1 Kings 18:38

38 Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!

1 Kings 18:38 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:38

Then the fire of the Lord fell
An extraordinary fire from God out of heaven, as the effects of it show:

and consumed the burnt sacrifice;
as it had done in former instances, ( Leviticus 9:24 ) ( Judges 6:21 ) ( 1 Chronicles 21:26 ) ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 2 Chronicles 7:3 ) , and besides this, which is still more extraordinary,

and the wood, and the stones, and the dust;
of the altar, thereby signifying that even such were not to be used any more:

and licked up the water that was in the trench;
around the altar, see ( 1 Kings 18:32 ) .

1 Kings 18:38 In-Context

36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.

37 O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

38 Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The LORD —he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!”

40 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.