Waypoints: Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

I am writing this from Inspiration Point Bible camp where I am spending a few days teaching a group of young adults. It is really exciting for me to see their passion for serving the Lord. They want their lives to matter so they have chosen to “take a year off” from the usual school / job combo and be equipped for a life of service. The group really has a good time serving and growing together.
 
I mention this because it ties into a key component of our Scripture passage for this upcoming Sunday’s message. Israel is in a tough place due to poor leadership and poor decisions by the country as a whole. Israel has decided along with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to worship the God of Israel to a point along with the worshiping of false gods. The king and queen hated Elijah because he spoke against their false worship and their immorality. Elijah was a pain in the neck for the royals!
 
King Ahab was attempting to track down Elijah to take care of him once and for all. In the end, Elijah came to him so that there would be a confrontation between the One True God and the pantheon of false gods along with 850 false prophets of Ahab. But before the ensuing battle Scripture records the following words for us to consider today.
 

• 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
• 18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Camel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 
• 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
• But the people said nothing. (I Kings 18)

 
The words of Elijah come to us today and we are reminded to enjoy life worshiping the one true God and no other. God loves us too much to sit by and let us waste our worship and our lives. He is a “jealous God” that will not share his place with anyone or anything. We need to consider whether or not we are “wavering between two opinions”. I tragically believe that this simple phrase is a true descriptor for many in the Church today.
 
My hope is that the singular passion for God Almighty I have encountered with the students I taught this week would also be present in an ever growing number of lives at Oak Hill Church. I pray that when we are confronted by these words we do not copy the silence of the Israelites. Instead we join our voices together and we proclaim “We will follow Jesus Christ – He alone is the one we follow.”
 
In Grace and Truth,
Pastor Nick