Evening star., 1927-10-01
by REV. HUGH r. STEVENSON.
ELIJAH ON MOUNT CARMEL.
Kings, xviii. LAG.
Golden Text
Choose ye this day whom ye will
serve. Joshua, XXiV.15.

We open our study Of the early
prophets for the coming quarter by
considering one Of the most dramatic
scenes IN all history. Seventy years
after the division Of the united king
dom anon the accession of RehobO3n,
as the successor OF Solomon, Elijah
abruptly appeared in the court or
Ahah. warned the king Of the ap-
preaching national calamity ana I'M
mediately disappeared. The prophet
of God condemned the king for MS
denial Of the covenant relations eN-
listing between Jehovah and Israel and
for the substitution of the affairs to
Baal in place of the worship Of Je-
hoval by the people. He married JeZe-
bel. the daughter Of the priest OF Baal
and the King of Zidon, because he
sought to unite that nation with Israel
in an offensive and defensive alliance
by unifying them in the worship or
Bdal.
The uncouth Tishbite's revelation
of the nations peril fell upon the
court like the flash of the lightning,
sharp as a blazing sword in its sud
den vividness." He could not be found
when the court, who had made fun
of the man from beyond Jordan,
searched the whole land that was SUI
fering from famine due to the drought
that he had predicted. When the
water of Cheroth failed God sent him
to a widow of Zarephath, whose faith
served to revive the weary prophet
when he appeared in the pagan land
of Zidon at an hour when her supply
of oil and flour was about used up.
Due to Gods blessing, the oil and flour
continued to last until the prophet
was ordered to return to Israel, face
Ahab, issue a challenge for him to
test the powers of Jehovah and Baal
by means of a public assembly.
Encouraged by the support Jehovah
had given to him during the long pc
riod Of the famine, His answers to the
prophets prayers that brought the
widows son from the dead, and the
evidence of the peace, protection and
power that Gods presence had given
the prophet, Elijah returned to Israel,
met Ahab according to appointment,
dictated terms to the king who had
placed a price upon his head. The
assembly of the nation was called to
meet at Mount Carmel, that is recog
nized as one of the finest and most
beautiful mountains in Palestine. The
whole range is called Jebel Mar Elias,
'the mountain Of st. Elijah"
The Worlds Great Drama.
Romance may be challenged to rival
the worlds great drama enacted upon
Carmel's lofty summit, with the rep
resentatives of rival religions as actors
in the weird tragedy before the as
sembled nation. The multitude looked
upon the strange contrast furnished
by Elijah, the champion of Jehovah
and truth, who had been a despised
outlaw for months, standing alone in
defiance against the 450 priests who
had shared the favor of the court and
the peoples generosity.
The obscure, despised and hated
prophet demonstrated his faith by his
courageous challenge that the people
choose between Jehovah and Baal by
using test of fire, suggesting that
the god that anSWereth by fire, let
him be God" It is evident that the
great mass of the people in their ig-
norance saw no difference between the
worship of Baal and Jehovah. Many
today are deceived by false teachings
and consider that they are true Chris
tians, when their life, labor and love
does not correspond to the teachings
of Christ, who insists, just as Elijah
uIu, Llldl We uluSL come OUT from
among them. BE separate" The
great spiritual reformers through all
history have demanded that we
give God the supreme place in our
thoughts and acts. Elijah took the
position that Baalism and Judaism
did not blend, and insisted that the
people take their choice either for or
against Jehovah as God. Israel's pres
erVatiOn called for the overthrow Of
Baal and the restoration of a spirit
ual religion. We need to remember
that God is a jealous God; that He is
a Spirit, and that the one who would
worship Him must worship Him in
sincerity and truth. We cannot serve
God and Mammon.
Elijah knew that q spiritual appeal
would be worthless, 50 he proposed
this spectacular test Of fire, because
IL was fair and one that the priests
of Baal would not dare to refuse. Baal
| was believed to possess peculiar power
| over fire. The priests were away from
| their temples and could not practice
any fraud. Farrar tells US that pagan
| priests have been adopts at deception.
| one may see at pompeii the secret
| staircase behind the altar and the
| pipes let into the head Of Isis from
| behind through which the priests
| spoke her pretended oraclcs. Every
thing was done in the open so that
| the people could see the acts of the
| priests Of Baal, as they sought
| throughout the day by prayer, mutt
! latQn Of their flesh, biting one another
upon the arms and cutting themselves
with their two-cdged swords, until the
| blood tricl;led down and they fell.
weakened by the loss OF blood and
! their eXcTtiDnS,
The Triumphant Sacrifice.
In contrast to their bowling and de-
StluctiVe practices, Elijah, after haE-
ing almost exhausted his patience, re-
| vcaled in his ironic suggestions to the
| priests of Baal that they should pray
louder so that Baal would hear, with
rcverential dignity repaired the old
altar Of sacrifice. The place of vic
tory is identified today at the south
east extremity Of the cliff and plateau,
about II miles from the sea. 1t Is
called FL Mahrakah tplace of the burn
ingb. where Elijah prepared the altar
placed upon ii the sacrifice, had 1t
covered with water, and prayed for
Jehovah to prove by fire that He was
God. His prayers were answered and
the people demonstrated their faith
by slaughtcring the priests of Baal
in response to the command of Elijah
ION the lower dcclivities of the noun
tain is a mound called Tell.elKusis