Fire From Heaven

The battle rages and the Spirit calls. Sometimes life seems to stretch out in endless status-quo. But then.........there are times when a contest is called to end the comfortable apathy or to open our eyes to the position on the fence we have taken up in our faith.

I have been reading about contests in God's Word and the Holy Spirit speaks as if we are about to experience a Divine contest in our lives just like in the days of old when Elijah met up with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.

The Spirit this morning pointed me to I Kings 18:16-39, the account of Elijah, the prophets of Baal, 2 altars, 2 sacrifices, and 1 Divine Fire coming down from Heaven to burn the chosen sacrifice.

As I read this story I am impressed by the fact that God's people were living in such an apostate state, they were looking to "foreign gods" in an effort to end a drought that was causing a famine over the land. Ironically, the people were living under a Divine judgement for the very sin they continued to commit: Idolatry.

They were living in breach of covenant loyalty to the One True God and were suffering for it, yet they continued to consult and worship pagan gods through these prophets of Baal. The events leading up to their breach had to do with the King of Israel taking on a pagan wife, Jezebel, who introduced Baal worship.

Elijah's mission was to expose their "idolatry", discredit the fraud the prophets of Baal had deceived them with and reveal the Power and Glory of the Holy God of Israel. God sent Elijah to confront Ahab and the people and to set up a contest between the god's of Ahab's pagan wife, Jezebel and the Holy God of Israel.

It is important to remember that this contest was brought about because God's people, not the "world", but God's people, were living in idolatry and unbelief. The evidence of this breach in covenant loyalty was spoken in VS 30 when Elijah "repaired the altar of the Lord which was in ruins." The prophets of Baal had so infiltrated their lives, the people had allowed their Holy place of Godly sacrifice to be in ruins. They had been living in compromise for so long they couldn't even see their apostasy and the consequences of it through the drought and famine over the land. God was about to end the drought but it was crucial for the people to know the One who brings the rain since they seem to have forgotten Him.

The "contest" was ordained by God to once again reveal His Sovereignty and once again bring them to a place of decision. "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God follow Him; but if Baal is God follow him." But the people said nothing. The fence may look like a safe place to sit but no one can live on one. Elijah proposed a contest involving 2 altars and 2 sacrifices. Each would call on the name of their god acknowledging that "the god who answers by fire...he is god. Then all the people said, "what you say is good".

After a day of frenzied idolatrous worship and all the desperate cries from the prophets of Baal for a visible answer to no avail, Elijah stepped up to offer the simple prayer of faith. He prayed that God would glorify Himself as the God of Israel and make it known that he, Elijah, was God's servant and had done these things at God's command". He prayed for the answer "so these people will know that you, O Lord are God and that you are turning their hearts back again".

Holy fire came down from Heaven and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil, and even the water that had drenched the altar to insure the understanding of the supernatural fire that was to burn the sacrifice.

Confronted with this undeniable proof of God's Power and Authority, the people "fell prostrate and cried, "the Lord he is God..the Lord, He is God". Then the blessing of God's rain fell upon the land.

As I ponder this portion of scripture, I see so much application to our lives today. Many of God's people are apostate, our "Christian" nation is following Baal worship, some of our Elijah's are feeling like they are all alone and no one is listening. One thing is for sure, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God! Maybe it is time for a contest after all.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?