The
altar and sacrifice have been prepared for the burnt offering for
atonement of sin. First Elijah repaired God's altar that was just a
heap of stones in ruin. He took twelve stones representing God's
people in unity and laid them side by side as one altar of God. Then
Elijah slaughtered the bull and shed its blood and laid the flesh on
the altar of God to be burned. The rest will be up to God. Having done all that
God required, Elijah prayed to God that He would answer and let the
people know that He is indeed God and that He is turning His peoples'
hearts back to Him. (1 Kings 18:36-37)
According
to the Law, the burnt offering for atonement must be consumed
completely by fire. Here on Mount Carmel, the fire of God consumed
the sacrifice completely. Then
the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the
stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. V38 Elijah made it more difficult for the fire of God to consume the sacrifice when he poured the water over it. Elijah was following God's instruction. God knew that water would draw lightning which would ignite the sacrifice and consume it and all around it completely.
e Elijah prayed and expected the power and fire of God to come. Fire is double-edged. The Bible says that “wickedness burns like a fire.” (see Isaiah 8:18) It will take the fire of God – the Holy Spirit – to put the fire of wickedness out! When the people saw the fire of God consume the sacrifice and all around it, “they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—He is God! The Lord—He is God!” The Jews say this seven times at the end of the Day of Atonement. Atonement is complete. The people were awed and humbled by God's power and mercy.
e Elijah prayed and expected the power and fire of God to come. Fire is double-edged. The Bible says that “wickedness burns like a fire.” (see Isaiah 8:18) It will take the fire of God – the Holy Spirit – to put the fire of wickedness out! When the people saw the fire of God consume the sacrifice and all around it, “they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—He is God! The Lord—He is God!” The Jews say this seven times at the end of the Day of Atonement. Atonement is complete. The people were awed and humbled by God's power and mercy.
God
answered by fire. The fire of God didn't fall on the people in
judgment for their sin against God. Instead it fell on the
sacrifice. God consuming the sacrifice meant that it was acceptable
to Him. This is also a foreshadowing of what God would do through His
precious and chosen Son Jesus. Jesus is the Perfect Atoning
Sacrifice for sin. His sacrifice never has to be repeated because it
is Eternal. No sacrifice or person in the Older Testament was eternal until Jesus.
Elijah knew both sides of God's character – His power
in consuming the substitute sacrifice for atonement, and His mercy
upon His sinful people when they turn back to Him. The people
humbled themselves before God and declared that the God of Israel is
the true God. Therefore,
I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual
act of worship. Romans 12:1 To
allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn our sinful nature out of us
by burning His Truth and ways into us is the greatest act of worship
you can give the Lord. Jesus in the flesh became a Living Sacrifice
for us; He wants us to become a living sacrifice for Him. Worship is
a life not just a song! In the Law, the fire of the burnt offering was to
continually burn and not go out. (Leviticus
6:13) The
priests had to keep the fire burning continually. It was to never go out! Every day the
priest must add firewood and put the flesh of the sacrificial animal
on the fire. V12 Jesus
said that we are to take up our cross daily and follow Him and His ways, just
as the priests had to put the wood on the altar daily to keep the fire
burning continually. The fire of the Holy Spirit burns continually in those who love and follow Christ. The priests in the Older Testament tabernacle and temple had to remove the ashes and anything that would
prevent the fire from burning. Because of Jesus' eternal, living
sacrifice of His flesh on the cross, God sent the fire of the Holy
Spirit to burn within eternally to remove all that is not of Him in us.
Believers are to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning by taking up our cross daily and allowing the Holy Spirit and the Word to burn out of us anything that would put the fire out-- i.e. our
sinful nature that is controlled by the devil, false truth, false prophecy, etc.
According
to the Law given to Moses, the false prophets must be exposed and put
to death. (see
Deuteronomy 13:1-6) The sin of the false prophets of Baal was not atoned for because they did not declare that God is God
and turn from their wicked ways. They still worship the false god.
Not one of these false prophets were to escape. The Land must be
cleansed of their curse. The victory must be complete! Notice that
Elijah had God's people put these false prophets to death by taking
them down
into the Kishon Valley and slaughtering them. Their blood turned
the water of the stream of Kishon into blood indicating God's
judgment. Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit always take us higher. It is the devil who brings us down.
Elijah
obeyed the Law by having these false prophets killed. In the New
Testament under Christ's law of love, we don't kill unbelievers,
sinners and the wicked. Instead, we have the freedom to choose to
love them into the arms of Jesus who is the Perfect Burnt Offering
for the atonement of sin. The New Testament is based upon our heart
attitude not a set of rules. The Lord let us see in the Older
Testament how impossible it is to meet demands. Love cannot be
demanded. It must be given freely and willingly by choice. Love
leaves the choice to love up to us. However, self-preservation in
our Godly walk sometimes requires separating from influences that may
draw us into sin. If the ways of a person are tempting us, then we
must separate from that person not in anger or hatefully, but for
self-preservation of our own walk with God.
As
Elijah and God's people cast the idolaters down to the Kidron Valley
and slaughtered them completely, the devil and his followers will be
cast into the lake of fire in the belly of the earth to their eternal
death. Until this time, there is still hope for all sinners. Right
to the end, God will have His faithful remnant calling people into
the arms of the Savior Jesus. This is the depth and height of God's
love for humanity. He wants that none should perish into eternal
death and darkness.
How
do we recognize a false prophet? They do not speak according to
God's Word. (Isaiah
8:20) Jesus
tells us to “watch
out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves. BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL
RECOGNIZE THEM.” Matthew 7:15-16 In
other words, their lives will be lived according to God's ways and
the fruit of the Holy Spirit. False prophets also speak and teach lies. (see
Jeremiah 28:15-16) They
teach corruption. (see
2 Peter 2:1-3: 10-12) Jesus
warned that in the last days “many
false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who
stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:11-13
The
antidote to all of this is to know the Living Word Jesus and His
written Word. This is not a casual knowing but a close, committed
and intimate relationship with the Lord, and an unquenchable desire
for the water and bread of His Word and His Holy Spirit. Without the
wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, we can be
easily deceived into embracing false doctrine. And our ears can be
tickled into receiving false prophesies. Watch, my brothers and
sisters, because the devil is cunning and clever. He can use the
very Word of God to deceive by twisting it, removing words and making
it say something that it doesn't. God holds those who teach and
speak His Word to a very high standard and accountability. We must
be sure that we are rightly-dividing His Word. Scripture interprets
scripture because it was Divinely written by the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, therefore must be Divinely interpreted by the Holy
Spirit. This is why we must compare scripture with scripture. God's ways never change!
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