Elijah's Appeal to the Undecided

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon

1 Kings 18:21

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, How long halt you between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal…

I. FIRST, YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE PROPHET INSISTED UPON THE DISTINCTION WHICH EXISTED BETWEEN THE WORSHIP OF BAAL AND THE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH.

II. In the second place, THE PROPHET CALLS THESE WAVERERS TO AN ACCOUNT FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME WHICH THEY HAD CONSUMED IN MAKING THEIR CHOICE. Some of them might have replied, "We have not yet had an opportunity of judging between God and Baal, we have not yet had time enough to make up our minds"; but the prophet puts away that objection, and he says, "How long halt ye between two opinions? How long? For three years and a half not a drop of rain has fallen at the command of Jehovah; is not that proof enough? Ye have been all this time, three years and a half, expecting till I should come, Jehovah's servant, and give you rain; and yet, though you yourselves are starving, your cattle dead, your fields parched, and your meadows covered with dust, like the very deserts, yet all this time of judgment, and trial, and affliction, has not been enough for you to make up your minds. How long, then," said he, "halt ye between two opinions?"

III. BUT THE PROPHET CHARGES THESE PEOPLE WITH THE ABSURDITY OF THEIR POSITION. Some of them said, "What! prophet, may we not continue to halt between two opinions? We are not desperately irreligious, so we are better than the profane; certainly we are not thoroughly pious; but, at any rate, a little piety is better than none, and the mere profession of it keeps us decent, let us try both!" "Now," says the prophet, "how long halt ye?" or, if you like to read it so, "how long limp ye between two opinions?" (how long wriggle ye between two opinions? would be a good word if I might employ it.) He represents them as like a man whose legs are entirely out of joint; he first goes on one side, and then on the other, and cannot go far either way.

IV. THE ABSURDITY OF THIS HALTING. The multitude who had worshipped Jehovah and Baal, and who were now undecided, might reply, "But how do you know that we do not believe that Jehovah is God? How do you know we are not decided in opinion?" The prophet meets this objection by saying, "I know you are not decided in opinion, because you are not decided in practice. If God be God, follow Him; if Baal, follow him."

V. And now the prophet cries, "If the Lord be God, follow Him; if Baal, then follow him," and in so doing HE STATES THE GROUND OF HIS PRACTICAL CLAIM. Let your conduct be consistent with your opinions.

VI. Now I will put this question: "HOW LONG HALT YE?" I will tell them; ye will halt between two opinions, all of you who are undecided, until God shall answer by fire.

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