A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XX

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, knew it was time to tell king Ahab that rain would be coming soon.... So I began to pray for the rain to come.... I sent my servant to check if rain was on the way.... He did not see anything.... I told him again to look.... But he came back and told me again that he did not see anything....However, I knew that rain was coming.... So I did not stop praying.... And I kept sending the servant to check if rain was on the way.... The seventh time the servant saw a small cloud on the horizon.... It was enough.... Heavy rain was coming.... King Ahab should hurry to get back to his palace.... I passed him as I ran all the way to Jezreel.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that it was time for the prophet Elijah to intercede for rain to once again come....



             ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XX

It is only when the false prophets have been removed that the prophet Elijah begins to intercede for the rain to come. Meanwhile the king returns to his palace as you can read in I Kings 28:41-46

And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go eat and drink, for there is the sound of heavy rain." So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. "Go and look towards the seam: he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."The seventh time, the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, "Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you."Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

God has told Elijah he is going to send rain today but it does not happen right away. In fact, Elijah has to pray seven times before a little cloud appears in the sky. The prophet could have said after praying one time, "God, I don't understand. You have told me that today You are going to send rain so why is it not coming?" But he does not say that. instead, he continues to pray for he knows God will be true to His word and send the rain as promised. And He does. Once it arrives, Elijah makes a run for it, enabled by the power of the Lord, for he knows that it is not just going to rain , it is going to pour.

                        A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                   THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XIX



 "I, Elijah, the prophet of God saw the people of Israel fall on their faces.... They had recognised once again who their God is..... They then understood as well that the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal are false prophets.... These false prophets had to be dealt with..... So I told the people to seize all of them.... I then had them brought together in one place.... The time for their judgement had come."... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah deals decisively with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal....


       ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                  THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XIX

 The prophets of Baal are shown to be false prophets and God's judgement falls on them that day; they are killed off as you can read in I Kings 18:40

Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

It was time for these false prophets to be removed so God had the prophet Elijah deal with them decisively.

                         A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                               THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XVIII

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, finished preparing the sacrifice... I then prayed to my God, the God of Israel.... And He answered.... Fire came down from heaven.... All the people saw the fire come down and swallow up the sacrifice.... They all fell down on their faces.... They knew.... The Lord is God.... It has been a good day for me.... But it has not been a good day for the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.".... Please read out the typed attachment when the people of Israel discover who their God is....


           ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                             THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XVIII

And the people seeing the fire fall on the prophet Elijah's altar, know who the true God is as you can read in I Kings 28:39

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord - He is God! The Lord - He is God."

It is a good day for Elijah and the people of Israel, but it is not a good day for the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.

                         A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XVII

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, prepared the altar with a cut up bull.... I had water poured over it so it was completely drenched.... I then prayed to my God... I prayed a very simple prayer..... Moreover, I did nothing else.... I did not give a performance as the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal had done.... I knew that one simple prayer would be sufficient for my God to respond.... So I prayed that the people of Israel would know that day that God is the God in Israel and that I am His servant.... I then waited..... It did not take too long before God's answer came.... It came in the form of fire from heaven.... And everyone saw what the fire did.... It completely swallowed up the sacrifice and the wood.....Moreover, it swallowed up the stones and the soil.... Even the water in the trench was swallowed up!!".... Please read the typed out attachment when we will learn how God responds to the prayer of the prophet Elijah....


         ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES
               
                              THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XVII

The prophet Elijah turns to prayer knowing that it is only God who can do what no man or false god can do as you can read in I Kings 18:36-38

At the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be know today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You are turning their hearts back again." The the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

Elijah does not need to follow the example of the prophets of Baal to try and attract the attention of his God by shouting, dancing around the altar or even slashing himself with a sword or a spear. No, he just prays a simple but powerful prayer and God hears his prayer and answers by sending fire on the altar.

                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                  THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XVI

I, Elijah, the prophet of God, had prepared the altar on which I was to sacrifice a bull.... I had put wood on it and had put the cut bull on top of it.... I had as well dug a trench around the altar.... Everyone was wondering what I was going to put in the trench..... It was time to let them know what I was going to put in the trench..... So I asked some of the people to fill four large jars with water..... They did so.... They brought the jars to me.... Only to be told that they were to pour the water on the offering and the wood.... They wanted to ask me if they had heard right..... But they dared not.... They just poured the water out as I had told them.... I then told them to fill up the jars with water again....They did so.... I told them to pour the water on the offering and the wood a second time.... They wanted to ask me if I was sure... I was sure.... I knew what I was doing, even if they did not.... I told them to fill the jars up for the third time.... And they did.... This time they poured the water on the sacrifice and the wood right away.... And they then understood why I had dug a trench around the altar..... I had dug a trench so that it could catch the remaining water that had run down from the altar....The people looked at me.... They did not say anything.... They knew that only a miracle could bring fire down on the altar... I knew that too.... It was time to pray to my God."... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah tells some of the people to pour water on his offering before praying to his God....


         ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                             THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XVI

Having prepared the altar for sacrifice, the prophet Elijah does something very unexpected as you can read in I Kings 18:33b-35

Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood. Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water run down around the altar and even filled the trench.

What Elijah does next is very unusual; he order for water to be poured over the wood and the sacrifice and he has it done not just once but three times. You may well think. "Why do you do that, Elijah? Don't you know that it is now impossible for your sacrifice to be burned? Do you want to be laughed at by the Baal prophets? Don't you realise that they are waiting their turn to humiliate you as you have humiliated them?" if that is what you are thinking, then Elijah would like to say to you, "It is true that, naturally speaking, it is impossible for this sacrifice to be burned. But just wait and see what God will do in this impossible situation.

After all, Luke writes in Luke 1:37
For nothing is impossible with God.

                     A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                               THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XV

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, knew that the god of the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal was not going to respond to them.... They knew that as well so they gave up their performance.... It was time for me to prepare the altar for my sacrifice.... But the altar was in ruins..... So I took twelve stones.... Each stone represent a tribe of Israel.... I then built a very simple altar to the Lord.... I next dug a trench around it.... The people as well as the four hundred and fifty prophets may have wondered why I dug a trench.... They will soon find out.... I then placed the wood on the altar.... Afterwards I put the cut bull on top of it.... It was time to fill up the trench... I will need some people to help me with that.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that by the early evening the prophet Elijah begins to prepare his sacrifice....


        ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                          THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XV

In the evening the prophet Elijah takes over and begins to prepare the altar for his sacrifice as you can read in I Kings 18:30-33a

Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and her repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel."With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord and he dug a trench round it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood.

   



                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                     THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XIV

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, watched as the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal were dancing around their altar.... It was not midday..... They had been calling out and dancing before their god since the early morning.... But there had been no response from their god... So I told them to shout even louder....After all, he may be deep in thought.... Or he may be very busy.... Or he may be asleep.... So all four hundred and fifty of them shouted louder.....Their sound was quite impressive.... And it even included prophecies..... But none of it seemed to wake up their god.... They then decided there was one more thing they could do..... That would surely make their god respond.... They took their swords and spears and began to slash themselves..... They did not give up quickly but carried on until it was time for the evening sacrifice.... But there was no response.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that no matter what the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal did to impress their god, he does not respond.....



         ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                 THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XIV

There is no response from the god of the false prophets of Baal. At noon-time the prophet Elijah begins to urge them on to greater action for it may be that their god is too busy as you can read in I Kings 18:27-29

At noon Elijah began to taunt them, "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely, he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or travelling. May be he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no-one answered, no-one paid attention.

No matter what the prophets of Baal try, their god does not respond. He does not even respond when they splash themselves with swords and spears. These prophets must have felt very desperate for their god does not seem to care about them, no matter what they do to try and appease him.


             
      

                      A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XIII

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, had told the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to choose a bull for their sacrifice.... They did so.... They then prepared it.... They next put it on top of the wood on their altar..... They looked at me to see what they should do next.... So I told them to call on the name of their god since they were not to set fire to their sacrifice.... They have been calling out since this morning.... It is now afternoon.... But their god seems too busy to respond.... They even decided to dance around the altar..... Their god does not seem to be too impressed with their dancing.... Perhaps they have to take further action.".... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah tells the prophets of Baal to bring their offering before their god....


       ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                              THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART XIV

It is time for the prophet Elijah to give specific instructions to the prophets of Baal in preparation for their sacrifice to their god as you can read in I Kings 18:25-26

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it. They they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us." But there was no response; no-one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

The prophets of Baal are giving a big display of their loyalty to Baal. But there is no response from their god.