The LORD Is God (1Kings 18)

The LORD Is God

 

1Kings 18

 

The Bible is a book about the LORD God, but interestingly, it also mentions the names of many other gods including Baal and Asherah found in today’s passage. Why does this Holy Book present the names of such Gentile gods? Simply speaking, it is for proving that the LORD is true God. In various scenes in the Bible, the LORD God competes with such idols. And through such contests, the LORD shows that He is the only true God to be worshipped. In fact, these contests happen not only in the Bible but also in individuals’ lives, everyday and throughout our lifetime. In each of us are false idols that assume the name of ‘God.’ This happens basically because we don’t know God well. In order to be a true worshipper, what is most important is to know “the true God” who receives the worship. The story recorded in 1Kings 18, today’s passage, is one of crucial testimonies revealing who the LORD is to us. In this story, Elijah, the prophet of the LORD God, stands against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Through this showdown, Elijah shows us who the LORD is. Summing up, first, the LORD is “Living God.” Second, the LORD is “Only God.” And lastly, the LORD is “True God.”

 

Ahab was the 17^th king of Northern Israel. Concerning King Ahab, 1Kings 16:30 says, “Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.” A notable phrase in this verse is “in the eyes of the LORD.” The time of King Ahab is described as the darkest age in the history of the Kingdom of Northern Israel. Nonetheless, Israel under the reign of Ahab is known to be peaceful and prosperous politically, economically, and culturally. For example, 2Kings 3:4,5 says, “Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.” According to this word, while King Ahab was ruling Israel, the neighbor kingdom Moab paid a huge amount of tribute to Israel. Moreover, Ahab built a palace adorned with ivory for himself, and fortified cities (1Kings 22:39). These records suggest that, under the rule of Ahab, Israel was a powerful kingdom, enjoying peace and material abundance. “In people’s eyes,” at least Ahab was not “the worst king.” In the eyes of the LORD, however, he was the worst king, more evil than any of those before him. Why was he described in this way? It was because he was an idol worshipper. Ahab married Jezebel, daughter of an idol worshipper, and began to serve Baal and worshipped him. He also built an altar for Baal, and made an Asherah pole. He was an unprecedented idol worshipper. Idol worshipping is the sin and evil hated most by God.

 

Because of Ahab’s sin, God sent a severe drought to Israel. There was no rain for three years. As most of the land in Israel relied on rainwater for farming, three years’ drought must be extremely destructive. Every water body dried out, and the land turned into Death Valley. Then, the LORD said to Elijah. “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” According to His will, God sends drought and He also sends rain. In those days, Baal was believed and worshipped as a god of fertility governing rain, wind, thunder and lightning. As a matter of course, people gave thanks to Baal for rains from heaven, and the glory of the LORD was stolen. Then the LORD needed to restore his glory and to turn the people’s heart to Himself by revealing who the LORD is.

 

First, the LORD is living God. In other words, the LORD is God who listens and answers. Meeting Ahab, Elijah told him to summon the people of Israel on Mount Carmel and to bring there 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. To the prophets of Baal, Elijah suggested cutting a bull into pieces and putting it on the wood without setting fire, and calling the name of their gods. That is, the prophets of Baal would call the name of Baal, and Elijah would call the name of the LORD, and the one who answers by fire, he would be acknowledged as God. Then, the prophets of Baal took a bull and called the name of Baal all the day from morning to evening, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” However, there was no response, and no one answered to their calling. They shouted louder and slashed their bodies with swords and spears, but it had no effect. Verse 29b says, “But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.” Baal didn’t listen nor answer. It was because Baal was not a living god. In fact, Baal was not a being that existed at all.

 

In his turn, Elijah took a bull and put it on an altar built in the name of the LORD, and had people pour water on the sacrifice. Then, he 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.” on Elijah’s prayer, the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifices, the wood, the stones, and the soil, and it licked up the water in the trench. The LORD God listened to Elijah’s prayer and responded to it powerfully with His fire. The LORD is living God who listen to our prayers and answer them.

 

The LORD is living God, and He is also the one who gives life to us. The LORD is the only source of our lives. Elijah put the sacrifice on the altar, and had people to pour water on it three times. The sacrifice and the wood were soaked in water, and the trench dug around the altar was also filled with water. Now it seemed unlikely that they would burn. By pouring water, Elijah removed all “possibilities.” We may understand this as death. By getting rid of all human possibilities, Elijah wanted to reveal living and working God. Actually, this is how we experience the living God. When all human possibilities end, God’s impossibilities begin. When human life ends, God’s divine life, which is resurrection and eternal life, begins. When, human hopes end, God’s mercy begins. This is because only the LORD is God who is living and working for us. Thus, we can and should trust and rejoice in the LORD God and call His name with hope even in the middle of hopeless impossibilities.

 

Second, the LORD is only God. In other words, the LORD is jealous God (Exodus 34:14). Seeing the fire of God falling and burning the sacrifice and everything, all the people fell prostrated and cried, “The LORD – he is God! The LORD – he is God!” Then, Elijah commanded them to seize the prophets of Baal and kill them at the Kishon Valley. By doing so, Elijah cleaned the Israelites before the LORD. It was to turn their hearts to God and let them worship Him wholly. The LORD is God alone, and there is no one else. Moses gave the Israelites this commandment of love: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5). This is also the first commandment repeated by our Lord Jesus. The Bible often condemns people who turned away from God as “adulterous,” and Jesus also called such people “a wicked and adulterous generation.” It is because the LORD is God alone, and He desires the whole of our hearts. God’s jealousy is actually the other side of the LORD’s utmost love toward us. When we insist on a divided heart, however, the utmost love turns into unbearable wrath. Unfortunately, there is no lukewarm “gray area” in God’s love. He keeps burning with jealousy until our undivided heart is fully given to the LORD who is God alone.

 

Third, the LORD is true God. This means that the LORD is mighty and faithful that he fulfills all his words. After the prophets of Baal were slaughtered, Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” As he said, a small cloud rose from the sea, and then the sky grew black with clouds and a heavy rain came over the land. When the Israelites confessed that the LORD was God and cleansed themselves by killing the prophets of Baal, God ended three years’ drought and sent rain to the land. This shows that it is not Baal but the LORD God who gives rain. This also shows that the LORD does whatever he desires. That is, the LORD is true God. The LORD is God not merely in name but in power and faithfulness. By his power and faithfulness, the LORD created the world, and holds and rules everything in it according to his will. By his power and faithfulness, the LORD saves and protects His people, and judges and destroys His enemies. The 450 prophets of Baal could not overcome one person Elijah because Baal was a false god and the LORD was true God. When we are in the LORD God, we are protected by his perfect love and power and will confess that the LORD is true God.

 

Today is a time “rich” in various ways. Toward God, however, this is quite a “poor” generation. Our days are somewhat similar to Israel under the rule of Ahab, the idol worshipper. Ironically, during the spiritually darkest days, God carried out many marvelous miracles through His servant Elijah. Thus, people call the days not “Ahab’s time” but “Elijah’s time.” I believe that God called each of us Elijah for this generation. What we should do is revealing and witnessing that the LORD is the only true living God. May the LORD bless us in knowing Him more, and worshipping Him as our God!