Page 574 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

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JUNE 4
when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an
oath from the kingdom or nation that they
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could not find you. And now you say, ‘Go, tell
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your master, “Elijah is here” ’! And it shall 18:21 falter between two opinions.Literally,
come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, limp along on or between two twigs. Israel
that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a had not totally rejected the Lord, but was
place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, seeking to combine worship of Him with the
and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I worship of Baal.The issue posed by Elijah was
your servant have feared the LORD from my that Israel had to choose who was God, the
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youth. Was it not reported to my lord what I Lord or Baal, and then serve God wholeheart-
edly.Rather than decide by his message,Elijah
sought a visible sign from heaven.
18:24 the God who answers by fire. Since
18:12 the Spirit of the LORD will carry you. Baal’s followers believed that he controlled
The servant had been asked to tell Ahab Elijah the thunder, lightning, and storms, and the
was present to speak with him (vv. 7,18), but Lord’s followers declared the same (Ps. 18:14;
he was afraid because Ahab was seeking Elijah 29:3–9; 104:3), this would prove to be a fair
so intensely.Since Elijah had disappeared from test to show who was God.
sight earlier (17:5),Obadiah was afraid that the
Holy Spirit would carry Elijah away again (2 Kin.
2:16) and the irrational Ahab would kill him for
the false report of Elijah’s presence. other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no
fire under it. Then you call on the name of
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your gods, and I will call on the name of the
did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is
LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s God.”
prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with So all the people answered and said, “It is
bread and water? And now you say, ‘Go, tell well spoken.”
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your master, “Elijah is here.”’ He will kill me!” 25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,
15 Then Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it
lives, before whom I stand, I will surely pre- first, for you are many; and call on the name of
sent myself to him today.” your god, but put no fire under it.”
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told 26 So they took the bull which was given
him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. them, and they prepared it, and called on the
17 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, name of Baal from morning even till noon, say-
that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler ing, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice;
of Israel?” no one answered. Then they leaped about the
18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Is- altar which they had made.
rael, but you and your father’s house have, in 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked
that you have forsaken the commandments of them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god;
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the LORD and have followed the Baals. Now either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is
therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and
Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty must be awakened.” So they cried aloud, and
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prophets of Baal, and the four hundred cut themselves, as was their custom, with
prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” knives and lances, until the blood gushed out
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20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, on them. And when midday was past, they
and gathered the prophets together on Mount prophesied until the time of the offering of the
Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no
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and said, “How long will you falter between one answered, no one paid attention.
two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come
but if Baal, follow him.” But the people near to me.” So all the people came near to
answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that
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the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve
LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred stones, according to the number of the tribes
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and fifty men. Therefore let them give us two of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the
bulls; and let them choose one bull for them- LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your
selves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, name.” Then with the stones he built an altar
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but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench
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