Impossible Odds
1st February 2024; 12:50, London
Have you ever been through a situation where you’re faced with impossible odds? I have, and it has oftentimes felt extremely crippling. It’s partly because I am a person who is highly analytical, and loves understanding how everything fits. As you can imagine with such a mind, situations where the odds seem quite frankly, impossible, make me extremely uncomfortable. However, we must all pass through these waters if we are to truly know God. It’s a harsh reality, but I’ve come to see that from the bible people came to know God after they were faced with the impossible.
As I enjoyed the peace of bible study this morning, I was reflecting on the story of Elijah. How does one man – literally a single human being – decide that he is going to have a showdown with four hundred and fifty (yes, you read correctly 4-5-0) men? 1 vs. 450. Those are impossible odds. He might have well have written his will and waved goodbye to his family. Let’s get into the details of the story shall we? We can start from here:
”Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”“
I Kings 18:19 NKJV
To make matters worse, he did so with everyone watching. What level of audacity did this man have? Fair enough if you call for a showdown but wouldn’t the logical thing be to do it quietly where there are no prying eyes? Nope, not in Elijah’s world. He called for all the children of Israel to watch and see.
”So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.“
I Kings 18:20, 22 NKJV
Let’s go even further and see what else he did. Before Elijah had gotten his victory, he chose to mock the other “prophets” in the presence of watching eyes.
”And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”“
I Kings 18:27 NKJV
Why on earth will he do that? Surely he should have just kept quiet and prayed viciously under his breath. Secretly whispering to God “please, don’t shame me!” “Father, please show up because all these people are here and they are watching!” Surely, isn’t that would be the logical thing to do? It would be perfectly normal – even acceptable – to do that yet, he did the exact opposite.
After mocking them, it’s now his turn. Now is the time to show that he knows the real God. He had gathered watching eyes, mocked the other prophets, well he better perform or he’s toast. So as I read, I noticed that Elijah builds an altar and does something I find quite frankly, mad. Let’s see the scripture to uncover what I’m referring to:
”Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.“
I Kings 18:30, 32-34 NKJV
Why did he ask them to pour water on the sacrifice and on the wood three times? If you thought the odds were impossible initially, I wonder what you’re thinking now. It’s almost as though he does this final step to ensure that people know that yes, what is about to happen is impossible. Water can’t catch fire. Wood soaked in water can’t catch fire either. All of these things are impossible but with God, nothing is impossible.
No matter the obstacles we face in life we need to always remember that we serve a God that does the impossible and is capable of carrying us to the finish line in one piece.
I mean Elijah pretty much started off with drama so it makes sense to end with a bang right? And in true Elijah fashion, he ended with one indeed. He lifts up his eyes and he prays boldly.
”And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”“
I Kings 18:36-37 NKJV
What I love about Elijah’s prayer was the simplicity of his words. He didn’t say anything complicated but rather spoke with faith and authority. He also made it publicly known why he had gone through the previous steps:
1) stand alone with impossible odds i.e. 1 man vs 450 prophets
2) called for watchful eyes before securing his victory
3) poured water over the sacrifice and wood
He wanted it to be indisputable that it was God that did the miracle so that they may believe in Him. Elijah understood a key principle: our lives are used by God to turn the hearts of the lost back to him and God uses those who are willing and ready to step out in faith with him.
So what happens next? Victory! A spectacular victory!
”Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”“
I Kings 18:38-39 NKJV
As I read the story of Elijah I took a long and deep breath. I have faced impossible odds left and right and somehow I’ve managed to keep swimming. Sometimes it’s easy to think God is sitting in heaven watching a movie and ignoring us as we face challenges in life. However, such a thought points that we don’t fully understand God’s character. He never laughs at us nor forsakes us.
When we go through impossible situations or times when it seems like the odds are stacked against us, it could be a time where God is eager to reveal Himself to you. When we do things by ourselves there’s very little room for God to show us who He is in a grand and spectacular way. It’s when we run out of options, back up plans, and people to turn to, that it becomes the perfect breeding ground for divine revelation.
You know what warmed my heart the most? The line which says “that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant.” The truth is, whenever God does a phenomenal miracle in someone’s life, it not only brings God glory, His glory also follows the individual He did the miracle through. We see this also happen in the life of Moses. Why did God tell him to stretch out his hand? Surely God could have done it all by himself. Yet, He chose to tell Moses to stretch out his hand so that the children of Israel will know that Moses was called by God and he had the backing of the Almighty.
So what can we glean from this story?
1) when faced with impossible odds it is a time for God to reveal himself to us in a spectacular way
2) our lives are used by God to turn the hearts of the lost back to him
3) when the breakthrough comes God also covers us with His glory so that people may know that He is with us
I know it’s not easy! 1 to 450 surely does sound mad. But whether it’s 1 to 1,000,000 or even more, any opportunity to know God in a more real and intimate way is a gift. Stay strong, and remember it will all end in praise. It will be worth it!
