Elijah is now directed to gather the people of Israel for a head-to-head. A contest, yes, but even more so a confrontation, some might even call it an intervention.
Whatever it is called, a dramatic scene is about to unfold here in Israel, so it behooves us to look at the players. The people of Israel are significant because they are the reason for the contest. They are the ones who will be left with a choice and an opportunity when all is said and done. It is to them that Elijah has addressed his challenge. “You people need to quit playing both sides. You can’t waver back and forth between claiming the God of your ancestors and then worshipping the pagan Baal gods of the land. If THE LORD is God, then follow Him and Him alone.”
The thing is, people (even when they are God’s Chosen People) tend to be fickle, easily influenced, crowd followers, and interested primarily in themselves. If it wasn’t for the drought and its devastating impact these people may well have ignored the contest and gone about their business. But instead, they answered Ahab’s summons and hustled up Mt. Carmel.
The worshippers of Baal and Asherah were the confident players, after all, they had the numbers (800 in total) and the support of the King and Queen. Their places of worship were scattered across the land and their gods were becoming the norm. What could go wrong?
It’s important to get into Elijah’s head here too, at this critical moment. He has been obedient to a “t” following God’s instructions as they came. He experienced a miraculous side of God he had never previously seen. At this point in his journey, he is brimming with confidence and his expectations are running high. It’s God-time and he gets to be en pointe.
And what about God? Well, no one can get into the mind of God, but we can learn as He acts. To say that He is a patient/long-suffering God with His people would be an understatement. To say that He doesn’t remain silent indefinitely would be profoundly correct. It was show-time and everyone on the mountain was focused on the outcome.
Looking back at the contest on Mt. Carmel as a sporting competition, a lot of clichés come to mind. It was a blowout! It was over before it started. It was a mismatch of giant proportions. One side didn’t even know what hit them. There are more but I think the point has been made and was made by THE LORD. Baal worshippers were devastated and then destroyed, the people of Israel were astounded and Elijah, well, he defined the “mountain top experience”. He even got to announce that the drought was over.
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