God Answers by Fire

In this story on Mount Carmel, Elijah decided to face off against the prophets of Baal. He challenged them to set up an altar with a sacrifice and call on their god, to send fire to consume their sacrifice. Elijah planned to do the same thing with his sacrifice, as he was confident that God would answer him. “So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made” (I Kings 18:26). These prophets did everything from cutting themselves, jumping on the altar and prophesying.

All day long they carried out their rituals, but Baal did not answer. Elijah set up his altar and drenched the sacrifice and everything around it with water. Elijah instructed the men to pour water over the sacrifice on three occasions. In the end, he called the people to gather together and then he prayed. “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (I Kings 18:38). The people fell on their faces and worshipped God. The prophets of Baal were captured and executed to put an end to Baal worship.

This was not the only time that Elijah called down fire from heaven. In 2 Kings 1, King Ahaziah fell and injured himself. He sent messengers to consult with Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron to ask if he would die. God sent Elijah to meet his messengers, to give them a word for the King. God’s question for the king was, ‘Is it because there is no God in Isreal that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub?’ God declared through Elijah that the king would die. The King perceived that the message came from Elijah and sent a company of fifty men to ask him to come down. Elijah called down fire to consume the first and second company of men.

Old Testament prophets built altars and offered sacrifices unto God. Whenever sacrifices were offered, God answered by fire and consumed the sacrifices. Elijah was familiar with this manifestation of God’s presence. He also used this strategy in warfare, when the King tried to intimidate him with soldiers. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit sat upon the heads of the saints as flames or tongues of fire. Fire preserves, purifies and breaks yokes and bondages. We no longer offer animal sacrifices, but we offer our bodies unto God as a living sacrifice. We ask God to send the fire of his spirit to keep us ablaze. The fire in us burns brightly to shine a light in the dark world.

“A fire goes before Him, And burns up His enemies round about” (Psalms 97:3).

A.P.-Y.