Followers

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Carmel by Numbers


One meeting
Two opposing sides
One apparent trouble maker – Elijah
One genuine trouble maker – Ahab and all his history and
                his abandonment of God
Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal
four hundred prophets of Asherah gathered from the
four corners of Israel

One speech delivered to
One crowd
Two opinions – either God is real
                or Baal is
One fence to climb down from
One challenge – choose who to follow this day

Two bulls cut into many pieces
Two altars
No fire

Six hours of calling on the name of Baal,
                shouting and dancing
No response
Six more hours of frantic prophesying and
                blood letting
No answer

Twelve stones harking back to
Twelve tribes once claimed by God
One deep trench
Four large jars holding what’s precious
                water in a time of drought emptied and filled
Three times

One man – Elijah
One prayer
No dancing
No chanting
No frantic prophesying
No blood letting

One single bolt of lightning
One sacrifice consumed
No wood
No stones
No soil
No water remaining

One crowd on their knees
One name on their lips – “The Lord”
One declaration “The Lord – He is God”

Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal dead
                Slaughtered

One man defeated and running away – Ahab

One single raindrop
One almighty storm
One drought ended

One resounding victory

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