21 Elijah came near to all the people and said , " How long e will you hesitate between two opinions ? If the Lord is God , follow e Him; but if Baal , follow e him." But the people did not answer him a word . 22 Then Elijah said to the people , "I alone am left a prophet of the Lord , but Baal's prophets are 450 e e men . 23 "Now let them give us two oxen ; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood , but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood , and I will not put a fire under it. 24 "Then you call on the name of your god , and I will call on the name of the Lord , and the God who answers by fire , He is God ." And all the people said , "That is a good idea ." 25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal , "Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many , and call on the name of your god , but put no fire under it." 26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying , "O Baal , answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered . And they leaped about the altar which they made . 27 It came about at noon , that Elijah mocked them and said , "Call out with a loud voice , for he is a god ; either he is occupied or gone aside , or is on a journey , or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened ." 28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past , they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice ; but there was no voice , no one answered , and no one paid attention . 30 Then Elijah said to all the people , "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down . 31 Elijah took twelve e stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob , to whom the word of the Lord had come , saying , " Israel shall be your name ." 32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord , and he made a trench around the altar , large enough to hold two measures of seed . 33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood . 34 And he said , "Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood ." And he said , "Do it a second time ," and they did it a second time . And he said , "Do it a third time ," and they did it a third time . 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water . 36 At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice , Elijah the prophet came near and said , " O Lord , the God of Abraham , Isaac and Israel , today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word . 37 "Answer me, O Lord , answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord , are God , and that You have turned their heart back again ." 38 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 . 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces ; and they said , " The Lord , He is God ; the Lord , He is God ." 40 Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal ; do not let one of them escape ." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon , and slew them there .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 18:21-40
Commentary on 1 Kings 18:21-40
(Read 1 Kings 18:21-40)
Many of the people wavered in their judgment, and varied in their practice. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or Baal was the self-existent, supreme God, the Creator, Governor, and Judge of the world, and to follow him alone. It is dangerous to halt between the service of God and the service of sin, the dominion of Christ and the dominion of our lusts. If Jesus be the only Saviour, let us cleave to him alone for every thing; if the Bible be the world of God, let us reverence and receive the whole of it, and submit our understanding to the Divine teaching it contains. Elijah proposed to bring the matter to a trial. Baal had all the outward advantages, but the event encourages all God's witnesses and advocates never to fear the face of man. The God that answers by fire, let him be God: the atonement was to be made by sacrifice, before the judgment could be removed in mercy. The God therefore that has power to pardon sin, and to signify it by consuming the sin-offering, must needs be the God that can relieve from the calamity. God never required his worshippers to honour him in the manner of the worshippers of Baal; but the service of the devil, though sometimes it pleases and pampers the body, yet, in other things, really is cruel to it, as in envy and drunkenness. God requires that we mortify our lusts and corruptions; but bodily penances and severities are no pleasure to him. Who has required these things at your hands? A few words uttered in assured faith, and with fervent affection for the glory of God, and love to the souls of men, or thirstings after the Lord's image and his favour, form the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man, which availeth much. Elijah sought not his own glory, but that of God, for the good of the people. The people are all agreed, convinced, and satisfied; Jehovah, he is the God. Some, we hope, had their hearts turned, but most of them were convinced only, not converted. Blessed are they that have not seen what these saw, yet have believed, and have been wrought upon by it, more than they that saw it.