Elijah and Mt Carmel
In this Article we will travel way back in time to when Israel thought that they actually had their worship all together, but they were in fact, way off track. So far off in fact, that they were actually worshiping a Pagan Deity “Baal.” Now Baal; which means “Master” or “Lord” or even “Husband” was the “Weather God” or “Rain God,” so he allegedly blessed with good rains and good fertile lands. Latter ages called him “Hadad” and he is sometimes referred to as “Baal Hadad.” One can even find his symbol in lots of interesting places today, so keep a look out for the Baal Hadad symbol; it has even crept into some Churches. Now you can understand why Israel was most confused when Creator God turned off the rain and dew, and their Baal could not turn the taps back on again, so they had a big problem, and Elijah put it plainly, choose which God you want, “The Weather God” or the weather god, so the people on Carmel answered not a word.
All these Titles attributed to Baal are great but should be only applied to Jesus Christ who should always be our Lord and Master, Husband (Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation). But here was Israel worshiping what appeared to be the true God, but they were in fact worshiping a fake or clone. John the Baptist was preaching what was in essence the Elijah Message, of repent, be baptized, or to forget false god’s and return to the only real God, the God of Israel, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and All things therein.
Jesus preached the very same thing, he challenged the Leadership when error crept in, and so did the Apostles even Paul and Timothy (who appears to have stepped into Paul’s shoes when Paul was finally imprisoned and executed) and all the early Church. Satan is a master at shifting our focus from what we believe to what he wants us to swallow, “hook line and sinker.” As Christians, we have only one ruler to measure everything by, and that is scripture. Isaiah gives us this good admonition in Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.” The Law is loosely the first five books, the books of Moses, and the Testimony is all the rest. As Christians, everything comes from and is tested by Scripture, “it is written,” but how many of us actually read it, let alone study it. How often do you hear that this section, or these Bible books are no longer relevant, but Paul told Timothy that “All Scripture” is God breathed and important. Jesus told Satan that man should follow “every word” that God speaks.
Timothy was admonished by Paul in his letter found in 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In Hebrew the leaves of the Tree of Life are for healing, and the leaves equate to portions of Scripture, we call leaves, book pages, so how many pages a day do you consume of scripture?
Have you studied for yourself to check out that what you believe is actually what scripture really actually says? We need to let scripture expound and interpret scripture, and not some human who says well I think this is what it means. We need to check verses with other verses to make sure it all lines up straight and true. Check theme with theme. We need to remember that God will not change, or deviate from what he has said in the past, so be very careful of anybody who tells you that God wanted this back then, but this totally different thing now, God will not change, that is why we can rely on him keeping his word in the future.
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Malachai 3:6a “For I [am] the LORD, I change not.” In Daniel we have a portion where a false power arises in our days and does actually change things, a Baal Hadad? Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” We can have a committee and vote and decree that “Gravity” has been abolished, we can firmly believe it, but can we actually achieve it? Nor can God’s decrees ever be changed, we can vote, decree, hold meetings, or whatever, but God’s word stands immovable, unchanged and eternally trustworthy and sure.
In the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids, what tested their god; was the shock announcement found in Matthew 25:6 “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” This is Mt Carmel all over again, in our comparison, five followed the Creator God and were ready, and five followed Baal Hadad. In 2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” Paul admonishes us to have nothing to do with clone god’s, we need only the Creator God.
In the book of Revelation 14:6-11 we have depicted three messages of warning, these are the last ever to Planet Earth, because Jesus comes next, the Bridegroom. These messages are identical in theme to Elijah and Mt Carmel, and we are admonished to worship the Creator, Revelation 14:7 “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” So we have the Elijah cry from Carmel once more, while we still have time before the cry goes out that the Bridegroom is here, let us make sure that we are serving the Creator and not Baal Hadad (in whatever guise he may be in), or you may be locked outside of the door, Christ Jesus our Lord.
