THE CHILDREN'S BIBLE - Old Testament, God Makes Everything

The Contest

There once was a prophet named Elijah. A prophet is someone chosen by God to speak His words. A priphet's message meant to bring people closer to God . . . but they must be willing to listen.

Elijah lived in a time much later than King Solomon. While Elijah was alive the people of God were worshipping other gods. They king and queen were called Ahab and Jezebel. These two were very bad. They had led the people away from God.

Elijah finally challenged the priest of Jezebel o a contest. He told King Ahab, "You were wrong to follow this false god Baal. Send me eight hundred and fifty of the prophets who eat at your wife's table. Then we will see whose god is for real!"

The time had come for God to work a miracle so great, His peiple could no longer doubt who the true God was. For the last three years, the people had heard their king and queen say, "Baal will bring you rain. just wait and see."

No matter how much the people sacrificed and prayed, though, no rain had fallen. That was because Baal was a nothing god. Only the Lord God could bring rain to the thirsty land. He wanted to prove to the people throuh Elijah that He was the only God they should worship.

Elijah told the priest of Baal to kill a bull. They should lay it on the wood, but no fire under it. He would do the same with his bull and pile of wood. "Call on your god to light a fire under the bull, and I will call on my God! The God who answers with fire is the real God."

All the people agreed that this was a very fair test. The priest of Baal tried and tried. They prayed from morning until noon, "Oh Baal, answer us." But there was no answer. They danced ans shouted louder and louder. They jumped around the altar. But still there was no answer. No fire burned the wood beneath their bull.

Then it was Elijah's turn. He had four large jars of water poured over the altar. He did this three times until the trench was full. Then he poured water over his pile of wood, under the dead bull.