Cutting Through the Bull

Fly back centuries ago, the Baal followers are everywhere.  Elijah is outnumbered 450 to 1.  By those standards, Elijah is old fashioned.  Outdated. An outlier.

So, the outlier, Elijah, calls out the Baal followers.  Challenges them to a duel.  Something humans can see.  Something humans can experience.  Something humans can talk about for years to come.  “Summon Baal – your god – to the courtroom, folks.  I want to cross-examine him”, says Elijah.

They meet in a courtroom called Mount Carmel.  Elijah, an advocate for God, sits by himself at an amply weathered, heavy wood table.  At the other table, equally dented and marred, sits a proud Ahab (then the King of Israel) and his 450 prophets.  Ahab has actually summoned “all the children of Israel” to watch this trial.  His counsel table is huge, and it is right next to the jury box.

To open his case, Elijah hauls two sacrificial bulls into the crowded courtroom… one for him, one for Ahab.  He lets Ahab choose a bull.  In a procedure rarely performed in modern-day courtrooms, they slaughter the bulls and set up an altar to burn the sacrifice.  But, they don’t light the fire.

Elijah pauses, examines the gargantuan audience, then asks Ahab to have Baal light the fire under his bull.  Ahab’s 450 prophets smirk with arrogance.  They calmly – confidently – ask Baal to just light the fire so they can humiliate Elijah. 

Nothing. 

Assuming they didn’t speak loudly enough, they ask again with louder voices.  And again, and again.  All morning, they ask Baal to simply show up as their smug grins contort into awkward grimaces. 

Even the most patient modern-day judges find themselves uttering, “move along, counsel… call your next witness”. 

It’s now noon and Baal still has not appeared.  Elijah challenges Baal, “Is he meditating?”  “Is he sleeping… wake him up!” 

Baal’s lawyers call out to him every way they know. Yelling.  Crying out. They cut themselves, assuming that if Baal was a loving, caring god, he would appear and stop them from mutilating themselves like they did the bull.  They continue this all afternoon – even into the evening.

Baal is a no-show.  There is no voice… no fire to cut through the bull.

Elijah, sparing Ahab further embarrassment, asks all the people to surround him.  He assembles an altar, thoughtfully using 12 stones – one for each tribe from Jacob.  Three times he asks the clerk to dump buckets of water on the bull and the wood.  So much water soaks the wood that a trench surrounding the altar fills like a moat.  He humbly yields to God.  He explains in his words and his actions that he is simply an advocate for, and a servant of, God.  He asks God to appear so the people can see God.

You see, Elijah wants God to prevail for God’s sake, not for his ego.

God immediately responds to the summons.  Elijah asks a single question, “Will you let yourself be known?”  No begging, no mutilation.  A mere question that sets the stage for God to do his thing.

A blinding flash.  A savory smoky smell.  Intense heat and the dramatic sound of fat crackling into a crispy rind.  God’s fire consumes the bull.

And the stones.

And the wood.

And the dust.

And the water in the trench around the fire.

No further questions.  No closing argument needed.  The people see the truth.

From I Kings 18. 

Bene-action: Speak to at least one person– either in writing or verbally – about your confidence in God’s power this week.