Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2023 13:37:26 GMT
Fire came down from heaven
Elijah is one of God’s prophets who defended the divine truth with all honesty and sincerity. This prophet confronted Ahab, a king of Israel who was a husband of the evil Jezebel. She was a daughter of a king of Tyre. She tried to persuade him to abandon the God of Israel Yahovah and to establish the religion of Baal in Israel. Elijah said to Ahab on the Mount Carmel clearly and frankly: “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. (1 Kings 18:18).
Elijah asked Ahab with great challenge, because he was confident in the Lord of hosts Yahovah that God would be with him, to gather all the priests of Baal and the prophets of the Asherahs to meet on the Mount Carmel, and so it happened. They all came, the people stood contemplating this scene, and the prophets of Baal stared at Elijah the Prophet. What would he like to say? So Elijah came forward. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”(1 Kings 18:21).
In front of these large crowds, the Prophet Elijah presented a very great challenge to the prophets of Baal to bring two bulls. They put a bull on wood in order to offer it as a burnt offering, but without fire. He did the same thing, and he asked them to pray in the name of their gods for fire to come down from the sky and burn the burnt offering, and for him to do so. And the God who answers with fire is God: Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” (1 Kings 18:24).
This matter pleased the people, and at the same time they wanted in their hearts to discover who the true God was. Is He the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/the God of Israel? Or is He the silent the god of Baal, who does not exist? So the scene began to rise to its climax. The prophets of Baal were confused about their matter, but they were now within the context of the battle. “So they took the bull that had been given to them and brought it near, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, ‘O Baal, answer us,’ but there was no voice or answerer”.
The people were waiting for what would happen after this great scream, but everything remained as it was. The prophets of Baal were dancing around the bull and waiting for relief, but to no avail. So the Prophet Elijah mocked them, “And he said, “Call loudly, for he is a god. Perhaps he is immersed (or in seclusion, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and will wake up”). 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 traveling. Maybe 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.
When the prophets of Baal failed to bring the fire, it was Elijah’s turn and he repaired the altar and placed the bull on the wood. When everything was ready, silence prevailed throughout the place. The people waited and the prophets stood with great caution. Elijah said:
“Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on 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 ran down around the altar and even filled the trench around the altar.
Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then 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.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”
This is the God whom we worship in Christianity. He is alive and present to intervene in the most difficult circumstances to change evil and distant hearts and turn them into humble and loving hearts. He is the God of miracles, the God of forgiveness, the God of peace, and the Almighty God whom I encourage you to come in faith to know Him through His Word written by the Holy Spirit in the Holy Bible. He is not In Islam and He is not a dead Mary to whom catholics pray. Amen
Elijah is one of God’s prophets who defended the divine truth with all honesty and sincerity. This prophet confronted Ahab, a king of Israel who was a husband of the evil Jezebel. She was a daughter of a king of Tyre. She tried to persuade him to abandon the God of Israel Yahovah and to establish the religion of Baal in Israel. Elijah said to Ahab on the Mount Carmel clearly and frankly: “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. (1 Kings 18:18).
Elijah asked Ahab with great challenge, because he was confident in the Lord of hosts Yahovah that God would be with him, to gather all the priests of Baal and the prophets of the Asherahs to meet on the Mount Carmel, and so it happened. They all came, the people stood contemplating this scene, and the prophets of Baal stared at Elijah the Prophet. What would he like to say? So Elijah came forward. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”(1 Kings 18:21).
In front of these large crowds, the Prophet Elijah presented a very great challenge to the prophets of Baal to bring two bulls. They put a bull on wood in order to offer it as a burnt offering, but without fire. He did the same thing, and he asked them to pray in the name of their gods for fire to come down from the sky and burn the burnt offering, and for him to do so. And the God who answers with fire is God: Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” (1 Kings 18:24).
This matter pleased the people, and at the same time they wanted in their hearts to discover who the true God was. Is He the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/the God of Israel? Or is He the silent the god of Baal, who does not exist? So the scene began to rise to its climax. The prophets of Baal were confused about their matter, but they were now within the context of the battle. “So they took the bull that had been given to them and brought it near, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, ‘O Baal, answer us,’ but there was no voice or answerer”.
The people were waiting for what would happen after this great scream, but everything remained as it was. The prophets of Baal were dancing around the bull and waiting for relief, but to no avail. So the Prophet Elijah mocked them, “And he said, “Call loudly, for he is a god. Perhaps he is immersed (or in seclusion, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and will wake up”). 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 traveling. Maybe 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.
When the prophets of Baal failed to bring the fire, it was Elijah’s turn and he repaired the altar and placed the bull on the wood. When everything was ready, silence prevailed throughout the place. The people waited and the prophets stood with great caution. Elijah said:
“Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on 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 ran down around the altar and even filled the trench around the altar.
Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then 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.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”
This is the God whom we worship in Christianity. He is alive and present to intervene in the most difficult circumstances to change evil and distant hearts and turn them into humble and loving hearts. He is the God of miracles, the God of forgiveness, the God of peace, and the Almighty God whom I encourage you to come in faith to know Him through His Word written by the Holy Spirit in the Holy Bible. He is not In Islam and He is not a dead Mary to whom catholics pray. Amen