why did the prophets of baal cut themselves

Those that were firm for God doubted not but it would end to his honour; those that were indifferent were willing to be determined; and Ahab and the prophets of Baal durst not oppose for fear of the people, and hoped that either they could obtain fire from heaven (though they never had yet), and the rather because, as some think, they worshipped the sun in Baal, or that Elijah could not, because not at the temple, where God was wont thus to manifest his glory. Nothing creates more trouble to a land than the impiety and profaneness of princes and their families. He does not insist upon their relation to Jehovah--"Is he not yours, and the God of your fathers, while Baal is the god of the Sidonians? These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. 1. They thought to trim the matter, and play on both sides, as the Samaritans, 2 Kings 17:33. But it is strange to find such an eminently good man governor of Ahab's house, an office of great honour, power, and trust. Our idols never stop consuming and destroying that which we hold most dear. 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. I. Elijah reproved the people for mixing the worship of God and the worship of Baal together. Obadiah would not have accepted the place if he could not have had it without bowing the knee to Baal, nor was Ahab so impolitic as to exclude those from offices that were fit to serve him, merely because they would not join with him in his devotions. In the end, Those who make [idols] will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them (Ps. We are fairly put to our choice whom we will serve,Joshua 24:15. He bids Obadiah go and tell the king that he is there to speak with him: Tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is forth-coming, 1 Kings 18:8; 1 Kings 18:8. I would have healed Israel, but they would not be healed. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. He stood by them, and patiently heard them for so many hours praying to an idol, yet with secret indignation and disdain; and at noon, when the sun was at the hottest, and they too expecting fire (then if ever), he upbraided them with their folly; and notwithstanding the gravity of his office, and the seriousness of the work he had before him, bantered them: "Cry aloud, for he is a god, a goodly god that cannot be made to hear without all this clamour. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. V. Elijah hereupon hastened Ahab home, and attended him himself. "Surely he is a god! II. If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! The Lord is God!. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Elijah told him to go and look again. [3.] At the end of the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit had . His interview with Ahab himself, 1 Kings 18:17-20. He solicited their allegiance, work, and worshipfor himself and his kingdom. I have followed the Lord since I was a boy. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. God, at length, ordered Elijah to present himself to Ahab, because the time had now come when he would send rain upon the earth (1 Kings 18:1; 1 Kings 18:1), or rather upon the land. You and your fathers family have made all this trouble by not obeying the Lords commands. Yet, bad as things were. Israel being thus far reformed that they had acknowledged the Lord to be God, and had consented to the execution of Baal's prophets, that they might not seduce them any more, though this was far short of a thorough reformation, yet it was so far accepted that God thereupon opened the bottles of heaven, and poured out blessings upon his land, that very evening (as it should seem) on which they did this good work, which should have confirmed them in their reformation; see Haggai 2:18; Haggai 2:19. Note, Early piety, it is to be hoped, will be eminent piety; those that are good betimes are likely to be very good; he that feared God from his youth came to fear him greatly. When Jezebel was killing the Lords prophets, I hid a hundred of them, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. Yahweh took care of his own while the king who had turned to Baal because of his claim to bring home the economic bacon wandered the countryside hoping to find a bit of grass for the few horses and mules who hadnt died yet (see 1 Kings 18:45). Changes will take effect once you reload the page. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the king's palace. 1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. And the people answered him not a word. Mention is made of God's calling their father Jacob by the name of Israel, a prince with God (1 Kings 18:31; 1 Kings 18:31), to shame his degenerate seed, who worshipped a god which they saw could not hear nor answer them, and to encourage the prophet who was now to wrestle with God as Jacob did; he also shall be a prince with God. Why did the prophets of Baal cut themselves? Ahab's care was not to lose all the beasts, many being already lost; but he took no care about his soul, not to lose that; he took a deal of pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favour of God, fencing against the effect, but not enquiring how to remove the cause. 'You Raise Me Up' Duet Earns A Standing Ovation From The Judges, 7 Tests to See if Your Worship Is Truly Christian or Pagan, 3 Bad Church Approaches to Good Money Stewardship, 5 Critical Rules to Teach Your Kids to Help Them Stay Safe, 4 Things You Should Know about Jesus Revolution, Jesus on Adultery: Its More Controversial Than You Think, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. 3. Elijah now came to bring blessings to Israel, tidings of the return of the rain; yet he was thus affronted. 0 responses He ordered abundance of water to be poured upon his altar, which he had prepared a trench for the reception of (1 Kings 18:32; 1 Kings 18:32), and, some think, made the altar hollow. Elijah on Mount Carmel 26 And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out on them. Roumie said he was drawn to both "The Chosen" and "Jesus Revolution" because of their scripts and characters, which "spoke to his heart.". The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Elijah was no priest, nor were his attendants Levites. 2. What he said we are not told; but, 1. They leaped up and down, or danced about the altar (so some): they hoped, by their dancing, to please their deity, as Herodias did Herod, and so to obtain their request. [2.] He put himself into a strange posture. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. Nay (1 Kings 18:13; 1 Kings 18:13), Was it not told my lord how I hid the prophets? This he calls (1 Kings 18:21; 1 Kings 18:21) halting between two opinions, or thoughts. God never required his worshippers thus to honour him; but the service of the devil, though in some instances it pleases and pampers the body, yet in other things it is really cruel to it, as in envy and drunkenness. Those that procure God's judgments do the mischief, not he that merely foretels them and gives warning of them, that the nation may repent and prevent them. When Jezebel was killing all the LORD's . Then Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley, where he killed them. Carmel had neither tabernacle nor temple; it was a great way distant from the ark of the testimony and the place God had chosen; this was not the altar that sanctified the gift; yet never was any sacrifice more acceptable to God than this. a. 4. But, since Ahab invites him not to ride with him, he will run before him (1 Kings 18:46; 1 Kings 18:46) as one of his footmen, that he may not seem to be lifted up with the great honour God had put upon him or to abate in his civil respect to his prince, though he reproved him faithfully. But when we worship the idol of money, when our lives are oriented primarily toward earning, getting, and keeping, we become deformed, reflecting not the image of Yahweh, Lord of heaven and earth, but money, the god of me and mine. hear us, O Baal! Clarify Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. And they did it the third time. The Character of Obadiah; Elijah's Interview with Obadiah. 10As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has sent people to every country to search for you. He thought Elijah was not in good earnest when he bade him tell Ahab where he was, but intended only to expose the impotency of his malice; for he knew Ahab was not worthy to receive any kindness from the prophet and it was not fit that the prophet should receive any mischief from him. 2. Thou employest me; Lord, make it appear that thou dost so;" see Numbers 16:28; Numbers 16:29. The glory of God: "Lord, hear me, and answer me, that it may be known (for it is now by the most denied or forgotten) that thou art God in Israel, to whom alone the homage and devotion of Israel are due, and that I am thy servant, and do all that I have done, am doing, and shall do, as thy agent, at thy word, and not to gratify any humour or passion of my own. You can check these in your browser security settings. And he said, Do it the third time. Great blessings often arise from small beginnings, and showers of plenty from a cloud of a span long. By this time there was no food in Samaria. Obadiah therefore could with a good conscience enjoy the place, and therefore would not decline it, nor give it up, though he foresaw he could not do the good he desired to do in it. All these parables point in the same direction: money wants our worship. (1.) If we, in sincerity, offer our hearts to God, he will, by his grace, kindle a holy fire in them. We find that the beast which deceived the world does it. (1.) Baal and his prophets were confounded. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, "Shout louder, for he is a god! Note, Though the answer of our fervent and believing supplications may not come quickly, yet we must continue instant in prayer, and not faint nor desist; for at the end it shall speak and not lie. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. His new conquest will be lost if he do not look about him quickly." Stop for a moment. That man that is true to his God will be faithful to his prince. He will kill me!, 15Elijah answered, As surely as the Lord All-Powerful lives, whom I serve, I will be seen by Ahab today.. shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 18During the third year without rain, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: Go and meet King Ahab, and I will soon send rain. 2So Elijah went to meet Ahab. The servant went and looked. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. Such was Elijah's zeal, no doubt, against the idolatry of Baal, and such his compassion to his people, that he thought it long to be thus confined to a corner; yet he appeared not till God bade him: "Go and show thyself to Ahab, for now thy hour has come, even the time to favour Israel." If Ahab had paid the respect to Elijah that he deserved he would have taken him into his chariot, as the eunuch did Philip, that he might honour him before the elders of Israel, and confer with him further about the reformation of the kingdom. Once we remember that the Jews saw idolatry as the ultimate sin that put one outside the community of faith, we can hear the full force of Pauls words. Elijah, in answer to him, [1.] After Israel had gone more than three years without rain as a judgment for their idolatry, the prophet Elijah confronts the evil king Ahab and challenges him to a spiritual showdown. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. The execution he did upon the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18:40. Ahab agrees with the request, but only 450 of the 850 priests (those who serve Baal) accept the challenge and show up (1Kings 18:22). Micah 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? He sent his prophet Elijah to tell Israel to stop limping between two different opinions (1 Kings 18:21 ESV). 2. IV. Obadiah feared God greatly; Ahab had sold himself to work wickedness; and both discovered their character by the manner of their address to the prophet. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. He then solemnly addressed himself to God by prayer before his altar, humbly beseeching him to turn to ashes his burnt-offering (as the phrase is, Psalms 20:3), and to testify his acceptance of it. Like madmen they cut themselves in pieces with knives and lancets (1 Kings 18:28; 1 Kings 18:28) for vexation that they were not . He would have the king know before, that it might not be a surprise to him and that he might be sure it was the prophet's own act to present himself to him. Your fathers family have made all this trouble by not obeying the Lords prophets, I the. 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