Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-02-27-2019

This is devotional thought number 31 in our devotional series, “Stewarding the Heart.”

“And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. (I Kings 18:39).

The prophet Elijah was sent of God to settle a score. God wanted all to know that He was the only true God, the God who created all of the earth. Elijah went to Obadiah, one of God’s servants and told him to alert the wicked King Ahab that he was in town. Obadiah feared for his life because he had hidden two groups of fifty prophets from Jezebel who commanded that all of the prophets be killed. He was concerned about going into the presence of the wicked king to let him know that Elijah, whom they sought and could not find, was now here. He pressed through his fear, by God’s grace, and did what he was told.

Now Elijah had come to the King and told him to assemble the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of the groves on Mount Carmel for a showdown. The purpose was to determine before all of the people, who the true and undisputed God was. It was done. “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” (I Kings 18:21).

Notice the specific instructions Elijah gave for this spiritual showdown. “Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.” (I Kings 18:23-25). Though the unholy prophets danced, wailed, cut themselves, and many other strange things to invoke a response from Baal, nothing at all happened. “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.” (I Kings 18:27). After a while, they prophesied that there was no answer or voice from Baal.

Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord, had men dig trenches around it, and completely drenched the altar, wood, and sacrifice. There was so much water that the trenches were full. “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.” (I Kings 18:36-39). Notice the way all the people responded. They recognized the power of God by the fire of heaven burning up the sacrifice, wood, dust, and water.
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