1Ki 18:18-40 | TNotes

Summary for 1Kgs 18:19-20: 18:19-20 ^a Mount Carmel lies on a ridge dividing the coastal plain of Palestine. The site was known for Canaanite idol worship; an altar to the Lord had also been built there earlier (18:30 ^b). It was a natural location for the contest with Baal. Although the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament) may indicate that the prophets of Asherah attended the ensuing contest on Mount Carmel, the Hebrew text does not (cp. 18:22 ^c).
18:21 ^d The Hebrew word translated waver means “to be lame” or “to limp.” Elijah compared the people’s hobbling between the worship of the Lord and of Baal to a person who limps awkwardly from one foot to the other. Elijah may have also been referring to the ritual dance performed by Baal’s prophets as they attempted to gain the storm-god’s attention (18:26 ^e).
18:22 ^f the only prophet of the Lord: Obadiah had previously hidden two groups of fifty prophets to protect them from Jezebel’s purge (18:4 ^g, 13 ^h). However, Elijah’s public stature must have left him feeling alone in his struggle against false religion (see 19:10 ⁱ, 14 ^j); certainly, he did stand alone in confronting the 450 prophets of Baal.
Summary for 1Kgs 18:23-24: 18:23-24 ^k The Lord’s presence was attested by fire (Exod 9:23 ^l; 19:18 ^m; 40:38 ⁿ; Deut 4:24 ^o; 2 Chr 7:1 ^p; Isa 66:15 ^q; Amos 7:4 ^r), which could have been lightning (cp. Ps 18:12-13 ^s; Ezek 1:13-14 ^t; Zech 9:14 ^u). The contest would demonstrate whether the Canaanite storm-god Baal or the God of Israel was the true God; only the true God could set fire to the wood (cp. Lev 9:24 ^v).
18:27 ^w is relieving himself: Elijah’s sarcastic taunts mocked the personification of the gods as having human needs. Egyptian priests awakened their god, then fed, washed, and dressed the idol in fresh clothing. They even put rouge on the idol’s face and placed the proper emblem of royalty on it.
Summary for 1Kgs 18:28-29: 18:28-29 ^x shouted ... cut themselves ... raved: The prophets of Baal demonstrated ecstatic behavior common in ancient pagan religions, but their efforts produced no response. Of course, there is only one true God (Deut 4:35 ^y; 6:4 ^z; Isa 44:8 ^aa); all other hopes are doomed to failure (Isa 45:22 ^ab).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:31-32: 18:31-32 ^ac The twelve stones that Elijah used to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord should have reminded the people that God had a prior claim as the redeemer of all Israel (cp. Josh 4:1-11 ^ad; see Isa 41:14 ^ae; 49:26 ^af).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:33-35: 18:33-35 ^ag Elijah avoided any hint of deception by dousing the offering and the wood with great quantities of water, perhaps taken from the nearby Mediterranean Sea or Kishon River.
18:36 ^ah At the appointed time of sacrifice to the Lord, Elijah prayed. He did not imitate the ecstatic behavior of the prophets of Baal but simply prayed to God in light of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 50:24 ^ai; Exod 3:6 ^aj, 15 ^ak; 4:5 ^al; Num 32:11 ^am; Deut 9:27 ^an).
18:37 ^ao The call-answer motif appears frequently in the Old Testament, often depicting the petitioner’s intimate relationship to the Lord (Job 14:15 ^ap; Pss 4:1 ^aq; 91:15 ^ar; 102:2 ^as; Isa 65:24 ^at; Jer 33:3 ^au).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:38-39: 18:38-39 ^av Whether by lightning strike or more supernatural means, the Lord sent fire to consume everything, including all the water in the trench. This was convincing proof that the Lord is God. The continuing story demonstrates conclusively that the Lord, not Baal, has control over fire, water, and the weather.