by Tom Cormany
tell your mom while you put the goats back. Give them some hay and water and I'll be right back.
Jacob herded the goats back into the pen and made sure they had enough hay and water for the day. As he finished, his dad rejoined him at the stable. “We're going to leave the dogs here, too,” his dad informed him. So, Jacob made sure the dogs were tied securely as well.
His father grabbed his staff and handed Jacob's to him. Jacob noticed his father had a lunch bag over his shoulder as well. Together, the two of them started up the road.
Jacob noticed that they weren't alone. From all over, people were walking by ones and twos up the mountain. Jacob had no idea where all these people came from. There were no large towns or villages that close. Jacob's dad had noticed this also. “There's certainly something going on,” he said. They continued making their way up the road, the crowd growing thicker around them.
Near the top of the mountain, there was an open flat area, surrounded by rocky slopes, forming a natural amphitheater. It was here that everyone was gathering. On the western horizon, Jacob could see the sea. It was a vivid blue in the morning sun. People were gathering on the slopes around the center.
In the middle of the open area was the king along with the priests of Ba'al. The two bulls were off to one side. Directly across from the king was one man, with his servant. Or, at least Jacob assumed it was his servant. By their dress, you could hardly tell them apart. Yet, the older man radiated such a presence that Jacob thought he could feel it.
“Who is that old man?” Jacob asked his father quietly. Despite the noise of the crowd, somehow it seemed appropriate for Jacob to whisper.
Ephraim looked to where Jacob had indicated. A genuine smile came to his face. “That's Elijah – a mighty prophet of the true God of Israel.” He grinned. “It almost looks like a showdown.”
About that time, Elijah walked to the center of the open area and raised his hands for quiet. He got it after a few moments. In a voice that carried to everyone gathered there, he announced, “People of Israel. How long will you waver between two ways of worship? If Yahweh be God, then follow Him. If Ba'al be god, then follow him.”
There was utter silence from everyone as Elijah continued.
“I am one man, while the prophets of Ba'al are four-hundred fifty. I propose a challenge to them as a test as to which god is the true God. Both of us will prepare a sacrifice. But – we will not light the fire. Instead, each of us – them, and I – will pray to our god that he light it himself. Whichever god sends fire, that is the true God of Israel.”
Jacob could hear the muttering of the people around him. Suddenly, he heard his father cry out with a loud voice “Let it be so!” Others took up the cry. Soon, the amphitheater echoed with the cry – "Let it be so." The chant shook the ground.
Elijah held up his hands. Once quiet had been restored, he said loudly to the priests of Ba'al, “The people have spoken. I will let you go first.” With that, he walked back over to his servant and sat down to work.
“This ought to be interesting,” his father said quietly to him.
“Why?” asked Jacob. His dad had always taught him that Yahweh was the God of Israel, not Ba'al as the queen had convinced so many people. He waited for his father to elaborate.
“Do you remember all the stories I've taught you?” was his father's reply. “About how we came out of Egypt, how Pharaoh's army was destroyed, how the walls of Jericho fell flat? You remember?”
“Of course, Father,” Jacob replied. “But I still don't understand.”
His father gave a small sigh. “Perhaps not. Maybe they just seem like good stories. But those stories are real, as real as I'm sitting here. Those so-called priests of Ba'al have been challenged by a prophet of the same God who did those miracles so long ago. They just don't know they've already lost. Look at them and look at Elijah. You will remember today for as long as you live.”
Jacob looked. While his father had been talking, the priests of Ba'al had set up an altar and slaughtered one of the bulls. They were in the process of laying the pieces on the altar they had just built. Jacob thought that maybe a few of them looked nervous, but it was hard to tell. Maybe it was just his imagination. A look at Elijah showed that the man looked utterly bored, and utterly confident. He had taken out a hunk of bread and was chewing on it as he read a scroll. He didn't look worried at all. Jacob could see what his father meant.
By now, the pieces had all been laid on the altar. Someone who looked to be the chief priest began chanting, “Oh Ba'al, hear our prayer.” The chant was taken up by the other priests. He could even hear a few in the crowd following along. He glanced at his dad, but his dad only scowled.
The morning wore on, and the day began to get hot. Jacob could see the robes of the priests darken with sweat. The crowd had grown silent in the heat, watching the priests of Ba'al. No one chanted with them now. It looked like Elijah had made a small shelter with his cloak and was now lying down in the shade it provided – apparently taking a nap. Jacob could hardly believe it. When he pointed it out to his dad, he only smiled and said, “See, I told you he's not worried.”
By the time Jacob got out his bag to eat his midday meal, the day had turned into a real scorcher. The sun beat down mercilessly upon everyone – especially the priests of Ba'al. Jacob noticed the king had a pavilion set up and was watching everything from the shade.
To Jacob, it seemed a little boring. The priests of Ba'al had been droning on for hours now, chanting “Ba'al, hear us.” To him, it didn't look like it was doing any good at all. Nothing was happening. Then, he heard a different voice. It was Elijah.
Apparently, his nap was over, and he, too, seemed bored with the proceedings. In a voice that cut over the sound of the priests chanting, he began to taunt them. “What's the matter, is your god asleep?” And “Maybe he stepped out of his house for a minute, chant louder, maybe he'll hear you then.” Jacob heard his father give a small snort of laughter, but he said nothing.
As he turned his attention back to the show – for that is what it was turning out to be – he caught the flash of metal from several spots. Knives! “Dad, the priests have knives!”
“Not that it will do them any good. Son, those are for cutting themselves to give their god blood. Something Yahweh forbids. Ba'al worshippers do this when they get really serious about praying. I guess they weren't so serious before.”
Apparently Elijah thought the same thing, for his taunting of them got even louder and more inventive. “What, he still hasn't answered you? He must be in a deep sleep.” His efforts began to produce some chuckles among the crowd. Jacob could tell his dad was enjoying it.
As the afternoon wore on, several of the priests collapsed. Whether from heat exhaustion or blood loss, Jacob couldn't tell. Flies had now gathered on the sacrifice by the thousands and it was starting to smell in the heat. This produced new taunts from Elijah who was now pacing around as he did so. “Maybe your god likes spoiled meat. What if he is displeased with all your other offerings. Maybe he is ignoring you because you've always done it wrong.”
Even though Jacob and his dad had been sitting there almost the whole day, somehow it didn't feel like it. Sure, he was hot and tired, but somehow it was as if he had been only there a short while. Still, he wondered how long this was going to last.
“Uh, oh,” he heard his father say. “I wonder what that is about.”
Jacob glanced over at his dad, and then looked to where his father was looking. Elijah had stopped taunting the priests and was talking to his servant. Elijah was pointing in their general direction and the servant was looking at their part of the crowd and nodding his head.
When Elijah was done, the servant walked over to a wagon team that Jacob had noticed earlier. He said something to one of the drivers, who nodded. Then, the servant began walking in their direction. Jacob's eyes followed him as he made a beeline straight for them.
“Ephraim, my name is Ezra. My master Elijah said you have a spring nearb
y. He requests the use of it.”
Jacob could not recall any other time when his father had been taken so completely by surprise. “Elijah knows who I am?” he heard him manage to get out.
“My master knows many things, and what he does not know is revealed to him by Yahweh,” replied Ezra. “You do have a spring, don't you?”
“Um, yes.”
“Good, could we please use it? And if you would be so kind as to show us where it is.” Ezra smiled as he said it. He caught the look his father gave to the mob of chanting priests. “Don't worry, you won't miss anything important, I promise you.”
Ephraim got up, and at a signal from his dad, Jacob did too. His dad introduced Jacob to Ezra.
“Glad to meet you, Jacob. I think it is fitting that someone named Jacob is here today to witness the power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” With that comment, Ezra led the two of them over to the wagon. All the way, Jacob could hear his dad muttering “He knows who I am” under his breath.
When they got to the wagon, the driver had collected the two other men and all three were waiting for them. In the back of the wagon were twelve large barrels, obviously for water from the spring.
Ephraim eyed the barrels. “You want twelve barrels of water from my spring?” he inquired.
“Yes,” replied Ezra, “Is there a problem?”
“No,