1 Kings 18:30-35: a reflection

30Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the LORD’s altar that had been thrown down. 31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32With the stones he built an altar in the LORD’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seed. 33He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time. 35The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

On Mount Carmel, before calling down fire from heaven, Elijah does something striking. Having repaired the broken-down altar and prepared the sacrifice, he orders that four jars of water be poured over it, not once but three times, until the offering and the wood are drenched and the trench around the altar is filled with water. He deliberately makes the sacrifice as unlikely to burn as possible, so that when the fire falls, there can be no doubt it is God's doing, and God's alone.

Notice why Elijah drenches the sacrifice: to leave no room to credit anything but God. He could have kept the offering dry, giving room for skeptics to say the fire came from some natural or human cause. Instead, he soaked it thoroughly, three times, so that no natural explanation would be possible; when the fire fell and consumed even the water-soaked offering, it would be undeniably God's work. Elijah arranged things so that God alone would get the glory, leaving no room for the credit to go anywhere else.

That concern, that God alone get the glory, with no room for the credit to go elsewhere, is worth taking to heart. We can be tempted, even in God's work, to arrange things so that some of the credit comes to us, to keep our own contribution visible. But Elijah did the opposite: he arranged things so that God alone could be credited, leaving no room for the glory to go anywhere but to God. In whatever God does through you, seek that God alone get the glory, as Elijah drenched the sacrifice so that only God could be credited for the fire. Do not arrange things to keep some credit for yourself; let it be plain that what is accomplished is God's doing, so that the glory goes to him alone. Elijah left no room for any credit but God's; let your desire be the same, that in what God does, he alone receives the glory.

Lord, on Mount Carmel, before calling down fire, Elijah repaired the altar and then drenched the sacrifice with water three times, so that when the fire fell there could be no doubt it was your doing alone; he left no room to credit anything but you. Take that concern to my heart, that you alone get the glory, with no room for the credit to go elsewhere. I can be tempted, even in your work, to arrange things so that some of the credit comes to me, to keep my own contribution visible. But Elijah did the opposite: he arranged things so that you alone could be credited, leaving no room for the glory to go anywhere but to you. In whatever you do through me, help me seek that you alone get the glory, as Elijah drenched the sacrifice so that only you could be credited for the fire. Keep me from arranging things to keep some credit for myself; let it be plain that what is accomplished is your doing, so that the glory goes to you alone. Elijah left no room for any credit but yours; let my desire be the same, that in what you do, you alone receive the glory, Lord.