~ Contrast: God’s Power vs. Self-Power ~
Series Comment ~ The Scripture contains many
contrasts. In this series we look
briefly at some of them. Just like in
our “Binary” series many of these contrasts represent a choice of this or that.
Scripture
1 (self effort)
~ “So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called
on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear
us!’ But there was no voice; no
one answered. Then they leaped
about the altar which they had made.
And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud,
for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey,
or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves,
as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on
them. And when midday was past, they
prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered,
no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:26-29) …
Scripture
2 (God’s power)
~ This historical account continues. “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 that was broken down. And Elijah
took twelve 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.’ Then 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 seahs of seed.
And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the
wood, and said, ‘Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt
sacrifice and on the wood.’ Then 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.
So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench
with water.
“And it came
to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the
prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it
be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and
that I have done all these things at Your word.
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the
Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.’
“Then the
fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and
the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the
trench. Now when all the people saw it,
they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is
God!’” (1 Kings 18:30-39).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
*****
Bible
Version:
Quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted. Emphasis is added.
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