Elijah's showdown with the prophets of Baal
on Mount Carmel (1
Kings 18:20-40).
Things got so bad, to the point where God's
people weren't even
sure which method of worship was the true one.
They were mixing worship of the True God with
the worship of
pagan gods, but they didn't think anything of it.
They didn't answer Elijah's question when he
asked "How much
longer will you try to have things both ways? If the LORD is God, worship him! But if Baal is God,
worship him!"
(1 Kings 18:21 CEV), they didn't even say a word.
Surely, they could not think that elements of
Baal worship were
acceptable to God? But it wasn't until
God sent down fire
from heaven that burned up the whole altar that God's own people proclaimed "the LORD,
he is the God" (vs.
39).