THE GREAT CONFRONTATION

When you think of confrontation what do you think?

Do you think GOOD vs. EVIL? Do you think REPUBLICANS vs. DEMOCRATS?

Are you like me?

When I think confrontation, I think BATMAN vs. THE JOKER, MATT DILLON vs. ANYONE THAT LOOKS CROSS-EYED AT MS. KITTY or Face vs Heel in professional ‘rasslin.

Those are some pretty serious confrontations, but none of those confrontations are as mortal and eternal as the confrontation between THE TRUE GOD vs. GREAT FALSE RELIGION SPAWNED BY SATAN.

If Lance Russell were still alive, he would announce this eternal confrontation in the following manner:

“Monday Night at the Mid-South Coliseum, in a no time limit, no disqualification match, Baal with Satan in his corner will battle the true GOD.”

Forgive me my classic Memphis Wrestling moment.

I want to share three verses with you today in my blog. All three of these verses are related and I never realized how much until I studied this familiar story from beginning to end.

We are going to read 1 KINGS 17:1, 1 KINGS 18:17, and 1 KINGS 18:21 (NKJV)

1 Kings 17:1

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

As the bell rings, we see God’s agent, Elijah, confronting Satan who is being represented by Baal and his mouthpiece Ahab.

There are a few things to understand:

1. Elijah was giving this message not only to Ahab but to all of Israel who had fallen into the trap of Baal worship.

2. The nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, loved the worship practices associated with worshipping Baal.

Baal worship included large crowds around a built-in grove. These worship services were very entertaining. There were temple prostitutes. There were public displays of sex during their worship services, and I can envision those services being much like Woodstock. Baal worshippers would get so enthused that children were disposable. Some were sacrificed. Baal was the fertility god. He controlled all the forces of nature including rain. Elijah, by withholding rain, in the name of God is straight out challenging Baal to a no time limit no disqualification cage match. Sorry! I am in a ‘rasslin state of mind.

This is for pagan peoples? Surely no Christian today would attend church to be entertained. No Christian would be drawn to large churches just to participate in entertaining activities. No Christian would allow for themselves to be drawn into watching or participating in any immoral activities. And surely, no Christian or any civilized person would sacrifice their child.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE, I FORGOT WE HAVE HAD 50 million ABORTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY ALONE SINCE 1973. BUT BAAL WORSHIP WOULD NEVER AFFECTS US.

Can’t you see this?

Baal, the god of fertility with Ahab as his representative, is in one corner, and Elijah is in the other.

Just as the bell rings, Elijah walks right up to Ahab and basically slaps the taste right out of Baal’s mouth and says it’s not going to rain until I give the word.

Can’t you envision Elijah’s interview at ringside? I can see it going something like this:

“Listen here pal, you think you control the weather, the God of Heaven has told me it’s not going to rain until I say it is going to rain.”

But Ahab was not to be undone, and he gave a promo for the next confrontation.

1 KINGS 18:17:

Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

Ahab knew that it was Elijah, but Ahab was in distress. He asks Elijah why are you bothering us? Why are you doing this to your fellow kinsmen? Can you imagine how hard these Baal worshippers worshipped during these years?

Can you imagine how many children were sacrificed? Can you imagine how many people lost their lives because of drought? But the people still would not turn to GOD. They KNEW that BAAL would be able to deliver rain. They were not ready to listen to Elijah and return to GOD.

Now look at 1 KINGS 18:21.

And Elijah came to all the people and said, “How long will you falter between TWO OPINIONS? If the LORD is GOD, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

The promos were over, and the main event had come to the climax. Elijah was asking God’s chosen people how long they were going to be torn between true worship and the trappings associated with Baal.  Elijah said it is time to choose.

Would Elijah ask us the same?  Would He ask us do we worship the one and true God, or would he ask us why we have let the principles of false worship enter our church?

We do not have the luxury of not being involved in this great confrontation. We must decide who we are going to follow. Are we going to follow GOD? Are we going to follow the false religions spawned by Satan? Are we going to incorporate false practices into our worship services?

Would Elijah ask us how long are we going to halt between two opinions?