1 Kings 18:33
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. 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.
On Mount Carmel Elijah stood alone against four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to prove that the God who answers by fire is God, and after repairing the broken altar with twelve stones he arranged the wood, cut the bullock in pieces, laid it on the wood, and had four barrels of water poured over the sacrifice and wood a second time and a third time until everything was soaked and the trench was filled. The drenching was deliberate in a conspicuous place so the offering could not be kindled by human means and the honor of God's name would be vindicated by a clear display of His power as Creator. In contrast to the frenzied cries of the Baal priests, Elijah offered a calm prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and fire fell that consumed the water-soaked sacrifice with the wood, stones, dust and water, so the people confessed that the Lord is God and the prophets of Baal were slain at Kishon. Through faith idolatry was overthrown and checked, Israel was stirred to forsake Baal and return to God's worship, and the victory opened the way to Elijah's earnest prayer on Carmel until great rain came as a token of blessing to be poured upon Israel. The triumph that gave hope of reform was followed by weariness and flight before Jezebel's threats when faith let go its hold, showing that Satan attacks just after great faithfulness and that the altar and sacrifice must be put in order and purified according to God's word before the fire can come.
Water-Soaked Sacrifice Prepared
The verse belongs to the Mount Carmel contest to prove that the God who answers by fire is God, in which Elijah stood alone before all Israel against four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. It was a contest between life and death in which he showed undaunted courage and triumphed over the king, the priests, and the people. The false prophets faced the whole nation with Elijah undaunted before them, and afterward they were slain and the people declared allegiance to God.
After the prophets of Baal had called from morning until the time of the evening sacrifice with no voice and no answer, even cutting themselves till blood gushed, Elijah repaired the broken altar of the Lord. He repaired it with twelve stones for the tribes of the sons of Jacob, built it in the name of the Lord, and made a trench about it.
On that repaired altar he put the wood in order, cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood. He then ordered four barrels of water poured on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. The order was repeated a second time and a third time, until the offering and altar were thoroughly soaked and water ran around the altar and filled the trench.
The contest was set in a conspicuous place so God's power could be displayed and the honor of His name vindicated after idolatrous worship had dishonored Him. The drenching was deliberate so the sacrifice could not be mistaken for fire kindled by human means. The preparation therefore made the subsequent fire a clear demonstration of the Lord's power as Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth.
In contrast to the frenzy of the Baal priests, Elijah offered a calm, reverent prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Fire then fell that consumed the sacrifice despite the water, burning up wood, stones, dust, and the water in the trench. The display demonstrated God's power over Baal, the people confessed that the Lord is God, and the prophets of Baal were taken and slain at the brook Kishon.
God Vindicated Before Israel
Elijah's work in drenching the sacrifice was done as a preacher of righteousness under God's direction amid Israel's idolatry and wickedness, acting under divine commission to return to Israel and stand before the idolatrous priests on Carmel. That day was a contest between life and death in which he showed undaunted courage and triumphed over the king, the priests, and the people. Its events were wonderful exhibitions of God's power showing that Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is God, and the work God commissioned Elijah to do there included slaying the prophets of Baal.
Through faith idolatry was cast down and overthrown on Carmel where Elijah stood alone for God, and the stand against Baal worship checked the idolatry supported by Ahab and Jezebel. The fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice and the water, demonstrating God's power over Baal and leading Israel to acknowledge the Lord. Israel was deeply stirred by the account, declared allegiance to God, and many returned to His worship, being stirred to return to the worship of God and to seek God and forsake the altars of Baal.
The victory led to strong, earnest prayer for rain on the top of Carmel, bowed down with face between the knees in a painful, humiliating position. His faith was sorely tried, yet he continued in earnest prayer until rewarded by tokens of rain and great rain. That rain which followed, the blessed rain, testified to the blessings and to the showers of blessing waiting to be poured upon Israel.
The idolatry of that time has a counterpart in the Christian world, when people worship a false conception of God or deify nature instead of worshiping the true God. The account of Elijah's stand against Baal worship, of standing for what is right amid apostasy when people turn from God and exalt false gods or human influences, is set forth to give courage to those later called to stand.
Standing Firm Then Faltering
The drenching of the sacrifice belongs to a day when, after bearing a heavy burden for Israel, faithfully warning against national idolatry, and watching through three and a half years of famine for some token of repentance, Elijah stood as the sole witness to the true God. On that terrible day upon Carmel he stood undaunted before Ahab and the assembled nation, with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head, maintaining his trust in Jehovah and standing long and valiantly for the right with undaunted courage. Through the power of faith idolatry was there cast down, the false prophets were slain, and the people declared their allegiance to God. That signal triumph for those seduced into Baal-worship opened the way for still greater victories and gave hope that the king and people would reform.
Afterward, in a moment of weariness, fear of death from Jezebel's threats overcame faith and he fled for his life into the desert, even praying to die. Even one who had stood undaunted before king and nation could be overcome when human weakness took hold, when strength failed and faith let go its hold upon infinite power. His turning away from those wonderful opportunities showed he had not yet learned to trust wholly in God to complete his work and to occupy the vantage-ground God would have him occupy. His failure of faith cut short his life-work so that another must be anointed prophet in his stead, yet God marked his heart-service and gave him ascent with angels to the presence of His glory instead of perishing in discouragement and solitude or descending to the tomb. That end declares that sin brings only shame and loss, unbelief means failure, God's mercy reaches to the deepest depths, and faith lifts the repenting soul to share the adoption of the sons of God.
The aftermath shows that Satan takes advantage of human weakness and attacks just after great faithfulness, and that public victory and manifestation of God's power do not remove the need to keep trusting God. The putting of the wood in order and the preparing of the bullock also teach that the altar and sacrifice had to be put in order and purified according to God's word and instruction before the fire could come and burn.