The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 439

their renunciation of Baal. (2) This confession in symbol was accompanied by a conesponding coufessiou in words. "Aud they said, Jehovah, he is the Elohim; J ehon,h, he is t•he Elohim.'' Words are signs of a fuller expression. (3) But words must be followed up by deeds. The prophets of Baal he.ve now to be sacrificed. The law required this. (See Deut. xiii. 1-11.) They were accordingly slaughtered by the brook Kishon. Thus was returned upon their heads the slaughter of the prophets of the Lord. (Seevers. 4, 13.) (4) The retribution was complete. Some are of opinion, because the "prophets of Baal" only are men- tiolled, that the 400 prophets of Ashere were absent and escaped. But this does not follow, for the prophets of Ash ere might be included under the designation "prophets of Baal," as Saul's sons are included in his name. (See 1 Sam. xxxi. 8-13 • 2 Sam. x:xi. 13.) The prophets of Ashere certainly were present. (Seevers. 19 20 ! also eh. xix. 1.) Let us confess the Lord. In signs : observing His sacra~ent~ and orJinanccs of worship public and private. In words : confessing Him before men upon all fitting occasions. In deeds : bringing forth the fruits of good living, and sacrificing the idolatries that would lead us astray.-J. A. M. • Vers. 41-46. The Sound of Rain. The fire has fallen upon the sacrifice of Elijah. The people are convinced, renounce Baal, confess Jehovah supreme, and evince their sincerity by slaying the idolatrous priests. Now there is "a sound of 11bundance of rain." I. THIS WAS THE SOUND OF SALVATION. 1. Rain was salvation to the nation. (1) Three years and six months of drought brought it to the point of extinction. The heavens were brazen; the earth was scorched. The people were blackened with excessive heat, and worn with want. Their numbers were thinned by death; survivors moved like skeletons on the edges of their graves. (2) To such the sound of rain is tidings of life. Let it come, and soon, in such a climate as Palestine, vegetation will burst into verdw-e. There will be "seed for the sower and bread ior the eater." 2. It was a sign of spiritual bfossingo. (1) The kingdom of nature was constituted to furnish apt similes of the kingdom of grace. The blooming of the desert after rain is a familiar figure of spiritual revival. (See Isa. xxxv. ; lv. 10-13.) (2) The descent of rain is a figure of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the receptive soul (Isa. xxxii. 15). Water, a purifier, refresher, vitalizer, .fittingly sets forth His energies ; and as these are active, so in baptism the element should come upon the person as rain upon the passive earth. (See Acts ii. 3, 4, 17, 32; x. 44-48.) 3. Revivals have their vremonitions. (1) The sound comes before the rain. It is heard in the branches of trees, and in the waves of seas and fakes. So is a coming revival discerned in the Church by emotion under the word, interest in religious services public and private, and increased evangelistic activity. (2) This ia first heard by the spiritual. Elijah was the first to hear the sound of the coming rain. It begins in the higher heavens before it reaches the earth. Those who are much in prayer have the sensitive ear to hear " afar of!.'' (Compare 2 Peter i 9.) II. TIIE CONDITIONS HAD BEEN FULFILLED. 1. Sin was repented. (1) The people saw the impotence of Baal He could not answer for himself. They were now convinced of their folly in submitting to such a delusion. So it must be with every sinner whose eyes are opened. (2) They destroyed the auth_ors of thoir delusion. They slew the prophets of Baal Not one escaped. So m the most complete manner must our evil lusts be slain. No power must be left to them to lure us from the truth again. 2. Christ was accepted. (1) Elijah must show himself to Ahab as a condition of rain (ver. 1). Ahab so for accepted him as to submit to his directions. But Elijah was a type of Christ, without whose revefotion of Himself to us we can have no spiritual grace. (See eh. xrii. 1.) (2) Elijah was a type of Christ in his person. His name (i1'~~ and ii1 1~1i't) is "My God Jehovah,'' or, "Whose God is he," expresses the union of God and man in Christ. (8) He was a type of Christ also in his o_ffi,ce. All prophets were types ~f the One Great Prophr,t. Elijah, who was remarkable amongst the number, emmently so. (4) He, too, united with bis office of prophet the functions of the prie,f.. ff@ OB. XVIII, l -46.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 449