By Kate Tamale-Sali
Over 97 per cent of the world’s population is religious. Man is naturally a worshipping beast. While some worship the true Creator, others worship creatures and innovations. Worship predispositions define humanity.
Israelites are the forefathers of the worship of one God. During the days of Elijah, King Ahab and his wife Jezebel introduced the worship of Baal.
Baalism became popular. This palace religion, whose prophets used state structures to make publicity, became dominant. Gradually, the Israelites deviated from the worship of the true God and delved into apostasy.
Prophets who insisted on worshipping Yahweh and preaching against Baal were severely punished and imprisoned. Many were killed and their places of worship destroyed (1Kings 19:10).
Israel was so misled that the truth appeared as lies and lies were staged as the real truth. But God could not look on as His people were being deceived.
He raised Elijah, a Tishbite. It is important to understand that it doesn’t matter the magnitude or dominance of sin and apostasy. God always has an eternal plan.
Worship of the true God diminished at the hands of King Ahab. Majority of the prophets of Yahweh were compromised, while others were subjected to bowing to the policies and practices of Baal. But Elijah approached King Ahab and his wife, and told them how false and misleading their religion was.
They had preached Baal as the god of heavens and controller of seasons. Prophet Elijah refuted that publically before the palace administration and declared Yahweh as the only true God.
To prove his point, Elijah declared that it would not rain in Israel for three years. He made the declaration in the name of God, provoking Baal to make it rain if he, indeed, was the true God (1Kings 17:1).
Just as Elijah said, there was neither rain nor dew for three years. After Baal had proved incapable, King Ahab sought Elijah to plead with God and save the situation.
Elijah stood in the gap and exposed the deceptive national religion of Baal. As a true Christian, you should also stand up and disapprove today’s false prophecies and teachings.
