May 10 Daily Devotional

1 Kings 18

The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year of the famine, saying, “Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.” Elijah went, and when the king saw him he said to him, “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” Elijah replied, “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. 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.” And Ahab gathered the prophets together on mount Carmel.

And Elijah came near to 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. Then Elijah said to the people, “Give us two bullocks … and lay one on the wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. 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.” And the prophets of Baal took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us.” But there was no answer, no fire from heaven.

And Elijah said to 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. Then he 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;” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench about the altar, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and had water poured on the burnt offering, so that the water ran about the altar, and fi)led the trench also with water. And at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah came near and prayed, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and 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, 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 offering. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and called, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” And Elijah said to them, “Take the prophets of Baal.” And they took them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there. After that the heaven grew black with clouds, and there was a great rain.