All of us have probably been told, by our parents or a teacher, that “Nobody likes a smart aleck.” I looked up the term’s definition online, and the definition seems to confirm what we’ve been told. A smart aleck is “someone whose sarcastic, wisecracking or humorous manner is delivered in an offensive, obnoxious, or cocky way.” That doesn’t appear to be something we should ever want to be guilty of.

But I don’t think that’s the case. Sometimes, being a smart aleck is not only funny but appropriate. One example is found in the account of Elijah on Mount Carmel. The land of Israel had been in a drought for three years. The main problem behind the drought was that the nation’s official god was Baal. Baal was responsible for bringing rain, which would produce bountiful crops. There had been no rain and no such crops for a long time.

The explanation given by those who worshipped Baal was that he had been taken captive and was in the world of the dead. He needed to be aroused from that state and come to the aid of his people. It was as if he was asleep and needed to be awakened.

Elijah entered a contest on Mount Carmel with the religious cult leaders. This involved 850 prophets. Mount Carmel was located on the border of Israel and Phoenicia. Phoenicia was the home of Baal. The Mediterranean Sea, which Baal would often use to bring rain, was also nearby. These prophets were sure they could get Baal to respond and bring rain. Elijah told them to do so, and that he would call upon the God of Israel to do the same. The prophets were confident that Baal would not allow the God Elijah worshipped to make Baal look bad.

It was quite the scene. These prophets called upon Baal for six hours. Without a doubt, they became hoarse. But in order to get Baal’s attention, they also cut themselves with knives. They were covered with blood. Baal did not answer them (vv 27-29).

Some would feel sorry for these men. How sad to see such spiritual darkness. But what did Elijah do? The author of First Kings says that he “mocked them” (v 27). He did so by telling them to cry louder. Elijah was standing on the sidelines watching them scream and cut themselves, giving them a couple of reasons to explain why Baal hadn’t sent the rain. He was very sarcastic and brutal. Based upon the Hebrew wording, Elijah suggested that Baal was so busy that he didn’t even know his prophets were calling him for help. The most obnoxious thing Elijah said involves a word he used to tell the prophets that Baal might be in the bathroom. The suggestion was that he’d been there for three years and might need a little more fiber in his diet.

Elijah, being ever so helpful, suggested that maybe Baal was asleep in the netherworld, like a dead person. If the prophets would only yell a little louder, maybe he would wake up and send the rain they needed. Baal was also the god of sailors, and Phoenicia was famous for helping sailors. Maybe, Elijah said, he was with some sailors on the Mediterranean Sea, and when he finished watching them, he could send some rain from the sea. He couldn’t be expected to do two things at the same time.

Whatever you think about Elijah’s words, one thing is sure. He was a smart aleck. Imagine you are one of those prophets. Your throat is hurting from yelling for hours. You hurt because of the numerous knife wounds on your body. There is blood all over your clothes. In your agony, this prophet is laughing at you.

If our moms are right, we should rebuke Elijah. He doesn’t seem too spiritual. But I have to admit that I don’t feel that way. I think what Elijah does is hilarious. Maybe I need to repent.

But I am even worse. Sometimes, I act the same way.

Lordship Salvation folks say you can only be saved if Jesus is Lord of your life. You must give Him everything. You can’t hold anything back. If you withhold even a little, you don’t have true faith.

When I hear it, I realize that nobody in the history of the world has ever done that. But I sometimes sarcastically say that I have met many people like that. Christians who spend eight hours daily on smartphones love the Lord more than anything else. Right?

Or I say that one of my greatest joys is meeting all these Christians who love the Lord more than their girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, children, grandchildren, job, money, or sports teams. I add that it is great that Lordship Salvation teachers with multiple homes, nice cars, and healthy bank accounts don’t love those things, and that God has given these things to them only because He knows they mean nothing to them. After all, all these guys are only living for the world to come. Right?

All of that is obnoxious. Many would tell me not to be a smart aleck. Maybe they are right. But if Elijah heard us say some of those things, it would cause him to chuckle.