Peace in His Power

Based on 1 Kings 18:1, 19-39

Joseph’s family settled in the foreign country, but God still had plans for them to eventually live in the land he had promised Abraham’s descendants so many years before. Many years later, he brought them into the land he had promised them. But Abraham’s descendants did not continue to follow God; they turned away from him and their king led them to start worshiping other gods. God sent a spokesman named Elijah to speak to the people.

One day, Elijah told the king to bring all the people to a mountain. When the people had arrived, Elijah asked them, “Why do you waver between two gods? If the Most High God is God, then worship him; if this other god is god, then follow him.” But nobody answered him. So Elijah asked for two animals. He told the priests of the other god, “Take one animal and prepare it as an offering, but do not light the fire. I will prepare the other animal, and then we will each pray to our god. The god who answers with fire is the true god.” Everyone agreed. The priests of the other god went first. They prepared the animal as an offering and called out to their god from morning until noon, but there was no answer. At noon, Elijah started mocking them. He said, “Call louder, maybe he is talking or he is on a journey, or maybe he is asleep and needs to be woken up.”The priests called louder and cut themselves with knives and swords until they bled. This lasted from afternoon until evening, but still no one answered, and no one paid attention.

Then Elijah told everyone to come watch him. He made a pile of stones and dug a deep ditch around them. Then he put wood on top of the stones and placed the animal on top. Then he poured water over the offering- –so much water that the ditch was full. Then Elijah prayed to God. He said “Most High God, please answer me. Prove to all these people that you are God, and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Then fire came down from heaven and burned the animal, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the ditch. When everyone saw what had happened, they said, “The Most High God is God, The Most High God is God.”

Drawing Elements: Animals (birds), Stones (altar), Water, Fire Bottom Sacrifice – No flames around bottom sacrifice because there was no answer from the “other god” Top Sacrifice – Represents the sacrifice to the Most High God, water poured on altar, flames burning sacrifice

peaceinpower

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

19 − one =