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Elijah And The Fewness Of The Faithful
During the prophet Elijah’s time (9th century BC), worship of the false god Baal became so widespread among the people that Elijah believed himself to be the only prophet who remained faithful.
1 Kings 18:21-22- “And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go halting between the two sides? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.’”
St. Ephrem, Commentary On Tatian’s Diatessaron, Part 7, #13: “When Elijah said, I alone am left as a prophet unto the Lord [1 Kings 18:22], he was not calumniating the just, because they were no [longer] to be found, but rather he was denouncing sinners because they had done away with the just.”
God granted Elijah a miracle on Mt. Carmel during a contest between himself and the false prophets of Baal, after which the false prophets of Baal were killed. During the contest Elijah had also mocked the false prophets of Baal and their false god.
1 Kings 18:27-29- “And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention [to their false prayers].”
The false prophets of Baal were not heard. But God heard the prayer of Elijah.
1 Kings 18:36-40- “And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.’ And Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.’”
God was profoundly merciful to grant a miracle to the people even after they had apostatized from Him. Despite his victory over the false prophets of Baal, Elijah remained discouraged about the bad will of the people.
1 Kings 19:4-10- “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’… [Elijah said:] For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
But God reassured him that a remnant of 7000 remained faithful. St. Paul mentions this in Romans 11:4.
1 Kings 19:18- “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Romans 11:4-5- “But what is God’s reply to him? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”
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