Tuesday, Ordinary 13/ Proper 8 – July 1

Elijah Challenges the False Prophets of Baal

Elijah, Westminster College, Cambridge, Stained glass in the chapel of Westminster College, Cambridge. The glass is by Douglas Strachan and dates from 1921. This window depicts Elijah calling down the fire of God: Photo by Steve Day, CCL flickr

Meditation

Tuesday, Ordinary 13/Proper 8, warned against false prophets. The Psalmist called for all nations to honor God with their hands, their music and all their lives because all nations belonged to God.

The visually compelling story of Elijah challenging the false prophets of Baal to a ‘sacrifice-off’ competition stirred the fervor when the all-powerful sovereign God waited until the false prophets had made complete fools of themselves, by taunting them and suggesting Baal was busy or couldn’t hear them because they weren’t loud enough. The 400 false prophets cut themselves as they danced around begging for Baal to burn the bull on the altar. All day passed before Elijah stepped up, rebuilt the broken altar of the Lord with 12 stones (one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel) and placed the cut up bull on the altar. He dug a small trough around the altar. Then he drove the point home by dousing the altar with water, not once, not twice, but three times.

He prayed a simple prayer. Not screaming but calling upon God to show the true nature of the Supreme God, so that PEOPLE would KNOW and RECOGNIZE the ONE TRUE GOD.