Elijah
and Spiritual Connections
The contest on Mount Carmel
A drama
Spot the spiritual scam quiz
How can we warn our young people about the occult, without either creating an unhealthy interest in it, or too much fear?
The account of Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal has far more to it than first meets the eye. These people were well acquainted with spiritual activity and seemed genuinely surprised when nothing occurred during their ritual on that occasion.
In the contest on Mount Carmel we see opposing spiritual connections. Elijah, with strong connections with God on the one side and the pagan priests with their affinity to the dark side of the spiritual world, on the other side.
Israel’s covenant with God was an excellent deal, yet they had repeatedly broken it, opting for something vastly inferior.
In the UK, there is an increasing interest in New Age type spirituality which can be harmful. One high street shop was banned from selling Ouija boards, as even the spiritualists and mediums were alarmed. Another store has ‘games’ that promote interest in contacting one’s guardian angel or using tarot cards. There may even be those in your group who come from a household where a family member is involved in spiritualism. Some careful guidance would be needed there.
We are all spiritual beings so part of us is searching for spiritual meaning and connections. Let’s be sure to find the right one.
Elijah’s Story: The Contest on Mount Carmel: 1 Kings 18-19
Making Spiritual Connections
The challenge was clear.
Baal, the Canaanite god of winter rains and fertility, introduced by King Ahab himself, had become the people’s new favourite.
The true God of Israel, having been relegated to a Sabbath day only, position, was seen as being no greater than the local pagan gods.
Yahweh’s response, ‘Okay. Let this ‘Baal’ meet your needs then. Let him provide you with the rain you need for your crops to grow. Then we’ll see who is God!’
An unknown man, dressed as a simple peasant, arrived at the palace to make the announcement.
“As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”
This prophet, ‘Elijah’ then left and wasn’t seen again for a long time. Being a prophet, this symbolised that God had left his people for a time.
Ahab shrugged his shoulders and thought no more of it. Until the rains failed to arrive. Just coincidence, surely? Until the rains failed to arrive again, and again, and again. By which time he was hunting high and low for the prophet, uttering murderous threats against him, but with no sign of remorse or regret, for either his own, or the people’s unfaithfulness in breaking the sacred Yahweh-Israelite Sinai Treaty. Elijah by now, was hiding in the middle of Jezebel’s homeland, the last place Ahab would have ever thought of looking.
After a third year of drought, the country was at breaking point. Ahab was either pigheadedly stubborn or else lamely under his wife’s thumb. He seemed more concerned about his precious war horses, than about his people. With 2,000 chariots in his armoury, plus mules and cattle, he had plenty of animal mouths to feed. It was God who had to break the deadlock because unlike Ahab, he was not insensitive to the hardship and suffering of the people. So he sent Elijah back to complete the challenge with this message.
‘Let there be a contest. Let’s make it really easy on Baal. His worshippers believe that he controls thunder and lightning, so let him send one of his lightning flashes from heaven to ignite an offering. Let every one of his 450 prophets be assembled to make the offering and let it be on Mount Carmel, a site sacred to Baal for centuries. And let’s assemble all of Israel to watch.’
Elijah instructed the king to summon these people, and the king did so.
The people hadn’t attended a national assembly for years, so they were excited and intrigued. What was this all about? Details hadn’t been given to them, so rumours abounded in plenty.
Despite his simple attire, there was a real presence about Elijah as he stood alone representing the true God of Israel.
“How long are you going to keep jumping between two branches? he demanded of the Israelites. Make up your minds. Which one is God? You cannot have a foot in both camps, worshipping God on the Sabbath and living like the rest of the world during the week. If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
Read more: Elijah: Making Spiritual Connections. Leaders notes
Now you see me, now you don’t!
A lighthearted drama
This script is based on 1 Kings 16:29-33; 17:1; 18:1-46
Characters
- Narrators: 2 narrators, working in tandem as co-presenters. More if you like, which is why I haven’t numbered them. You will need to do that yourself.
- Elijah
- Ahab
- Obadiah
- Elijah’s servant
- Israelites
- Baal prophets
Narrator: Location: The land of Israel
Narrator: The year: approximately 860 BC during the reign of King Ahab and his wife, the notorious Queen Jezebel.
Narrator: Ahab and Jezebel had been actively encouraging the worship of pagan Canaanite gods in Israel.
Narrator: Which was completely against the constitution and would lead to ruin for the whole nation.
Narrator: Something had to be done about this!
Narrator: Enter Elijah!
Narrator: Who just appeared from nowhere
Narrator: Well, from Tishbe in Gilead actually, to the east of the River Jordan.
Narrator: But that’s it! That’s all we know about him, nothing about his tribe, his father, his great-aunts, nothing,
Narrator: Well apart from his dress sense. A not-so-trendy camel’s hair tunic fastened with a leather belt.
Narrator: When he turns up at the kings palace to deliver a none too popular message.
Elijah: Sing – It ain’t gonna rain no more, no more, It ain’t gonna rain no more.
It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More – YouTube
Narrator But King Ahab didn’t take him seriously.
Ahab: Rest of the song! How the heck can I wash my neck if it ain’t gonna rain no more?
All: Repeat song with everyone!
Narrator: Elijah then disappeared for three years.
Narrator: They searched everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found.
Narrator: During which time, there was no rain to be found either, not a drop, not even any dew!
Narrator: That’s dew, not Jew. (looks puzzled)
Narrator: Three years later, the king and Obadiah were out looking for grass for the king’s precious war horses.
Narrator: Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.
Narrator: So there was Obadiah, going about his work, when suddenly, who should appear from nowhere, but Elijah!
Narrator: Da-da!
Elijah: Hi there Obadiah. Glad I bumped into you. Could you just go tell that bad guy, Ahab, that I want to speak to him.
Obadiah: (wail) Noh! You’ll just disappear again and the king will kill me. I’m an important member of the resistance movement didn’t you know! One hundred prophets are hiding from Queen Jezebel in caves and relying on me for food deliveries. Please don’t make me do this my lord.
Elijah: Don’t worry. I promise I won’t disappear. I really must speak to him. You want this drought to end don’t you?
Obadiah: Well, yes! Ok then.
Narrator: So Obadiah went to find the king and told him where to find Elijah.
Ahab: So, it’s the troublemaker himself. You’ve finally had the nerve to make an appearance.
Elijah: Talking about yourself, are you? It’s your actions that have led to this drought. I couldn’t just watch Israel go down the pan spiritually, worshipping that disgusting pagan fertility god Baal with all the hanky-panky that goes on with that. I had to pray about it. But God is giving you a chance to put things right. Here’s what you’re going to do. Organise a huge rally, people, pagan prophets, the lot. This is to be a lifechanging contest. The Lord God represented by ‘moi,’ versus 450 prophets of Baal. Venue: Mount Carmel where Baal is often worshiped. I’m taking this to their home ground.
Narrator: The date was set. It was the biggest rally for centuries, so they all wanted tickets.
Narrator: It promised to be a great family outing. Fresh air, exercise, and the clash of the titans. What’s not to like?
Narrator: The day came. There was the king, standing with a strangely dressed man – must be Elijah. The king raised his standard and Elijah took centre stage.
Elijah to the people: O People of Israel, how long are you going to keep jumping between two completely different faiths and lifestyles, trying to keep a foot in both camps? It doesn’t work, and you wonder why God doesn’t bless us. Today we are going to put it to the test. You will see for yourselves, which God is worth following and which one isn’t.
Elijah to the prophets: Ok, you prophets of Baal. It’s a simple task. There’s your altar. The one that looks like it was used only yesterday. Lay your offering on the altar. Then call on your god Baal to send one of his lightening strikes (like Thor does in Viking land) to set fire to your offering. Not that he’s been too good at providing good weather lately, this fertility god of yours. But we’ll see if he can rise to a challenge.
Narrator: So Baal’s prophets did their stuff, no sweat – well not much, at first.
Prophets dance around an altar.
Narrator: By noon they were getting anxious. Their rituals usually led to some kind of spooky stuff or other. But nothing!
Narrator: During the break, they conferred.
Narrator: They replaced the coach and manager and sent in a new team,
Narrator: Their most experienced and gifted players,
Narrator: Set the level of play to maximum, to open spiritual doorways,
All: Everyone make a spooky noise.
Narrator: But still Baal wouldn’t respond.
Read more: Now you see me, now you don’t! A Drama
Youth group plan: Aims select from
- What type of spiritual connections do we want to develop or avoid in our own lives?
- Avoiding making dangerous spiritual connections through the occult.
- Could we pray like Elijah?
Read more: Elijah: Making Spiritual Connections: Youth group plan
