Still 'fine-tuning' our process. You can get to the original article HERE
NOTE: THIS ARTICLE is a reprint from the blog of reverend Kevin Rogers of New Song Church in Windsor, Ontario and is reproduced here for your convenience. You can visit the his blog called "The Orphan Age" HERE.
We need to always pay close attention to the symbols we see
in Scripture. God uses learning aids to help us remember his nature. On the
Mount Carmel showdown, we see the symbols of the altar, the sacrifice, the
water, and the fire.
The water-drenching perhaps foreshadows the coming rain
and also assures the crowd that what follows is no prophetic trick by Elijah.[1]
We see that God acts in response to simple and sincere
prayer from those who are in the right relationship to himself.
1 Kings 18:
36 At
The Time Of Sacrifice, The Prophet Elijah Stepped Forward And Prayed: “Lord,
The God Of Abraham, Isaac, And Israel, Let It Be Known Today That You Are God
In Israel And That I Am Your Servant And Have Done All These Things At Your
Command. 37 Answer Me, Lord, Answer Me, So These People Will
Know That You, Lord, Are God, And That You Are Turning Their Hearts Back
Again.”
38 Then
The Fire Of The Lord Fell And Burned Up The Sacrifice, The Wood, The Stones,
And The Soil, And Also Licked Up The Water In The Trench.
39 When
all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God!
The Lord—he is God!”
Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there? In Elijah’s
simple prayer there is an appeal for God to show the people what is right and
that they still belong to Him. And in God’s answer to prayer, there is a
thoroughness here that removes any doubt about the power and nature of God. The
people are reminded of God’s covenants with them, and their hearts are set
aflame with recognition.
It’s interesting that there are three baptisms described in
Scripture. Baptism in water, baptism in fire and baptism in the Spirit.
The Orthodox Church has an interesting perspective on what
happened here on Mount Carmel. They say:
Fire and water are obviously opposed to one another. So,
if the Lord makes them operate in harmony and friendly cooperation, He is
clearly the true God. The water filled the furrow, then the fire fell from
heaven. In all this, Elijah proclaimed Christian baptism. “Now in this, by that
marvelous sacrifice, Elijah clearly proclaimed to us the sacramental rite of
Baptism that would be instituted by Christ. For the fire was kindled by water,
poured out three times upon the sacrifice. Thus, it is clearly shown that where
the mystic water is, there is the kindling, warm, and fiery Spirit of God, who
burns up impurity, and illuminates the faithful”.[2]
The point of baptism is to signify that a person becomes
completely immersed and consumed in the act. God does the work in our spirit as
we enter in.
Have you been baptized into Jesus through the symbol of
water?
Have you been baptized in fire as the Spirit purifies and
consumes you?
Have you been baptized in the Spirit so that you may live a
Spirit empowered life?
[1] NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible ©2019 by Zondervan
[2] Orthodox Study Bible ©2008 by St. Athanasius Academy
of Orthodox Theology