My family and I were on a Bible study trip to the Holy Lands and as I stepped off the tour bus at St Peter’s church, a flying sea gull gave a splat of white that landed on my forehead. The tour guide didn’t know whether to laugh or apologize so he gave me his handkerchief.

The story didn’t end there. The bus soon traveled on to the next sight on the agenda which was Mt. Carmel. As we began the journey up to the top, the tour guide began to give information about the mountain. He made a long, drawn-out story about how pristine, clean, and white this city was. He said you wouldn’t even find a cigarette butt on the grown, but the clincher came when he looked at me and said, “And Charlotte, it is so clean even the sea gulls fly upside down when they fly over Mt. Carmel!”

That was my experience with Mt. Carmel and sure enough, it was white and clean and the rocks looked like white chalk. Being there I could just see the prophet Elijah as he called down fire from heaven. Did you ever hear the story about his willingness to stand for God against all the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah? He wanted to bring God’s people back to God because King Ahab, the most evil king of Israel in the sight of the Lord, and his queen, Jezebel, had turned all the people to worship Baal and had killed most of the prophets of God.

After some time had passed and a great drought of three and a half years had come upon Israel, God told Elijah to meet with King Ahab. When they met, the king called him a troublemaker of all of Israel. Elijah answered him that the king was the one that had forsaken the commandments of God and followed Baal. (Baal and Asherah were mythological idols mostly worshipped by the Canaanites)

“…how long will your falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people did not answer him a word.” Verse 21

That is such a sad verse. They, God’s people, couldn’t give an answer.

Elijah called for the other prophets to cut up an ox and place it on top of a prepared wood pile but put no fire under it. Then he told those same prophets to call upon their god to provide the fire. Well, those prophets of Baal and Asherah, all 850 of them, began chanting and cutting themselves and calling with a loud voice most all of the day. Nothing happened. I can’t even imagine the noise they must have been making.

As it became the time of day for evening sacrifice, Elijah repaired the damaged altar of God and he placed 12 stones representing each tribe of Israel in the repair. (reminding the onlookers of just who they were to identify with) Then he prepared the wood and cut up the ox and place it on the wood and altar. Next a trench was dug around the altar. He requested that four pitchers of water be placed in the trench and again a second time. His prayer to the Lord:

“Oh Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Answer me , that this people may know that Thou, O Lord, art God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again.”

“THEN THE FIRE OF THE LORD FELL and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

It took a Godly man who was tuned in to God with the strength and courage God provided him to prove to the people that He, God of the Universe, was the one true God and worthy to be worshipped.

As if this calling fire down from heaven wasn’t enough, Elijah told king Ahab to get ready for the rain, because God would provide relief from the draught for His people. Sure enough, Elijah once again went to Mt. Carmel to wait for the Lord to send rain. Seven times he sent his servant to see if he saw any clouds because he was crouched with his face towards the grown. The seventh time there was a cloud rising from the sea and THERE WAS RAIN!