A CONTEST ON MOUNT CARMEL

1 KINGS 18

King Ahab sponsored construction of a temple and altar to Baal in his capital city, Samaria, worshiped Baal, and provided food for the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 16:31–32; 18:19). Consequently, the Lord unleashed a three-year famine that ravaged the fields within Ahab’s kingdom. Since Baal worshipers believed their idol was responsible for producing rainfall, this famine demonstrated his impotence. But instead of repentance, the famine brought violence when Jezebel ruthlessly hunted down and murdered many of the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4). Elijah, a prophet of God, challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest that would reveal the one true God—a contest that took place on Mount Carmel for a reason.12

Elijah challenged King Ahab and his subjects to witness a demonstration that put the power of Baal on trial. Elijah called on Ahab to gather his 450 prophets of Baal at a prominent landmark, Mount Carmel. There Elijah and the Baal prophets separately prepared sacrifices on two different altars. Wood and a butchered bull were placed on each altar, but no one was permitted to ignite their pyre. The plan was that each group of worshipers would call on whom they worshiped—Elijah to the Lord and the prophets of Baal to their idol. The first to respond by sending down fire would be acknowledged as the real God.

Mount Carmel (view looking southwest).

The ridge of Mount Carmel points in a northwesterly direction for thirty miles, ending in the Mediterranean Sea. Egyptian sailors knew of this mountain from earliest times and gave it a name that meant “strong, mighty.”13 What may be most remarkable about this mountain is its thick vegetation, something that the biblical writers often note (Isa. 35:2; Jer. 50:19; Amos 1:2; Song of Sol. 7:5). This extravagant greenery is a product of Mount Carmel’s unique geography. Near the Mediterranean Sea, the rising terrain extracts rainfall from the marching air masses at a rate that far exceeds that of the lower elevations surrounding it. In addition, its proximity to the sea guarantees that it will receive a regular and heavy dewfall.14

This monastery on Mount Carmel is built over Elijah’s cave, which functions as the crypt.

A place this water rich and lush in a country so dry was destined to receive attention. The Egyptian leader, Thutmose III, called it the “Holy Headland.”15 Thanks to the Assyrians we further know that this mountain was used by Phoenician worshipers of Baal.16 The Phoenician princess, Jezebel, could not have hoped for a more favorable venue for this competition. Elijah had challenged her prophets on what amounted to the Baal prophets’ home field. If Baal existed, this was the spot where one would expect him to provide a flawless performance.

The contest took place on Mount Carmel for a reason. Despite the territorial advantage and the desperate efforts of the prophets of Baal, there was no fiery response. When Elijah stepped forth to call on his King and his God in Baal’s territory on the heights of Mount Carmel, he made his sacrifice to the Lord even more difficult to ignite by dumping water over it. Yet with just a brief prayer and powerful faith in the one true God, Elijah called on the Lord to reveal himself as the one true God. With that prayer, fire poured from the heavens consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil, and the water. This event reminds us of when the Lord sent fire and consumed David’s sacrifice when he built the altar where the Lord’s Temple was to be built (1 Chron. 21:26). It also brings to memory when, similarly, the Lord consumed Solomon’s sacrifice at the Temple’s dedication (2 Chron. 7:1). So it was that the Lord publicly demonstrated that worship of Baal was a fraud. The God of Abraham is the one true God, whether worshiped at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount or on Mount Carmel.

Kishon River (view looking southwest).

Mount Carmel Ridge in the Northern Kingdom of Israel