Saturday, September 18, 2010
1 Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets."
ELIJAH: THE OUTNUMBERED
It's no fun being outnumbered. Ask Davy Crockett and the 182 men inside the Alamo what it felt like to be surrounded by 1500 Mexican soldiers. Ask the child on the playground who finds himself up against a gang of bullies. Or ask the prophet Elijah.
On Mt. Carmel Elijah stands alone against 450 prophets of Baal. Furthermore he is surrounded by thousands of "fence sitting" Israelites, too afraid to stand with him. Heavily outnumbered, we can't help but wonder how he felt.
As we see Elijah with our mind's eye, he looks anything but afraid. In fact, he seems totally in control of the situation. Elijah is the one who sets the rules for the ensuing contest of fire between Baal and the LORD. He is the one who openly mocks Baal and his prophets. It is Elijah who confidently has the LORD's altar and sacrifice drenched with water.
It's almost as if he knows something that no one else on Mt. Carmel knows. Indeed he does! Elijah knows that God and one make a majority. He knows the believer in the Savior-God is never truly outnumbered. Just look at the results of the contest! Nothing happened to Baal's altar because there is no Baal. The LORD's altar is completely consumed by fire -- water, rocks, soil, and all!
We may be the only Christian in an office of godless talk. In the college class we're taking we may be one of only a few who believes in the six-day creation. Most in our family may look down on us because we belong to a church that refuses to compromise any part of God's Word. Take heart! We know what Elijah knows. The LORD and one make a majority! Let us, therefore, step forward and confidently stand with Elijah. Let us stand up for the God Who sent His Son into this dark world that sinners like us might have life without end! Outnumbered? Never! Not with Jesus as our great God and Savior!
