1 Kings 18:21-40

B. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTEST 18:21-40

The story of the contest on Carmel is one that has excited the imagination of believers through the centuries. The narrative is somewhat lengthy and may for convenience be discussed under the following heads: (1) The preliminaries of the contest (1 Kings 18:21-24); (2) the prayers of the Baal prophets (1 Kings 18:25-29); (3) the preparations and prayer of Elijah (1 Kings 18:30-38); and (4) the punishment of the false prophets (1 Kings 18:39-40).

1. THE PRELIMINARIES OF THE CONTEST (1 Kings 18:21-24)

TRANSLATION

(21) And Elijah came near unto all the people and said, How long are you going to hobble upon two crutches? If the LORD is God, go after Him; but if Baal, go after him. And the people did not answer a word. (22) And Elijah said unto the people, I alone remain as the prophets of the LORD, but the prophets of the Baal are four hundred fifty. (23) Now give to us two bullocks; and let them choose for themselves one bullock and let them cut it, and put it upon the wood, and put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bullock, and put it on the wood, and I will put no fire under it. (24) Then call on the name of your god, and as for me, I will call on the name of the LORD, and it shall come to pass that the God who answers with fire, He is God. And all the people answered and said, The thing is good.

COMMENTS

There is no way to know the size of the crowd that assembled on the spacious plateau atop Carmel, but no doubt the dramatic confrontation attracted hundreds if not thousands. It was the masses rather than the king which Elijah hoped to reach on Carmel, and so it is to them that he directed his rhetorical question: How long are you going to hobble upon two crutches, i.e., seeking the support of both Yahweh and Baal simultaneously.[426] The prophet called for a clear-cut decision. Let the people choose between Baal or the Lord and then commit themselves wholeheartedly to that deity who was truly God. Awed by the presence of the king and prophets of Baal on the one side and by Elijah on the other, the people answered not a word (1 Kings 18:21). Perhaps also they were convicted in their own consciences and were consequently speechless.

[426] This translation was proposed by Fohrer and followed by Gray (OTL, p. 396). Some difference of opinion exists as to the actual meaning of the word translated crutches; it is rendered opinions by KJV, RSV and NASB.

To set the stage for the contest Elijah called the attention of the people to the fact that he stood alone that day as sole representative of the Lord.[427] On the other hand, Baal's prophets[428] numbered four hundred fifty (1 Kings 18:22). But why did Elijah call attention to this obvious fact? Perhaps his motives were psychological and he was attempting to cast himself in the role of an underdog to gain the sympathetic support of the masses. It may be also that he wished to underscore the fact of his absolute confidence even though outnumbered. Certainly he was trying to stress the fact that truth is not determined by numbers.

[427] It is useless to speculate as to why the one hundred prophets mentioned in 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:13 were not present. It may be that they were still in hiding in some remote area and had not heard of the contest. During the Jezebel persecution some prophets had died (1 Kings 20:7 ff.), some had fled to Judah, some had gone into hiding, and some had knuckled under to the royal policy (1 Kings 22:6-27).

[428] The prophets of Asherah were not present. Either Jezebel had forbidden their presence, or they shrank from the ordeal.

Since his opponents were so numerous, and since they were supported by the crown, Elijah proposed that they supply the two sacrificial bullocks. One was to be selected and prepared by the Baal prophets and one by Elijah. Elijah offered his rivals their choice of the oxen as a guarantee that he would use no sleight of hand and that they would have no excuse that the victim was less fit for sacrifice. The bullocks were to be placed on the altar wood, but no fire was to be set to the wood (1 Kings 18:23). The people were then instructed to call on the name of their god Baal. The failure of the people to take a clear-cut stand for the Lord in 1 Kings 18:21 is tantamount to their choosing Baal as their god. Elijah, on the other hand, would call on the name of the Lord. Whichever deity responded to the prayers of His worshipers and consumed the sacrificial bullock with fire from heaven would be recognized as true God. Since Baal claimed to be the god of storm and lightning such a proposal could not be rejected by those sympathetic to Baal. So the people, whether eagerly or reluctantly, gave their assent to the proposed test (1 Kings 18:24).

2. THE PRAYERS OF THE BAAL PROPHETS (1 Kings 18:25-29)

TRANSLATION

(25) And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose for yourselves one bullock and prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it. (26) And they took the bullock which was given to them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until midday saying, O Baal, Answer us! But there was no sound, nor one who answered. And they limped around the altar which had been made. (27) And it came to pass at noon, that Ely ah mocked them and said, Cry with a loud voice for he is a god; either he is meditating, or having a bowel movement, or he is on a journey! Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened! (28) And they called with a loud voice and they cut themselves according to their manner with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. (29) And it came to pass when noon was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the sacrifice; but there was no voice, nor any to answer, nor any who heard.

COMMENTS

Having gained the assent of the people, Elijah turned to the splendorously clad prophets of Baal and repeated the proposal (1 Kings 18:25). The prophet had put them in a position in which they could hardly refuse the test and retain the respect of their constituents. Because the prophets of Baal were so numerous, Elijah suggested that they go first in the contest. He was anxious that the impotency of these Baal prophets be fully manifested before he demonstrated his own power with God. Perhaps the implied argument is that they being so numerous could prepare the sacrificial bullock much more quickly than could the lone prophet of the Lord.

The prophets of Baal declined the opportunity to select the bullock and took the one which was given them by representatives of the people or by Elijah himself. They prepared the animal in the prescribed manner, and then began to call on the name of Baal. From morning until noon they continued to cry out that Baal would hearken to their prayers, but there was no response of any kind. They then began to limp, i.e., dance about the altar in an attempt to attract the attention of their mute master (1 Kings 18:26).

At noon Elijah began to needle his opponents with sarcasm: Cry with a loud voice, for he is a god at least in your estimation! In condescending tones Elijah offered some possible explanations for Baal's lack of response. Perhaps he was meditating or talking; maybe he was having a bowel movement;[429] or maybe he was on a trip; or then again, maybe he was just a late sleeper and needed to be awakened! (1 Kings 18:27). Elijah's barbs stirred the Baal prophets to renewed vigor as if to testify to their undying faith in their god. Grabbing the swords and spears of soldiers standing nearby they began frantically to cut themselves, hoping by this act of self-mutilation to attract the attention of their god[430] (1 Kings 18:28). These men were absolutely sincere in their faith!

[429] Lit., turn aside, which in Hebrew is a euphemism for having a bowel movement as is indicated by Judges 3:24 and 2 Samuel 24:3. Montgomery (ICC, p. 302) calls this the raciest comment ever made on pagan mythology.

[430] Gray (OTL, p. 399) sees this self-laceration of the Baal prophets as an act of imitative magic. By shedding blood, the vital essence, they would magically compel their deity to release the vital waters from the heavens.

3. THE PREPARATIONS AND PRAYER OF ELIJAH (1 Kings 18:30-38)

TRANSLATION

(30) And Elijah said to all the people, Draw near unto me. So all the people drew near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which was broken down. (31) And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the children of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, Israel shall be your name. (32) And he built with the stones an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, which would contain two seahs of seed. (33) And he arranged the wood, and cut the bullock in pieces, and put it upon the wood. And he said, fill four barrels with water, and pour them upon the burnt offering and upon the wood. (34) And he said, Repeat this, and they repeated it. And he said, Do it a third time, and they did it a third time. (35) And the water ran around the altar, and also the trench was filled with water. (36) And it came to pass at the time of offering sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet drew near and said, O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and according to Your word I have done all these things. (37) Answer me, answer me, O, LORD, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again. (38) And the fire of the LORD fell, and it consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and the water which was in the trench it licked up.

COMMENTS

Elijah allowed his opponents all the time he could in view of the great work he himself had to perform that day. The Baal prophets had been prophesying,[431] i.e., praying to and praising Baal, for six or more hoursfrom early morning to the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice about three in the afternoon[432] (1 Kings 18:29). Elijah called the people to him so that they might have a good view of all he was about to do. He wanted eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses so that there could be no suspicion of hoax or magic. The prophet began his demonstration by rebuilding the broken-down altar of the Lord (1 Kings 18:30). This altar may be one of the high places where Israelites worshiped prior to the establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem. On the other hand the altar may have been built by some of the faithful Yahweh worshipers who would not bow the knee to Baal or to the golden calf. Scarcely any doubt can exist that this was one of the altars which Ahab or Jezebel had ordered torn down (1 Kings 19:10). Elijah's repairing the altar was an act of profound significance. It showed him as the restorer of the law and the true religion.

[431] Honor (JCBR, p. 262) proposes instead of translating they prophesied that the Hebrew should be rendered they worked themselves into a fit of rage or madness.

[432] The evening offering was probably offered in Old Testament times when it was offered during the intertestamental period, at the ninth hour or three o-'clock in the afternoon. See Acts 3:1; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:30; Josephus, Ant. XIV, 4.3.

Twelve stones went into that restored altar, symbolizing the twelve sons of Jacob. This act was both a protest against the schism and a reminder that the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom had no exclusive rights to the God-given name Israel (1 Kings 18:31). Thus with twelve stones removed from the ruins of the broken down altar, Elijah built a new altar in the name of the Lord, i.e., by His authority and for His glory. A trench was dug about the altar as deep as the grain measure containing two seahs of seed (1 Kings 18:32). The seah was a third of an ephah which was slightly larger than a bushel. The sacrificial bullock was cut in pieces and laid on the altar wood. The prophet then ordered that four pitchers of water be poured on the sacrificial animal and the wood beneath (1 Kings 18:33), and this he ordered repeated two more times (1 Kings 18:34). So much water was poured over the altar that it ran down and filled the trench[433] around the altar (1 Kings 18:35). The object of these repeated drenchings of the victim and altar was to exclude all suspicion of fraud.[434][435]

[433] The Hebrew could also be translated, he (Elijah) filled the trench which would imply that additional water besides the twelve pitchers was used to fill the trench.

[434] An ancient tradition has it that the Baal prophets had hidden a man beneath or within their altar who was to ignite the sacrifice at the proper moment; but he died of suffocation. Stanley, IJC, II, p. 258, n. 5.

[435] Possibly the pouring out of the water also had symbolic significance. It may have been a symbolic petition for rain, or a symbol of repentance (cf. 1 Samuel 7:3-14).

It was about three o-'clock in the afternoon (cf. 1 Kings 18:29) when Elijah drew near his water-drenched altar, lifted his eyes heavenward, and began to pray. He addressed Yahweh as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He designedly substituted Israel for the more common name Jacob in this formula in order to proclaim Yahweh as the God of Israel (the nation). He prayed that God would vindicate Himself and His prophet. The fire from heaven would indicate that all which Elijah had said with regard to the famine three years earlier and all that he had done with regard to organizing the confrontation with the Baal prophets had been done through the word of the Lord (1 Kings 18:36).

Earnestly Elijah called upon God to hearken to his prayer that the people might be convinced that Yahweh alone was God and that He still loved them enough to perform this sign to bring about their conversion[436] (1 Kings 18:37). This dramatic prayer had no sooner fallen from the lips of Elijah when fire from heaven (lightening?[437]) fell upon that altar. The tongues of fire not only consumed (lit., ate up) the sacrificial animal and wood, they also disintegrated the stones, scorched the dust about the altar, and even licked up the water in the trench (1 Kings 18:38).

[436] Cf. Mai. 1 Kings 4:5-6 where a similar ministry of conversion is to be performed by the antitypical Elijah, John the Baptist.

[437] Jon Ruthven (JETS, XII, 111-115) argues persuasively for the likelihood that lightning is meant. He demonstrates that the absence of clouds in the sky need not preclude the possibility of a lightning stroke.

4. THE PUNISHMENT OF THE FALSE PROPHETS (1 Kings 18:39-40)

TRANSLATION

And when all the people saw this, they fell upon their faces and said, The LORD, He is God, the LORD, He is God. And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal! Let no man escape from them. And they seized them, and brought them unto Elijah unto the brook Kishon; and he slew them there.

COMMENTS

The people reacted to this divine demonstration instantly and decisively. Recognizing in the fire the token of the divine presence, they fell on their faces and continued to shout in unison, Yahweh is God, Yahweh is God! (1 Kings 18:39). Seizing the initiative of that emotion-packed moment, Elijah ordered the Baal prophets to be apprehended. The prophet then led the throng down to the base of the hill where flows the river Kishon and there slew (i.e., instigated the slaying of) the pagan prophets (1 Kings 18:40). It is not quite certain why the prophet resorted to the Kishon for the slaughter unless it be that he was seeking a means of disposing of the bodies. Perhaps he anticipated that when the great flood of water came shortly, that these bodies would be swept on out to sea.

The slaughter of the Baal prophets has been called an act of gross fanaticism and cruelty by some; others have seen in it a wild and terrible vendetta for Jezebel's persecution and possible murder of the Lord's prophets. The following considerations tend to place this action in the proper perspective.

1. The Law of Moses required in three separate passages the execution of those who worshiped false gods and especially those who taught others to so worship (Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 17:2-7). However repugnant this slaughter might have been to Elijah personally, he was under obligation to carry out the Law.

2. Whereas it was normally the duty of the theocratic ruler to carry out such executions, in Elijah's day the king was corrupt, powerless, and himself an idol worshiper.
3. Elijah had just proved that the Lord was God; now he must likewise prove that the Law of God was not dead.
4. These prophets had been instrumental in corrupting the people of God and had thereby threatened the very existence of true religion.
5. The action was allowed and approved by God who other wise would hardly have answered the prayer which Elijah offered following the massacre.
6. Idolatry and irreligion are not today to be avenged by sword or fire, not because these sins are any less grievous, but because the duty of punishing these crimes has been re served for God himself.

7. Whereas the Law specified stoning as the punishment for idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:10; Deuteronomy 17:5), the sword was used in this instance because of the numbers involved and the lateness of the after noon hour.