Sunday Sermons
On the Fence
On the Fence
At the opening of 1 Kings chapter 17 the prophet Elijah shows up and boldly proclaims a startling prediction to the wicked king Ahab (1 Kings 17:1). There would be an absolute end to all moisture, either in the form of rain or dew upon the land of Israel. During this time God takes care of Elijah (17:3-16) as the serious affects of such a drought took its toll on the land, animals and the people. “The days that followed were terrible and trying days. The gardens all withered. The fields became parched. The fountains dried up. Desolation and death stalked aboard. The whole nation seemed on the point of becoming a desert (1 Kings 18:5). Meanwhile, the weak and helpless and enraged king sought everywhere for this prophet (1 Kings 18:10) on whom he blamed the whole tragic situation” (Familiar Failures, Clovis G. Campbell, p. 114). Three years and six months pass by (James 5:17) and God tells the prophet to show himself to the king (1 Kings 18:1). Do not overlook the elephant in the room. For three and a half years Baal had been powerless to bring any rain, in spite of the bold claim was that he was the storm god!
“You Troublemaker”
When they meet again Ahab is the first to speak and immediately accuses Elijah of being the cause of all the nation’s problems (1 Kings 18:17). Maybe the king expected Elijah to back down or be someone that he could bully, yet Elijah roars back. “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:18). “The trouble with Israel is not Elijah. It is sin that has cut off your water supply. It is sin that has dried up your fountains. It is sin that has parched your fields and withered your gardens. It is the sin of yourself and the sin of your people. The desert that you see about you today was born of the moral desert that is within your hearts” (Campbell p. 115). Compare with Proverbs 14:34 and Psalm 9:17.
The Real Leader
Observe that Ahab is the king but Elijah is the one giving the orders (1 Kings 18:19) and Ahab obeys him (18:20), because he probably knows that Elijah is right! Ahab was a weak man whom Jezebel ruled (1 Kings 21:25). When we are in sin we cannot act like leaders for we cannot even rule ourselves. How can I exercise genuine leadership when I am currently a slave of selfish desires? (John 8:34).
How Long?
“Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal; follow him’ (1 Kings 18:21).
On the Fence
Observe that the people had not completely abandoned God. Rather, they were seeking to serve God some and Baal some. They were trying to serve two masters. They wanted to follow some of God’s instructions and combine it with worshipping Baal. Being half-hearted, giving God some of my heart, some of my allegiance, and some of my time is no enough. Centuries later Jesus told a congregation in Asia Minor that He was personally disgusted by such half-heartedness (Revelation 3:16). It is like the man or woman who is cheating on their mate but still likes to come home to an unsuspecting wife or husband, well behaved children, a clean house and an orderly life.
Paralyzed
“But the people did not answer him a word” (1 Kings 18:21).
The Problem of Indecision for Christ
- To refuse to stand squarely on the right side is to end on the wrong side. That is what Jesus was saying when He said, “He that is not for me, is against Me” (Luke 11:23).
- A divided loyalty will cause us to scatter what Jesus and His people are attempting to gather.
- This is one reason why some have noted that the biggest threat against the church is not atheism, evolution or aggressive persecution. Rather, the biggest threat facing the church has always been half-committed followers of Christ. Observe that Ahab and Jezebel would have never been able to have such an evil influence without the lukewarm population just going along with their decisions.
- Such is also illustrated in the case of Pilate. It was never the desire of Pilate to condemn Jesus and see Him crucified. He tried to pursue a middle road of neither acquitting or condemning Him. The plan was to scourge Him and let Him go. Yet by refusing to take a positive stand for Jesus he ended up condemning Him.
- Then I am impressed by the statement “How long”. Good question, how long are we going to squander our abilities and time? Or better yet, how long have I been on the fence when it comes to total commitment to Jesus?
Two Opinions
Now a person might object to Elijah’s simplicity of offering only two choices. One might say, “Are there not hundreds if not thousands of religious options to consider?” “Now I am aware of the fact that Baal means nothing to us today. But we are still called upon to decide between two opinions. Let us not becloud the issue. The choice is between Christ and the world, between Christ and sin. Fundamentally and finally, it is between life with Christ and life without Christ” (Campbell pp. 121-122). For us “Baal” is whatever is in the world that appeals to us the loudest. Baal can be pleasure. Baal can be popularity. Baal can be political correctness. Baal can be the worship of human wisdom. Baal can be wealth. Ultimately Baal can be nothing more than “self” and what we want to do at the moment. The devil tries to prevent us from making a decision, arguing that there are too many alternatives to consider, too many options and it is all so confusing. He argues that we need lots and lots of time to make such a decision. Yet, the Holy Spirit disagrees. There are really only two choices. Jesus or self (Matthew 16:24). Once I decide to say no to self, following God is an easy decision to make.
An Intelligent Choice
Elijah calls upon his audience to make an informed decision. To make such a choice with open minds and hearts. If God is God then it would be foolishness not to serve Him. Now Israel had centuries of proof for God’s existence. He had delivered their ancestors from Egyptian bondage, not Baal. He had parted the Red Sea, not Baal. He had brought down the walls of Jericho, Baal. He had been with David and Solomon.
The Test
Though in the vast minority, Elijah knew that truth is not determined by numbers (1 Kings 18:22; Matthew 7:13-14). Elijah then gives the prophets of Baal all the physical advantages (18:23-24). They get to choose which ox they will sacrifice, which would be a guarantee that they would have no excuse that their animal was less than fit for sacrifice. Baal was supposed to be the god of storm of lightning, hence he should have no problem answering by fire. In addition, Elijah gives them all the time they need. These Baal worshippers are convinced that Baal will answer by fire, and they are dedicated and sincere. Yet sincerely believing error does not make it right or truthful. Desperate, the devotees of Baal now slash themselves with knives in order to provoke their god to respond. The true God never wanted His people to do anything like this (Leviticus 19:28; Deuteronomy 14:1). Are we grateful that God does not insist upon such cruel practices? Is not it ironic that people will complain about God’s moral standards and then they will go out and abuse themselves or allow themselves to be abused in the name of some other religion or god?
The God Who Answers
The prophets of Baal had been given more than enough time. Elijah now calls the crowd near to him and repairs an old altar to the true God that had been vandalized. The sacrifice and the wood were thoroughly soaked, which demonstrated that no trickery was possible; a real miracle would have to take place to consume this sacrifice. God answered; and such an answer! Fire fell and consumed not only the wood and sacrifice, but the stones, the soil, and even the surrounding water. What a contrast! The prophets of Baal had cried for hours, while Elijah’s prayer lasted less than a minute. The difference lay in the One addressed! Are you still on the fence? It is well past time to get off the fence—right? Why not now?
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
