Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

During a period of deep apostasy in Israel, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel led the people to worship the idol Baal. To prove the power of the living God, the prophet Elijah challenged four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel. Each side prepared an altar with a bull, but they were forbidden from lighting a fire. The prophets of Baal cried out all day, dancing and gashing themselves, yet their altar remained cold. When it was Elijah's turn, he rebuilt his altar with twelve stones, representing the tribes of Israel, and ordered four large jars of water to be poured over the sacrifice three times until the trench around it was full. With a simple, humble prayer, a magnificent fire descended from heaven, consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and even the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces, declaring that the Lord alone is God, and the long drought over the land finally came to an end.