Friday, January 26, 2024

1 King 18:25

1 Kings 18:25 says, And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.  Elijah told the prophets of Baal that they could go first since there were many of them who represented Baal and Elijah alone represented God.  He told them to kill and dress one bullock and put it on the altar, but to not build a fire under it.  They were then, all four-hundred and fifty of them to call on their god to provide the fire.  Elijah was given them more than an equal opportunity to prove that their god was real since all of them were included and not just one.  We should always be fair in our treatment of other people, but no matter how many stand against God and us, our God will always be more powerful and He is the One Who empowers us.  Verse twenty-six adds, And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.  The prophets of Baal did as Elijah asked and killed the bullock and then called on Baal to hear them from morning until noon, but there was no voice to answer them, so the leapt upon the altar.  False gods will always be powerless to answer anyone when they are trying to prove themselves more powerful than God, because they only exist in the minds of those who follow them.  We as Christians serve the only God that is real.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.  Elijah who stood alone against the four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal began to mock them.  He said maybe Baal was busy talking, pursuing someone, away on a journey, or asleep and needed to be awakened.  We don't really need to mock those who believe in other gods, but we can also be certain that our God will never at any time be unavailable if we call on Him, and there's always will be unavailable.  Verse twenty-eight states, And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.  The prophets of Baal began to cry louder and even began to cut themselves as was their manner and blood gushed out of them.  We are not call on to shed our blood for God, but His Son Jesus Christ shed His blood for us instead.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.  They spent the rest of the day calling on Baal, but there was never an answer.  Sadly, people today will spend their whole life calling on false gods and even attempting to discredit or disprove the existence of God, and they will never get an answer to their cries.  Verse thirty continues, And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.  Elijah then called on the people to come close to him, and when they did, he repaired the altar of God that had been broken down.  We should always call on people to come to us to hear the gospel, and then we should share it with them.  At times, people may attempt to destroy places dedicated to the worship of God, and if they do, we need to boldly do all that we can to rebuild them. 

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