WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:03.140 Ethan: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience. 00:00:03.257 --> 00:00:04.657 Day 200 and 24 00:00:05.079 --> 00:00:09.849 so Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. 00:00:10.659 --> 00:00:14.979 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, how much longer will you 00:00:14.979 --> 00:00:17.559 waiver hobbling between two opinions? 00:00:18.279 --> 00:00:20.289 If the Lord is God, follow him. 00:00:20.919 --> 00:00:23.589 But if Baal is God, then follow him. 00:00:24.219 --> 00:00:26.019 But the people were completely silent. 00:00:27.099 --> 00:00:32.109 Then Elijah said to them, I am the only prophet of the Lord who has left, but 00:00:32.109 --> 00:00:36.729 Baal has 450 prophets Now bring two bowls. 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:42.219 The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and 00:00:42.224 --> 00:00:47.529 lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it, I will prepare 00:00:47.529 --> 00:00:51.789 the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. 00:00:52.584 --> 00:00:56.904 Then call on the name of your God and I will call on the name of the Lord. 00:00:57.804 --> 00:01:01.404 The God who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true 00:01:01.409 --> 00:01:04.104 God and all the people agreed. 00:01:05.214 --> 00:01:10.734 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, you go first for there are many of you. 00:01:11.424 --> 00:01:16.554 Choose one of the bulls and prepare it and call on the name of your God, but do not 00:01:16.554 --> 00:01:21.534 set fire to the wood, so they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. 00:01:22.164 --> 00:01:26.004 Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime 00:01:26.394 --> 00:01:31.734 shouting, oh, Baal answer us, but there was no reply of any kind. 00:01:32.424 --> 00:01:38.124 Then they danced hobbling around the altar they had made about noontime. 00:01:38.394 --> 00:01:40.044 Elijah began mocking them. 00:01:41.034 --> 00:01:42.324 You'll have to shout louder. 00:01:42.414 --> 00:01:43.164 He scoffed. 00:01:43.554 --> 00:01:45.024 For surely he is a God. 00:01:45.834 --> 00:01:48.834 Perhaps he is daydreaming or is relieving himself. 00:01:49.749 --> 00:01:54.789 Or maybe he is away on a trip or is asleep and needs to be wakened, so they 00:01:54.789 --> 00:01:59.739 shouted louder and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives 00:01:59.744 --> 00:02:02.289 and swords until the blood gushed out. 00:02:03.309 --> 00:02:08.739 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there 00:02:08.739 --> 00:02:12.639 was no sound, no reply, no response. 00:02:14.229 --> 00:02:16.029 Then Elijah called to the people. 00:02:16.809 --> 00:02:17.739 Come over here. 00:02:18.849 --> 00:02:22.239 They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the 00:02:22.239 --> 00:02:24.159 Lord that had been torn down. 00:02:24.999 --> 00:02:30.459 He took 12 stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and 00:02:30.459 --> 00:02:33.789 he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. 00:02:34.869 --> 00:02:39.489 Then he dug a trench around the altar, large enough to hold about three gallons. 00:02:40.209 --> 00:02:44.169 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bowl into pieces, and 00:02:44.169 --> 00:02:45.549 laid the pieces on the wood. 00:02:46.449 --> 00:02:52.674 Then he said, Fill four large jars with water and pour the water over the 00:02:52.674 --> 00:02:58.704 offering and the wood, after they had done this, he said, do the same thing again. 00:02:59.694 --> 00:03:02.724 And when they were finished, he said, now do it a third time. 00:03:02.724 --> 00:03:08.424 The So they did, as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even 00:03:08.424 --> 00:03:13.464 filled the trench at the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice. 00:03:13.644 --> 00:03:17.004 Elijah the prophet, walked up to the altar and prayed. 00:03:17.574 --> 00:03:21.384 Oh Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 00:03:22.074 --> 00:03:26.724 Prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. 00:03:27.654 --> 00:03:30.354 Prove that I have done all this at your command. 00:03:31.464 --> 00:03:33.084 Oh Lord, answer me. 00:03:33.804 --> 00:03:34.494 Answer me. 00:03:34.499 --> 00:03:38.994 So these people will know that you, oh Lord our God, and that you 00:03:38.994 --> 00:03:41.004 have brought them back to yourself. 00:03:43.089 --> 00:03:49.239 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young 00:03:49.239 --> 00:03:52.509 bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. 00:03:53.019 --> 00:03:57.579 It even licked up all the water in the trench and when all the people 00:03:57.579 --> 00:04:02.619 saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out the Lord. 00:04:02.619 --> 00:04:04.029 He is God. 00:04:04.419 --> 00:04:06.669 Yes, the Lord is God. 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:09.939 Then Elijah commanded. 00:04:10.509 --> 00:04:12.339 Seize all the prophets of bail. 00:04:12.729 --> 00:04:14.289 Don't let a single one escape. 00:04:15.369 --> 00:04:20.199 So the people seize them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kaisan 00:04:20.199 --> 00:04:22.539 Valley and killed them there. 00:04:23.889 --> 00:04:28.929 Then Elijah said to Ahab, go get something to eat and drink for. 00:04:28.934 --> 00:04:30.999 I hear a mighty rainstorm coming. 00:04:31.719 --> 00:04:37.269 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. 00:04:37.869 --> 00:04:42.189 And bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. 00:04:43.509 --> 00:04:47.139 Then he said to his servant, go and look out toward the sea. 00:04:48.429 --> 00:04:53.079 The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, I didn't see anything. 00:04:53.709 --> 00:04:56.289 Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 00:04:57.249 --> 00:05:03.009 Finally, the seventh time his servant told him, I saw a little cloud about the 00:05:03.009 --> 00:05:05.529 size of a man's hand rising from the sea. 00:05:06.459 --> 00:05:10.929 Then Elijah shouted, hurry to Ahab and tell him, climb into 00:05:10.929 --> 00:05:12.549 your chariot and go back home. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:15.219 If you don't hurry, the rain will stop you. 00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:19.779 And soon the sky was black with clouds. 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:25.209 A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:29.259 Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. 00:05:29.709 --> 00:05:34.089 He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab's chariot. 00:05:34.479 --> 00:05:36.669 All the way to the entrance of Jezreel. 00:05:38.619 --> 00:05:42.639 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:46.269 done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of bail. 00:05:47.259 --> 00:05:53.049 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah, may the Gods strike me 00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:57.969 and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you. 00:05:58.089 --> 00:05:59.409 Just as you killed them. 00:06:00.309 --> 00:06:03.369 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. 00:06:04.569 --> 00:06:09.039 He went to Biba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 00:06:09.789 --> 00:06:13.659 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. 00:06:14.199 --> 00:06:18.549 He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. 00:06:19.869 --> 00:06:21.129 I have had enough Lord. 00:06:21.309 --> 00:06:23.679 He said, take my life. 00:06:24.459 --> 00:06:27.609 I am no better than my ancestors who have already died. 00:06:28.869 --> 00:06:32.079 Then he laid down and slept under the broom tree. 00:06:33.309 --> 00:06:39.309 But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, get up and eat. 00:06:40.569 --> 00:06:43.989 He looked around and there beside his head with some bread baked 00:06:43.994 --> 00:06:46.689 on hot stones and a jar of water. 00:06:47.499 --> 00:06:50.259 So he ate and drank and laid down again. 00:06:51.129 --> 00:06:55.119 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, get 00:06:55.119 --> 00:06:59.109 up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you. 00:07:00.384 --> 00:07:05.424 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel. 00:07:05.424 --> 00:07:10.254 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 00:07:11.244 --> 00:07:15.894 There he came to a cave where he spent the night, but the Lord said to 00:07:15.894 --> 00:07:18.474 him, what are you doing here, Elijah? 00:07:19.584 --> 00:07:24.144 Elijah replied, I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. 00:07:24.804 --> 00:07:29.604 But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars 00:07:29.904 --> 00:07:31.794 and killed every one of your prophets. 00:07:32.514 --> 00:07:36.564 I am the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too. 00:07:37.704 --> 00:07:39.864 Go out and stand before me on the mountain. 00:07:40.044 --> 00:07:46.014 The Lord told him, and as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by and 00:07:46.014 --> 00:07:48.504 a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. 00:07:49.404 --> 00:07:53.034 It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose. 00:07:53.964 --> 00:07:55.944 But the Lord was not in the wind. 00:07:56.634 --> 00:08:01.434 After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 00:08:02.064 --> 00:08:06.924 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. 00:08:07.674 --> 00:08:11.634 And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 00:08:12.564 --> 00:08:17.934 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at 00:08:17.934 --> 00:08:23.469 the entrance of the cave, and a voice said, What are you doing here, Elijah? 00:08:24.609 --> 00:08:25.719 He replied again. 00:08:26.349 --> 00:08:30.399 I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty, but the people of 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:34.689 Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars and 00:08:34.689 --> 00:08:36.309 killed every one of your prophets. 00:08:37.119 --> 00:08:40.719 I am the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too. 00:08:41.619 --> 00:08:46.509 Then the Lord told him, go back the same way you came and travel 00:08:46.509 --> 00:08:47.979 to the wilderness of Damascus. 00:08:48.954 --> 00:08:55.284 When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram, then anoint g 00:08:55.284 --> 00:09:01.374 hu, grandson of Nims, shy to be King of Israel and anoint Elisha, son 00:09:01.374 --> 00:09:06.534 of Shaphat from the town of Abel Mela, to replace you as my prophet. 00:09:07.764 --> 00:09:12.954 Anyone who escapes from Zeel will be killed by g hu and those who escaped 00:09:12.954 --> 00:09:15.234 g hu will be killed by Elisha. 00:09:16.329 --> 00:09:20.889 Yet, I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed 00:09:20.889 --> 00:09:22.599 down to bail or kissed him. 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:30.009 So Elijah went and found Elijah, son of SHA fat plowing a field. 00:09:30.699 --> 00:09:35.829 There were 12 teams of oxen in the field, and Elijah was plowing with the 12th team. 00:09:36.819 --> 00:09:40.179 Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his 00:09:40.179 --> 00:09:42.249 shoulders and then walked away. 00:09:43.809 --> 00:09:49.929 Elijah left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah and said to him, first, 00:09:49.929 --> 00:09:53.559 let me go and kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will go with you. 00:09:54.579 --> 00:09:59.499 Elijah replied, go on back, but think about what I have done to you. 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:04.059 So Elijah returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. 00:10:04.479 --> 00:10:08.319 He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. 00:10:08.679 --> 00:10:12.129 He passed around the meat to the townspeople and they all ate. 00:10:13.089 --> 00:10:15.579 Then he went with Elijah as his assistant. 00:10:17.379 --> 00:10:20.229 This concludes today's Immer reading experience. 00:10:20.379 --> 00:10:21.459 Thank you for joining us.