Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him”

1 Kings 18:21

Fear drove Obadiah when he met Elijah after his long search for him. He presumed what he did not know. Elijah was not going anywhere. He was there to bring the conflict with Ahab and the people of Israel to an end. But Obadiah feared for his life, so he protested when Elijah sent him with a message to Ahab (1 Kings 18:8-14).

That is a natural response when something threatens our life. What we need at such times is an assurance to calm us down. So, Elijah gave Obadiah his word on oath (15).

It is amazing how sometimes we see the bearer of the judgment of God as the enemy rather than ourselves. Ahab called Elijah the troublemaker of Israel (17). Elijah turned the table on Ahab and accused him of being the source of all the problems of Israel. So, he challenged King Ahab and his Baal prophets to a contest on Mount Carmel. It is always good to let people know the truth about themselves and how they can free themselves from it.

God showed up on Carmel, and the people saw His glory. The new generation had not seen the glory of God as their forefathers did. So, they languished in their careless and sinful ways. Baal had become the power of the day in Israel. They had forgotten Yahweh and how He delivered their forefathers from Egypt. Now, they saw His glory on Mount Carmel, and they shouted, “The Lord—He is God! The Lord—He is God!” (39).

Every miracle of God calls His people back to Himself (37). The God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, revealed His glory in the fire on Mount Carmel. But Baal could not show up, despite the earnest and intense incantation by his prophets (26). Now Israel had to decide. As Elijah had said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (8:21).

It is a choice we all must make every day. God is a jealous God who demands undivided commitment. He started the Ten Commandments with these sacred words. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:2-3 Emphasis mine). That is an exclusive claim on the lives of His people. And in verse five, He said this. “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God [Emphasis mine].” That reveals the heart of God for his beloved that He cannot share them with anything in our lives.

It is time to remind ourselves of these truths about our relationship with God and stop wavering between Him and the world. As Jesus said, we cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). It is Him or the world.

So, what do you say to Him?