1 Kings 18:38 (GNV)

Passage

Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offring, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked vp the water that was in the ditche.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:36 And when they should offer the euening sacrifice, Eliiah the Prophet came, and sayd, Lord God of Abraham, Izhak and of Israel, let it be knowen this day, that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy seruant, and that I haue done all these things at thy commandement.

1 Kings 18:37 Heare me, O Lord, heare me, and let this people know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart againe at the last.

1 Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offring, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked vp the water that was in the ditche.

1 Kings 18:39 And when all the people sawe it, they fell on their faces, and saide, The Lord is God, the Lord is God.

1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah said vnto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not a man of them escape. and they tooke them, and Eliiah brought them to the brooke Kishon, and slewe them there.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fire", "lord", "fell", "consumed", "burnt", "offring", "wood", and "stones". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fire" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Heare me O Lord heare me and..." into verse 39's "And when all the people sawe it...", so "fire" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fire" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.