:29; 1Ki 18:29; 1Ki 18:30; 1Ki 18:31; 1Ki 18:31; 1Ki 18:32; 1Ki 18:32; 1Ki 18:34; 1Ki 18:36; 1Ki 18:36; 1Ki 18:36; 1Ki 18:37; 1Ki 18:37; 1Ki 18:38; 1Ki 18:39; 1Ki 18:40; 1Ki 18:41; 1Ki 18:43; 1Ki 18:43; 1Ki 18:44; 1Ki 18:44; 1Ki 18:44; 1Ki 18:45; 1Ki 18:46; 1Ki 18:46
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NET Notes: 1Ki 18:26 The MT has “which he made,” but some medieval Hebrew mss and the ancient versions have the plural form of the verb.
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NET Notes: 1Ki 18:27 Elijah’s sarcastic proposals would have been especially offensive and irritating to Baal’s prophets, for they believed Baal was imprisoned...
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NET Notes: 1Ki 18:28 mutilated…covered with blood. This self-mutilation was a mourning rite designed to facilitate Baal’s return from the underworld.
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NET Notes: 1Ki 18:29 In 2 Kgs 4:31 the words “there was no sound and there was no response” are used to describe a dead boy. Similar words are used here to des...
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NET Notes: 1Ki 18:30 Torn down. The condition of the altar symbolizes the spiritual state of the people.
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NET Notes: 1Ki 18:34 The words “when they had done so” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
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