1Ki 18:36 | KingComments | STEP | Then he who is expressly called “Elijah the prophet” turns to God. He does so without a show like the prophets of Baal, but short, simple, penetrating, above all trusting and with a view to the return of the people to God. The whole power of God is concentrated in this one man. He addresses himself to the “LORD, the God of” – the promises to – “Abraham, Isaac and Israel”. When everything is lost, there can only be an appeal to the God of the promises. We also see that Elijah speaks of God as the “God of … Israel”, that is again what God made of Jacob and not what Jacob is in himself. Elijah does not speak of the LORD ‘my’ God. He does so in his personal prayer. Here it is a public prayer and he prays that God will make Himself known as the God of His people Israel. He also prays for himself that it will become clear that he is connected with Him and acts in His command and carries out that command as He has told him. He prays at the time of the evening sacrifice. This is a wonderful moment. It is the time when later the Lord Jesus will die on the cross as the foundation for the unity of God’s people. On the basis of that sacrifice God answers prayers. It is the hour that the Lord Jesus also called, but did not receive an answer. God accepts the sacrifice of Elijah and the people acknowledge that the LORD is God. Elijah prays that it will become clear that God has brought repentance to their hearts. Restoration begins with those who have faith and prayed in silence and in public. Then the fire falls on the burnt offering. A burnt offering is brought so that the man who offers it may be acceptable to God ( ), not by reason of what man is in himself, but by reason of the pleasure God has in the offering. We may know that we are pleasing to God because He sees us in the Beloved ( ). The result is not only that the people are spared, that judgment passes them by, but that the hearts of the people return to God and trust God again. The result is also that the heart of God is turned back to this people and goes out to them. We see this when we look at the burnt offering that the Lord Jesus was on the cross to God. This burnt offering is offered by Elijah. The fire consumes everything. When the people see it, it falls down and confesses loudly that the LORD is God. It is important that this is also the case with us. This will be evident from a radical removal of all elements that have taken the place of God. Everything that stands in the way of or does not conform to this confession must be removed from our lives. Elijah is radical. It seems hard, but it’s about the holiness of God. The first assignment for this returned people is to seize the prophets of Baal. No one should escape. This is how we must act. In the same way, there must also be merciless dealing with people who bring a false doctrine. This does not happen in our time by killing them, but by breaking and refusing any fellowship with them. Their word goes on like cancer and you cannot have patience with cancer (cf. ). The slaying takes place at the brook Kishon, where once the Canaanites were killed ( ; ).

‏ 1 Kings 18:36

Elijah Calls to God and God Answers

Then he who is expressly called “Elijah the prophet” turns to God. He does so without a show like the prophets of Baal, but short, simple, penetrating, above all trusting and with a view to the return of the people to God. The whole power of God is concentrated in this one man. He addresses himself to the “LORD, the God of” – the promises to – “Abraham, Isaac and Israel”. When everything is lost, there can only be an appeal to the God of the promises. We also see that Elijah speaks of God as the “God of … Israel”, that is again what God made of Jacob and not what Jacob is in himself.

Elijah does not speak of the LORD ‘my’ God. He does so in his personal prayer. Here it is a public prayer and he prays that God will make Himself known as the God of His people Israel. He also prays for himself that it will become clear that he is connected with Him and acts in His command and carries out that command as He has told him. He prays at the time of the evening sacrifice. This is a wonderful moment. It is the time when later the Lord Jesus will die on the cross as the foundation for the unity of God’s people. On the basis of that sacrifice God answers prayers. It is the hour that the Lord Jesus also called, but did not receive an answer. God accepts the sacrifice of Elijah and the people acknowledge that the LORD is God.

Elijah prays that it will become clear that God has brought repentance to their hearts. Restoration begins with those who have faith and prayed in silence and in public. Then the fire falls on the burnt offering. A burnt offering is brought so that the man who offers it may be acceptable to God (Lev 1:9 ; 13 ; 17), not by reason of what man is in himself, but by reason of the pleasure God has in the offering. We may know that we are pleasing to God because He sees us in the Beloved (Eph 1:6).

The result is not only that the people are spared, that judgment passes them by, but that the hearts of the people return to God and trust God again. The result is also that the heart of God is turned back to this people and goes out to them. We see this when we look at the burnt offering that the Lord Jesus was on the cross to God. This burnt offering is offered by Elijah.

The fire consumes everything. When the people see it, it falls down and confesses loudly that the LORD is God. It is important that this is also the case with us. This will be evident from a radical removal of all elements that have taken the place of God. Everything that stands in the way of or does not conform to this confession must be removed from our lives. Elijah is radical. It seems hard, but it’s about the holiness of God.

The first assignment for this returned people is to seize the prophets of Baal. No one should escape. This is how we must act. In the same way, there must also be merciless dealing with people who bring a false doctrine. This does not happen in our time by killing them, but by breaking and refusing any fellowship with them. Their word goes on like cancer and you cannot have patience with cancer (cf. Deu 13:5 ; 9-11 ; Deu 18:20). The slaying takes place at the brook Kishon, where once the Canaanites were killed (Jdg 4:7 ; 13 ; Jdg 5:21; Psa 83:9).