Moses’ God. He had brought them safely through the Red Sea--the same waters that had later drowned their former masters, and set them before Mount Sinai in the land of Midian--the great mountain of God. They assembled at its foot to receive His commandments. With the fire and billowing smoke from the mountain along with the tremendous shaking underfoot and trumpet blasts getting louder and louder, Yahweh God spoke directly to the people, giving them His Ten Commandments. With all of this intense ‘shock and awe’, the people were extremely “afraid and pulled back.” Standing at a distance, there was no ambivalence among them! The people immediately spoke up, saying to Moses; “You speak to us and we will listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die!” (Exodus 19:16-20:21 [NIV & MSG]).

Some fifty years later, Joshua, Moses’ successor led the Children of Israel into the land God had promised to them and their ancestors.  As their leader, he addressed them for the last time before he died. Calling attention to the fact that Yahweh God had divided the waters of the Jordan River before them and permitted Joshua to lead them through it into the land of Palestine, Joshua recounted the marvelous history of their God’s continuing care for them, and their fathers before them.  Had He not wonderfully delivered them from Egypt and provided the abundant resources of food, water and other provisions in the wilderness?  They were now safe and sound in the land of Canaan, for God had gone ahead of them to conquer it so that they could settle the land  in peace.  Joshua reminded them that the gods of the surrounding nations had been no match for their God who was Yahweh.  Their enjoyment of the land with all of its abundant resources had been a tremendous gift to them from Moses’ God.  Then Joshua charged them all:

“Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness . . . . [and] choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15 [NIV]).

There was no indecision, and caution was thrown to the wind. Without hesitation, the people responded:

“We’d never forsake God! Never! (emphasis mine/e.m.). We’d never leave God to worship other gods. God is our God! He brought up our ancestors from Egypt and from slave conditions. He did all those signs while we watched. He has kept his eye on us all along the roads we’ve traveled and among the nations we’ve passed through. Just for us he drove out all the nations, Amorites and all, who lived in the land. Count us in (e.m.): We too are going to worship God. He’s our God” (Joshua 24:16-18 [MSG]).

Sure enough! They were true to their word and took immediate action. The Israelites ratified the renewed covenant of God with Joshua that very day in setting up a huge stone under a spreading oak at the holy place of God. It was a stone of witness against them and their pledge. It would stand as a constant reminder of their words of loyalty to Yahweh God. The people of Israel faithfully served Him during the remaining years of Joshua and “. . . the elders who outlived him, who had themselves experienced all that God had done for Israel” (Joshua 24:31 [MSG]).

The times, however, have a way of taking their toll on a people. A full generation of people had come and gone, and year after year this tremendously strong resolve had eroded away. Within a hundred years the Israelites had abandoned God, “ . . . The God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the people around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered God as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte [Asherah?]! God’s anger was hot against Israel . . . ! They were helpless before their enemies. Every time they walked out the door God was with them--but for evil . . . . They were in a bad way” (Judges 2:11-15 [MSG]).

Many many years had passed, but though it played a role, time was not really the culprit in their defection from God and their eventual demise. Israel finally turned her back on Yahweh primarily because she forgot  her holy history! --“Live holy lives before me because I, God, am holy.  I have distinguished you from the nations to be my very own” (Leviticus 20:26 [MSG]).  The people forgot this and in forgetting these values along with other vitally important realities, their hearts gradually moved them away from their God!  Soon, they lost their unique place in God’s heart as his precious redeemed people and became just like the foreign idolators who lived around them, learning the gross excesses of that idolatry!

Fast forward to the events of that solemn assembly involving King Ahab, the 850 prophets of Baal/Asherah,  Elijah and all the people of Israel  at Mt. Carmel. The solid resolve of the people of Israel to serve and worship only Yahweh God from the days of Joshua had melted completely away. And Elijah’s demand that the people “Make up your minds” fell on deaf ears:

”Nobody said a word, nobody made a move” (I Kings 18:21 [MSG]).

What was it that froze them in their tracks? What was it that sealed their lips--that prevented any sort of action? Was it fear? Intimidation? After all, the odds were only stacked 850 to one. The full religious establishment of the land along with Ahab, Jezebel and the political clout of their government also weighed heavily against Elijah, the lone prophet of Yahweh God.

Perhaps Israel was only waiting to see which way the ‘wind’ would blow before making a decision. If Elijah and his god won in this contest, perhaps they would go with him. If, on the other hand, it were Ahab and the 850 prophets of Baal/Asherah, to the victor goes the spoils.

Maybe at this point in time, it just no longer mattered! The culture they now lived in had become so sensually charged, self-centered, indulgent and brutally cruel that they had become completely indifferent and apathetic to any outcome. After everything was said and done, ‘What difference did it make?’

Well, according to the story (from I Kings 18:19-40), the prophets built the altar and petitioned Baal god to come consume their sacrifice with fire.  They called/cried out to their god for over half a day til the time of the evening sacrifice. They desperately jumped up and down on the altar, cut themselves and used every incantation and religious trick they could think of--all to no avail. Despite Elijah’s mocking throughout the whole ordeal that perhaps Baal couldn’t hear them or that he was on a trip or that he was busy with another project or was preoccupied on the toilet (this is the thrust of the original language) or that, perhaps he was sound asleep--there was no one there! Baal did not answer!

Elijah rebuilt the altar, placed the firewood and sacrifice upon it and dug a wide and deep trench around everything. He then instructed that four barrels of water be poured upon the altar--three times. The altar, wood and sacrifice were completely drenched and the trench around it was full to overflowing! With a simple prayer Elijah addressed the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel;

“. . . make it known right now that you are God in Israel . . . , answer me, God; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God, the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance” (I Kings 18:36-37 [MSG]).

“Immediately the fire of God fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench was licked up by the flames. All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, ‘God is the true God! God is the true God!’” Every prophet of Baal--every single one of them, was dispatched in a great massacre and the people returned to their homes.

We live in a time and culture saturated in sensuality, violence and widespread corruption in the political, corporate and personal realms, along with the blurring of moral boundaries. Clear distinctions between the right and the wrong, the good and the bad, and the acceptable and the unacceptable are no longer so clear! And we are encouraged--NO, expected to keep our mouths SHUT!

We often feel we are in the minority. We hear hardly anyone speaking up. We feel all alone (Elijah felt that way. He thought he was the only one of God--that is until Yahweh informed him differently; 7,000 in Israel had still refused to bow to Baal-I Kings 19:18). Will we be so intimidated that we ‘SHUT  THE  H@%L  UP’? What would it take to get us--and others to begin to open their mouths to the evil and the abuses that we see every single day? A miracle?

But if I speak up, I might get in trouble. I might be ostracized. I might even get beat up! Listen to Martin Luther King--he, though being dead, speaks the truth: “Our lives begin to end when we remain silent about the things that matter.”

Steve Brown of  KeyLife  told a fanciful story from a friend of his;

“A just man went to Sodom and began yelling loudly in the streets: ‘Repent! For your own sakes, quit this wickedness that you are doing!’ Day after day, he shouted the same message to the people of Sodom. And all he got from the people of that city was derision and laughter and mocking as they continued their wicked ways. Finally, a little child who had quietly taken in all that had occurred from day to day, stopped this just man and asked him what seemed obvious: ‘Every day you come here with the same words, calling these people to change and quit their wickedness. Why are you doing this? Don’t you see that they are not listening to you? You aren’t making a difference. You are being ignored. Why do you do this day after day!?’ The just man replied to him; ‘Child, I am not doing this to change them, but to keep them from changing me!’”

Because we forget so quickly and easily, reciting our ‘holy history’ to each other and our children and loved ones is the vital link to life.  Failing or refusing to continually speak the redemptive message and other fundamental truths pertaining to our lives exposes us to the same dangers that led the people of Israel away from their critical relationship with the living God into the pernicious perils of lifeless idolatry.  Refusing to speak the words that connect us to our Father will eventually bring us to an apathy and  complete disconnection to life itself.

Speak Up!

“Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life--body and soul--in his hands”  (Matthew 10:28 [MSG]).

L.A.Williams