Have you ever seen someone on a game show who was asked a question so far outside of their knowledge that their only reasonable reply was “no answer”? Or, maybe you’ve been taking a test, and a surprise question caught you off guard, without enough knowledge to even guess, so you had to write “no answer”. If so, don’t worry: you’re in good company, and I don’t intend to ask any trick questions today.
Let’s take a second look at the passage considered in the previous article.
So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.
1 Kings 18:20-21 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.18.20-21.NIV
What was the people’s reply? They gave no answer. Technically, they didn’t say “no answer”, but their silence was perhaps even worse, since they wouldn’t even admit that they didn’t have – or didn’t want to give – an answer.
Now, I understand that choosing the true God in front of Ahab the king may have gotten them in trouble. Similarly, they probably didn’t want to commit to Baal in front of Elijah (especially if they knew that he prophesied the drought that they were in).
However, the very fact that they gave no answer tells us about their faith. I suspect that they were either divided among multiple gods, or they weren’t committed enough to one of those choices that they were willing to stand up for their belief.
Do you remember what the church in Laodicea was condemned for in Revelation 3 (see Revelation 3:14-22). They were “neither cold nor hot”, “lukewarm”, and God was calling on them – in love – to repent. The Israelite people here sound similar to the Laodiceans.
Elijah continued, though, even when the people didn’t answer his earlier question.
Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”
1 Kings 18:22-24 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.18.22-24.NIV
(By the way, Elijah’s belief that he was the last remaining prophet of God was probably incorrect, but the Bible captures what he said, without necessarily affirming that his statement was accurate.)
To help the people decide, Elijah sets up a challenge. A god that cannot make a difference in the real world isn’t much of a god at all. I do think that some people think of their god as being “remote” like that: someone to be worshiped in a spiritual sense, but who doesn’t have power or authority in their daily lives – in this tangible, physical world we live in. All praise to the real God, though, not only that He created this world, but also that He is still working in it and through it for good.
The people agreed (finally speaking up) that this challenge seemed like a “good idea” [NASB], and it makes sense that they would agree. After all, waiting for visible confirmation of power later was safer than standing up for their faith earlier. But, isn’t that what faith is about: standing up for something we know to be true, even before it is demonstrated? When we receive an answer to faith, it’s no longer faith, after all: it’s just observation and fact.
In any case, like the people of Israel were challenged to choose, let’s choose who our one God will be. “No answer” is still an answer, and “all of the above” isn’t going to work. As Jesus said, we cannot serve two masters (see Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). And, we would be foolish to follow any god other than the One who created us, loves us, reached out to us, forgave us, and wants to spend eternity with us.
In the end, though, “Jesus plus anything” or “Jesus minus anything” is heresy, and it won’t work. Later verses in this chapter (see 1 Kings 18:25-40) tell us what happened to some of those those who tried rebelling against God in Elijah’s time. Rather than waiting to see what happens, though, won’t you be bold enough to stand up for what you believe in ahead of time?
From Sunday School lesson prepared for May 11, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 & 2 Kings, by Jesse C. Long, Jr. © 2002 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 