Are You Forsaking the Title “Christian”
Isaiah 6:8 – “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
1 Kings 18-19
1 Kings 16:28-31 – “28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. 29And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. 30And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. 31And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.”
Stories of Jeroboam can be found in 1 Kings 11-14 and 2 Chronicles 10-13
See also 2 Kings 15-17 and Amos 7:11
1 Kings 12:26-29 – “26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.”
From these scriptures we can conclude the state of things as far as Israel is concerned.
They had turned their backs on God, far different from the Word of the Lord being precious when Samuel was in the temple with Eli. We have prophets warning and bring God’s Word to the people to repent. We have kings committing vile acts of murder and idolatry to false God’s, and then we come to Elijah.
1 Kings 18
- 1-6 – Ahab devises a plan to help aid in the drought and famine in Samaria. We learn that Obadiah, who “fears” the LORD, had hidden 100 prophets and kept them fed while Ahab and Jezebel were slaying prophets of the LORD.
- 7-15 – Elijah (Prophet of the Lord) goes back and forth with Obadiah, instructing Obadiah to go and tell Ahab that Elijah was here. Obadiah (who has feared the LORD from his youth) appears to be more so scared of Ahab.
Look at me, look at what I have done, how can you ask anymore, it may cost my life.
Elijah ends up telling Obadiah exactly what he needs to hear and in VS. 16 Obadiah goes to Ahab.
- 17-19 – “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?”
The closer you get to God, the more of annoyance you are going to be to those who are not close to God.
The more strictly you adhere to the scriptures, the more offensive and abrasive you will be to those who do not take pleasure in the scriptures.
The more work you do in the name of God, the more hatred you will bring from those who work for the flesh.
By One Man – Elijah VS. All of Israel X 450 prophets of Baal X 400 prophets of the groves (which were those who served Ashtaroth)
Side note : Ashtaroth (the goddess of heaven, war, and sexuality) was also known by other names such as Astarte / Asherah / Ishtar. Some believe this name continued to evolve through other cultures eventually becoming Eostre the pagan goddess of the Spring Equinox. This is where we derived the name for the holiday Easter and why rabbits and eggs are a part of the celebration. If this bothers you as a Christians, it probably should.
That being said, simple fixes that we can use as mature adults: We call it Resurrection Day and note that the rabbit is the depiction of a quickening Spirit and the egg is the depiction of our new life in Christ.
- 20-25 – Ahab gathers all the people that Elijah requested together and Elijah gives the proposition. If the God of Israel prove Himself this day, then follow HIM. If Baal prove Himself this day, then follow HIM. Enough with the wishy-washy, if you’re not wholly God’s then you’re not God’s at all.
If you say you are a child of God, yet walk after the manner of the flesh, you are not a child of God.
- 26-29 – “26And 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. 27And 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. 28And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29And 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.”
So, from morning time to between 2:30-3:30 PM the prophets of Baal cried out and cut and bled, to no avail.
- 30-40 – “30And 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. 31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
James 5:16 – “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
By One Man! – 850 prophets made fools and then killed; while the Israelites once again turned back to God and feared Him who created them and made the covenant with their fathers.
1 Kings 18:41-46 – “41And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
1 Kings 19:1-2 – “1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.2Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.”