1 Kings 18:1-46 Later on, in the 3rd year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah to go see Ahab and to tell him that God will send rain soon. So Elijah went before Ahab. Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord.) Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves --- putting 50 prophets in each cave and supplying them them with food and water. Ahab said to Obadiah that they must check every spring and valley in the land to see if together they can find enough grass to save at least some of Ahab's horses and mules. They divided the land between them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
As Obadiah was walking along, he suddenly sees Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and bows low to the ground before him. After an introduction, Elijah tells Obadiah to inform Ahab that ‘Elijah is here.’
“Oh, sir,” Obadiah protested, “What harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab? I swear by the Lord your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, ‘Elijah isn’t here,’ King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim. And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, “Elijah is here.”’ But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life. Has no one told you, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the Lord’s prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water. And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, “Elijah is here.”’ Sir, if I do that, Ahab will certainly kill me.”
Elijah said, “I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day.” So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah. When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”
“I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead. Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.” Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people remained silent.
Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Now bring 2 bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.” So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.
About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is gong to the bathroom. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. They howled all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.
Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He took 12 stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.
Then he said, “Fill 4 large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”
Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”
Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there. Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”
And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And the days are many, and the word of Jehovah hath been unto Elijah in the third year, saying, `Go, appear unto Ahab, and I give rain on the face of the ground;'
2 and Elijah goeth to appear unto Ahab. And the famine is severe in Samaria,
3 and Ahab calleth unto Obadiah, who [is] over the house -- and Obadiah hath been fearing Jehovah greatly,
4 and it cometh to pass, in Jezebel's cutting off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah taketh a hundred prophets, and hideth them, fifty men in a cave, and hath sustained them with bread and water --
5 and Ahab saith unto Obadiah, `Go through the land, unto all fountains of waters, and unto all the brooks, if so be we find hay, and keep alive horse and mule, and do not cut off any of the cattle.'
6 And they apportion to themselves the land, to pass over into it; Ahab hath gone in one way by himself, and Obadiah hath gone in another way by himself;
7 and Obadiah [is] in the way, and lo, Elijah -- to meet him; and he discerneth him, and falleth on his face, and saith, `Art thou he -- my lord Elijah?'
8 And he saith to him, `I [am]; go, say to thy lord, Lo, Elijah.'
9 And he saith, `What have I sinned, that thou art giving thy servant into the hand of Ahab -- to put me to death?
10 Jehovah thy God liveth, if there is a nation and kingdom whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; and they said, He is not, then he caused the kingdom and the nation to swear, that it doth not find thee;
11 and now, thou art saying, Go, say to thy lord, Lo, Elijah;
12 and it hath been, I go from thee, and the Spirit of Jehovah doth lift thee up, whither I know not, and I have come to declare to Ahab, and he doth not find thee, and he hath slain me; and thy servant is fearing Jehovah from my youth.
13 `Hath it not been declared to my lord that which I have done in Jezebel's slaying the prophets of Jehovah, that I hide of the prophets of Jehovah a hundred men, fifty by fifty in a cave, and sustained them with bread and water?
14 and now thou art saying, Go, say to my lord, Lo, Elijah -- and he hath slain me!'
15 And Elijah saith, `Jehovah of Hosts liveth, before whom I have stood, surely to-day I appear unto him.'
16 And Obadiah goeth to meet Ahab, and declareth [it] to him, and Ahab goeth to meet Elijah,
17 and it cometh to pass at Ahab's seeing Elijah, that Ahab saith unto him, `Art thou he -- the troubler of Israel?'
18 And he saith, `I have not troubled Israel, but thou and the house of thy father, in your forsaking the commands of Jehovah, and thou goest after the Baalim;
19 and now, send, gather unto me all Israel, unto the mount of Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the shrine, four hundred -- eating at the table of Jezebel.'
20 And Ahab sendeth among all the sons of Israel, and gathereth the prophets unto the mount of Carmel;
21 and Elijah cometh nigh unto all the people, and saith, `Till when are ye leaping on the two branches? -- if Jehovah [is] God, go after Him; and if Baal, go after him;' and the people have not answered him a word.
22 And Elijah saith unto the people, `I -- I have been left a prophet of Jehovah -- by myself; and the prophets of Baal [are] four hundred and fifty men;
23 and let them give to us two bullocks, and they choose for themselves the one bullock, and cut it in pieces, and place [it] on the wood, and place no fire; and I -- I prepare the other bullock, and have put [it] on the wood, and fire I do not place; --
24 and ye have called in the name of your god, and I -- I call in the name of Jehovah, and it hath been, the god who answereth by fire -- He [is] the God.' And all the people answer and say, `Good [is] the word.'
25 And Elijah saith to the prophets of Baal, `Choose for you the one bullock, and prepare first, for ye [are] the multitude, and call ye in the name of your god, and place no fire.'
26 And they take the bullock that [one] gave to them, and prepare, and call in the name of Baal from the morning even till the noon, saying, `O Baal, answer us!' and there is no voice, and there is none answering; and they leap on the altar that one had made.
27 And it cometh to pass, at noon, that Elijah playeth on them, and saith, `Call with a loud voice, for he [is] a god, for he is meditating, or pursuing, or on a journey; it may be he is asleep, an doth awake.'
28 And they call with a loud voice, and cut themselves, according to their ordinance, with swords and with spears, till a flowing of blood [is] on them;
29 and it cometh to pass, at the passing by of the noon, that they feign themselves prophets till the going up of the present, and there is no voice, and there is none answering, and there is none attending.
30 And Elijah saith to all the people, `Come nigh unto me;' and all the people come nigh unto him, and he repaireth the altar of Jehovah that is broken down;
31 and Elijah taketh twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of Jehovah was, saying, `Israel is thy name;'
32 and he buildeth with the stones an altar, in the name of Jehovah, and maketh a trench, as about the space of two measures of seed, round about the altar.
33 And he arrangeth the wood, and cutteth in pieces the bullock, and placeth [it] on the wood, and saith, `Fill ye four pitchers of water, and pour on the burnt-offering, and on the wood;
34 and he saith, `Do [it] a second time;' and they do [it] a second time; and he saith, `Do [it] a third time;' and they do [it] a third time;
35 and the water goeth round about the altar, and also, the trench he hath filled with water.
36 And it cometh to pass, at the going up of the [evening-]present, that Elijah the prophet cometh nigh and saith, `Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to-day let it be known that Thou [art] God in Israel, and I Thy servant, that by Thy word I have done the whole of these things;
37 answer me, O Jehovah, answer me, and this people doth know that Thou [art] Jehovah God; and Thou hast turned their heart backward.'
38 And there falleth a fire of Jehovah, and consumeth the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and the water that [is] in the trench it hath licked up.
39 And all the people see, and fall on their faces, and say, `Jehovah, He [is] the God, Jehovah, He [is] the God.'
40 And Elijah saith to them, `Catch ye the prophets of Baal; let not a man escape of them;' and they catch them, and Elijah bringeth them down unto the stream Kishon, and doth slaughter them there.
41 And Elijah saith to Ahab, `Go up, eat and drink, because of the sound of the noise of the shower.'
42 And Ahab goeth up to eat, and to drink, and Elijah hath gone up unto the top of Carmel, and he stretcheth himself out on the earth, and he placeth his face between his knees,
43 and saith unto his young man, `Go up, I pray thee, look attentively the way of the sea;' and he goeth up and looketh attentively, and saith, `There is nothing;' and he saith, `Turn back,' seven times.
44 And it cometh to pass, at the seventh, that he saith, `Lo, a little thickness as the palm of a man is coming up out of the sea.' And he saith, `Go up, say unto Ahab, `Bind -- and go down, and the shower doth not restrain thee.'
45 And it cometh to pass, in the meantime, that the heavens have become black -- thick clouds and wind -- and the shower is great; and Ahab rideth, and goeth to Jezreel,
46 and the hand of Jehovah hath been on Elijah, and he girdeth up his loins, and runneth before Ahab, till thine entering Jezreel.
Last edited by Guest on Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I don't know it this is true or a hoax; however, if it is true, evolutionists, agnostics, and atheists certainly will not be saying anytime soon be saying "Where did all the water go? There isn't enough water for such a Flood, etc., etc., etc... Of course, they will find another excuse... I mean, what exactly did Ahab ever learn? The blind are blind.
LittleNipper wrote:I have produced various people and publications from various nationalities and backgrounds regarding the long lost roots that seemingly point to a historic connection between ancient Chinese and the Bible, and you go all to pieces.
Uh, no. You've produced nothing but distortions and outright misrepresentations. None of the ideograms you've produced say what you claim they say. The ideograms you claim to be of ancient origin are modern creations. You are incapable of distinguishing an indicative radical from a phonetic root. The Shan(1) Hai(3) Jing(1) bears no resemblance whatsoever to the mythological Biblical flood.
The only thing you've proved (yet again) is that certain Christians will lie ceaselessly and shamelessly in order to propagate their faith.
LittleNipper wrote:Whether the Bible is true or not, it is most apparent that the entire world shares the Flood story.
No, you are conflating traditions of local inundations at different times and places with the mythical flood of the Bible. Moreover, if you'll take a few minutes to read the relevant portions of the Shan(1) Hai(3) Jing(1) you'll find they in no way resemble the myth of the great flood.
LittleNipper wrote:And it doesn't take brains to realize that they are likely all connected some place in time.
No, but it seems to require a willingness to shamelessly distort and misrepresent contradictory information.
LittleNipper wrote:And I believe the very notion that this might just be unexplainable...
No, it is very easily explained. See above.
LittleNipper wrote:...is troubling to people who are seeking excuses for their dogmatic unbelief and bad manners.
You're saying it's "bad manners" to call attention to lies and misrepresentations???
Surprise, surprise, there is no divine mandate for the Church to discuss and portray its history accurately. --Yahoo Bot
I pray thee, sir, forgive me for the mess. And whether I shot first, I'll not confess. --Han Solo, from William Shakespeare's Star Wars
I don't know it this is true or a hoax; however, if it is true, evolutionists, agnostics, and atheists certainly will not be saying anytime soon be saying "Where did all the water go? There isn't enough water for such a Flood, etc., etc., etc... Of course, they will find another excuse... I mean, what exactly did Ahab ever learn? The blind are blind.
Here's an abstract of the paper cited by New Scientist:
The water cycle involves more than just the water that circulates between the atmosphere, oceans, and surface waters. It extends deep into Earth's interior as the oceanic crust subducts, or slides, under adjoining plates of crust and sinks into the mantle, carrying water with it. Schmandt et al. combined seismological observations beneath North America with geodynamical modeling and high-pressure and -temperature melting experiments. They conclude that the mantle transition zone—410 to 660 km below Earth's surface—acts as a large reservoir of water.
Science, this issue p. 1265
Where exactly does the paper in question discuss the mythical flood of the Bible?
Surprise, surprise, there is no divine mandate for the Church to discuss and portray its history accurately. --Yahoo Bot
I pray thee, sir, forgive me for the mess. And whether I shot first, I'll not confess. --Han Solo, from William Shakespeare's Star Wars
I think about 80 of those pages are just filled with Bible quotes from Nipper. It's his stated goal to post the entire Bible. Just to be silly, I added 20 or so of pages of various other books. Bhagavad Gita, The Prophet, etc. to keep a little balance.
In that light, the numbers aren't so impressive. The Erotic Apologist has been doing a good job of keeping Nipper honest. Nipper can be a little over the top.
This, or any other post that I have made or will make in the future, is strictly my own opinion and consequently of little or no value.
"Faith is believing something you know ain't true" Twain.
I don't know it this is true or a hoax; however, if it is true, evolutionists, agnostics, and atheists certainly will not be saying anytime soon be saying "Where did all the water go? There isn't enough water for such a Flood, etc., etc., etc... Of course, they will find another excuse... I mean, what exactly did Ahab ever learn? The blind are blind.
What volume of water would be required to account for the flood? Please be specific.