And he said, do it the second time, and they did it the second time ,.... That is, poured four barrels of water more upon the wood: and he said, do it the third time, and they did it the third time ; so that there were in all twelve barrels of water poured on the wood, agreeably to the number of the twelve stones the altar was built with, and may have respect to the same as they. read more
And the water ran round about the altar ,.... There being such a large effusion of it on it; and he filled the trench also with water ; which surrounded the altar, so that it seemed impracticable that any fire should kindle upon it; and this gave full proof and demonstration there could be no collusion in this matter. read more
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice ,.... Which the people of God at Jerusalem were now attending to: that Elijah the prophet came near ; to the altar he had built, and on which he had laid the sacrifice: and said ; in prayer to God: Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; the covenant God of the ancestors of his people, though they had now so fully departed from him: let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel ; and that there... read more
Lord God of Abraham - He thus addressed the Supreme Being, that they might know when the answer was given, that it was the same God whom the patriarchs and their fathers worshipped, and thus have their hearts turned back again to the true religion of their ancestors. read more
Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. Elijah is now prepared for his work. He who had sent him into the desert now commands him to enter into open conflict with idolatry. God makes His will known to him in two ways. I. BY AN INWARD IMPULSE . II. THROUGH HIS MEETING WITH THE YOUNG OBADIAH , the protector of the prophets, and the faithful servant of God in the midst of the impure court of Ahab. Let it be ours to seek such a twofold assurance of the will of God. Let... read more
Israel's Conversion. It has been remarked elsewhere that in the history of the Israelitish people we may see pourtrayed the trials and experiences of a Christian soul. And not only is that true of this history as a whole, but it also holds good of various periods of that history, of various crises in the nation's life. It holds good of that great crisis recorded in this chapter. For from the conversion of Israel on the day of Carmel, we may gather some lessons as to the true doctrine of... read more
The God that answereth by fire. I. ISRAEL 'S SIN ( 1 Kings 18:21 ). 1 . Its nature : indecision, a want of whole-hearted devotion; "How long halt ye?" etc. They tried to combine both worships, bowing before Jehovah in secret, and publicly before Baal in the assemblies commanded by the court. There are two who contend today for our devotion and service—the world and God ( 1 John 2:15 ). The world has its rewards and demands; God has His. 2 . Its folly . Both cannot... read more
The Prepatation. As the time of the evening sacrifice approached, Elijah left the priests of Baal prophesying in despair. Satan, if permitted, could have brought fire down (see Job 1:12 , Job 1:16 ; Revelation 13:13 , Revelation 13:14 ); but God restrained him. The people were now convinced that Baal was not able to hear his priests; so they drew round Elijah, and observed the order in which he proceeded with his preparation. I. HE REPAIRED THE ALTAR OF THE LORD .... read more
And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. [Heb. Repeat, and they repeated .] And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. [See note on 1 Kings 17:21 .] read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 18:21-40
Ahab and the people expected that Elijah would, in this solemn assembly, bless the land, and pray for rain; but he had other work to do first. The people must be brought to repent and reform, and then they may look for the removal of the judgment, but not till then. This is the right method. God will first prepare our heart, and then cause his ear to hear, will first turn us to him, and then turn to us, Ps. 10:17; 80:3. Deserters must not look for God's favour till they return to their... read more