Faith like Elijah

No prophet in Israel's history had quite the same story of faith and power as Elijah.  He was so commended for his faith that he did not die but was actually taken up by "a whirlwind to heaven (2 Kgs. 2:3)".  Not only that but Elijah left such an indelible mark on Israel and the story of redemption that it was prophesied that he would return to bring in the time of the messiah, which came to fruition in John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:7-14).  Plus, on the mount of transfiguration, Elijah was one of the two old testament men who the disciples saw with Jesus when the Lord had shown Christ in all His glory and radiance (Luke 9:28-35).  The story of Elijah matters.

Although there is much to dissect from the life of Elijah, one of the apex episodes of his life is the story of Elijah defeating the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs. 18:17-40).  By way of introduction, Elijah is so angry at the Israelites and their king, king Ahab, for their apostasy and lukewarm faithfulness, that he asks to hold a demonstration for Israel, sort of a deity showdown, Yahweh versus Baal and Asherah.  Baal and Asherah have 850 prophets representing them while Elijah is the lone prophet for Yahweh.

They each build altars to sacrifice bulls to their respective deities and the guidelines for victory are set: the god whose altar is supernaturally ignited in flame is the true God (1 Kgs. 18:24).  Elijah has the prophets of Baal and Asherah go first.  The prophets wailed out to their god and cut themselves while crying out for the better part of a day while Elijah taunts them to no avail.

Finally, accepting defeat, the prophets of Baal stop and Elijah steps up to his altar.  Elijah has the people there dig a trench around the altar and to drench the wood in so much water as to fill the furrow that borders the altar.  Then Elijah prays in faith that God would be faithful to guard him and ignite the altar.  God sparks the altar into such a flame that the trenches of water surrounding it are dried up, Yahweh is declared the one, true God and the other prophets are all put to death (1Kgs. 18:36-40). What a story and there is much to glean from its wheat.

First of all, Elijah had faith, an unfathomable degree of faith.  He did two things that baffle the mind: (1) he confronted the king who wanted to kim him in order to call a demonstration of the true God and call Israel back from their apostasy, and (2) he unflinchingly believed that God would be faithful to engulf the drenched altar in holy flame.  Oh, that we could have that kind of faith!

Elijah challenged Israel to dive all the way into God and stop living like they were on the edge of the pool, dangling their legs off over the ledge.  Sometimes we need to call people out who are living lukewarm, shallow pool lives.  God wants more; He wants all of us.

Additionally, God desires for us to be resolute, unshakable, and absolutely devoted in faith to Him through any and everything, especially when facing trials and challenges.  Sometimes, like Elijah, we  are placed in situations that challenge our commitment to faith because there is simply no choice.  The apostasy in Israel had become so dire that Elijah, in righteous anger, had to rise up and challenge the status quo.  Our hope is not and should not be our in our faith, its degree or intensity; rather our hope is in the object of our faith, God alone.

Elijah must have been terrified on Mount Carmel.  Although he portrays calm and is confident in the Lord, he knows that if the altar remains dry after he cries to God, he will be killed.  The ironic tragedy is that after this literal mountain-top faith experience, Elijah runs hiding in a cave, fearing for his life in cowardice to queen Jezebel's threats while he even entertains thoughts of suicide (1 Kgs. 19).

Faith is not enough; it is the object of Elijah's faith that saves him and ignites the altar.  Similarly, our focus should never be on our faith in any regard.  Our focus and emphasis should always and only be on the object of our faith which is Christ.  The prophets of Baal and Asherah had faith too.  They were sincere in their prophetic flagellations and their desperate billows to their gods.  Again, God saves.  Faith is the medium that God uses to apply His salvation to us.  For the showdown on Mount Carmel, Elijah's faith was the medium for God to miraculously light a waterlogged altar.  Only God saves, we just have to believe it.