HEARING GOD/part one -- FIRE

HEARING GOD

1 Kings 18 & 19

Part one

FIRE

Queen Jezebel had the prophet Elijah on the run. He was the last of God’s prophets. All others had been killed. But God emboldened Elijah to step out of hiding and challenge the god Jezebel herself worshipped—Baal.

Elijah convinces the 450 prophets of Baal, the god of weather, to set up an alter of sacrifice on Mt. Carmel

and Elijah would set up an alter as well. Neither sacrifice is to be set on fire. That job is left up to the gods.

“Go ahead”, Elijah shouts to the prophets, “tell Baal to send down the fire!” Baal’s prophets begin their prayers, confidant in his answer. This should be an easy task for the god of weather. One bolt of lightening is all it would take to shut Elijah up.

The morning passes. There is no lightening. There is no fire.

“Pray louder!” Elijah taunts, “Perhaps he is deep in thought!” 450 prophets raise their voices and dance around the alter of Baal.

“Louder!” Elij

ah suggests, “Maybe he’s sleeping and you have to wake him! Oh wait—maybe he is out of town and can’t hear you!”

As afternoon passes, the prophets shout even louder, their dance becomes more and more frenzied. They cut themselves with spears and swords until their own blood flows.

Baal remains

silent.

When evening comes Elijah has had enough. He stops the madness of Baal’s prophets turns to the alter he has built and says, “My turn.”

Elijah does not yet call for God’s fire. That would be too easy. Instead he orders a trench to be dug around the alter and calls for water to be poured over the offering.

It is done.

“Again”, he commands.

It is done again.

“Again!”

A third time water is poured over the alter until finally the trench around it is full.

Satisfied, Elijah turns to his God in prayer.

“Oh Lord, let it be known today that you are God in Israel. Answer me, oh Lord, answer me so these people will know that you are God.”

FIRE

It falls out of the sky burning hot.

It burns up the sacrifice and the wood.

It burns up the stones!

It burns up the soil!

Not a drop is left i

n the trench.

Elijah turns. All around him the people of Israel are laying face down on the ground, shouting:

“The Lord—He is God!

The Lord—He is God!”

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How many of us long for the days when God sent fire from heaven to prove His existence or show us which way to turn?

“Lord, just give me a sign,” we plead. Then t

he rest of the day we wonder… was that a sign? ... Was THAT a sign? At the end of the day we think, “Does He hear me? Does He care? Does He even exist?”

We long for Him just to speak with us as He did with Moses. To give us signs like He gave the Israelites.

Signs like the parting of the Red Sea.

(After which His people complained of hunger)

Signs like the sending of manna.

(After which His people wanted meat)

Signs like writin

g the commandments on a stone tablet.

(During which His people built an idol to worship)

Signs like leading His people to a land of promise.

(Which they were too scared to go into)

God must have wondered, “Do they hear me? Do they care? Do they know I exist?”

Yes, God sent fire from the sky and yes, the hearts of His people returned to Him… for a while.

But do we really need fire from heaven to know who God is and what He can do?

When we ask Him for a sign -- are we sure He hasn’t already given us one… or two… or more?

When we plead with Him to speak to us – are we taking the time to truly listen?