there's no problem. It is just that with the drought, the spring isn't running as strongly and it will take awhile to fill all twelve barrels.”
“Don't worry. I promised that you wouldn't miss anything important, and you won't. If it is going to take awhile to fill, then we'd best be going.”
“You're right,” said his dad. “Jacob, you want to lead the way?”
He looked at his dad with a look of surprise on his face. Not trusting himself to speak, he merely nodded and began to lead the way. Behind them, no one appeared to notice their departure and the prayers of the priests continued – fading as the distance increased.
It didn't take long to reach the spring as it was only about a mile or so from where they had been. Yet, it seemed a world away. There was only silence around them. No indications of the events taking place just a little distance from them. Soon, Jacob could see the stone with his father's mark on it. He stopped the wagon at the closest spot to the spring, a clearing about 50 feet from it.
“Jacob, you stay here with the team, while we fill the barrels and load them,” instructed his father. With that, the three drivers and his dad unloaded the barrels and began to fill them. Ezra did not help them. Even though Jacob didn't say anything, Ezra raised the sleeve of his left arm. A large scar showed where his upper arm had been damaged by something.
“Bear,” said Ezra in answer to Jacob's unspoken question. “I have no strength in my left arm and would be useless in trying to fill the barrels. So, if you don't mind, I'll keep you company.”
The two of them waited silently together as the barrels were filled and then loaded onto the wagon. Finally, the job was done, and they began the trek back to the site of the contest. It was now getting on towards evening. It was still hot, and the sun was still pretty high in the sky, but the heat of the day had passed. Jacob could tell the temperature had dropped just a little bit.
As they traveled, the sound of the chanting priests gradually grew louder. When they came to the glade, he could tell that nothing had happened. It did appear that some more of the priests had fainted, but other than that, he could tell little difference between now and when they had left. Well, perhaps the meat on the altar smelled a little more. They led the wagon full of water barrels over to where Elijah's little shelter still stood. He wasn't under it, he was still making fun of the priests. The wagon came to a halt.
A few moments later, he left off and came over to where the wagon stood. “You have them all full?” he asked Ezra. He hopped up on the wagon to look at them.
“Yes, master,” Ezra replied. “Just as you ordered.”
“Good, it is almost time.” He turned to Ephraim. “Thank you Ephraim for sharing your spring with me. Or should I say, with Yahweh. You are soon to see that He is the true God of Israel.”
“I have no doubt of that, Sir,” said Ephraim.
Before his dad could say anything else, Elijah turned to Jacob and said, “Hello young man. You must be Jacob.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Are you ready to see the power of the true God of Israel, Jacob?”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“Good.” With that, Elijah turned and made his way over to the king's pavilion. Jacob could hear their conversation. “Well, your majesty, those priests have been at it for hours, and that meat is really starting to smell. Unless you want all these people staying late, and perhaps looking to you to feed them, I suggest that you stop them and let me take my turn. Then, after Yahweh answers, we can all go home.”
Even though it was phrased as a suggestion, Jacob thought it sounded more like an order. Imagine, ordering a king! Whether or not King Ahab viewed it as an order or a request, he signaled his heralds to sound their trumpets. This halted the chanting of the priests, whereupon several more collapsed on the ground. Almost, Jacob felt sorry for them. After all, they had been at it nearly all day in the hot sun. There still were no clouds in the sky to break the sun's strength.
The king raised his voice. “I have decided that the time is up for the priests of Ba'al. It is almost evening, and to make it a fair contest, Elijah must be given his turn.”
Beside him, he heard Ezra say softly, “There is nothing fair about this contest. One God is real, and one god is not.” He heard his father's grunt of agreement with that statement. He saw the priests of Ba'al wearily step off to one side, giving Elijah room. After a hasty consultation, several of them ran back to their altar and quickly dismantled it. Soon, Elijah had the whole area to himself.
“People of Israel, come near and see the mighty power of Yahweh, the true God of Israel,” he said in a loud voice. And all those watching closed in on Elijah, leaving a small space around him.
Elijah was standing next to what appeared to be an old altar. “That's the one we used when I was a little boy,” whispered Ephraim to his son. They watched as Elijah began to repair it. Ephraim made as if he was going to help, but a hand by Ezra restrained him.
The altar was quickly repaired and then twelve new stones were laid on top of the old stones. After that, Elijah dug a trench around the altar.
“What's that for?” asked Jacob.
Both Ezra and Ephraim answered at the same time, “I don't know.” Ezra continued, “Watch and find out.”
No sooner did Elijah finish digging the trench, then he began to lay wood on top of the altar. As with the repair work and digging, he worked quickly and efficiently. Then, he slaughtered the other bull and laid the pieces on top of the wood, and turned to his servant.
“Ezra, bring the barrels of water you have gotten, and pour them on top of the sacrifice. Soak it good,” ordered Elijah.
Ephraim, the three drivers, and four other men brought the barrels of water from the wagon, four at a time. At Ezra's instructions, they lifted the barrels and poured the water on top of the sacrifice. By the time all twelve barrels had been dumped, the sacrifice and wood were soaked. The stone was wet. The excess water had drained off and filled the ditch up with the runoff, turning the ground muddy.
Ephraim returned to stand beside Jacob, breathing a little heavier due to his exertions.
Unconsciously, they took several steps back, as Elijah fell to his knees and raised his arms towards the cloudless blue sky. Dimly, Jacob was aware that everyone else was doing the same thing. The very air seemed to crackle with the expectancy that something amazing was about to take place. Not a sound could be heard. Then, Elijah spoke once again.
“God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” he began. Jacob felt his father's hand on his shoulder as Jacob's name was uttered. “Let it be known this day, once and for all, that You are the one and only true God of Israel, that I am your servant, and all this is as You've commanded me to do. Hear my prayer that all these people may be witnesses that You are God, and You have turned their hearts back to You once again.”
Elijah finished his prayer and stood up. He turned to face the crowd. He spread his arms wide and cried out, “Stand still, and see the glory and power of God.”
Scarcely had he finished speaking when there was a loud whooshing sound. Someone cried out, “Look up there!” Jacob couldn't see who it was that yelled, but then his attention was focused on the sky. Others began to cry out as well.
There, in the distance, but rapidly approaching them was what appeared to be a streak of fire. Just one. It was this that was making the strange sound. It appeared to be heading straight for him! His eyes grew wide.
It only took a second or two to fall from the heavens. Before he could fall to the ground or make any more noise, the fire had reached the altar. With a thunderous roar, he watched as the first consumed the sacrifice entirely. But, the heavenly fire wasn't done. He continued to stare as it consumed the wood as well, then the stones of the altar. It didn't seem to matter that everything had been dripping wet a moment ago.
In no time at all, the altar was gone, and the fire went out. Jacob stared in awe at a small crater where everything once stood. No dust even r
emained, and the water and mud were gone as well. Amazingly, the ground wasn't scorched and no smell of anything burnt remained. It was as if the altar and it's burden had never existed.
“Praise be to the God of Israel,” his father murmured into the stunned silence following the demonstration. Then his voice gained strength, and he heard his father bellow in his voice normally reserved for times when he was in trouble. “Yahweh is God, Yahweh is God.”
After a moment, another voice took up his father's cry, then another. Then more joined in. Soon, the entire assembly was shouting “Yahweh is God” with one voice, Jacob shouting along with the others. Somehow, the entire crowd also had knelt together as they shouted.
Elijah let the shouting go on for a minute. Then, he held up his hands for silence. This time, it took much longer for the crowd to quiet. Finally, they did.
In a quiet, but commanding voice, Elijah spoke into the silence. “Now you know who is the God of Israel, bear witness to those who are not here.” Then his voice grew in volume and power as he continued, “And, you know who the false prophets are today. SEIZE THEM!” He pointed to the exhausted priests of Ba'al. Men leapt to obey.
Jacob stood beside his dad as they watched the priests of Ba'al be led out of the area. “Where are they taking them?”
He asked his dad. But it was Ezra who answered.
“God will not tolerate