Showdown October 11, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston 1 Kings 18:1 – 40 Verse of the Week: “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” 1 Kings 18:39 1. Passivity is not an option ‘“Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.’ So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.” 1 Kings 18:1 & 2 “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 1 Kings 18:17 “troubler” – akar – to roil water “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals.” 1 Kings 18:18 “send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal” 1 Kings 18:19 “(Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly; for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)” 1 Kings 18:3 & 4 “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people did not answer him a word.” 1 Kings 18:21 “hesitate” – pasach – to hop, skip over, to limp “they leaped about the altar which they made.” 1 Kings 18:26 “Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.” 1 Kings 18:23 & 24 “with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power" 1 Corinthians 2:4 “the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that followed.” Mark 16:20 “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” 1 Kings 18:39 “When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.” 1 Kings 18:29 2. Preparation is essential Repair the altar “Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down.” 1 Kings 18:30 “repaired” – rapha – to mend, to cure, make whole “I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 Release what you hold dear ‘“Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.’ And he said, ‘Do it a second time,’ and they did it a second time. And he said, ‘Do it a third time,’ and they did it a third time.” 1 Kings 18:34 Remember whose you are and who you are “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel” 1 Kings 18:36 “Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 1 Kings 18:31 “Then 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.” 1 Kings 18:38 “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.’” 1 Kings 18:39