Tag: numbers do lie.
One is a Majority With God!
Scripture reading for April 8th: 1st Kings 17-19
After three years of drought and famine at the word of Elijah the prophet, Elijah showed up and confronted Ahab with a showdown. He told Ahab to bring the 45o prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah and come up to Mt. Carmel. (1st Kings 17:18-19) Elijah, along with the people of Israel, was going to meet them there to call them to account for their idolatry. He was all alone, one man against this great company of false prophets.
Elijah proposed a contest. Sacrificial bulls were to be laid upon two altars with wood under them. The false prophets could call on their god to come and consume their sacrifice by fire. Then Elijah would call on the Lord to consume his sacrifice. The God who answered with fire would be the winner! Elijah graciously allowed the false prophets to go first.(1st Kings 17:22-26)
All day the false prophets called out to their gods with no response. Elijah taunted them asking them to shout louder because their god must have been asleep! The priests danced around and made noise, even cutting themselves, but no god answered and no one was there. (1st Kings 17:26-29)
Elijah built an altar of twelves stones, one for each tribe of Israel. He called all the people to his altar and then for extra drama, had the sacrifice and wood soaked with water three times. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah stepped up and prayed a simple prayer. Fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the water in the trench! (1st Kings 17:30-38) The people fell on their faces and proclaimed that the Lord was God!
Elijah ordered the false prophets slain according to the instruction of the Lord! He told Ahab to eat and drink because rain was coming. He went up on Mt. Carmel and began to pray while his servant watched toward the sea for clouds. After seven times, a cloud appeared and they took off. Elijah ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot down to Jezreel!
One is a majority when God is our God! Numbers may be fashionable but God is not impressed with numbers who have no faith in Him. Check your heart today. Are you bold in your prayer life and in confronting false religion?