This is yet another reminder of how much I miss being part of a choir. I have not returned to the community choir I sang in for years, because they're still- still -COVID crazy. They announced at the beginning of the New Years session that masking would finally be optional, but that they would now be requiring all choir members to take a COVID test at the door before every practice. Nope. Not ever. I don't want to sing that badly. My brother-in-law was hopeful that the symphony choir would be allowed to go maskless for this performance, but as of right now they're still being forced to practice in masks. Rank insanity.
Anyway, I thought I'd share a few selections from Elijah, this first one being taken from one of the most hilarious accounts in the Old Testament (found in I Kings Chapter 18) when Elijah has a burnt offering competition against the prophets of Baal. It occurs when King Ahab and his appalling wife Jezebel are ruling Israel and promoting worship of Baal. Elijah comes out swinging, telling the people they can't worship the God of Israel and the fake god Baal: they have to choose one or the other. In front of the gathered crowd, he challenges the 450 prophets of Baal, proposing that he and they each build an altar, cover it with firewood, and then place a bullock upon it. Then both he and the prophets will call upon their respective gods and whichever one sends fire to burn up the offering will be declared the God of Israel. This sounds like a reasonable idea to the crowd, who agree to the terms.
Figuring that they've wasted enough time, Elijah- who obviously had great showman's instincts- tells the people to gather around the altar he built using 12 stones. After he has arranged the bull on top of the firewood, he instructs the people to pour twelve jars of water over the sacrifice until the entire altar is completely drenched. He then calls upon God: “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. 37 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.” At this point, the fire of the Lord falls and consumes not only the bull and firewood, but the stones of the altar and the ground around it as well. The people, understandably impressed (terrified) fall down on their faces and repent, vowing to follow the true God of Israel. Striking while the iron is hot, Elijah orders the people to seize the prophets of Baal, who are taken into custody and then put to death for their wickedness and idolatry. So not exactly hilarious for them, but I have to say that Elijah's earlier mockery of them was on point.