1 Kings 18:30-46

 

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down.

 

갈멜살 싸움은 바알과 아세라의 선지자들을 죽이고, 여로보암과 아합 때문에 북이스라엘에서 하나님께 예배를 드리던 제단이 무너진 것을 회복을 위한 것이었습니다. 여로보암은 베델과 단에 금송아지를 두고 제사를 드리게 하였고, 아합은 사마리아에 바알 제단을 세워 우상을 경배하도록 했습니다. 
The battle on Mount Carmel was about killing the prophets of Baal and Asherah and restoring the altars to God in northern Israel, which had been destroyed because of Jeroboam and Ahab. Jeroboam placed golden calves in Bethel and Dan for worship, while Ahab built an altar to Baal in Samaria, leading the people to worship idols.

 

31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”

32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs[a] of seed.

 

엘리야는 12지파를 대표하는 12돌로 제단을 쌓고, 도랑을 만들고, 나무로 벌이고, 송아지를 각을 떠서 그 위에 올리고, 통 넷으로 물을 부으는데 3번 붓고, 물이 제단으로 두루 흐르게 하고, 도랑에 물이 가득하게 만들어 결국 그 위에 불이 떨어져서 바알과 아세라의 선지자들을 물리칩니다. 그런데 이 모든 싸움을 ‘여호와의 이름을 의지하여’ 제단을 쌓음으로 승리하였습니다! 엘리야는 자기의 힘, 능력, 기술, 경험으로 싸움을 하는 것이 아닙니다. 온전히 ‘여호와의 이름을 의지하여’ 영적싸움을 한 것입니다.
Elijah built an altar with twelve stones representing the twelve tribes, dug a trench around it, arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and placed it on the wood. He then poured water over it three times using four jars, making the water run around the altar and fill the trench. Eventually, fire fell from heaven, defeating the prophets of Baal and Asherah. This entire battle was won by relying on the name of the Lord! Elijah did not fight with his own strength, power, skill, or experience. He fought the spiritual battle entirely by relying on the name of the Lord.

 

33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.

37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

 

갈멜산싸움에서 이기는 것이 엘리야의 목적이 아니었습니다. 이 싸움을 통해  북이스라엘백성들이 다음의 네가지를 알게 하기 위함이었습니다. 

첫째는 주께서 이스라엘 중에서 하나님이신 것을 알게 하는 것이고,

둘째는 엘리야가 주의 종인 것을 알게 하는 것이고,

셋째는 엘리야가 주의 말씀대로 이 모든 일을 행하는 것을 알게 하는 것이고,

넷째는 주께서 백성들의 마음을 되돌이키심을 알게 하는 것이었습니다.

Elijah's goal in the battle on Mount Carmel was not merely to win. Through this battle, he intended for the people of northern Israel to realize four things:

First, that the Lord is God in Israel;

Second, that Elijah is His servant;

Third, that Elijah has done all these things according to the Lord's word;

 

And fourth, that the Lord is turning the hearts of the people back to Him.

 

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

 

번제단에 물이 내서 나무와 돌과 흙을 태우고 도랑의 물을 햝자 모든 백성들이 보고 엎드려 고백합니다.
“여호와 그는 하나님이시로다! 그는 하나님이시로다!”
그들은 엘리야의 기도대로 바알이나 아세라가 하나님이 아니라, 오직 여호와 하나님만이 그들의 주님이심을 알고 고백하게 된 것입니다.
When fire came down on the altar, burning the wood, stones, and soil, and licking up the water in the trench, all the people saw this and fell prostrate, declaring, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!" According to Elijah's prayer, they came to understand and confess that neither Baal nor Asherah is God, but only the Lord God is their true Lord.

 

40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

 

갈멜산 산 꼭대기로 올라가서, 땅에 꿇어 엎드려, 얼굴을 무릎 사이에 넣고’ 기도합니다. 이런 모습으로 기도할 때 얼마나 고통스러웠을까요?  엘리야의 영적싸움의 목적은 ‘하나님이 주되심을 알게 하는 것’입니다. 물론 번제단에 불이 내린 것도 그 표시지만, 지난 3년동안 가뭄으로 인하여 고통중에 있던 백성들을 해방시키는 것이었습니다. 그래서 불이 내린 것에 만족하지 않고, 비가 내릴 때까지 하나님 앞에 간절히 기도하는 것입니다!!
Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel, bent down to the ground, and put his face between his knees to pray. How painful must it have been to pray in such a posture? The purpose of Elijah's spiritual battle was to make known that God is the Lord. Although the fire falling on the altar was a sign of this, it was also to deliver the people who had been suffering from the drought for the past three years. Therefore, Elijah did not stop at the fire falling; he fervently prayed before God until the rain came.

 

44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

 

7번째 바다를 보고 온 사환의 눈에는 그저 ‘사람의 손 만한 작은 구름’이었지만, 기도하는 사람 엘리야의 눈에는 ‘큰 비’가 보였습니다.
SMALL FAITH, GREAT GOD!
작은 믿음으로도 능히 역사하시는 크신 하나님을 보고 있었습니다.

On the seventh time the servant went to look at the sea, he saw only a "small cloud, as small as a man's hand." However, to Elijah, who was praying, this small cloud signified a "heavy rain." 

SMALL FAITH, GREAT GOD

Even with a small faith, Elijah saw the great God who can work wonders.