BIBLE RECORDS | 124 MIRACLES (52)

1. What are "Miracles"?

a) Miracles are those acts that only God can perform; usually superseding natural laws. Baker’s Dictionary of the Bible defines a miracle as “an event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God.” It goes on to add that a miracle occurs to show that the power behind it is not limited to the laws of matter or mind as it interrupts fixed natural laws. So the term supernatural applies quite accurately.

b) Miracles are also known as Signs and Wonders.

c) Here we have one of the 124 miracles recorded in the Bible.

2. Miracle 52: SUPERNATURAL FIRE in response to Elijah’s prayers (1 Kings 18:19-39). 

a) Supernatural Fire in response to Elijah's prayers.

1 Kings 18:19-39 New King James Version (NKJV)
¹⁹ Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 

²⁰ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. ²¹ And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. ²² Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. ²³ Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.”

So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” 

²⁵ Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”  

²⁶ So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.

²⁷ And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. ²⁹ And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. ³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” ³² Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. ³³ And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” ³⁴ Then 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. ³⁵ So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

³⁶ And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷ Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

b) Fire.

i) FOR SACRED PURPOSES—The sacrifices were consumed by fire (Genesis 8:20). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven (Leviticus 6:9, 13; 9:24), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 7:1, 3).

ii) FIRE FROM HEAVEN—The expressions “fire from heaven” and “fire of the Lord” generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called (Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 1:9; 2:3; 3:5, 9).

iii) STRANGE FIRE—Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called “strange fire” (Leviticus 10:1, 2; Numbers 3:4).

iv) CREMATION—The victims slain for sin offerings were afterwards consumed by fire outside the camp (Leviticus 4:12, 21; 6:30; 16:27; Hebrews 13:11). The bodies of infamous persons who were executed were also sometimes burned (Joshua 7:25; 2 Kings 23:16).

v) FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES, such as baking, cooking, warmth, etc. (Jeremiah 36:22; Mark 14:54; John 18:18). But on Sabbath no fire for any domestic purpose was to be kindled (Exodus 35:3; Numbers 15:32-36).

vi) PUNISHMENT OF DEATH BY FIRE was inflicted on such as were guilty of certain forms of unchastity and incest (Leviticus 20:14; 21:9). The burning of captives in war was not unknown among the Jews (2 Samuel 12:31; Jeremiah 29:22).

vii) IN WAR, fire was used in the destruction of cities, as Jericho (Joshua 6:24), Ai (8:19), Hazor (11:11), Laish (Judges 18:27), etc. The war-chariots of the Canaanites were burnt (Joshua 11:6, 9, 13). The Israelites burned the images (2 Kings 10:26; Revised Version, “pillars”) of the house of Baal. These objects of worship seem to have been of the nature of obelisks, and were sometimes evidently made of wood.

v) Torches were sometimes carried by the soldiers in battle (Judges 7:16).

vi) SYMBOLIC—Figuratively, fire is a symbol of Jehovah’s presence and the instrument of his power (Exodus 14:19; Numbers 11:1, 3; Judges 13:20; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10, 12; 2:11; Isaiah 6:4; Ezekiel 1:4; Revelation 1:14, etc.).

@1. God’s word is also likened unto fire (Jeremiah 23:29). It is referred to as an emblem of severe trials or misfortunes (Zechariah. 12:6; Luke 12:49; 1 Corinthians 3:13, 15; 1 Peter 1:7), and of eternal punishment (Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:44; Revelation 14:10; 21:8).

@2. The influence of the Holy Ghost is likened unto fire (Matthew 3:11). His descent was denoted by the appearance of tongues as of fire (Acts 2:3).