1 Kings 18:38, commentary and pictures

At the time of the evening sacrifice on Carmel, immediately after Elijah's simple, reverent prayer, fire flashed from heaven and consumed the burnt sacrifice and wood, and also the stones, the dust, and the water in the trench after water had been poured three times over the altar. Brilliant like lightning and seen from the valleys below, it fell where Baal had given no voice or answer all day and Satan could kindle not even a spark. It was a signal display of God's power and superiority over Baal, proving that Jehovah the Creator of heaven and earth is the true God in Israel, exalting His honor and confirming Elijah as His chosen servant and messenger. The people fell on their faces in fear, gave glory to the God of Israel, shouted that the Lord He is God, and turned from Baal worship, while the prophets of Baal were taken to the brook Kishon and slain in judgment. God honored Elijah's faith at once with marked and glorious success, just as He answered his prayer for rain, showing that prayer offered in faith still brings results from God and revealing His manner of interfering with marked power when matters come to a crisis to hinder Satan's plans and vindicate His people.

Fire That Fell

The fire of the Lord fell on Mount Carmel at the time of the evening sacrifice, immediately after Elijah's prayer, as soon as the Amen was spoken.
It was brilliant like flashes of lightning, flashing from heaven to illuminate Carmel and the mountaintop, and it could be seen from the valleys below.
It consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood, and also the stones of the altar, the dust, and the water in the trench, licking up even the water that had drenched the sacrifice after water had been poured three times over the altar and into the trench.

Elijah had chosen a prominent place so God's name would be honored and His power made visible throughout Israel.
The altar had been prepared according to God's word.
Baal gave no voice or answer all day, and Satan could not kindle even a spark on Baal's altar, because the Lord had set limits on his power.

Prayer That Called Fire

Elijah's prayer that called the fire was simple and reverent, offered in faith in the presence of the king and the thousands of Israel at the great test. It was devoted pleading with God, and in response power was sent from heaven. That same prayer could bring down fire from heaven by request, just as his word alone had locked dew and rain from the earth for three years and then unlocked heaven to bring showers.

He prayed intensely, calling upon Jehovah as the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Israel. He had done all things at God's word, and his stated purpose was to make known that the Lord is God in Israel and to turn the people's heart back to Him. The answer came at the time of the evening sacrifice, as soon as the Amen was spoken to his prayer.

God honored Elijah by answering at once with fire from heaven, flashing down to kindle the altar of sacrifice. The fall of the fire crowned his faith with victory. It was a marked and glorious success, an elevation of faith and a Pisgah-top time when he stood strong in courage with high hope that Israel as a nation would return to allegiance.

God answered his prayer for fire just as He answered his prayer for rain, granting every request of His servant and proving Himself all-powerful and pitiful. Prayer offered in faith can still bring results from God in the same way.

What the Fire Proved

The falling fire was a signal display and wonderful exhibition of divine power, answering at once and consuming the sacrifice and everything around it, even the water that had drenched it in the trench. It proved in decisive triumph over king, priests and people in a contest between life and death that Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth, is the true God in Israel, in contrast to Baal worship then prevailing among ancient Israel. It was a manifestation of superiority over Baal intended to lead Israel back to Him.

The fire exalted God's honor before the multitude as supreme and confirmed His counsels in the eyes of the people, crowning faith with victory as a marvelous revelation of divine power and overruling providence. It confirmed Elijah as God's servant and chosen messenger who did all things at God's word, as soon as the Amen was spoken to his intense prayer. By its striking public demonstration it distinguished Jehovah from Baal, put the priests of Baal to shame, confounded the worshipers of false gods, and unveiled delusion, its brightness recalling the pillar of fire that separated Israel from the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

In the falling fire was revealed the manner of working when a crisis comes, for with nations, with families and with individuals matters are permitted to come to a crisis so that interference becomes marked to hinder the working out of Satan's plans. There it was made manifest that there is a God in Israel who will maintain His law and vindicate His people. Its terrifying brightness made Israel fear judgment for apostasy, awakening them to their sin and to the honor they had denied Him, and stirring humble remembrance in backslidden hearts with assurance of rich free grace.

Aftermath on Carmel

The falling fire moved the whole multitude to fall on their faces in fear and to extol the God of Abraham and give glory to the God of Israel. They shouted with one voice that the Lord He is God, acknowledging Him as the true God and recognizing their duty to Him. That confession was a turning from Baal worship, for the display recalled to Israel the pillar of fire at the Red Sea and brought them to fear Him.

The event was a decisive overthrow of Baal worship, which had been upheld by Ahab and Jezebel. At its head stood four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and eight hundred and fifty priests of Baal in all. They were taken down to the brook Kishon and slain there as the execution of God's judgment.

The victory deeply stirred Israel and helped many to return to the worship of God. Many began to inquire after God, to forsake Baal's altars, and to enter upon reform. Elijah hoped much from the manifestation that would bring reformation, but he was afterward disappointed at its results.

The fire was meant to make Israel true and faithful to God. It was meant to end Jezebel's influence over the mind of Ahab and to bring a general revolution and turning in the kingdom of Israel. Ahab told Jezebel of the wonder of the day together with the slaying of the idolatrous prophets, but Jezebel refused to recognize God's hand in the events on Carmel.

The rain that followed testified to the showers of blessing waiting to be poured out upon Israel. The events led Elijah to tell Ahab of abundance of rain and to go up to the top of Carmel to pray for rain. There he prayed earnestly, bowed down with his face between his knees in a most painful, humiliating position, continuing with sorely tried faith until heaven was black with clouds and wind and there was a great rain.

Elijah Honored Then Fleeing

On Carmel Elijah stood alone for God as the sole witness to the true God before Ahab and the whole nation of Israel. He stood undaunted after keeping trust in Jehovah through years of drought and famine, after three years and a half of burden, faithful warning against national idolatry, and watching and waiting for Israel's repentance. It was a contest between life and death in which he triumphed over king, priests, and people.

The falling fire was a signal honor from God and one of the signal triumphs with which He honored Elijah's public ministry. It was a marked and glorious success and an elevation of faith, a Pisgah-top time when Elijah was strong in courage and full of high hopes that Israel as a nation would return to allegiance to God. That signal triumph on the heights opened the way for still greater victories among those seduced into Baal worship, yet the work was not complete until Elijah learned to trust wholly in God.

He should have remembered the power that sent fire from heaven and then sent rain at his prayer, the same all-powerful and pitiful God who granted every request, instead of forgetting God. But when Jezebel's threatening message came, in weakness and weariness he fled as a fugitive before her threats. Exhausted and afraid after the terrible day, weary and discouraged, he felt life was no longer desirable and wished to die. After that day of most signal triumph he even performed the service of a menial, girding his garment and running before Ahab's chariot in darkness and wind and rain, proving that exaltation by God leaves no excuse for refusing lowly, needful service.

God's love for Elijah in that moment of triumph was no greater than when he afterward lay prostrated, broken-hearted, discouraged, and feeling forsaken of God and man, for God's eye was still upon His suffering servant. Even after the false prophets were defeated and the people declared allegiance to God, his faith and courage were tested by Jezebel's threats and he fled for his life. When strength fails and will power weakens and faith ceases to repose in God, even one who has stood boldly and long and valiantly for the right can be overcome. Satan assails in the time of greatest weakness to prevail where he could not prevail before, and Elijah lost courage and faith because he stopped looking to God and trusting in the work given him.

Links and Call Today

The brightness of the falling fire recalled the pillar of fire that had separated Israel from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, flashing from heaven so that it could be seen from the valleys below. James and John later pointed to Elijah's act as precedent for calling down fire upon the Samaritans, but Jesus rebuked their desire to destroy people, showing that His mission is to save rather than destroy. The verse also illustrates the kind of miracle John the Baptist was not given to perform, for unlike Elijah he did not call down fire from heaven, since his mission was to announce the Saviour and prepare the people for His coming.

Elijah standing for the right in the midst of apostasy brings inspiration and courage to all others called to stand for the right, with special significance for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, because history is being repeated. The world today has its Ahabs and its Jezebels and is as truly idolatrous as in Elijah's day, though with no outward shrine or image, with thousands following the gods of riches, fame, and pleasure. Multitudes cherish pleasing fables that permit the inclinations of the unregenerate heart, multitudes hold a wrong conception of God and His attributes and thus serve a false god as truly as the worshipers of Baal, and many professed Christians are allied with influences unalterably opposed to God and His truth, turning away from the divine to exalt the human.

The zeal for God's glory and deep love for Israel seen in Elijah, who rebuked sin and pressed back moral evil while offering healing like the Balm of Gilead to sin-sick souls willing to be healed, presents lessons for all who stand today as representatives of God's work in the earth. Especially conductors of institutional work are to catch his spirit and intensity, seek grace for an experience in advance of what they have had, love the work of God, and pray for its advancement in the world. The fire fell only after the altar had been prepared and purified according to God's word, and applied to the soul this means letting God purify and shape the heart by yielding to Him, being emptied of self, and allowing Christ to fill the life so that divine power can work.

Elijah had been commissioned to stand before the idolatrous priests on Carmel, and his word alone locked the dew and rain from the earth for three years and unlocked heaven to bring showers of rain, just as his prayer could bring down fire from heaven and his hand executed God's judgment in slaying eight hundred and fifty priests of Baal. Yet after that day of most signal triumph he was willing to perform the service of a menial, girding his garment and running before Ahab's chariot in darkness and wind and rain, proving that exaltation by God leaves no excuse for refusing lowly, needful service.