What a Mighty God We Serve!

    Elijah told Ahab to gather all the children of Israel together and meet  him at Mt. Carmel.  Elijah said to the people. How long will you be between to opinions.  If the Lord be God follow him, but if baal, then follow him.  The people said nothing.  He said, I alone remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.  

   Elijah said, let us take two bullocks. Let the prophets of baal choose the one they want. Let them dress the bullock and cut him into pieces and lay it on wood without a fire.  He told them he would dress the other bullock  and lay it on wood with no fire.  He told them to call on the name of their gods, and he will call on the name of the Lord; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.  All the people answered and said,  it was well spoken.  

   Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock. Dress the bullock and call on the name of your gods, and use no fire.  They took their bullock. They dressed it and called on the name of baal from morning until noon. They kept calling on their gods until the evening sacrifice, but nothing happened.  

    Elijah said until all the people come near to me. They drew close to him.  He repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.  Elijah took twelve stones representing the twelve  tribes of Israel. With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar.  He put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid him on the wood.  He asked them to fill four barrels with water and pour it on the sacrifice and on the wood.  He told them to do it a second time and a third time.  The water ran round about the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

     When it came time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet 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.  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.  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.  When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and said,The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

    Elijah said unto them, take the prophets of baal; let not one of them escape.  They took the prophets of baal to Elijah. He brought them to the brook Kishon and slew them there.

   This bibical account is found in 1 Kings 18: 20-40.