The Life of Elijah: The Worship of Baal 1 Kings

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1 Introduction The Life of Elijah: The Worship of Baal 1 Kings At this point in Israel s history, God s backslidden people were in a state of ambivalence. Ahab had given Baalism its official sanction in Samaria through building a temple for Baal. They had been riding the fence. They had become polytheistic. They believed in the true God and they believed in Baal. Can you believe it? They were doing a little bit of Baal and doing a little bit of God. You can t make a career of sitting on top of fences. You have to come to a decision. Neutrality with God is like treason or disloyalty.

2 2 That s why we want to look at I. The Problem of Idolatry / Baalism. A.Understanding Baalism. 1. Baal means lord, master, or owner. 2. He was the chief god worshipped by the Canaanites at the time of Israel s entrance into the land. 3. There were some 70 different gods that were worshipped in Canaan, but the most popular of these gods was called Baal. a. Baal was the most popular because he was considered the god of fertility in all aspects of life --human, animal, and vegetable. b. So, in their minds, production and prosperity were dependent on Baal. c. Baal was considered as the god who had power over rain, wind, clouds, and therefore over fertility.

3 3 d. Baal was also worshipped as the weather god, the god of storm, of rain and good crops. e. As you can see, this is very important to the background of 1 Kings with the story of the drought and the contest on Mount Carmel. 4. Worship was localized so that each area worshipped its own Baal. Baalism was a very well organized religion. a. A name from the city or place where Baal was being worshipped was frequently added. b. This resulted in a variety of names like Baalmeon (Num 32:38), Baalhermon (Judges 3:3), Baalhazor (2 Sam 13:23), Baalzebub (2 Kings 1:2), and Baalpeor. (Num 25:3-5)

4 4 5. In Elijah s time, Israel worshiped Baal at Tyre. 6. Jezebel, a Tyrian princess, introduced the worship of Baal into Israel. 7. Jezebel s father was the king of Phoenicia. 8. He murdered his predecessor, according to Josephus, and was a priest of the gods Melqart and Astarte. B.Baal worship included the following: 1. The offering of incense and burnt sacrifices (Jer. 7:9). 9 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known (Jeremiah 7:9, NIV) 2. Sometimes the offering of human sacrifices (Jer. 19:5). 5 They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. (Jer 19:5, NIV) 3. It especially included licentious sexual activity including sodomy (cf. 1 Kings. 14:23-24; 15:12; with 22:46).

5 5 C.This was one of the darkest hours of Israel s history. 1. Jezebel killed all the prophets of God she could put her hands on (1 Kings 18:4-13). 2. Others had to flee for their lives. 3. At one time Elijah thought he was the only prophet left, until God told him that there were 7,000 others who had not bowed their knees to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). 4. Leading in idol worship were some 850 priests of Baal and of the goddess Asherah (1 Kings 18:19). 5. This was the condition in Israel when Elijah s ministry began. II. Why the Israelites had fallen into spiritual compromise: A. It carried the appeal of royal sanction. 1. Jezebel was a devout Baal and Asherah worshiper. 2. She hosted 850 heathen priests in the palace. 3. It was en vogue and stylish. B. There was an appeal to tradition and history.

6 6 1. It was culturally relevant. 2. They moved into Canaan, where Baal was worshiped before they arrived. C. Baal worship offered an appeal of relevance, an ability to touch felt needs. 1. Baal was believed to send forth lightning, fire, and rain. He gave grain, oil, and wine. 2. He was believed to be able to revive the dead, heal the sick, and give you a child. 3. The thought was and is, the more your god is like you, the more meaningful he is. 4. So the transcendent God of Israel was seen as distant and irrelevant. III.Note how similar 9th century Israel and 21st century America are.

7 7 A. Religious pluralism is the rage. 1. That means alternate religious philosophies are celebrated and embraced. 2. The religions of humanism and materialism are the chief means of worship. a. Worship is anthropocentric. b. It s rooted in humans for humans. c. It s what we like and how we like it to be meaningful B. Cultural diversity is the mantra of our society, especially in the field of education. 1. Children are indoctrinated to numerous religious practices from a variety of cultures, all in the name of diversity from Islam to Buddhism to Scientology. 2. While it is good to learn and know about other cultures, in many places, it has moved beyond mere education and information to discipleship.

8 8 C. Pragmatism is the name of the game. 1. Whatever we need to do to get ahead and gain advantage. IV.Elijah s Cry. A. Elijah, standing on Mount Carmel nearly 3000 years ago, poses a question we need today: How long will we waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him. If not, follow someone else. Conclusion