Ethan: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 200 and 24
so Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel.
Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, how much longer will you
waiver hobbling between two opinions?
If the Lord is God, follow him.
But if Baal is God, then follow him.
But the people were completely silent.
Then Elijah said to them, I am the only prophet of the Lord who has left, but
Baal has 450 prophets Now bring two bowls.
The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and
lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it, I will prepare
the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it.
Then call on the name of your God and I will call on the name of the Lord.
The God who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true
God and all the people agreed.
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, you go first for there are many of you.
Choose one of the bulls and prepare it and call on the name of your God, but do not
set fire to the wood, so they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime
shouting, oh, Baal answer us, but there was no reply of any kind.
Then they danced hobbling around the altar they had made about noontime.
Elijah began mocking them.
You'll have to shout louder.
He scoffed.
For surely he is a God.
Perhaps he is daydreaming or is relieving himself.
Or maybe he is away on a trip or is asleep and needs to be wakened, so they
shouted louder and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives
and swords until the blood gushed out.
They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there
was no sound, no reply, no response.
Then Elijah called to the people.
Come over here.
They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the
Lord that had been torn down.
He took 12 stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and
he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord.
Then he dug a trench around the altar, large enough to hold about three gallons.
He piled wood on the altar, cut the bowl into pieces, and
laid the pieces on the wood.
Then he said, Fill four large jars with water and pour the water over the
offering and the wood, after they had done this, he said, do the same thing again.
And when they were finished, he said, now do it a third time.
The So they did, as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even
filled the trench at the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice.
Elijah the prophet, walked up to the altar and prayed.
Oh Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant.
Prove that I have done all this at your command.
Oh Lord, answer me.
Answer me.
So these people will know that you, oh Lord our God, and that you
have brought them back to yourself.
Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young
bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust.
It even licked up all the water in the trench and when all the people
saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out the Lord.
He is God.
Yes, the Lord is God.
Then Elijah commanded.
Seize all the prophets of bail.
Don't let a single one escape.
So the people seize them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kaisan
Valley and killed them there.
Then Elijah said to Ahab, go get something to eat and drink for.
I hear a mighty rainstorm coming.
So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel.
And bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
Then he said to his servant, go and look out toward the sea.
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, I didn't see anything.
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.
Finally, the seventh time his servant told him, I saw a little cloud about the
size of a man's hand rising from the sea.
Then Elijah shouted, hurry to Ahab and tell him, climb into
your chariot and go back home.
If you don't hurry, the rain will stop you.
And soon the sky was black with clouds.
A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.
Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah.
He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab's chariot.
All the way to the entrance of Jezreel.
When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had
done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of bail.
So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah, may the Gods strike me
and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you.
Just as you killed them.
Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.
He went to Biba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day.
He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die.
I have had enough Lord.
He said, take my life.
I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.
Then he laid down and slept under the broom tree.
But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, get up and eat.
He looked around and there beside his head with some bread baked
on hot stones and a jar of water.
So he ate and drank and laid down again.
Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, get
up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel.
40 days and 40 nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.
There he came to a cave where he spent the night, but the Lord said to
him, what are you doing here, Elijah?
Elijah replied, I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty.
But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars
and killed every one of your prophets.
I am the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too.
Go out and stand before me on the mountain.
The Lord told him, and as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by and
a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.
It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose.
But the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at
the entrance of the cave, and a voice said, What are you doing here, Elijah?
He replied again.
I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty, but the people of
Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars and
killed every one of your prophets.
I am the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too.
Then the Lord told him, go back the same way you came and travel
to the wilderness of Damascus.
When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram, then anoint g
hu, grandson of Nims, shy to be King of Israel and anoint Elisha, son
of Shaphat from the town of Abel Mela, to replace you as my prophet.
Anyone who escapes from Zeel will be killed by g hu and those who escaped
g hu will be killed by Elisha.
Yet, I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed
down to bail or kissed him.
So Elijah went and found Elijah, son of SHA fat plowing a field.
There were 12 teams of oxen in the field, and Elijah was plowing with the 12th team.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his
shoulders and then walked away.
Elijah left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah and said to him, first,
let me go and kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will go with you.
Elijah replied, go on back, but think about what I have done to you.
So Elijah returned to his oxen and slaughtered them.
He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh.
He passed around the meat to the townspeople and they all ate.
Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.
This concludes today's Immer reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.