Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

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Chapter 18 records the encounter between Elijah, the Prophet of God, and the prophets of Baal. After 3 years, Elijah returned to Israel from Zarephath in Phoenicia and by the Lord's command, went to Samaria. He was to talk to King Ahab. He spoke first to the King's servant Obadiah through whom word was sent to Ahab. The King granted Elijah an interview. Elijah asked the king to assemble the people at Mt. Carmel. Mt. Carmel was located on the northwest corner of the inheritance of Manasseh, near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. He also asked that the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Ashe'rah, an Egyptian god, be assembled also.

When all were assembled at Mt. Carmel, Elijah spoke to the people. "How long will you limp along with two different opinions?" "If the Lord is God, follow him." "If Baal is god, follow him." Then He instructed them to prepare two sacrifices and lay each upon an altar of wood. Then to the prophets of Baal he said, "Call upon your god to consume the sacrifice." Well the prophets called upon Baal from morning till noon and nothing happened. Elijah mocked, "Cry louder, perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awaken." So they cried louder, danced harder and cut themselves, as was their custom, until blood gushed out from them. They did this until it was time for the evening sacrifice, but there was still no answer from Baal.

Then Elijah took 12 stones and built an altar to the Lord. He dug a trench around the altar, cut up a bull and placed it upon the altar. Then he had water poured three times upon the wood until the trench was full. Then Elijah prayed, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God of Israel and that I am thy servant," and the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and licked up the water in the trench. When the people saw it they fell upon their faces and said, "The Lord, He is God." Then Elijah ordered that the 450 prophets of Baal be seized and taken to the Kishon Brook and killed. Then the Lord brought rain to Israel again.

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