Elijah’s Challenge – Part 3, The Contrast
2004 : Week 33  |  Printer Friendly Version  

This is part three in our series about Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal; this week we will identify four of the many contrasts in this story. The contrasts teach us important lessons, and we will review two of them this week:

1. Hundreds represent Baal, but Elijah stands alone for God
2. Madness and panic reign when the prophets of Baal try to summon their god, but Elijah is peaceful when he prays to God
3. Baal’s sacrifice is dry, but Elijah soaks God’s in water. Despite that, Baal is unable to light his sacrifice, but God provides a fiery response that consumes the sacrifice drenched in water
4. God’s name is glorified and lifted up by the crowds; Baal’s is not.

1. Standing Alone for God Try to put yourself in Elijah’s position to understand how lonely he must have felt. You have probably been in a position where you felt you were the only one fighting for a cause, and there will be times when you could face this again. In those times, we, like Elijah, should lock our focus on God, and not focus on the obstacles we face. It is God, and God alone, who provides the power for our victories; He is our deliverer. With God, we have great strength and can face anything. Elijah could not, in his own strength, defeat those who stood against him, but those standing against Elijah could not defeat our God.

2. Peace in the Midst of the Storm There is a dignity and calmness that should accompany the life of a believer in Jesus Christ. The peace comes from the understanding that we are never alone; God does not desert us; He loves us and has a plan for our lives. Our Lord has approved everything that enters our life. Elijah understood this, so he remains calm in the midst of chaos; he didn’t panic because he knew his deliverer was watching over him.

Imagine the audience watching this battle unfold. On one hand you have the panicked response, screaming and dancing of the Baal worshippers: a carnival like atmosphere. On the other hand, Elijah is praying to God with a spirit of calmness and peace. What a tremendous impact his calmness in the turmoil must have had. How many onlookers wondered where his peace came from? They were about to find out…

Further, Elijah doesn’t draw unnecessary attention to himself; the focus remains on God. If he was dancing around, yelling and screaming, people could have thought Elijah was quite a performer, but we’re not called to be the show. We’re called to show others the glory of God and make sure He gets the honor. Elijah did this when humbled himself before the Lord, and prayed that He would be praised:

	36 At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said," O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.
	1 Kings 18:36 (NASB)

Elijah’s desire was for the Lord to be magnified. He prayed that those in attendance would see him as a servant of the Lord.

Forgive us Lord, when we try to steal the glory that is due only to you. Forgive us Lord, when we are more concerned with putting on a show then lifting up your name. Forgive us Lord, when our pride makes us crave the applause that only you are worthy to receive. Teach us to see ourselves for what we really are: your servants.

Elijah is an example for us when life tries to rattle us and break us down. We can remain calm during the storm. Terrible odds against us do not have to rob our peace. Terrible circumstances against us do not have to rob our dignity. As long as our focus is on God, we can remain an example for the world to see. We do this, not so we are glorified; we do this, so our Lord is glorified. That others seeing the peace in us, and realizing it only comes from God, would want that in their lives as well.

Next week, we will continue to review the contrasts found in this story, and we will see God’s amazing and fiery response to Elijah’s prayer.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and always…



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