Let the Bible Speak

On Mt Carmel. The prophet Elijah approach God in prayer on the basis of sacrifice accepted by God to symbolically teach that sinners can only approach God and find acceptance with God on the basis of sacrifice that He accepts who is the Lord Jesus Christ. To make any other approach to God is to be rejected.

The contents of the altar was an animal sacrifice and water. The animal given for sacrifice followed the pattern laid down in Leviticus to teach that God will only be pleased to forgive sin on the basis of sacrifice that He accepts. The water poured over the wood, sacrifice and ground, taught the people that God answers without the intervention of man, meaning forgiveness of sin is by God alone not man’s influence.

The altar was made form twelves stones to symbolise the 12 sons, tribes of Israel. Though the nation or tribes where divided, yet Elijah shows that in Christ there is forgiveness, there is only one Saviour of sinners and only one way to worship God, by faith in the promised Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Altar was constructed by the Lord’s command to teach God’s work must be done God’s way to enjoy God’s blessing.

The Condition or state of the altar that was broken down, was a reflection of the lives in the nation, in that they had forsaken the Lord.

The Altar is a place of sacrifice, communion and fellowship, where God meets with His people to fellowship. Such fellowship is on the basis of a sacrifice accepted by God. God’s terms of fellowship is by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is through Christ precious blood, God will restore and fellowship with sinners.

The Altar of the Lord has been broken down and forsake due to false worship. God leads Elijah to restore and rebuild the altar for blessing to fall upon the land once more. The altar symbolises fellowship with God, and if that fellowship has been forsaken then it must be restored to enjoy blessing.

God used the prophet Elijah to expose the false teaching of Baal and show the misery and impact of false religion in a life and nation. However, Elijah proclaimed the gospel that Jehovah alone is the true and living God.

The proof that sins are forgiven is seen by the change there is in the life whose sins have been forgiven.

The power to forgive sins and the power of sins forgiven is not the power of men or the church for such are powerless, rather the power rests in the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Saviour of sinners.

There is no doubt like the man in Matthew 9 there are many people who have needs such as this man a need that concerned his health, but the greatest need for all men and woman is more that physical, medical, social and financial it is spiritual, the priority to have sins forgiven by Jesus Christ alone.

In this passage the Lord Jesus Christ teaches that only God can forgive sin, however since Jesus forgives the sin of the man, then He proves Himself to be God co-equal and co-eternal.

Paul, the reformers and all believers preaching the gospel because the death of Christ on the cross was not a failure, rather Christ death is the power of the gospel. Christ died to save a people and until His return, He will continue to save sinners from their sin, transform their lives and adopt them into the family of God forever.

Reading – Romans 1:16. Both Paul, the reformers and all believers show their stand for the gospel in that they are not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation top every that believeth to the Jew first and to the Greek.

Reading – Romans 1:16. The substance of the gospel rests alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ, in that He lived a sinless life to provide salvation for sinner and He died a sacrificial death to purchase salvation for sinners. Both are required for full salvation to have acceptance with God by trusting in Christ alone.