This evening’s lesson called the battle of the gods is based on the account up Elijah’s battle on Mount Carmel found in first Kings chapter 18. The background of this account was that king Ahab had married Jezebel who became Queen and between the two of them they began to introduce all sorts of idolatry into the nation of Israel.
Israel who was bound by covenant to Jehovah, Israel the people of Jehovah, the people of God, now here the people are worshipping all sorts of Canaanite gods all sorts of other gods.
And not only were they doing that, but they were persecuting the prophets the priests of Jehovah while at the same time giving exception to all these foreign gods. And Israel was just letting that go. They were worshipping other gods they were honoring the other gods and they didn’t seem to object too much to the fact that the priests and the prophets of Jehovah were being hunted down and put to death. The people no doubt had forgotten their role, their place and their responsibility as being covenantly bound to Jehovah.
This is something that the Lord would not tolerate. So, what he did is he instituted a famine that went on for three years that brought Israel to its knees. But even during this famine Jezebel and a ham were protecting the false gods the false priests while they hunted down priests of Jehovah. So finally, after three years the Lord brings an end to the famine and tells Elijah to confront Ahab and confront this problem.
So, when Elijah appears before Ahab, he presents a challenge. We’re going to set up a contest between Jehovah and the other gods more specifically Baal and Asherah.
And this is the way it’s going to work. You are going to build an altar to your gods and I’m going build an altar to Jehovah. And we’re going to get two oxen and we’re going cut one up and put it on your altar and we’re going cut the other one up and put it on my altar. But we’re not going to build the fire. What we’re going do is we’re going to call to our gods and will let the true God answer with fire. Then Elijah spoke to the people and said how long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God follow him but if Baal follow him. But the people answered him not a word. . . not a word!
I am afraid that the way this nation is going and I’m not talking about political one talking about the world that is gearing up to attack the people of God. As God’s children we must ask ourselves, how long will I falter between two opinions. . .