Fire & Water
Blue Ch 18 1 KgsThey had become so backslidden {(v30) evidenced by the altar of the LORD which had been in ruins} that Elijah rightly divided the spiritual problem before repairing the altar... (v21) "How long will you waver between two opinions?" The spiritual state was so dark that the miracle had to be unquestionable so that the wavering mindset would loose it's influence.
4 large jars of water were poured upon the offering, the wood, it also filled the trench dug out all around it.
The God who answers by fire is God (v24). All the people agreed (v24).
The satanic baal worshippers (v26) danced around the altar and called on Baal's name for a few hours. It didn't work so they shouted louder (v27), slashing themselves with knives so that they were bleeding.
No Answer. No Fire. Elijah couldn't resist saying, "Shout Louder!" v(27). Surely he is god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he's asleep and needs to be awakened.
~AFTER THE WATER~
v36 Elijah prayed~Declared the Covenant~ Asked that God be recognized and that he be recognized as God's servant who is sent to them and is doing all of this at God's command. He asked God to answer (with fire) so the people will know that the LORD is God and that God is turning their hearts back to Him (v37).
~THEN THE FIRE OF THE LORD FELL V38~
The rain did not come until the political leader Ahab was confronted (v18) and his false prophetic advisors were exposed and done away with (v40), and the people cried out, "The LORD - He is God!" v39
v1 When the LORD told Elijah to "go prepare himself to Ahab," the blessing for obedience would be that God would "send rain on the land."
Remember that Elijah already said to Ahab that it wouldn't rain except at his word (17:1) so to obey God now by simply "going" meant that this rain word was about to become a huge testimony to all around because Ahab had a fairly large military and would be needing that water for his horses so as to maintain military power but Ahab would be forced to admit that it all came through the God of Elijah~ The very thing him and his wife did not want to do. Although the options are to fall on the Rock (Jesus Christ) and get His help now, or wait until that Rock (Christ Jesus) falls on you and it crushes you since you cannot win against Him (Mt 21:44).
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