Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!" And all the people agreed. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood." So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal all morning, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced wildly around the altar they had made. (I Kings 18: 23-26, NLT)
Okay . . . the verse is long. Take the extra time to read it. Why? At the center of the story there is a message about those who are alive with the fire of God and how others are living but their soul is dead . . . they wake up dreading the day . . . overwhelmed with details and drudgery rather than with purpose and passion from the presence of God.
Fire is a really big deal.
Can you imagine the scene on Mt Carmel as recorded in I Kings 18? Elijah entered into a contest with those who had put their time and effort into Baal, who the people had depicted as a god that flashed with fire (lightening) in the sky . . . holding bolts of lightening in his hands . . . and was considered the god of fire. It makes sense that the prophets of Baal were a little self-involved in looking for Baal to appear through fire. Elijah knew it would not happen . . . and watched them waste their time and effort.
How many times do we waste our effort because our effort is not drawn from the presence of God?
Elijah was familiar with the appearances of God (theophanies) through fire . . . the burning bush . . . the pillar of fire . . . the throne vision of Ezekiel. Fire also represented the acceptance of sacrifices . . . burnt offerings expressed God’s readiness to re-establish relationship . . . a means of grace. Fire was a really big deal.
What was the contest about?
Everyone wanted the drought to end and the rain to come . . . they looked at the sending of the fire to identify where the rain came from. But there was more . . . the people were blind to the Reality of the presence of God. The drought in their soul was far greater than in the land. Without the fire of God . . . there is nothing to ignite an individual's purpose and passion.
The presence of God, symbolized by fire, is a really big deal. It is the difference of living with all-consuming passion or living as if we were dead.
Let the fire of God consume you.
Learning with you to live in the all-consuming fire of God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)
