Elijah Killed How Many People?...

This morning the Creath's read 1 Kings 18. This is the chapter where Elijah comes out of hiding for three years, goes before Ahab and challenges him to a duel where they will see whose God is the real God. Though I have read and heard this story many times I think I was still visualizing this story through the eyes of an illustrated children's book perspective. The children's book I had growing up had all the nice pictures and focused on the events that took place on MT. Carmel (God's power being miraculously poured out before the people of Israel) but didn't have anything to my remembrance on what proceeded afterwards in the Valley of Kishon (God's vengeance and wrath being angrily poured out upon the blasphemous Baalic prophets.) "Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there." This is no small execution. This is a slaughter! And who is instigating this? God's prophet Elijah! This is the man who one chapter back is (in my mind anyway) gentle and merciful to the widow and her son when they were under much distress. Now he is heroically slaying the sons of iniquity and in a violent manner taking back the country of Israel for the Lord.

I don't know why the reality of this event hit me like it did but it just made me sit back and say "Wow". The inspiration I took from this passage is that the God we serve is a Mighty Conquering God. I was also reminded that even though there are times that we seem to be in that "three years of drought" it just means that we should be expecting and preparing for the "Mount Carmels" and yes even the "Valley of Kishon" experiences. It is these types of events that should provoke in us a desire to live a life that is being used by God - that way when God decides it is time for a Mount Carmel or Valley of Kishon we can be as Elijah and be right in the midst of it rather than sitting on the sidelines like the rest of Israel.

That Is My Thought of the Day!
John