“So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.”
I Kings 18:28-29 NKJV
a. They cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them: The prophets of Baal were utterly sincere and completely devoted to their religion. They were so committed that they expressed it in their own blood. They had zeal, but without knowledge - therefore their zeal profited them nothing.
i. “The practice of self-inflicted wounds to arouse a deity’s pity or response is attested in Ugarit when men ‘bathed in their own blood like an ecstatic prophet.’” (Wiseman)
ii. “This was done according to the rites of that barbarous religion; if the blood of the bullock would not move him they thought their own blood might; and with it they smeared themselves and their sacrifice.” (Clarke)
b. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention: This is the sad result of worshipping an imaginary god or the god of our own making. We may dedicate great sincerity, sacrifice, and devotion to such gods, but it means nothing. There is no one there to answer. (Guzik)
No One There To Answer!
There may be times in our lives when we feel that the good Lord doesn’t answer our prayers. It’s in times like this that we need to do a self examination of ourselves and see if we have any sin that may be separating us from God. For it is written:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I John 1:9 NKJV
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
Proverbs 28:13 NKJV
If you are going through a period of doubt and wondering and why He isn’t answering, pick up your Bible, spend some quiet time with Him and never forget that Jesus loves you!
I am reminded of the acronym for the Bible, basic instructions before leaving earth.
Have you read your instruction manual that leads to grace and mercy?
Blessings
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