The Living Word of God: 1 Kings 18:30b–35
“Then (Elijah) repaired the broken altar of the LORD. He took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, 'Israel shall be your name.' With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood.
Then he said, 'Fill four jars 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. And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also.” (18:30b–35)
Elijah restores the altar of the LORD. He does this at the command that also corresponds to the tradition of the Old Testament. The God he represents is not a new God to be compared with the idols introduced by Israel. He is the God of the nation he Himself established and whose history He shaped, so for Israel, He must not be a new God, but their eternal God.
Elijah takes twelve stones to signify the number of the twelve tribes. He shows the people what has been known to them since ancient times, presenting their history to them again. Before this altar, the people must recognize themselves again, feel at home. But since the people, in their sins, have abandoned the house of God and their own, Elijah sets a more difficult condition. He has the prepared sacrifice soaked with water, three times, each time with four jars. So twelve times, corresponding to the twelve tribes. All of this is to place before the eyes of the unbelieving people the greatness of God. This overwhelming act is a penitential act, disregarding natural laws; it removes this event from the realm of everything that sinners and idol worshippers might deem possible. The difficulty also indicates how far the people have strayed. As if Elijah wants to compel God to perform such a great miracle that not only could no one doubt, but also that the conditions set for the idols would seem laughably easy compared to those for which the true sacrifice is to be realized. As if Elijah knew nothing of the natural conditions, as if he had forgotten all worldly laws, as if he so counted on the descent of fire that he could prove the absolute power of this fire only by its opposite: the amount of water.
Extracted from the book: Elijah
Author: Adrienne von Speyr
Published by: KNA
