Use your imagination … Imagine standing on the slopes of Mount Carmel, gazing at the altar prepared by God’s prophet, Elijah. The altar is made of “twelve stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob” (1 Kings 18:31), and atop that is a pile of wood, worthy of a great bonfire. Upon the wood is a butchered male calf, prepared as a burnt sacrifice to the Living God. To make things more interesting, Elijah had dug a trench around the altar, and drenched the wood with barrels of water, until water soaked the wood and overran the trench.
This is where you really need to exercise your imagination… Listen as Elijah prays. “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God” (1 Kings 18:36–37).
Could God rain fire from Heaven and consume the sacrifice?
He had done so before. “Out of the sky the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah burning sulfur from the Lord. He demolished these cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground” (Genesis 19:24–25).
The fire that fell on Sodom was obviously God’s judgement, but God also rained fire from Heaven to demonstrate His acceptance of man’s sacrifice. During the wilderness wanderings, Moses and Aaron offered a sacrifice. “Fire came from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell facedown” (Leviticus 9:24).
Similarly, God accepted David’s sacrifice. “He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and he answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering” (1 Chronicles 21:26). And God answered Solomon with fire. “When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (2 Chronicles 7:1).
Now, as the Israelites stood at Carmel, they heard Elijah pray … and then … “The Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, ‘The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!’ ” (1 Kings 18:38–39).
Imagine that …
“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).
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