What would it have been like to have been there? To be on Mount Carmel that morning when the ultimate smackdown, royal battle occurred. Imagine the headlines . . . “Elijah vs. the Prophets of Baal” . . . “1 vs. 450” . . . “Who’s Might is Right?”

We know the story . . . we know how crazy the prophets of Baal got trying to “wake up” their God to consume their sacrifice with fire. We know how Elijah mocked them . . . and then how he set up one of God’s most awesome displays of power. The wood laid out . . the bull sliced and diced and placed on the altar . . . 12 huge containers of water poured over the altar . . . and then . . . “BAM!!” . . . “the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench” (1Kings 18:38).

Those are the details that immediately stand out when I read of Elijah’s victory on Mt. Carmel . . . they tend to be what comes to mind when I think of the power of God displayed that day.

But reading 1Kings 18 again this morning, I’m reminded that, while I tend to remember the “wowie zowie” stuff of this story, that really wasn’t the main event . . . that ashes and dead pagan prophets wasn’t the real victory. Yeah, Elijah put Ahab and his prophets in their place . . . yeah, God showed Himself way-powerful . . . but the “hill that needed to taken” in this battle wasn’t Mt. Carmel . . . the real target that day was the people who watched.

Before anything happened that day Elijah addressed the people of God . . .

“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow Him.” And the people did not answer him a word.   (1Kings 18:21 ESV)

This day wasn’t about Ahab . . . it wasn’t about the prophets of Baal . . . it was about a people who’s hearts had become cold and calloused toward God . . . it was about a limping people . . . a people who hobbled along the fence of two opinions . . . who couldn’t or wouldn’t pick and choose . . . who wanted to “play it both ways” . . . that was the real contest that day . . . that was the real battle. Contending for the hearts of wishy-washy people of God who lived like people of Baal.

After the prophets of Baal had cried out to Baal and slashed themselves and spilled their own blood and nothing had happened then, it was Elijah’s turn. And, after making the ready his sacrifice, Elijah then pleads with the God of heaven . . .

“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back.”   (1Kings 18:37 ESV)

There! That’s what this is all about! A gracious God going to great lengths in order to turn the hearts of His people back to Him. His chosen people who wouldn’t utter a word in response to Elijah’s challenge to declare their allegiance one way or the other — it was their hearts that Elijah was seeking that day. And when the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the most awesome display of power wasn’t what was going down on the ground but was happening in people’s hearts . . .

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.”   (1Kings 18:38 ESV)

That was the main event . . . that was the real victory . . .that’s what I should recall first when I remember the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel . . . God turning His people’s hearts back to Him.

Oh the lengths to which God will go to seek and secure hearts that are wholly devoted to Him. How I need to beware of sitting on the fence . . . of limping along . . . of wanting the best of God and the best of this world . . . because ultimately it results in me not following God. How I need to guard my heart. But what a blessing to be reminded of the lengths to which the Father will go to restore His children . . . He who spared not His own Son will continue to patiently, lovingly, and powerfully draw my wandering heart back to Him.

Oh, that I would go facedown this morning, declaring my allegiance, “The LORD, He is God!” . . . that my limp would become a purposeful stride in following Him who alone is worthy of my my whole-hearted devotion . . .

For His glory . . .