33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And 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. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water. - I Kings 18:33-35, ESV
This struck me as significant, not because of the miraculous sign we all think of this story for, but because of the water. I was told various for this ritual dunking, from drenching the sacrifice to ensure that nothing could possibly light it to washing away the blood from the ox, in defiance of Baal’s preference for blood. What really struck me is that Elijah included the water as part of the sacrifice. Think about it, this entire country hasn’t seen a drop of rain in three years, and this prophet has the audacity to sacrifice a dozen jars of water to his God? What could possibly have been more precious at that moment? Consider the reaction of the servants, who could probably have been beaten for losing a drop of the life-giving liquid, being ordered to pour it over the altar three times. What a powerful symbol of how much we ought to give, and how much He deserves.