Lessons from Israel: Mt. Carmel

Mt. Carmel is a lush, green mountain in central Israel.  Bumper crops grow on its banks. Trees cover it all the way to the summit.  During the time of Elijah, when there had been no rain for three years, it was probably one of the last green places in all of Israel.  Baal was the god of rain and fertility. Baal made crops grow and watered vegetation. The classic showdown in 1 Kings 18 between God and Baal takes place in Baal’s last stronghold.  This was home field advantage for Baal. If you know the story, then you know that God whips Baal in his own house with a decisive victory on Mt. Carmel.

Sometimes I feel like this world isn’t set up for God to be victorious.  It plays by a different set of rules. Our economy is largely based on greed and consumption, which feed each other in an endless cycle.  Power is the greatest acquisition a person can make. Wealth is a close second. The values of God’s kingdom just don’t play in this environment.  But remember Mt. Carmel. This world never stopped belonging to God. Whatever game is played, God controls the board. He can win on the world’s home field.  As the hymn says, “Though the wrong seems oft’ so strong, God is the ruler yet.”