And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
All day the prophets of Baal had shouted, danced and cut themselves, and nothing happened. Then Elijah steps forward at a set hour and prays a few short sentences. Why did God answer him and not them?
The Hour He Chose
Elijah did not pray at random. The "oblation" is the daily gift offered to God at the temple. Elijah waited for the hour when priests in Jerusalem were laying it on God's altar.
W. W. FeredayAt "the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice" Elijah judged that his opportunity had come. It was 3 p.m. In Jerusalem, priests were laying the evening lamb on the altar of the Lord, along with its grain offering and drink offering. All of it spoke to God of Christ, whose death at Calvary took place at that hour (Ex. 29:41; Matt. 27:46). It was the hour of divine blessing: compare Ezra 9:5; Dan. 9:21. The hour had struck for Elijah's sacrifice, and for the blessing that followed.
That choice of hour shows what Elijah leaned on.
The Christian's FriendNotice the time when the prophet drew near. It was the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. That fact declared where Elijah rested for the sign he asked for. He rested not in his own services or prayers, but in the value of the burnt offering, which signifies the sacrifice of Christ.
Drawing Near
Earlier in the scene Elijah had called the people to come near to him. Now the movement is his own, and it is toward God.
William Kelly"At the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near" — not merely the people to him, but the prophet to the Lord. He drew near to that which was to be the witness of His power, of His testimony, of His own name and glory... How blessed! It was a secret between God and His prophet. But now Elijah told it out, before any answer came. So all the profit of the answer would belong to the people, and the word of the Lord would be lifted higher and glorified in their eyes.
The Name He Calls On
Elijah calls God the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He had already built that confession into the altar, using twelve stones for a nation that was split in two.
H. L. RossierThe twelve stones represented the twelve tribes, the people in their entirety before God. At a time of ruin, the prophet bears testimony to the unity of the people, just as witnesses today bear testimony to the oneness of the body of Christ. Outwardly the altar was broken down; that is to say, Israel as a whole no longer existed. But it was enough that one man, with his altar of twelve stones, should bear witness to this: what God established in the beginning would remain forever... Those who proclaim this truth will always be few in number. They may remain alone, like Elijah. But what does their number matter, if God has entrusted this testimony to us, as He did to Elijah?
"That I Am Your Servant"
Elijah stands before a whole nation, and asks nothing for himself.
Hamilton SmithIn his prayer, Elijah makes nothing of himself but everything of God. He seeks no place for himself. He has no desire to lift himself up before the people. He wants to be known only as a servant carrying out the commands of the Lord. His one desire is that God may be glorified. To this end he would have all the people know that the Lord is God. He would have them know that the Lord is doing "all these things". He would have them know that the Lord is speaking to their heart, to turn the people back to Himself.
"At Your Word"
The last clause carries the weight. Elijah is not proposing a plan to God; he is reporting obedience.
Leslie M. GrantYet we must not think that the power was in his prayer. His prayer was subject to the Word of God, and the power lies there. Elijah himself says, "I have done all these things at Your word" (1 Kings 18:36). Prayer that depends on God leads us to understand His Word, and to want His will done.
The same test explains what happens one chapter later. There a threat, not a word from God, set Elijah moving.
Hamilton SmithUp to this point he had moved at the word of the Lord. On Mount Carmel he could say, "I have done all these things at Your word." On this journey, no directing word from the Lord moved him. A threatening word from a woman did.
Summary
- Word. Elijah's strength was never his own eloquence. He claimed only that he had done everything at God's word. Prayer that rests on that word carries power.
- Sacrifice. He timed his prayer to the evening offering. He rested not on his own praying, but on the value of the burnt offering, which speaks of Christ.
- Nearness. The prophet came near to God and spoke out his secret before any answer came. So the whole benefit of the answer fell to the watching people.
- Servant. He asked for no honour, only to be known as a servant obeying orders, with one desire — that God be glorified.
- Unity. Twelve stones for a divided nation. One man's altar can still testify to what God set up at the beginning, however few stand with him.