Introduction
1 Kings 18:25–40: Baal’s prophets prepare an altar to their god. By late afternoon, there is no response to their prayers. Elijah then prepares an altar and God sends fire that burns up the sacrifice. Concluding the contest, Elijah orders the prophets of Baal to be killed.
Today’s Key Verse: 1 Kings 18:39b GNT
“The LORD is God; the LORD alone is God!”
Read
25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since there are so many of you, you take a bull and prepare it first. Pray to your god, but don’t set fire to the wood.”
26 They took the bull that was brought to them, prepared it, and prayed to Baal until noon. They shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” and kept dancing around the altar they had built. But no answer came.
27 At noon Elijah started making fun of them: “Pray louder! He is a god! Maybe he is day-dreaming or relieving himself, or perhaps he’s gone off on a trip! Or maybe he’s sleeping, and you’ve got to wake him up!” 28 So the prophets prayed louder and cut themselves with knives and daggers, according to their ritual, until blood flowed. 29 They kept on ranting and raving until the middle of the afternoon; but no answer came, not a sound was heard.
30 Then Elijah said to the people, “Come closer to me,” and they all gathered around him. He set about repairing the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes named for the sons of Jacob, the man to whom the Lord had given the name Israel. 32 With these stones he rebuilt the altar for the worship of the Lord. He dug a trench around it, large enough to hold about four gallons of water. 33 Then he placed the wood on the altar, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood.” They did so, 34 and he said, “Do it again”—and they did. “Do it once more,” he said—and they did. 35 The water ran down around the altar and filled the trench.
36 At the hour of the afternoon sacrifice the prophet Elijah approached the altar and prayed, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove now that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant and have done all this at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you are bringing them back to yourself.”
38 The Lord sent fire down, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, scorched the earth and dried up the water in the trench. 39 When the people saw this, they threw themselves on the ground and exclaimed, “The Lord is God; the Lord alone is God!”
40 Elijah ordered, “Seize the prophets of Baal; don’t let any of them get away!” The people seized them all, and Elijah led them down to Kishon Brook and killed them.
Reflect
As noted in yesterday’s reading (verses 23–24), the contest involved waiting to see whose god would send fire. What do the prophets of Baal do (verses 25–29)? Describe what Elijah does (verses 30–35). Why does Elijah pour water on the wood? What does he pray (verses 36–37)? How do the people respond to what they had witnessed (verse 39)? What does today’s reading teach you about God?
Pray
God of power and might, you alone are God. Guide me today in the way of your truth. May all my actions give worship, honor, and glory to you. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
1 Kings 18:41–46: The drought ends.
