Elijah in Conflict
1 Kings 18
Introduction
- 1 Kings 18
- Overview of Elijah in conflict
God's Choice of Man
- God's method of using individuals
- Difference between God's and man's choices
The Contest on Mount Carmel
- Dramatic nature of the contest
- Elijah and Ahab's confrontation
- Elijah's accusations and commands
Preparation for the Contest
- Elijah's initiative and commands
- National holiday atmosphere
- The scene with prophets of Baal and Elijah
Elijah's Challenge to the People
- Elijah's sermon and challenge
- People's indecisiveness and need for a decision
- Proposal for the contest and Baal's fire test
The Contest Begins
- Prophets of Baal's rituals and failure
- Elijah's mocking and encouragement to cry louder
- Description of the prophets' desperation and self-harm
Elijah's Turn
- Repairing the altar and preparing the sacrifice
- Commanding the pouring of water on the altar
- Addressing criticism of the water source
- Elijah's faith and preparation
Elijah's Prayer and God's Response
- Elijah's prayer for God's demonstration
- Immediate response of fire consuming the sacrifice
- People's recognition of Jehovah as God
Judgment on Prophets of Baal
- Elijah's command to seize and execute the prophets
- Justification for the drastic action
Principles Derived from the Story
- First Principle: One plus God as a majority
- Importance of faith and God's power
- Comparison to Jesus' ministry and early church
- Second Principle: Being potential-oriented, not problem-oriented
- Importance of focusing on potential rather than problems
- Biblical examples from Numbers 13 and Joshua and Caleb
- Third Principle: Focus on availability, not ability
- Importance of faithfulness over talent
- Elijah as an example of an ordinary man used by God
- Encouragement for individuals with inferiority feelings
Conclusion
- Call to recognize and utilize God-given gifts
- Emphasis on faithfulness in ministry regardless of public recognition
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors
Howard G. Hendricks
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, known simply as “Prof,” directly or indirectly touched millions of lives in the evangelical community and beyond. For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he taught more than ten thousand students. He served as the chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership for over twenty years. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
His legacy, in partnership with Jeanne, his wife of more than sixty-five years, includes four children and six grandchildren. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues such as Billy Graham’s conference center or Promise Keepers’ stadium rallies, Prof would confide, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”
Contributors
