000 Allen FMT (i-xxii) - The Presbyterian Leader

is set for dramatic effect. These prophets have all day in which to plead with
Baal to provide lightning to set fire to their sacrifice. The significance of
lightning is its connection to thunderstorms and rain. Baal’s prophets called
on his name “from morning until noon” and from noon until midday and
“until the time of the offering of the oblation” (vv. 26, 29). The entire day
passes, “but there was no voice, and no answer” (vv. 26, 29).
Then Elijah constructed his altar of twelve stones, one for each “of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob” (v. 31). He dug a deep trench around the altar,
placed wood on it, and butchered the bull to be offered to the Lord. Dramatically,
he drenched the whole thing in water three times (vv. 33–34), so
much that even the trench was filled. He prayed to God to “let it be known
this day that you are God in Israel . . . so that this people may know that you,
O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back” (vv. 36–37).
In spite of Israel’s having followed Ahab into the worship of Baal, Isaiah
speaks only of God’s making God’s lordship known again to Israel and
turning back their hearts to God. He asks God to act graciously and God
immediately does so. In the blink of an eye, “the fire of the LORD fell and
consumed the burnt offering” along with the altar and water that was in
the trench.
Our reading ends with the people Israel declaring that “the LORD
indeed is God; the LORD indeed is God” (v. 39). The text goes on to say
that “in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there
was a heavy rain” (v. 45).
Far more than a miracle story, our text raises questions of how we think
and speak of God, whether what we mean by “God” is one like Baal who
provides “no voice and no answer” or whether God is the One who is companion
of all, vulnerable to relations, affected by prayer, and who interacts
with God’s people and God’s world. Christians often traditionally
talked of God as impassible. Here it is Baal who is impassible and YHWH
who is passible and moved to respond.
1 Kings 8:22–23, 41–43* (Paired)
For comments on this passage, please see Proper 16/Year B.
Proper 5 [10]/Year C
1 Kings 17:8–16, (17–24)+ (Semicontinuous)
Proper 5 [10]/Year C 239
Chapter 17 consists of Elijah stories. Ahab appears in 17:1 and only reappears
in 18:1. Today’s reading introduces Elijah as faithful to YHWH (his