God’s Word Is Alive

Which God Will You Serve?

THE above question is as appropriate today as it was nearly 3,000 years ago. At that time Jehovah’s prophet Elijah asked the people of Israel: “How long will you be limping upon two different opinions?” The people could not decide which God they would serve. So Elijah is here saying: “If Jehovah is the true God, go following him; but if Baal is, go following him.”

How can the people make up their minds? Elijah proposes a fire test. ‘Let your 450 prophets of Baal take a young bull,’ he says, ‘cut it in pieces and put it upon the wood as an offering, but they should not put fire to it. And I will take another young bull and do the same with it. Then let them call upon the name of Baal, and I will call upon the name of Jehovah. And the God that answers by fire is the true God.’ All the people agree that this is a good test.

The prophets of Baal prepare a young bull on their altar first. Then, from morning till noon, they call: “O Baal, answer us!” But there is no answer. At noon Elijah begins to mock them: ‘Call at the top of your voice, for he must be away having a bowel movement. Or maybe he is asleep and needs to be awakened.’ At this, the prophets of Baal call as loud as they can and they cut themselves with daggers and lances until blood flows out upon them. But still Baal does not answer.

Now Elijah mends the altar of Jehovah that had been torn down. He cuts the young bull in pieces and puts it on the wood. Then three times he has the offering, the wood and the stones of the altar soaked with water. He also fills with water the large trench that he has made all around the altar.

At last, when it becomes evening, Elijah prays: “Answer me, O Jehovah, answer me, that this people may know that you, Jehovah, are the true God.” At that, fire from Jehovah comes falling. It eats up the offering, the pieces of wood, the stones and the dust, as well as the water in the trench. When the people see this, they fall on their faces and say: “Jehovah is the true God! Jehovah is the true God!”​—1 Kings 18:21-40.

Have you made up your mind which God you will serve? You cannot be limping upon two different opinions. There is only one right way. The god of this system of things, Satan the Devil, is worshiped today, but not so much by means of service to some local agricultural god, as Baal was in ancient times. Instead Satan receives worship when people put material things first, serving their own interests rather than doing the will of their Creator, Jehovah God. So the choice is up to you. Jesus Christ showed the right one when he quoted God’s Word and said: “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.”​—Matthew 4:10.