He was demonstrating the power of the Most High God over Ba’al, who claimed to his followers that he had overthrown the Most High God (or by that point in Phoenician belief, Yam the sea god).

If your claim is “it’s boring and lame if it doesn’t have two equal powers fight.” I’d argue the opposite.

Imagine that competition for patrons and goose-bodied philandering being what most of the petty-squabbling ancient city states, including your own believe, and all of a sudden one comes along that can make ALL of them crap their ethereal pants just by showing up, and his people have been assigned to wipe away the degeneracy (that is to say, you and everything you stand for) from a stretch of mediterranean scrublands with a nice coast and river.

You’re pretty much f—ked right. But see, you and your god have a secret weapon: your god lets you have fun sex parties in his temple.

And upon seeing that, Most of the Most High God’s people decide “oh dude… I’m on the wrong team.”

Either they are the biggest bunch of idiots ever to Grace this stretch of dry coast, or maybe there isn’t a big scary Most High God to worry about. Your god claims to have overthrown a previously more powerful god, after all.

You have successfully integrated those people into the local culture. The Princess of your state even married into their royals.

Well, there’s a few stubborn guys who don’t join in. One of them, named Elijah rand