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Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Wiersbe - Both Jesus and Paul would be called "troublemakers" (Luke 23:5; Acts 16:20; 17:6), so Elijah was in good company. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Paul Apple writes that "Unrepentant sin will stir up trouble and disrupt the peace and prosperity of the people of God. The problem is often laid at the feet of the one who exposed the sin. But the real culprit is the one committing the sin." August Konkel: This accusation of Ahab is itself a contradiction. If Baal is truly god, Elijah could have no power over Israel at all. If Elijah does have power to bring drought, then Baal is not really god. (See 1 and 2 Kings - Page 299) J. Hampton Keathley, III: Ahab’s heart was filled with evil treasure–with resentment, hatred, the desire for revenge, and with his solutions for dealing with Elijah. So, immediately, when he saw Elijah, his volcano of corruption erupted in accusations, name calling, maligning, criticism, and blame. David
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Wiersbe - Mount Carmel was located near the border of Israel and Phoenicia, so it was a good place for the Phoenician god Baal to meet Jehovah, the God of Israel. Elijah told Ahab to bring not only the 450 prophets of Baal but also the 400 prophets of the Asherah (Astarte), the idols that represented Baal's "wife." It seems that only the prophets of Baal showed up for the contest (1Ki 18:22, 26, 40). (Bible Exposition Commentary) Tony Merida - Mount Carmel is a mountain range of limestone and flint, containing many caves, off the Mediterranean coast, which at its highest point is 525 meters (1,724 feet). It sits near modern-day Haifa. It’s a beautiful place to visit today. Davis tells us of its mention in historical documents. In Egyptian records it was called “Holy Head,” suggesting it was a sanctuary. An Assyrian king dubbed it “the mountain of Baal of the promontory.” In our day we might call it “Baal’s Bluff” (Davis, 1 Kings: The Wisdom And the Folly, 234). Therefore, this site is the selected battleground, not because it was just a great place to watch a fight but because it was a location of Baal worship. Olley summarizes, "Its location is favorable to the worship of Baal and Asherah with lush vegetation due to the headland encouraging rainfall. It was also the site of a broken down altar of the Lord (30)." (See The Message of Kings - Page 54 172) (See Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings) (See also Ten Mountains Associated with Divine Encounters) Bob
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Wiersbe - Like Moses (Ex. 32:26) and Joshua (Josh. 24:15) before him, Elijah called for a definite decision on their part, but the people were speechless. Was this because of their guilt (Rom. 3:19) or because they first wanted to see what would happen next? They were weak people, without true conviction. (Bible Exposition Commentary) John Olley makes a very interesting application of this passage - In many places today Christian worship is practised alongside traditional rituals or contact with shamans or other spirit mediums, especially in times of sickness or trouble. In the secularised West the combination may be more subtle: the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is seen as important in church and family life, but somehow in the worlds of business, politics, international conflict or religious diversity different rules apply: one must follow ‘the way of business’ or ‘market forces’; ‘love of enemies’ is ‘unrealistic’; God ‘does not belong’ in business or politics; faith ‘belongs to your private life’. Elijah challenges every generation: if Yahweh is the only God, he is God of every sphere of life in every place in every age—but that has not been practised in daily life. It is no surprise that the people said nothing (v. 21). (See The Message of Kings - Page 172)
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Wiersbe - When Elijah said he was the only prophet of the Lord, he wasn't forgetting the prophets that Obadiah had hidden and protected. Rather, he was stating that he was the only one openly serving the Lord, and therefore he was outnumbered by the 450 prophets of Baal. But one with God is a majority, so the prophet had no fears. Surely the prayers of 450 zealous prophets would be heard by Baal and he would answer by sending fire from heaven! (See Lev. 9:24 and 1 Chron. 21:26.) (Bible Exposition Commentary) William
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Wiersbe - By using twelve stones, he reaffirmed the spiritual unity of God's people in spite of their political division. (Bible Exposition Commentary) to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” - Elijah names the altar with a reference to Jacob's experience in Genesis 32:28 "He (YAHWEH) said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” and Genesis 35:10 "God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel." This would emphasize to the 10 northern tribes that God still saw the nation as a unit of 12 tribes. 1 Kings 18:32 So 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 measures of seed. And with: Ex 20:24,25 Jdg 6:26 21:4 1Sa 7:9,17 in the name: 1Co 10:31 Col 3:17 So 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 measures of seed (about 5 gallons) - Elijah was preparing the scene to make it even more impossible for fire to occur.
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Wiersbe: Elijah’s unusual posture was almost a fetal position and indicated the prophet’s humility, his great concern for the people, and his burden for the glory of the Lord....The prophet didn't give up but prayed a seventh time, and the servant saw a tiny cloud coming from the sea. This is a good example for us to follow as we "watch and pray" and continue to intercede until the Lord sends the answer. (Bible Exposition Commentary) The men who stand straightest in the presence of sin bow lowest in the presence of God. -- F B Meyer F B
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Wiersbe - The Lord not only proved that he was the true and living God, but He also put His approval on the ministry of His servant Elijah. Elijah had neither chariots nor retainers to drive them, but he did have the power of the Lord; and he ran ahead of Ahab and reached Jezreel ahead of the king, a distance of about seventeen miles. This was quite a feat for an older man and in itself was another sign to the people that God's powerful hand was upon His servant. (Bible Exposition Commentary)