How God Challenges You. (11 Kings 18: 1-46)

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Episode Notes: How God Challenges You. (11 Kings 18: 1-46)

Does God challenge you, and if so, how does God challenge someone? Well, the short answer is, spoiler alert… Yes—He does, and there is a passage of Scripture where God issues a challenge so dramatic, so unforgettable, that it has become one of the most famous stories in the entire Old Testament…. And that’s what we are going to look at today….

Transcript

How God Challenges You. (11 Kings 18: 1-46)

When I was growing up, especially as a young man, I challenged my friends to all sorts of things. Football. Running. Throwing anything we could get our hands on. Even chess—because if you can’t beat someone physically, you can always try to out‑think them.

That’s what a lot of men do… We challenge each other.

It’s competition, it feels instinctual, it seems built in.

Now, as I was thinking about this, I asked my wife if women challenge each other in that way.

She looked at me as if to say, I don’t even understand that question.

So, I took that as a—no then. Women don’t seem challenge like men do.

But I do now believe that many women do challenge both themselves, their children and indeed their husbands to be the best version of themselves.

But that raised a fascinating question for me:

Does God challenge you?

And if so, how does God challenge someone?

Well, the short answer is, spoiler alert… Yes—He does.

And there is a passage of Scripture where God issues a challenge so dramatic, so unforgettable, that it has become one of the most famous stories in the entire Old Testament…. And that’s what we are going to look at today….

Main Section.

OK, let me set this up for you.

There has been three years of drought, and three years where God has been silent in the land and the chapter opens by telling us….

“After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

To understand that you need to remember what happened in the previous chapter.

In yesterday’s passage, 1 Kings 17, God instructed Elijah to go to King Ahab and announce a three-year drought without rain. And that’s exactly what happened.

But between that announcement and this moment, three years later, God has done something remarkable.

He trained Elijah.

He sent him to a brook, a small river and He fed him with ravens.

Then when the brook dried up, He sent him north to a Gentile widow.

He multiplied her flour and oil, and she fed and sustained him through the famine and when her son died, God used Elijah to raise him from the dead.

All of that was preparation.

God was teaching Elijah that he would provide for him, protect him and that he could trust God to allow hi to do amazing and powerful things.

Those two themes—provision and protection—run like thread through the entire Old Testament. Even the Lord’s Prayer echoes them:

“Give us this day our daily bread.” And “Deliver us from evil.”

God trains His servants by taking care of them.

And Elijah needed that training, because what’s about to happen in chapter 18 is dramatic, dangerous, and decisive.

So, God says, “Go present yourself to Ahab.”

Now, that was risky…. Why?

Because Ahab is married to Jezebel, one of the most wicked women in the bible. She has introduced Baal worship into Israel, gathered hundreds of false prophets around here and is actively killing the prophets of the Lord.

So, when God says, “Go see Ahab,” this is not a casual appointment.

This is walking into the lion’s den.

That’s the setup.

But before Elijah reaches Ahab, the story introduces another character, someone caught between two worlds.

Meet Obadiah: A Man with Two Masters

Verse 2-3 introduces him:

“So, Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord.)

This is not the Obadiah who wrote the book of Obadiah, this is another man with the same name and the bible tells us two important things about him:

He feared the LORD.  

He revered God, he stood in awe of Him. So, he was a believer. And he oversaw Ahab’s house and Ahab’s house was the headquarters of Baal worship.

So, Obadiah is living in a permanent state of tension. He loves the Lord, but he works for a king who hates the Lord. He has one foot in each world.

And verse 4 shows just how complicated his life is:

“While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.”

He’s risking his life to save God’s people, while serving in the palace of the king who wants them dead.

Mount Carmel, by the way, is full of caves—over 2,000 of them. Perfect hiding places.

So, Obadiah is a man of courage… and a man in personal conflict.

Verse 5 says Ahab told Obadiah:

“Go into the land… perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive. So, they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.”

The drought is so severe that the king himself goes out searching for water. That’s how desperate things have become. So, Ahab goes one way and Obadiah goes the other. And then…

As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah? Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’””

(1 Kings 18: 7-8)

And right there, you can feel the tension.

Remember, Obadiah has two masters: The LORD, and Ahab. He loves one, and he fears the other. He is torn between two loyalties because he is living a double life and Elijah’s arrival is forcing him to choose.

And what does Obadiah do? He panics… Verse 9:….

“9 What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10 As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’

In other words, he says, “Elijah, are you trying to get me killed?” 

Obadiah then explains why he’s terrified: Ahab has been hunting Elijah everywhere. Every nation, every kingdom, he even made foreign kings swear an oath that Elijah wasn’t hiding there.

And now Elijah wants Obadiah to walk right up to Ahab and say, “Elijah’s back.” Obadiah says if I do that, “He’ll kill me.”

This man is a genuine believer, Scripture makes that clear, but he is also a believer filled with fear.

Ever been there? You love the Lord, you trust the Lord, but something in your life scares you half to death…. That’s Obadiah.

Verse 12 reveals even more of his fear:

“12 I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

(1 Kings 18: 12-14

He’s saying: “You disappeared once, how do I know you won’t disappear again?” He’s questioning Elijah’s reliability. But then he tries to prove his own loyalty. “I’ve worshipped the Lord from my youth.” “I also hid 100 prophets in caves and fed and watered them ” He’s pleading. “I really do love the Lord, but this… this could cost me my life.”

Obadiah is a man with two masters. Externally he serves the king., but internally he serves the Lord.

He’s torn, he’s conflicted, he’s half‑hearted and Elijah’s arrival will now force him to choose.

15 Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.” Elijah on Mount Carmel 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

(1 Kings 18: 15-16)

Elijah says: “I’m not running, I’m staying put, I’m not disappearing, I’m here to confront Ahab.”

This is the moment Elijah’s training in chapter 17 pays off.

Elijah has learned that God will protect him, God will provide for him and God can empower him…. So, he stands firm…. And that’s how God works in our lives too.

Real life is made of hills and valleys. Last week may have been a hill for you,  but this week might be a valley or vice versa…. But God uses both.

He sometimes  gives you a small trial, then a bigger one and then an even bigger one still…. And with each one, He teaches you and he promises you that: “I will not put more on you than you can bear.”

Elijah learned that lesson….Now he’s ready for the showdown.

Ahab then meets Elijah…. Verse 17:

“Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

Ahab then blames Elijah for the drought. But Elijah fires back in verse 18:

“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.

Elijah says: “I’m not the problem, you are. You abandoned God and you embraced idols.” And here’s the fascinating thing:

The writer has spent a lot of time describing Obadiah as a man who loves the Lord but is torn between two loyalties. But now we see the same thing in the entire nation.

Israel is just like Obadiah. Half‑hearted. Double‑minded. Trying to serve the Lord and Baal and Elijah calls it out.

Then the Challenge Is Issued.

Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” So, Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.”

(1 Kings 18:19-20)

Did you catch that? Jezebel is feeding 850 false prophets. This is state‑sponsored idolatry. And Elijah says: “Bring them all out, the whole nation and meet me on Mount Carmel.”

Now, Ahab surprisingly agrees, and then Elijah delivers the key line of the entire chapter…. Verse 21:

“How long will you falter between two opinions?

If the LORD is God, follow Him.

But if Baal is your God, follow him.”

And the people say… nothing…. Silence.

Because they’re trying to serve both. They whole nation is double‑minded, half‑hearted and Elijah says: “Choose whom you will serve.”

Elijah has just issued the challenge of a lifetime, and the people are straddling the fence and Elijah says, “Enough. Choose.” 

Verse 22:

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

Elijah is alone that day and sometimes that’s exactly how obedience feels.

Have you ever stood for the Lord and felt completely alone? Outnumbered and overwhelmed?

That’s Elijah., one man against 450 prophets of Baal and yet, he doesn’t flinch.

Why?

Because chapter 17 trained him. So now, when the moment comes, Elijah is able to stand firm.

In Verse 23: he issues the challenge.

“23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” 25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”

(1 Kings 18: 23-25)

And the people say, “Sounds good to us.” But why fire?

Well, because Baal was supposed to be the god of rain and storms and lightning. If Baal is real, this should be easy.

Lightning is his specialty and Elijah is exposing the heart of the issue:

Israel has been running to Baal for rain, crops, prosperity, the very things God promised to provide. And Elijah says, “let’s see which god actually shows up.” Who really meets your needs? Who really satisfies you? Who really provides?

The Prophets of Baal Go First…. Verse 26….

So, they took the bull given them and prepared it. “26 Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. But there was no voice; no one answered.”27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely, he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

(1 Kings 18: 26-29)

So, they start dancing, jumping and leaping around the altar and hours go by…. Nothing….

At noon, Elijah can’t resist, “Cry louder! Maybe he’s to buy thinking or busy doing something else, maybe he is on a journey or just sleeping and you need to wake him up.

So, shout louder, Elijah covers every possibility. And yes—“busy” can mean exactly what you think it means. In the original language Elijah is saying, “Maybe your god is in the toilet/restroom.”

This is holy sarcasm and it’s devastating because nothing happens. But then their desperation then turns to self-harm. “They cut themselves… until their blood flowed.

This is what false gods always do. They demand of us and they take more of us and they desire eventually to destroy us.

When you run to something other than the Lord to meet your needs—

whether it’s pleasure, materialism, success, approval, it always eventually costs you dearly.

The wages of sin are death. The New Testament tells us…. Always.

They frantically prophesied until evening… but there was no voice, no one answered, no one is paying attention.

All day long they cry out, all day long they bleed and all day long they plead with their God, and nothing…. Because Baal doesn’t exist, he is a God of their imagination.

“30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.” 34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

(1 Kings 18: 30-35)

So, this is all symbolic. Elijah takes twelve stones—one for each tribe of Israel and rebuilds the altar in the name of the LORD. Then he digs a trench around it—big enough to hold several gallons of water.

Remember—there’s a drought. So where did they get the water? Answer: Mount Carmel has natural springs and they are still flowing today.

So, they pour water on the sacrifice. And then Elijah says, “Do it again.” They do, “Do it a third time.” He says. They do it to the point where the water ran all around the altar and filled the trench.”

Why all the water? Because Elijah wants to make one thing unmistakably clear: When God answers, no one will say it was an accident. No one will say it was a random spark ignited dry wood, no one can say it was a coincidence…. This will be unmistakably, undeniably, unquestionably be God.

Then Elijah Prays

“Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.

(1 Kings 18:36)

That last line is the key: “I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.”

Elijah didn’t invent this challenge, he didn’t dream up this contest, and he didn’t act on impulse. He acted on God’s command. And when you act on God’s word, you can expect God to act.

“37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” 40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” 44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So, Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

(1 Kings 18:37–46)

And now we come to the heart of the moment.

Elijah prays, he is praying for these people who once walked with the Lord, people who once obeyed His commandments and people who once worshiped wholeheartedly…

But these are a people who have drifted and became half‑hearted. People who tried to serve the Lord and Baal at the same time. So, Elijah is praying for revival, for return and for restoration.

And he prays according to God’s Word, which is why God answers.

Jesus said: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.”

God answers any prayer that aligns with His Word. That’s why you need to know the bible, because then your prayers can run along on the tracks of God’s promises.

And then fire falls from heaven and it didn’t just light the alter, it consumed everything:

The bull. The wood. The stones. The dust and the even the water in the trench boils off.

This is not a spark, this is the Holy fire of God.

And the people fall on their faces and cry. “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

Those prophets of Baal who cried out all day and cut themselves, dancing, pleading, well Baal never answered.

But one true prayer from Elijah, a prayer rooted in God’s Word, and fire falls.

If you’re trying to live without the Lord, if you’re chasing something else to meet your needs, let me ask you gently, how’s that working out for you?

Are your prayers being answered? Is it giving you peace?. Or is it silent—like Baal?

Fire fall, and justice also falls. The prophets of Baal… are executed then and there.

This wasn’t Elijah losing his temper, this was obedience to the command given in Deuteronomy.

God had already said that false prophets who lead Israel astray must be judged so this was a national cleansing. A spiritual reset.

And then the rain returns and Elijah turns to Ahab and says. “Go eat and drink, for there is an abundance of rain coming, the drought is over.

Elijah then climbs to the top of Mount Carmel and prays and he sends one of his servants to look toward the Mediterranean.

Nothing at first, he prays again. Nothing again. He prays seven times and on the seventh time. “A small cloud rises out of the sea.” Just a tiny cloud, but that’s all God needs. And then the sky turns black, and the wind rises and the rain pours. And then the chapter closes with the remarkable statement because it says Elijah outruns a chariot, all the way to Jezreel. 

So, God not only sends fire and rain, but he strengthens His servant for the next chapter….

And in the next chapter…well, that’s where Jezebel enters the story in full force.

You won’t want to miss that. (That’s your commercial to tune in tomorrow.)

Finale.

So, What’s the Point of all of that? Let me try to bring this home.

This chapter has about Elijah’s courage, but it is also about Obadiah’s divided heart, Baal’s emptiness, God’s power and Israel’s return and restoration.

But at its core, it’s about the people.

People who were half‑hearted. People who tried to serve two masters. People who wanted the Lord and Baal.

And Elijah says, you must choose. And that is the challenge for us today, because we live in a world full of distractions:

Things like, materialism, pleasure, busyness, entertainment and endless noise. 

It’s easy to lose focus and easy to drift. It’s easy to become half‑hearted.

But: “No one can serve two masters.”

If you’re half on the track and half off, you’re not going to make progress. You need to get fully on the track and stay there.

One final word - Focus.

Spiritually, that’s the key here.

If God is God, then focus on Him. Not half‑hearted, not double‑minded and not straddling the fence.

Some admires from a distance, but a follower commits.

So, God’s challenge us in this passage. Gd is saying, If I am God, then follow Me and stay focused.

And that’s where we’ll pause for today….

Outro.

Mount Carmel has gone quiet, the fire has fallen, the rain has returned… but Elijah’s story is far from over.

Because tomorrow, we step into one of the most honest and relatable chapters in all of Scripture.

Because after the mountaintop victory comes a valley of deep discouragement.

After bravery, comes fear. And after fire comes a  sense of distance and coldness.

Our next episode I’ve  titled “Encouraging the Discouraged”, and it is based on 1 Kings 19. And it’s a passage for anyone who has ever felt exhausted, overwhelmed, or alone. But it also shows us how God meets us when we find ourselves in that place, not with condemnation, but with compassion.

So, I hope you’ll join me tomorrow as we follow Elijah into the wilderness… and discover the God who restores weary hearts.