And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
At the hour of the evening sacrifice Elijah repaired the broken altar with twelve stones, laid the wood and the bullock upon it, and had the people drench it with water poured three times until the water ran around the altar and filled the trench. He did this deliberately to make the test with the prophets of Baal unmistakable, standing alone as God's sole witness before Ahab, Israel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. God answered by fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice and even the water and the stones, proving that Jehovah the Creator is God and displaying His power over Baal. Through that display idolatry was cast down, the false prophets were slain, and the people declared their allegiance to God and were stirred to return to His worship. The soaked altar prepared according to God's word before the fire fell shows that God's people must yield to His shaping and follow His word, and Elijah's stand gives courage to those called to stand for the right in a time of apostasy.
Water-Soaked Offering at Carmel
At the hour of the evening sacrifice Elijah made his final preparation by first repairing the broken-down altar of the Lord, building it with twelve stones for the tribes of Israel, making a trench about it, putting the wood in order, and cutting the bullock and laying it on the wood. He then deliberately had the people flood the burnt sacrifice, the wood and the altar, commanding four barrels of water to be poured a second time and a third time. The water ran round about the altar and filled the trench also, leaving the offering and wood thoroughly soaked before he prayed. This repeated drenching was done to make the test with the prophets of Baal unmistakable, so that no doubt would remain when fire fell.
The verse belongs to the public confrontation on Mount Carmel, a conspicuous place Elijah chose for God to display His power and vindicate the honor of His name. There, commissioned to stand before the idolatrous priests, he stood alone as the sole witness to the true God in a life-and-death contest. Undaunted before King Ahab, he faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head. He stood there after bearing a heavy burden for Israel, with faithful warnings against national idolatry and deep solicitude during three years and a half of famine, while watching and waiting for some token of repentance.
Jehovah Proved All-Powerful
God answered by fire from heaven that consumed not only the drenched sacrifice but also the water and the altar stones, after Elijah had the people soak the sacrifice and altar and fill the trench around the altar with water. That consuming of the water along with the offering displayed God's power over Baal in the life-and-death contest on Carmel where Elijah showed undaunted courage and triumphed over the king, priests, and people. The watered altar and trench were part of the wonderful events and exhibitions of the power of God that proved Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is God, after which Elijah slew the prophets of Baal.
Through the power of faith idolatry was cast down and overthrown on Carmel on that terrible day when Elijah stood undaunted before King Ahab and faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head. There the false prophets were slain and the people declared their allegiance to God. Many Israelites were stirred to return to the worship of God, and Elijah is seen standing long and valiantly for the right.
The Mount Carmel contest led to Elijah's prayer for rain after he told Ahab to go up to eat and drink for there was a sound of abundance of rain. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and cast himself down upon the earth with his face between his knees in a painful, humiliating position. His prayer for rain was strong and earnest, his faith was sorely tried while he bore a heavy burden for Israel with faithful warnings against national idolatry and deep solicitude during three years and a half of famine while watching and waiting for some token of repentance, standing alone for God. He continued in earnest prayer until his faith was rewarded by tokens of rain, followed by heaven black with clouds and wind and great rain, and through the faith that helped overthrow idolatry the blessed rain testified to the showers of blessing waiting to be poured upon Israel.
The account of the confrontation with Baal worship shows that idolatry existed in ancient Israel and has counterparts in the Christian world. The miracle was a wonderful revelation of God's power wrought before the people and the king to brace Elijah to do His work and to assure him that God would not forsake him and that His power as Lord of heaven and earth was wholly sufficient to sustain him. It was meant to make an impression on king and people that would have wrought a reformation if Elijah had constantly looked to God, maintained implicit trust and confidence, made God his refuge and strength, and stood steadfast and immovable for the truth. Elijah hoped much from the miracle but was disappointed at its results, and when Jezebel threatened him he lost his hold on God, lost courage and faith, and fled without being sent.
Courage, Preparation and Warning
The record of Elijah's work in a time of apostasy and idolatry to which this soaking of altar and trench belongs gives courage to those called to stand for what is right when people turn from God. The drenching of altar and trench with water was part of preparing the altar according to God's word before the fire fell. That preparation illustrates that God's people must yield to His shaping, be emptied of self, and follow His word, for the altar must be prepared as God directs before the fire can burn. The same preparation illustrates that the fire can burn only when the altar is purified according to God's word.
The signal triumph over those seduced into Baal-worship opened the way for still greater victories and wonderful opportunities before Elijah. Yet he was turned away from them by the threat of Jezebel. He still had to learn to trust wholly in God in order to complete his work, and to understand the weakness of his present position as compared with the vantage-ground the Lord would have him occupy.
He had stood long and valiantly for the right, bearing a heavy burden for Israel with faithful warnings against national idolatry and deep solicitude during three years and a half of famine while watching and waiting for some token of repentance. On the terrible day upon Carmel he stood undaunted before King Ahab and faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head, when through the power of faith idolatry was cast down, the false prophets were slain, and the people declared their allegiance to God. The blessed rain that followed testified to the showers of blessing waiting to be poured upon Israel. That wonderful revelation of power in defeating the prophets of Baal was wrought before the people and the king to brace Elijah to do His work and to assure him that God would not forsake him and that His power as Lord of heaven and earth was wholly sufficient to sustain him, and to make an impression on king and people that would have wrought a reformation.
Elijah hoped much from the miracle but was disappointed at its results. When idolatrous Jezebel threatened him, Satan took advantage of human weakness, and Elijah lost his hold on God, lost courage and faith, and in weakness fled for his life without being sent. He should have constantly looked to God, maintained implicit trust and confidence, made God his refuge and strength, and stood steadfast and immovable for the truth. The victory thus warns of the fruit of letting go of faith, for by that one failure Elijah cut short his life-work and was not to complete what he had begun, yet God marked his heart-service with mercy reaching to the depths.
At the hour of the evening sacrifice Elijah repaired the broken altar with twelve stones, laid the wood and the bullock upon it, and had the people drench it with water poured three times until the water ran around the altar and filled the trench. He did this deliberately to make the test with the prophets of Baal unmistakable, standing alone as God's sole witness before Ahab, Israel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. God answered by fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice and even the water and the stones, proving that Jehovah the Creator is God and displaying His power over Baal. Through that display idolatry was cast down, the false prophets were slain, and the people declared their allegiance to God and were stirred to return to His worship. The soaked altar prepared according to God's word before the fire fell shows that God's people must yield to His shaping and follow His word, and Elijah's stand gives courage to those called to stand for the right in a time of apostasy.
Water-Soaked Offering at Carmel
At the hour of the evening sacrifice Elijah made his final preparation by first repairing the broken-down altar of the Lord, building it with twelve stones for the tribes of Israel, making a trench about it, putting the wood in order, and cutting the bullock and laying it on the wood. He then deliberately had the people flood the burnt sacrifice, the wood and the altar, commanding four barrels of water to be poured a second time and a third time. The water ran round about the altar and filled the trench also, leaving the offering and wood thoroughly soaked before he prayed. This repeated drenching was done to make the test with the prophets of Baal unmistakable, so that no doubt would remain when fire fell.
The verse belongs to the public confrontation on Mount Carmel, a conspicuous place Elijah chose for God to display His power and vindicate the honor of His name. There, commissioned to stand before the idolatrous priests, he stood alone as the sole witness to the true God in a life-and-death contest. Undaunted before King Ahab, he faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head. He stood there after bearing a heavy burden for Israel, with faithful warnings against national idolatry and deep solicitude during three years and a half of famine, while watching and waiting for some token of repentance.
Jehovah Proved All-Powerful
God answered by fire from heaven that consumed not only the drenched sacrifice but also the water and the altar stones, after Elijah had the people soak the sacrifice and altar and fill the trench around the altar with water. That consuming of the water along with the offering displayed God's power over Baal in the life-and-death contest on Carmel where Elijah showed undaunted courage and triumphed over the king, priests, and people. The watered altar and trench were part of the wonderful events and exhibitions of the power of God that proved Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is God, after which Elijah slew the prophets of Baal.
Through the power of faith idolatry was cast down and overthrown on Carmel on that terrible day when Elijah stood undaunted before King Ahab and faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head. There the false prophets were slain and the people declared their allegiance to God. Many Israelites were stirred to return to the worship of God, and Elijah is seen standing long and valiantly for the right.
The Mount Carmel contest led to Elijah's prayer for rain after he told Ahab to go up to eat and drink for there was a sound of abundance of rain. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and cast himself down upon the earth with his face between his knees in a painful, humiliating position. His prayer for rain was strong and earnest, his faith was sorely tried while he bore a heavy burden for Israel with faithful warnings against national idolatry and deep solicitude during three years and a half of famine while watching and waiting for some token of repentance, standing alone for God. He continued in earnest prayer until his faith was rewarded by tokens of rain, followed by heaven black with clouds and wind and great rain, and through the faith that helped overthrow idolatry the blessed rain testified to the showers of blessing waiting to be poured upon Israel.
The account of the confrontation with Baal worship shows that idolatry existed in ancient Israel and has counterparts in the Christian world. The miracle was a wonderful revelation of God's power wrought before the people and the king to brace Elijah to do His work and to assure him that God would not forsake him and that His power as Lord of heaven and earth was wholly sufficient to sustain him. It was meant to make an impression on king and people that would have wrought a reformation if Elijah had constantly looked to God, maintained implicit trust and confidence, made God his refuge and strength, and stood steadfast and immovable for the truth. Elijah hoped much from the miracle but was disappointed at its results, and when Jezebel threatened him he lost his hold on God, lost courage and faith, and fled without being sent.
Courage, Preparation and Warning
The record of Elijah's work in a time of apostasy and idolatry to which this soaking of altar and trench belongs gives courage to those called to stand for what is right when people turn from God. The drenching of altar and trench with water was part of preparing the altar according to God's word before the fire fell. That preparation illustrates that God's people must yield to His shaping, be emptied of self, and follow His word, for the altar must be prepared as God directs before the fire can burn. The same preparation illustrates that the fire can burn only when the altar is purified according to God's word.
The signal triumph over those seduced into Baal-worship opened the way for still greater victories and wonderful opportunities before Elijah. Yet he was turned away from them by the threat of Jezebel. He still had to learn to trust wholly in God in order to complete his work, and to understand the weakness of his present position as compared with the vantage-ground the Lord would have him occupy.
He had stood long and valiantly for the right, bearing a heavy burden for Israel with faithful warnings against national idolatry and deep solicitude during three years and a half of famine while watching and waiting for some token of repentance. On the terrible day upon Carmel he stood undaunted before King Ahab and faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head, when through the power of faith idolatry was cast down, the false prophets were slain, and the people declared their allegiance to God. The blessed rain that followed testified to the showers of blessing waiting to be poured upon Israel. That wonderful revelation of power in defeating the prophets of Baal was wrought before the people and the king to brace Elijah to do His work and to assure him that God would not forsake him and that His power as Lord of heaven and earth was wholly sufficient to sustain him, and to make an impression on king and people that would have wrought a reformation.
Elijah hoped much from the miracle but was disappointed at its results. When idolatrous Jezebel threatened him, Satan took advantage of human weakness, and Elijah lost his hold on God, lost courage and faith, and in weakness fled for his life without being sent. He should have constantly looked to God, maintained implicit trust and confidence, made God his refuge and strength, and stood steadfast and immovable for the truth. The victory thus warns of the fruit of letting go of faith, for by that one failure Elijah cut short his life-work and was not to complete what he had begun, yet God marked his heart-service with mercy reaching to the depths.