ELIJAH: “How Long Will You Waver Between Two Opinions?”
Following Solomon’s reign, the kingdom is split in two. The northern kingdom composed of 10 tribes rebels against Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) because of the harshness of forced labor under Solomon and promised to continue under his son. The nation of Israel is now divided against itself, and consequently more vulnerable to her enemies. Each kingdom begins to see the rival kingdom as a threat. God had promised to tear the kingdom in two as a result of Solomon’s rebellion and apostasy (see 1 Kings 11:13, 35-36). For political reasons, Jeroboam (the northern king) has two golden calves set up in Dan and Bethel so that the people do not have to return to Jerusalem (in the southern kingdom) to worship at the temple. This northern kingdom, therefore, is founded on promoting idolatry which does not bode well for its future.
When the prophet Elijah enters the scene, God has sent him to the northern kingdom where wicked king Ahab reigns with his equally wicked wife, Jezebel. At the end of 1 Kings 16, Ahab is introduced as one who, “Did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.” Elijah’s first task is to confront the worship of Baal that Ahab had instituted throughout the land. By the time we get to 1 Kings 18, we get to the famous confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Ahab has summoned the people and the prophets of Baal. Elijah says to all the people gathered: “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” [1]
If you know the story, you know that Elijah declares that the god who answers by fire and burns up the sacrifice, He is the true God. The prophets of Baal go first, praying for Baal to answer, dancing around the altar, shouting, and eventually cutting themselves, hoping their blood will cause Baal to respond. No answer. Now, it’s Elijah’s turn. He drenches the wood with water, just to make it harder to catch fire. Elijah’s prayer is answered immediately: “Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.”[2]
You might think that Elijah would be on a spiritual high, confident to confront anything the Lord would have for him, right? We read on in the story that Elijah becomes so afraid of Jezebel’s threats that he runs for his life and wishes to die. Not quite the spiritual warrior we might have thought, right? But Elijah is not ultimately the hero of this story, though he certainly is a man of God. The Lord comes and ministers to Elijah, encouraging him, and giving him strength for the journey. Despite the miraculous “victory” at Mount Carmel, Elijah is discouraged and feels he is the only one left to serve God. The Lord reveals himself to Elijah, not in the mighty wind, earthquake, nor the fire, but in a soft voice, a whisper.
The Lord gives Elijah a new task to show that He is Lord over all kings and leaders, and reminds him that He has a remnant of people who still serve and worship Him along with Elijah.
What should we learn from Elijah, not only here but from all of Scripture? We are reminded that each of us much choose whom we will follow and serve (1 Kings 18:21). We learn that God is greater than the gods and leaders of this age. We learn that God is the one who sustains us and renews our strength. We learn that God has His people in different places and we are not alone in serving Him. The Old Testament closes with a promise to send Elijah before the great and awesome Day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5-6). Elijah is identified with John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus (Matt. 11:14; 17:12-13), a fulfillment of this prophecy. God used Elijah in his day to turn the people from false gods to worship the Lord. The “Elijah to come” (John the Baptist) prepared the way for the Messiah who alone can deal definitively with our sin.