1Ki 18:1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
1Ki 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
1Ki 18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
1Ki 18:4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
1Ki 18:5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
1Ki 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
1Ki 18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
1Ki 18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
1Ki 18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
1Ki 18:10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
1Ki 18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
1Ki 18:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.
1Ki 18:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
1Ki 18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
1Ki 18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
1Ki 18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
1Ki 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
1Ki 18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
1Ki 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
1Ki 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1Ki 18:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
1Ki 18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
1Ki 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
1Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1Ki 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
1Ki 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
1Ki 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
1Ki 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
1Ki 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
1Ki 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
1Ki 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
1Ki 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
1Ki 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
1Ki 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
1Ki 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
1Ki 18:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
1Ki 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
1Ki 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
1Ki 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
1Ki 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
1Ki 18:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
1Ki 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
This section of the book of Kings is a type and shadow story of how the elect, represented by Elijah, are going to put an end to Baal worship in the earth. It is through the judgments of God which must occur in our earth today (1Jn 4:17, 1Pe 4:17) that God’s elect will be made ready as the bride of Christ to rule and reign under our Lord after we go on to perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32). All of Adam must experience being “born of water and of the Spirit” in order to go on to perfection and there is a specific time for every human who has ever lived to have these words of Christ fulfilled in their lives that represent these two stages of baptisms. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (1Co 15:22-24, 1Co 15:46-58, Rev 11:15, Joh 3:5). That is not to say that there aren’t many baptisms, seeing we die daily and are baptized into Christ’s death every day (Rom 6:3).
1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world [“born of water and of the Spirit” Eph 1:14].
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
[This verse (Luk 13:32) explains the active, ongoing way (Php 2:12-13) that God’s people come out of Babylon through Christ in this life (2Co 6:17).]
The overall lesson for all of mankind is that without Christ’s spirit within, we cannot be obedient to His word and are “none of his” as a result (Rom 8:9). Even if the earth is filled with God’s truth and God’s judgments, as it will be during the thousand year reign (Hab 2:14), this will not be the time when people are born again and living out lives which are going on to perfection on the third day. That process is reserved for the great white throne judgment (1Co 13:2, 1Jn 5:2-5, 1Co 10:11).
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith [Luk 22:32, Joh 6:28-29, Rom 3:27].
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
[All these things: including, “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” We really are ‘unprofitable servants’ and are ‘nothing’ without Christ in us, our hope of glory (Luk 17:10, Col 1:27, Rom 11:19-21).]
God is teaching the elect in this age that we have been called to learn obedience by the things we suffer as we fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ through the power of God that makes it possible for us to acknowledge and keep the commandments of our Lord (1Pe 4:12, Col 1:24, 1Co 14:37). If God’s spirit is within us today, it will bear witness to this truth (Rom 8:16), and these words, “The God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken”, will be words that are a comfort to us knowing that God is able to purify our heavens with His word that is likened unto fire. Christ has been given power over all heaven and earth as our hope of glory and author and finisher of our faith (Jer 5:14, Mat 28:18, Mat 6:10, Col 1:27, Heb 12:2, Php 1:6, Rom 5:10).
Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
1Ki 18:1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
1Ki 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
1Ki 18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
1Ki 18:4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
Obadiah’s name means “serving Jehovah“, and we are told that he “feared the Lord greatly“. We are Christ’s flesh and bones (Eph 5:30) and as such, if we are as He is in this world, we, too, will fear God greatly (Heb 5:8-9) as a result of Christ our hope of glory within (Col 1:27), even as we are in “Ahab’s house” (typifying the world), as his ‘governor’.
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
God gives His spirit to those who obey him, also typified by Elijah going where he is told to go so that “I will send rain upon the earth” (Luk 22:32, Act 5:32). That obedience was not something that Elijah generated outside of God’s will (Eph 1:11) but rather was a type of those who experience the liberty of being set free by the truth (Joh 8:36) as we are dragged to Christ who is the way, the truth and the life within, our hope of glory (Col 1:27) who gives us the ability (Joh 14:6) to continue in the truth as His disciples indeed (Joh 8:31-32, Rom 8:14-16, 2Co 3:17).
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
The symbolism is clear. The sore famine in Samaria where our man of sin resides, represented by Ahab, is going to have Elijah come to him in the third year, representing “the process of spiritual completion through judgment”. We are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) through God’s judgments which chasten and scourge us so that we forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts (Tit 2:12-13, Heb 12:6), which truth is witnessed in type by “Obadiah [who] took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.” Christ is the true witness within us doing the works (Joh 14:10), and it is by grace through faith, represented by the 2×50 prophets hidden in the cave who are fed by Obadiah (“serving Jehovah”) with “bread and water“, that we will overcome, also symbolized in last week’s study with the cruse of oil and the bread that was given to the widow by Elijah.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
1Ki 18:5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
1Ki 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
1Ki 18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
1Ki 18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
There are only two men in the bible being discussed, and one is trying to preserve the flesh and the other is being dragged to Christ by the Father (Joh 6:44). In this instance, we see Ahab looking for grass in order “to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts“, which symbolizes our natural desire to want to hold onto our life and preserve it. Ahab and Obadiah go their separate ways in this endeavor to find “fountains of water” that represent God’s holy spirit, and it is the man who fears God greatly, Obadiah, who meets the Lord’s prophet, Elijah, who typifies Christ, who has the whole stay of bread and water at His disposal (Isa 1:3).
1Ki 18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
1Ki 18:10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
1Ki 18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
1Ki 18:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.
1Ki 18:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
1Ki 18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
Verse 10 is a witness to our flesh (Ahab) that we can be ever searching and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2Ti 3:7) if God does not drag us to Christ (Joh 6:44): “there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.”
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Obadiah is not demonstrating any faith in God here (“What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?“), even in knowing the miracle that Elijah had been hidden from Ahab all these three years, pointing to his righteousnesses and declaring his many good works in hiding the prophets, so as to avoid doing what Elijah demands of him to, “Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.“
Like Jacob and Joseph’s brothers in the book of Genesis, they also both had reason to be concerned because of the way Benjamin was being asked to be used as a bargaining chip by Joseph. Joseph’s brothers are being told by their father Jacob that if he lets Benjamin go and mischief befall him “then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave” (Gen 42:38). Likewise, Obadiah continues to plead with Elijah to understand or else, he believes, Ahab will slay him. Well, we know no such thing will happen to Obadiah, and Elijah assures him that he will go see Ahab the same day. In all of this, Obadiah is learning of his own lack of faith and his need to cry out to God to help him in his unbelief, which is the main lesson for us today (1Co 10:11, Mar 9:24). Jacob likewise comes to accept the fate put before him regarding his youngest son, Benjamin, and says, “And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” (Gen 43:14)
Gen 42:32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
Gen 42:33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
Gen 42:34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
Gen 42:35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
Gen 42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. [These three sons – Joseph, Simeon, and Benjamin – show “the process of spiritual completion through judgment” on our old man, represented by Jacob.]
Gen 42:37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
Gen 42:38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.Gen 43:13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
Gen 43:14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
1Ki 18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
1Ki 18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
1Ki 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
1Ki 18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
1Ki 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
The truth is that we do trouble the Israel of God who takes away our peace when we forsake “the commandments of the LORD“. Also, when we forsake the commands of the LORD, we are “thou [who] hast followed Baalim“. It is also the accuser of the brethren who says to us, “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” Elijah doesn’t just stop at this point and walk away from Ahab’s false accusations, but rather, by the grace of God, is used as ‘an instrument of righteousness unto God’ (Rom 6:13) to reveal who is right and who is wrong, showing us that we should never leave any doubt to our adversaries what our stance is in the Lord (Gal 6:14-16).
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
The contrast is drawn for us as God reveals the difference between Obadiah who “took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water“, as opposed to this ungodly gathering of “the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table“. These numbers reveal to us that the whole world (4x10x10) lies in sin (1Jn 5:19) and is in need of judgment (450) which will occur in the lake of fire, typified by the events that are going to unfold to these false prophets. The 450 represents the judgment that is needed and will occur at the hand of God’s prophet Elijah, and the 400 reveals that it is the whole of Babylon, the entire world that is deceived at this time by their father the devil (Rev 12:9). Inwardly this is true as well: we can only see because of Christ who has opened up our eyes and taken away the spiritual blindness that is always there without God’s grace and faith working in our lives (Joh 9:41).
1Jn 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
There is hope held out for all the world represented by Israel and all the false prophets of the world who are gathered to “mount Carmel” which is a fearful place for the flesh to be brought to but a glorious place of plenty and fruitfulness that will come about as a result of God’s judgements upon all of humanity being typified for us in this story (Rev 19:20, Rev 20:10).
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.G1519 G165 G165
<blockquote class="email" H3760
karmel
kar-mel’
The same as H3759; Karmel, the name of a hill and of a town in Palestine: – Carmel, fruitful (plentiful) field, (place). Total KJV occurrences: 25H3759
karmel
kar-mel’
From H3754; a planted field (garden, orchard, vineyard or park); by implication garden produce: – full (green) ears (of corn), fruitful field (place), plentiful (field). Total KJV occurrences: 14
1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
1Ki 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1Ki 18:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
1Ki 18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
There is both a negative way “to answer by fire” and a positive way. One represents the false doctrines, the powers and principalities that Christ is far higher than (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:21), that first fill our heavens until Christ comes into those heavens and destroys those lies with the brightness of His coming (Rev 20:9, Luk 9:54, Rev 13:14-15). Those false doctrines are also likened to ‘strange fire’ in God’s word that represents the lies of the devil that deceives the world (Lev 10:1).
The two opinions we ‘halt between’ that Elijah talks about are the truth of God’s word and the lies of the devil, the powers and principalities that we wrestle against, and so Elijah asks the question, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.“
Both sacrifices in this story are going to be prepared like the lamps of the foolish and wise virgins in this parable in Matthew 25:6-7. Both sacrifices come from the prophets of Baal “Let them therefore give us two bullocks” which tells us we come out of Babylon and then Christ who is typified by Elijah gives us the wisdom to know how to prepare the sacrifice to the glory of God. The preparation of the sacrifice is of no value to God if it is not offered with an obedient spirit, which the prophets of Baal did not have, and therefore when they called upon their god nothing happened, as opposed to Elijah who feared God and was heard in that he feared him.
1Ki 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
1Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1Ki 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
This section really defines Babylon that is ever searching and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2Ti 3:7). There is no stay of bread or water being given to them (Isa 3:1), so their pursuit of truth is in vain and manifests in all sorts of ungodly ways as they try to take the kingdom by violent force in their flesh (Mat 11:12), showing us what we did before we were called out of Babylon and given eyes to see and ears to hear which make it possible for us to worship God in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:23). We all, at first, dress and prepare that sacrifice according to the idol of our own hearts, which is being shown in this story. The end result is that our man of sin must be destroyed in order to become that new creature that can worship God in holiness, in spirit and in truth (Gal 6:14-16, Joh 4:23).
The fruit of all our efforts in Babylon is where the wisdom of man is manifest rather than the power of God (1Co 2:5): “And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.” The ‘time of the offering’ means the appointed time that we are heard by God, the day of visitation, and there is no recognizing that visitation happening here, described for us with the words: “neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded” simply because “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Jas 4:6).
1Ki 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
1Ki 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
1Ki 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
1Ki 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
1Ki 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
1Ki 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
These actions of Elijah are typical of what the body of Christ is going to show the world through our relationship with Christ where we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice on the altar, which is the cross (Heb 12:1-2, Gal 2:20). Our discipleship is witnessed to the world through our obedience and the orderly way by which we conduct ourselves in the house of God, which is “the pillar and ground of the truth”. That spirit of submitting to God even as we resist the devil so he will flee from us, is what demonstrates God’s love is being shed abroad in our hearts (1Ti 3:15, Jas 4:7, Rom 5:5, Joh 13:35).
The language used in all that takes place in offering this sacrifice is for our sakes and is typical of how the body of Christ is offered to God through Christ through whom we are accepted (Eph 1:6) as He works in us both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure, which is to give us the kingdom (Luk 12:32). The order consists of putting “the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.” This is repeated three times as it represents “the process of spiritual completion through judgment” through which we are progressing.
God’s elect, like Elijah in type, are going to restore true worship to this world symbolized by: “And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.” Verse 31 shows us the Israel of God who we are that is going to do this through Christ, “Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name“. The trench that is made around the altar symbolizes our deeply dug foundation in the word of God accomplished to the glory of God and is needful in order to see the Abrahamic promises of all nations becoming ours through Christ (Gen 17:4, Gal 4:30-31) and so it is worded this way as a witness to that fact: “he made a trenchH8585 about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed“.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
H8585 Trench te‛âlâh teh-aw-law’ From H5927; a channel (into which water is raised for irrigation); also a bandage or plaster (as placed upon a wound): – conduit, cured, healing, little river, trench, watercourse. Total KJV occurrences: 11
conduit, 4 2Ki_18:17, 2Ki_20:20, Isa_7:3, Isa_36:2
trench, 3 1Ki_18:32, 1Ki_18:35, 1Ki_18:38
cured, 1 Jer_46:11
healing, 1 Jer_30:13
little rivers, 1 Eze_31:4
watercourse, 1 Job_38:25
1Ki 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
1Ki 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
1Ki 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
The big moment has arrived, and Elijah gives all glory to God and brings to our remembrance that everything we have given to God was received from Him and must be done obediently and in order because of His mercy toward him and us (Rev 4:10-11). These words tell us just that: “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.“
Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
As a result of that obedience and doing all things decently and in order (1Co 14:40), Elijah is heard, and he is not drawing the attention to himself but pleading with God that Israel may see that He is God who is greatly to be feared and worshiped. “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.“
Everything is consumed by the ‘fire of the LORD’ (1Ki 18:38), leaving us no doubt that God is going to burn every idol of our heart up and finish the work of faith within us with great heat that will consume our old man as we go without the camp with our Lord where these things occur (Mal 4:1, 2Pe 3:11, Heb 13:13-14). The fire is symbolic of God’s word, and it is when we are granted the faith and obedient spirit to follow Christ that this statement, which is the title of the study, will apply to us: “and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.” (1Ki 18:39)
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
1Ki 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
1Ki 18:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
1Ki 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
All the people fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God“, which is what the world will do when Christ and His Christ come on the scene in the first resurrection (Rev 11:15), and when God’s judgments are in the earth, men will learn righteousness, which is symbolized by Elijah telling Ahab, “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” Our commission will be to “make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias” (Joh 1:23), and the start of that process will be the putting away of all the false doctrines of mankind symbolized by the slaying of the prophets of Baal at the brook Kishon H7028 H6983 that means ‘winding’, ‘crooked’, and ‘to set a trap’. ‘Let not one of them escape‘ means that not one false doctrine is going to be allowed to be propagated during the thousand-year reign. This is all a ‘baptism with water’ and a ‘rule of iron’ situation that does not bring about conversion, but it is the natural events that must precede the spiritual cleansing which will take place in the lake of fire (1Co 15:46-54).
1Ki 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
1Ki 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
1Ki 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
1Ki 18:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
1Ki 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
This last section is just glorious! Listen to the promise and the complete process which must happen and will happen by the hand of God Who will bring truth to each man in his order. Elijah is again on Mount Carmel which means ‘fruitful’. He represents Christ telling us to look toward the sea, the world, and recognize this is the other fold (Rom 11:16) that will be saved after we have gone through this complete process of seven times which will conclude in the great white throne judgment that we will have been made ready to administer because of our interaction with the world: “And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.“
The bride will be made ready to do this, and we are told to not let the trials and tribulations, which must be many (Act 14:22), stop us from reaching this goal. “Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” We start off running with men, but God says as the elect we will run with horses and so we are learning that it is God alone who gives the body of Christ the strength (Php 4:13) in order to get the job done as we ride through this life and overcome through Christ all the storms He raises and brings our way. “The heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.H3157“
We truly are unprofitable servants who have done merely what was expected of us (Luk 17:10, Php 2:12-13), and we have great reason to rejoice, and again I say rejoice, as God fills us with an earnest expectation of better things to come (Rom 8:19, Eph 1:14, 1Co 2:9, Rom 5:5). We praise and thank our great Father now for giving us the vision we need through the body of Christ to hold onto the blessing that we’ve been called unto to enter into JezreelH3157 before Ahab, who represents all the world who will be saved at an appointed time after the elect are first saved.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
H3157 yizre‛ê’l yiz-reh-ale’ From H2232 and H410; God will sow; Jizreel, the name of two places in Palestine and of two Israelites: – Jezreel. Total KJV occurrences: 36
H2232 zâra‛ zaw-rah’ A primitive root; to sow; figuratively to disseminate, plant, fructify: – bear, conceive seed, set with, sow (-er), yield. Total KJV occurrences: 56
"His Branch" 