181 Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year , saying , "Go , show yourself to Ahab , and I will send rain on the face of the earth ." 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab . Now the famine was severe in Samaria . 3 Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household . (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly ; 4 for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord , Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave , and provided them with bread and water .) 5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah , "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys ; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive , and not have to kill some of the cattle ." 6 So they divided the land between them to survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself . 7 Now as Obadiah was on the way , behold , Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said , "Is this you, Elijah my master ?" 8 He said to him, "It is I. Go , say to your master , 'Behold , Elijah is here."' 9 He said , "What sin have I committed , that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death ? 10 " As the Lord your God lives , there is no nation or kingdom where e my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said , 'He is not here,' he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. 11 "And now you are saying , 'Go , say to your master , "Behold , Elijah is here."' 12 "It will come about when I leave e you that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where e I do not know ; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth . 13 " Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord , that I hid a hundred prophets of the Lord by fifties in a cave , and provided them with bread and water ? 14 "And now you are saying , 'Go , say to your master , "Behold , Elijah is here"'; he will then kill me." 15 Elijah said , " As the Lord of hosts lives , before whom I stand , I will surely show myself to him today ." 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah .
17 When Ahab saw Elijah , Ahab said to him, "Is this you, you troubler of Israel ?" 18 He said , "I have not troubled Israel , but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed e the Baals . 19 "Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel , together with 450 e e prophets of Baal and 400 e prophets of the Asherah , who eat at Jezebel's table ."
20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel .
21 Elijah came near to all the people and said , " How long e will you hesitate between two opinions ? If the Lord is God , follow e Him; but if Baal , follow e him." But the people did not answer him a word . 22 Then Elijah said to the people , "I alone am left a prophet of the Lord , but Baal's prophets are 450 e e men . 23 "Now let them give us two oxen ; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood , but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood , and I will not put a fire under it. 24 "Then you call on the name of your god , and I will call on the name of the Lord , and the God who answers by fire , He is God ." And all the people said , "That is a good idea ." 25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal , "Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many , and call on the name of your god , but put no fire under it." 26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying , "O Baal , answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered . And they leaped about the altar which they made . 27 It came about at noon , that Elijah mocked them and said , "Call out with a loud voice , for he is a god ; either he is occupied or gone aside , or is on a journey , or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened ." 28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past , they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice ; but there was no voice , no one answered , and no one paid attention . 30 Then Elijah said to all the people , "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down . 31 Elijah took twelve e stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob , to whom the word of the Lord had come , saying , " Israel shall be your name ." 32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord , and he made a trench around the altar , large enough to hold two measures of seed . 33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood . 34 And he said , "Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood ." And he said , "Do it a second time ," and they did it a second time . And he said , "Do it a third time ," and they did it a third time . 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water . 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 . 37 "Answer me, O Lord , answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord , are God , and that You have turned their heart back again ." 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust , and licked up the water that was in the trench . 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces ; and they said , " The Lord , He is God ; the Lord , He is God ." 40 Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal ; do not let one of them escape ." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon , and slew them there .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 18:1-40
Commentary on 1 Kings 18:1-16
(Read 1 Kings 18:1-16)
The severest judgments, of themselves, will not humble or change the hearts of sinners; nothing, except the blood of Jesus Christ, can atone for the guilt of sin; nothing, except the sanctifying Spirit of God, can purge away its pollution. The priests and the Levites were gone to Judah and Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 11:13,14, but instead of them God raised up prophets, who read and expounded the word. They probably were from the schools of the prophets, first set up by Samuel. They had not the spirit of prophecy as Elijah, but taught the people to keep close to the God of Israel. These Jezebel sought to destroy. The few that escaped death were forced to hide themselves. God has his remnant among all sorts, high and low; and that faith, fear, and love of his name, which are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, will be accepted through the Redeemer. See how wonderfully God raises up friends for his ministers and people, for their shelter in difficult times. Bread and water were now scarce, yet Obadiah will find enough for God's prophets, to keep them alive. Ahab's care was not to lose all the beasts; but he took no care about his soul, not to lose that. He took pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favour of God; fencing against the effect, but not inquiring how to remove the cause. But it bodes well with a people, when God calls his ministers to stand forth, and show themselves. And we may the better endure the bread of affliction, while our eyes see our teachers.
Commentary on 1 Kings 18:17-20
(Read 1 Kings 18:17-20)
One may guess how people stand affected to God, by observing how they stand affected to his people and ministers. It has been the lot of the best and most useful men, like Elijah, to be called and counted the troublers of the land. But those who cause God's judgments do the mischief, not he that foretells them, and warns the nation to repent.
Commentary on 1 Kings 18:21-40
(Read 1 Kings 18:21-40)
Many of the people wavered in their judgment, and varied in their practice. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or Baal was the self-existent, supreme God, the Creator, Governor, and Judge of the world, and to follow him alone. It is dangerous to halt between the service of God and the service of sin, the dominion of Christ and the dominion of our lusts. If Jesus be the only Saviour, let us cleave to him alone for every thing; if the Bible be the world of God, let us reverence and receive the whole of it, and submit our understanding to the Divine teaching it contains. Elijah proposed to bring the matter to a trial. Baal had all the outward advantages, but the event encourages all God's witnesses and advocates never to fear the face of man. The God that answers by fire, let him be God: the atonement was to be made by sacrifice, before the judgment could be removed in mercy. The God therefore that has power to pardon sin, and to signify it by consuming the sin-offering, must needs be the God that can relieve from the calamity. God never required his worshippers to honour him in the manner of the worshippers of Baal; but the service of the devil, though sometimes it pleases and pampers the body, yet, in other things, really is cruel to it, as in envy and drunkenness. God requires that we mortify our lusts and corruptions; but bodily penances and severities are no pleasure to him. Who has required these things at your hands? A few words uttered in assured faith, and with fervent affection for the glory of God, and love to the souls of men, or thirstings after the Lord's image and his favour, form the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man, which availeth much. Elijah sought not his own glory, but that of God, for the good of the people. The people are all agreed, convinced, and satisfied; Jehovah, he is the God. Some, we hope, had their hearts turned, but most of them were convinced only, not converted. Blessed are they that have not seen what these saw, yet have believed, and have been wrought upon by it, more than they that saw it.