GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS!

Yahweh vs Baal

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!” 1 Kings 17:1 (HCSB)

Have you ever wondered if God is really able to supply all your needs? If we are honest, all of us at one time or another have had a moment when a crisis of faith has appeared. I will tell you that it always seems to come in an unsuspecting way. And at a time that challenges us in ways never imagined. This is what the story of Elijah is all about.

This is the first time that the Prophet Elijah is introduced in the Bible. He is coming at a much needed time in the annals of faith. He throws down the gauntlet in a cosmic matchup between Baal and Yahweh. To help us understand the importance of this matchup, it will be necessary to understand who is Baal?

Ahab is the King of Israel beginning in 784 BC and reigns for 22 years. You have heard it said that behind every important man is a good woman. Well, in this case, Ahab has a women behind him but I would not call her good. Her name is Jezebel. She influenced her husband to incorporate the worship of Baal into the society of Israel. Baal was the god of lighting and storm. He was the god responsible for the fertility of the land.

Elijah comes on the scene when Baal worship is in full swing. His name Elijah means “my God is Yahweh” and we are introduced to him when he confronts Ahab the King. He proclaims to the King, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!” The stage is now set for a demonstration of power between Baal and Yahweh. It will be a display of power, a time of testing, and provisions.

If you are like me, I do not like taking test. However, test are extremely important throughout life. Joel Sumaqaysay tells about “Testing the Genuine”. He says, “All sorts of things are tested to prove that they are genuine. When you go to a bank and give a $20 bill to the cashier, she holds it to a special light. Why would she do that? Because she is testing it to make sure it is genuine. During the time when the Philippines was not using a special light to determine the genuineness of the dollar bills, the bank tellers would just hold the dollars close to the light and then examine the pictures that were printed on the dollar bills. I was so curious what the teller was doing and I asked him how to know that the dollar is genuine by just looking at it? He told me that if the hair of the picture of a man on the dollar is not combed properly the dollar is fake.”

We expect EVERYTHING that has value to be tested. The faith that is not tested is the faith that cannot be trusted. Is your faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, genuine?

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

The psalmist wrote “Test me, LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind.” Psalm 26:2 (HCSB) I pray that I might be found genuine in my faith today. In Jesus Name, Amen.