Chapter Ten - Elijah Stood Up for Pure Worship

 

A Climatic Test

Elijah next proposed a test. It was simplicity itself.  The Baal priests were set set up a altar and lay out a sacrifice on it; they were to pray to their god to light the fire.  Elijah would do the same.  He said to the "God that answers by fire is the true God." Elijah well knew who was the true God. So strong was his faith tha the did not hesitate to give his opponents every advantage. He let those Baal prophets go first. So they chose their bull for sacrifice and approached Baal. - 1 KINGS 18:24, 25.

We do no live in an age of miracles.  However, Jehovah has not changed. We can be just as confident in him as Elijah was.  For instance, when others disagree with what the Bible teaches, we need not fear to let them go ahead and have their say.  Like Elijah, we can look to the true God to settle the matter. We do that by relying, not on ourselves,  but on his inspired Word, which is designed "for setting things straight." - 2 TIMOTHY 3:16. 

The Baal prophets proceeded to set up their sacrifice and call on their god.  "O Baal, answer us!"  They cried again and again.  They kept at it as the minutes and the hours passed by.  "But there was no voice, and there was not one answering,"  the Bible says, At noon Elijah began to mock them, asserting sarcastically that Baal must be too busy to answer them, that he was relieving himself  in the privy, or that he was napping and someone needed to wake him up.   "Call at the top of your voice." Elijah urged those charlatans.  Clearly, he saw this Baal worship as ridiculous fakery, and he wanted God's people to see it for the fraud tha tit was. - 1 KINGS 18:226, 27. 

In response, the Baal priests became even more frenzied, "calling at the top of their voice and cutting themselves according to their custom with daggers and lances, until they caused blood to flow out upon them." All to no avail!  "There was no voice, and there was no one answering, and there was no paying of attention."  (1 Kings 18:28, 29) Indeed, there was no Baal.  He was an invention designed by Satan to lure people away from Jehovah.  The truth is, choosing any master other than Jehovah leads to disappointment, even shame.  Read PSALM 25:3; 115:4-8. 

Next time: Chapter Ten -Elijah Stood Up for Pure Worship - The Answer

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