God's Omnipresence vs Man's Limitation
1 Kings 18: 27-40
God's Omnipresence vs Man's Limitation
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
We all know this story, Elijah Challenges the prophets of Baal to a test of faith between the Lord and Baal. Each side prepared an offering to their respective God/god both sides made sure that there was no way for them to light to offering without divine intervention. But this is the part that stuck out to me the most ( even though I and using the whole passage in my devotion) It was Elijah's mockery of the prophets of Baal who spent hours upon hours crying out to Baal to show his might and he did nothing. they went so far as to cut themselves hoping that their blood would please him. But we know who's blood is truly an acceptable sacrifice to God. It is the blood of his son Jesus. But in his mocking Elijah pointed out the limits of their false god and the limits of what man can do to please God. He claimed that their god was too distracted and too preoccupied to hear them and that he was somewhere else and had not noticed them. Funny our God is everywhere at once and hears our prayers at all times. And to cap it all off, Elijah says it best in verse 36 'Lord I am thy servant and I have done according to thy word." See when we spend less time trying to make God do what we want him and spend more time doing what he wants us to do. Not only do we see our own limitations as we know that there is nothing in this world that we can do alone, but we get the privilege to witness the awe-inspiring power of the Lord our God.
I close with this, Lord I am sorry I took my life into my own hands and went out on my own. I surrender and will do your will. Thank you for loving me and thank you for saving me.
God's Omnipresence vs Man's Limitation
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
We all know this story, Elijah Challenges the prophets of Baal to a test of faith between the Lord and Baal. Each side prepared an offering to their respective God/god both sides made sure that there was no way for them to light to offering without divine intervention. But this is the part that stuck out to me the most ( even though I and using the whole passage in my devotion) It was Elijah's mockery of the prophets of Baal who spent hours upon hours crying out to Baal to show his might and he did nothing. they went so far as to cut themselves hoping that their blood would please him. But we know who's blood is truly an acceptable sacrifice to God. It is the blood of his son Jesus. But in his mocking Elijah pointed out the limits of their false god and the limits of what man can do to please God. He claimed that their god was too distracted and too preoccupied to hear them and that he was somewhere else and had not noticed them. Funny our God is everywhere at once and hears our prayers at all times. And to cap it all off, Elijah says it best in verse 36 'Lord I am thy servant and I have done according to thy word." See when we spend less time trying to make God do what we want him and spend more time doing what he wants us to do. Not only do we see our own limitations as we know that there is nothing in this world that we can do alone, but we get the privilege to witness the awe-inspiring power of the Lord our God.
I close with this, Lord I am sorry I took my life into my own hands and went out on my own. I surrender and will do your will. Thank you for loving me and thank you for saving me.
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