Elijah on Mount Carmel

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This Bible story podcast for kids tells the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel. We referenced the following Biblical passages: 1 Kings 18:16-45. Hey-O Kids Curriculum’s primary goal with the Stories of the Bible animation is to tell the stories from God’s word accurately and in a way that is engaging to children of all ages.

This is Elijah. Elijah was a prophet in Israel during the reign of King Ahab. His job was to tell the people what God wanted them to hear. This is King Ahab. He came from a line of kings who did bad things, but King Ahab was the worst of them all. He led the Israelites to do evil things as well and they turned away from God and started worshiping a fake god called Baal. 

God told Elijah to go speak with Ahab. While he was on his way to Ahab, a good man name Obadiah ran into him on the road. Elijah told him to go tell Ahab that he had come. Obadiah was scared that Elijah would not be there when he got back, but Elijah promised that he would. So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come back. King Ahab went out to meet Elijah and when he saw him he said, “So is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”

Elijah said, “I have made no trouble for Israel. You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of God and have worshiped images of Baal instead.” Then Elijah told Ahab to bring all of Israel and the prophets of Baal to join him at Mount Carmel. 

So Ahab did as Elijah asked. Then Elijah stood in from to them and said, “How much longer will you waver? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

Elijah called for two bulls and told the prophets of Baal that they could chose the one they wanted to sacrifice to Baal. They could put it on the altar but not set fire to it. Elijah said, “I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.

Elijah let the prophets of Baal go first. They prepared the sacrifice and called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder! Perhaps he is away on a trip or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” So they shouted louder and raved all afternoon until the evening, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of God that had been torn down and dug a trench around the altar.  

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”

After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

Elijah walked up to the altar and prayed, “God, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Oh God, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 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!”

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