Bible Word of the Day
Mount Carmel (Where Elijah Confronted the Priests of Baal)
Meaning
Mount Carmel is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. And because of its breadth and length is a prominent feature on the landscape of Israel. However, most often when people speak of Mount Carmel they think of the wooded promontory near modern day Haifa. The Mount Carmel range serves as the northern barrier to the Plain of Sharon which extends from Caesarea in the north to Joppa in the south. One side of Mount Carmel you have cliff’s overlooking the Plain of Sharon and the ocean and on the other side gently sloping hills, open fields and forest.
However Mount Carmel is most remembered for the historical confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. This is the showdown where God used Elijah to show the people He alone is the true and living God. In addition, Mount Carmel played a significant role in ancient times as a barrier to invasion along the coastal plain. The 1500-foot high limestone mountain impeded armies and merchants traveling to the Jezreel Valley. And within the word of God, Mount Carmel was referenced as a symbol of blessings and cursing’s. For example “To be given the ‘splendor of Carmel'” was a common blessing. And the people were warned, that “God would wither away Mount Carmel,” if the people rebelled against Him.
“The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him.” (Book of Nahum 1:4-6)
“‘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.’ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 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. 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. ‘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.’ 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. 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'” (Book of 1st Kings 18:19-21, 18:36-39)