"The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God."—1 Kings 18:39.
YOU heard last Sunday how sadly the Israelites were behaving when they prayed to a golden calf. They had a still worse idol afterwards. His name was Baal; and they wanted to worship him instead of the true God. To-day there is a beautiful chapter that I hardly like to put into my own poor words. Listen to it well in church, and you will hear how wonderful it is.
There were four hundred prophets, as they called themselves, who worshipped Baal, and only one real prophet who worshipped the Lord God. This prophet was named Elijah. He called all the people to a high mountain, and said they should see who was the true God. He said he would build one altar, and that the four hundred prophets should build another; they should each offer a sacrifice, and each should pray to his god, and the God that sent fire to burn the sacrifice would be the true God.
The prophets of Baal tried first. They built their altar and put wood on it, and killed a bullock and cut it up, and they prayed to their god Baal to send fire down. But he was no god—he was nothing at all; and though they cried and shouted, and leaped about, and even cut their own flesh in their rage, not a spark of fire came.
Then Elijah made his sacrifice. And he did a strange thing; for he had water poured all over it, till all the wood was streaming wet—and you know water always put out fire—so how was it ever to be burnt? He even made a trench round, and filled that with water too. Then he knelt down, and prayed that the Lord God in heaven would show His power, and make the people know that no one else was God.
ELIJAH SLAYING THE PROPHETS OF BAAL.—1 Kings 18:39, 40.
And down from heaven came the fire! It was not stopped by the water! No, it dried that up in a moment, and burnt the wood, and consumed the sacrifice! And all the Israelites fell on their faces, and cried out, "The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God!" For only the Lord God is Almighty, and can do wonders.