Elijah And The Prophets Of Baal
1 Kings 18:1-46
One prophet against 450, and only one altar caught fire.
Three years of drought. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel have filled Israel with Baal worship and murdered God's prophets. Elijah emerges from hiding and issues a challenge on Mount Carmel: two altars, two sacrifices, 450 prophets of Baal against one prophet of the Lord. The god who answers with fire is the real God. The prophets of Baal go first — shouting, dancing, cutting themselves from morning until evening. Nothing happens. Elijah mocks them: Maybe your god is sleeping. Maybe he's on a journey. Then Elijah drenches his altar with water — three times — until it fills the trench. He prays once. Fire falls from heaven and consumes everything — the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the water. The people fall on their faces.
- Faith
- God's Power
- Confrontation
- True Worship
Elijah And The Prophets Of Baal: common questions
What happened on Mount Carmel with Elijah?
Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal to a contest: each side would prepare a sacrifice and call on their god to send fire. Baal never answered despite hours of pleading; when Elijah prayed, fire fell from the Lord and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the water (1 Kings 18:20-39).
What did Elijah say to the prophets of Baal?
As they called on Baal with no response, Elijah mocked them: 'Cry aloud... Either he is musing, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened' (1 Kings 18:27).
What happened after the contest on Mount Carmel?
The people declared 'The Lord, he is God,' the prophets of Baal were killed, and Elijah prayed for rain to end the three-year drought. A small cloud grew into a heavy downpour (1 Kings 18:41-45). Queen Jezebel then threatened Elijah's life, and he fled.
