The Wonders of the Altar (2)

The Wonders of the Altar (2): Elijah’s Fire on Mount Carmel

So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. – 1 Kings 18:26-29

There is a likelihood that, before this time, Baal and Asherah were answering their worshippers in some ways. Otherwise, they would not have had such devoted servants who would dance with abandon, cut themselves with knives and perform other stressful rituals if the objects of their worship would not show up. That is the reason idol worship has remained a part of human society for as long as humans have existed. They possess a supernatural flair that keeps their worshippers devoted.

However, on this very day when God needed to prove Himself as the Supreme, a popular African saying, “power pass power,” or more specifically, “altar pass altar,” was what ruled the day. There is no way God would show forth, and other supernatural beings will not be subdued because He is the Father of all spirits [Hebrews 12:9]. Having settled this point, it provides us with a solid foundation to link it to our original piece about the power of the altar.

An altar can also be as powerful as the being worshipped there. While the custodian of the altar also has a considerable influence on how powerful their altar can be, the owner of the altar also determines the power of the altar. And in the context of God, He is the Almighty. There is no power greater than Him. That is why His own altar exceeds all in power. However, let’s always have in mind that an altar can be dedicated or named for God and yet remain ineffective. In that case, the custodian factors play a significant role.

When it was Elijah’s turn to bring down fire upon his sacrifice, He did something instructive: He first repaired the altar.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; – 1 Kings 18:30-32

This is symbolic in the sense that he gathered the people to himself before the LORD, then he repaired the broken altar of God. That means, he mended the frosty relationship between God and His people.

Elijah did not immediately launch into rituals or some frenzy like the prophets of Baal. He knew Jehovah was a God of relationship. Therefore, there is no barraging Him with requests, as we still erroneously do today, without first having a good relationship with Him.

Next, to prove that what would happen next was no fluke and God was really the Ultimate, Elijah made an extraordinary request:

And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. – 1 Kings 18:33-35

For a sacrifice you want to catch fire at the earliest opportunity, it is counterintuitive to offer it near water, as water will not allow the fire to burn if it doesn’t quench it. But Elijah not only asked the people to pour water on the sacrifice and altar; he ensured that both altar and bull were thoroughly drenched, leaving no room for chance when fire came upon them when he prayed.

Then he prayed.

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” – 1 Kings 18:38-39

Now, isn’t that awe-inspiring? God did not just send fire on a soaked sacrifice and altar; the fire also dried up all the water flowing around as it burnt the sacrifice. If there is any proof that this was a dramatic experience, it is best measured by the reaction of the eyewitnesses who saw it all and immediately fell down in awe, worshipping God and acknowledging Him.

That is an indicator of the wonders that can happen at the altar.

We will continue tomorrow…

You Will Succeed in Jesus’ Name!

Also read:

• The Wonders of the Altar
• God Cares About Every Detail of Your Life
• The Original Name of Jesus – What’s in A Name?
• Men in the Bible: Adam – A Man with A Large Heart
• The King With Four Wives
• I Felt God’s Love And Passion For Me

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