The Message of the Former Prophets
Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” All the people … fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD – he is God! The LORD – he is God!” (1Kings 18:21, 39)
You are warmly welcome!
What was the message of the prophets? Today we listen to Elijah as we peek more into this question. A strange vision in which Jesus, Moses and Elijah were seen together is recorded in Matt 17 – The Transfiguration – when Jesus’ countenance was changed, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Moses and Elijah represented the testimonies borne in the Law and the Prophets about Jesus, whose true identity was now announced by God himself there and then, followed by a command: ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ What God said at this unusual conference is what the prophets preached at different times and to different audiences. They called people to Jehovah God, but also pointed to a Messiah that would come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.
Elijah was the first prominent prophet to appear in the Northern Kingdom of Israel amidst a series of wicked kings. Elijah’s ministry was not able to change the hearts of the leaders of his day; after Ahab’s wicked reign and those of the six wicked kings before him, Ahaziah and the twelve kings following him all ‘did evil in the eyes of the LORD’ and ‘caused Israel to commit sin’. Ahab himself is said to have done ‘more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.’ At one point Elijah considered himself the only prophet of God while the idols – Baal – had over 450 prophets; there was such a saturation of sin! Then Elijah fearlessly appeared and in the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrated the power of God:
“If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” The prophet thus called on his hearers to return to the LORD and follow him because He alone is God. The drama of rain withheld and the drama of fire come down in answer to Elijah’s prayer were demonstrations for the people, many of whom repented and slaughtered the false prophets that had deceived them for a long time. Do you hear Elijah’s same message in Moses, Samuel, David, Obadiah, Jonah, Hosea, Daniel, John the Baptist, and in Jesus Christ himself? The list is much longer – all speaking the same language; this is no surprise as they were under the same inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The people saw the sign of fire at the contest at Carmel and declared, ‘The LORD – he is God!’ Today we have seen much more and there is no reason why anyone would stay away: the command also comes to us to Listen and Follow the LORD our God and never to trade Him for anything.
God bless you all.