Thurs.’s Devo - The Showdown on Mt. Carmel

Read: 1 Kings 18:1-46; Acts 11:1-30; Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 17:12-13 After three years of no rain, Elijah was told by God to go tell King Ahab that it would soon rain. Ahab had gone out with Obadiah to find grass for his horses. Obadiah was a God-fearing man who had hidden 100 of God’s prophets when Jezebel wanted them killed. Ahab went one way and Obadiah the other. Obadiah ran into Elijah and recognized him right away. When Elijah told Obadiah to go tell Ahab he wanted to meet with him, Obadiah didn’t want to do it. He was afraid it would cost him his life if he brought Ahab and Elijah was not there. Elijah promised he would stay so Obadiah ran to Ahab. When Ahab met Elijah, Ahab blamed him for all the suffering in Israel. Elijah made it clear that their worship of Baal was the reason for the famine, not him. He told Ahab to bring the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah to Mt. Carmel and all the people. They met on the mountain and Elijah told them the conditions. They would both prepare a bull for a sacrifice and the god who answered in fire would be the true god. The prophets of Baal would go first. They prepared their bull and did all sorts of antics and gyrations trying to get their god to answer and bring fire. When they were exhausted, Elijah took his turn. He dressed his bull and had the altar covered with gallons of water. He offered to God what they needed most, which was water. God received his sacrifice and immediately answered with fire. The fire even burned up the stones and the dust! All the people fell on their faces to the ground and worshipped the Lord. Elijah commanded that they seize the prophets of Baal. The people seized the prophets and brought them down to the Kidron Valley and killed them. Elijah then told king Ahab to eat something because he could hear the sound of rain and he would need strength to get home. Elijah then went back on top of Mt. Carmel, bowed in a fetal position and prayed. He sent his servant to go and search for a cloud coming. On the seventh time, he reported seeing a small cloud coming out of the sea. Elijah told his servant to run and tell Ahab to hurry or he would be stopped by the abundance of rain. God gave Elijah supernatural strength and he outran Ahab’s chariot all the way back to Jezreel. What a miracle of God’s power and what courage God gave to Elijah to believe. Satan’s power is no match for God’s power. In Acts, Peter went back to Jerusalem where they criticized him for eating and sharing Jesus with the Gentiles. Peter told them the vision he had had and all that happened with Ananias. They changed their minds and praised the Lord that God had given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life. Scattered Jews were spreading the news about salvation as far as Antioch and many believed. The church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch and he was able to see what God was doing in the believers there. He was greatly encouraged. Barnabas went to Tarsus looking for Saul and brought him back to Antioch where they state with the church a year teaching to the believers there. This was where believers first became known as “Christians”. It was also here that Agabus prophesied a famine that was coming upon the entire Roman world. They sent food and supplies to their Christian brothers in Judea to help them through the famine. This is how the church is suppose to function. God does nothing that he doesn’t first tell his prophets. They warn the people of God so we are always prepared for what is coming. Lord, thank you for your power and your prophets.