July 28, 2018
Naboth was a man who lived close to King Ahab and had a vineyard that the King wanted. He wanted it because it was close ! He offered Naboth money or a different vineyard in exchange. Naboth wanted neither because the land was his inheritance. The reaction of the king was to be sullen and pout and to not eat ! Jezebel, his wife, assured him she would get the vineyard for him.
She wrote a letter instructing a fast and for Naboth to be given a place of honor to sit. When this was done she also wrote a letter for 2 scoundrels to claim that he (Naboth) had blasphemed God ! Under Jewish law a crime demanding death had to be witnessed by two people. Blasphemy is such a crime. This was done and Naboth was taken outside the city and stoned to death. Jezebel then went to her husband and said he should take possession of the vineyard for Naboth was dead !
Elijah the Tishbite was then contacted by God and was told to go pronounce their destruction to Ahab and Jezebel. This having been done, Ahab humbled himself before the Lord and was spared. God said that his sentence would be put off until Ahab's son was king. Jezebel did not humble herself and God's sentence was carried out.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Chapter 20 Ahab Wins .... Looses !
Ben-Hadad had arranger for 31 other kings and their people to lat siege to Jerusalem. He then made demands for peace from King Ahab of the Jews. These he agreed to then Ben-Hadad pushed it and demanded that his slaves be allowed to rummage and plunder the rest of Jerusalem when his troops were done ! Ahab refused. Then God showed up ! He told Ahab he would deliver the Syrians into his hands. The Jews defeated a far more numerous army with a great slaughter. When it was done the prophet came to King Ahab and said," Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the King of Syria will come up against you." (20:22)
The arrogance of Ben-Hadad was such that he insulted God and thought he could out smart God ! So in the spring when he and his 31 kings came up against the Jews ... again, God said to Ahab that because the king had said that God would deliver them into Ahab's hands again. Then the Jews would know that He was God ! When the Jews won and Ben-Hadad was captured, Ahab made a treaty for his life and sent him on his way. This was directly against God's instructions to Ahab !
God then worked through His prophet and made arrangements for Ahab to pay for his disobedience. God said," Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefor your life shall go for his life and your people for his people."
The arrogance of Ben-Hadad was such that he insulted God and thought he could out smart God ! So in the spring when he and his 31 kings came up against the Jews ... again, God said to Ahab that because the king had said that God would deliver them into Ahab's hands again. Then the Jews would know that He was God ! When the Jews won and Ben-Hadad was captured, Ahab made a treaty for his life and sent him on his way. This was directly against God's instructions to Ahab !
God then worked through His prophet and made arrangements for Ahab to pay for his disobedience. God said," Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefor your life shall go for his life and your people for his people."
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Chapter 19 Ups And Downs Of Faith
June 23,2018
Elijah has been used mightily by God to bring the Jews back to Him and to defeat the worship of Baal. After the great display on the mountain, the Jews return to God, and the murder of 450 priests of Baal Ahab goes back and tells Jezebel all that happened. She then sends a threat to Elijah to kill him and he flees ! In his flight he is confronted by an angel and fed by it. He is also confronted by God twice ! Both times God starts by saying,"What are you doing here Elijah ?" (verse 9) This question was not asked because God did not know, it was asked so that Elijah would be forced to see his lack of faith. From mountain top (literally) to valley. This is a very common experience for us Christians. Notice also that God allows him to stay in the valley for over 42 days and takes another 40 to lead him back to complete his work for God !
Of the three things God asked him to do next, one of them was to anoint his replacement ! Elisha will become his replacement. Before Elisha leaves his family he sacrifices the oxen as a farewell meal. This was to show that this was going to be a permanent cut from his family and a total commitment to his calling to follow Elijah. Even today, when we are called to any ministry, it is to be a total commitment ! Not an easy lesson to learn ... but a critical one if we are to follow our calling.
One of the main lessons to see here is that no matter how much you are used of God, there will be valley times. Also, not matter how deep or long the valley, God can still use us in a mighty way. As we answer our calling and keep our eyes on Jesus, the only thing that can slow us down is our lack of faith or commitment.
Elijah has been used mightily by God to bring the Jews back to Him and to defeat the worship of Baal. After the great display on the mountain, the Jews return to God, and the murder of 450 priests of Baal Ahab goes back and tells Jezebel all that happened. She then sends a threat to Elijah to kill him and he flees ! In his flight he is confronted by an angel and fed by it. He is also confronted by God twice ! Both times God starts by saying,"What are you doing here Elijah ?" (verse 9) This question was not asked because God did not know, it was asked so that Elijah would be forced to see his lack of faith. From mountain top (literally) to valley. This is a very common experience for us Christians. Notice also that God allows him to stay in the valley for over 42 days and takes another 40 to lead him back to complete his work for God !
Of the three things God asked him to do next, one of them was to anoint his replacement ! Elisha will become his replacement. Before Elisha leaves his family he sacrifices the oxen as a farewell meal. This was to show that this was going to be a permanent cut from his family and a total commitment to his calling to follow Elijah. Even today, when we are called to any ministry, it is to be a total commitment ! Not an easy lesson to learn ... but a critical one if we are to follow our calling.
One of the main lessons to see here is that no matter how much you are used of God, there will be valley times. Also, not matter how deep or long the valley, God can still use us in a mighty way. As we answer our calling and keep our eyes on Jesus, the only thing that can slow us down is our lack of faith or commitment.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Chapter 18 God Shows Up ... With Attitude !
June 9, 2018
After a period of time, the drought had taken a big toll. So God sent Elijah with a message for Ahab. The whole purpose of the drought was to punish the Jews for their idolatry and for God to bring His people back to Him. That was all going to happen in a grand fashion !
Ahab and Elijah made a deal : Ahab would bring all 450 prophets of Baal ( a false god that the Jews had been worshiping ) and all the people of Israel to Mt. Carmel and Elijah would bring himself. Each side would get a bull to sacrifice, build their own fire, BUT do not light it ! Then, which ever God showed up .. that is the true God and that would be who Israel would worship !
So the deal was made and the day came for the show down. Elijah told the 450 prophets of Baal to go first. They prepared their bull and the fire without lighting it. Then they started calling on Baal to come and light the fire at around 6:00 am. "And so at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said "Cry aloud for he is a god: either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened."" So the prophets cried aloud and began cutting themselves ( which was their custom ) with knives and lances until the blood was gushing out of them ! "But there was no voice: no one answered, no one paid attention"
Then it was Elijah's turn. He had them dig a trench around his prepared fire that was not lite. The he had them take 4 large jugs with water and dump them on his dry wood. Then he had them do it again and again until the wood was soaked and the trenches around it was all filled with water !!! When the time of the evening prayer came, Elijah prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. " Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench."
The people all fell down and worshiped God ! Then Elijah told the people of Israel to capture all 450 prophets of Baal, which they did. He had the people of Israel kill all of them with the sword ! After all of these events God ended the drought !
After a period of time, the drought had taken a big toll. So God sent Elijah with a message for Ahab. The whole purpose of the drought was to punish the Jews for their idolatry and for God to bring His people back to Him. That was all going to happen in a grand fashion !
Ahab and Elijah made a deal : Ahab would bring all 450 prophets of Baal ( a false god that the Jews had been worshiping ) and all the people of Israel to Mt. Carmel and Elijah would bring himself. Each side would get a bull to sacrifice, build their own fire, BUT do not light it ! Then, which ever God showed up .. that is the true God and that would be who Israel would worship !
So the deal was made and the day came for the show down. Elijah told the 450 prophets of Baal to go first. They prepared their bull and the fire without lighting it. Then they started calling on Baal to come and light the fire at around 6:00 am. "And so at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said "Cry aloud for he is a god: either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened."" So the prophets cried aloud and began cutting themselves ( which was their custom ) with knives and lances until the blood was gushing out of them ! "But there was no voice: no one answered, no one paid attention"
Then it was Elijah's turn. He had them dig a trench around his prepared fire that was not lite. The he had them take 4 large jugs with water and dump them on his dry wood. Then he had them do it again and again until the wood was soaked and the trenches around it was all filled with water !!! When the time of the evening prayer came, Elijah prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. " Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench."
The people all fell down and worshiped God ! Then Elijah told the people of Israel to capture all 450 prophets of Baal, which they did. He had the people of Israel kill all of them with the sword ! After all of these events God ended the drought !
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Chapter 17 Drought Is Declared
June 3, 2018
Elijah said to king Ahab,"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." God then commanded Elijah to go to a brook to live for a while. There he could drink from the brook and God commanded the ravens to bring him meat and bread twice daily. After a while the brook dried up and Elijah was commanded by God to go to Zarephath where he met a widow woman. When Elijah met this widow woman he asked her for food. She said she had only one biscuit left and she said she was going to cook it for her son and herself and then they would die ! Then he said," Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; ...." he further said," For thus says the Lord God of Israel; The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day of the Lord sends rain on the earth." She did as he said and God's word was exactly as Elijah had said.
After these things had happened, the widow woman's son had become so sick that he died ! She became mad at Elijah and blamed him for the boys death. Elijah then went to the boy and prayed to God for his life and God brought him back to life ! It was only then when the widow woman says," Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth."
When we are in the will of God and are doing as we have been directed, He will always provide and protect us ....ALWAYS !!! This is a very valuable lesson for us to know and learn. Does this mean all will be roses and rain bows ? God forbid !!! But it does mean that God's will will never be undone or delayed by Satan or by man or by circumstance .
Elijah said to king Ahab,"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." God then commanded Elijah to go to a brook to live for a while. There he could drink from the brook and God commanded the ravens to bring him meat and bread twice daily. After a while the brook dried up and Elijah was commanded by God to go to Zarephath where he met a widow woman. When Elijah met this widow woman he asked her for food. She said she had only one biscuit left and she said she was going to cook it for her son and herself and then they would die ! Then he said," Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; ...." he further said," For thus says the Lord God of Israel; The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day of the Lord sends rain on the earth." She did as he said and God's word was exactly as Elijah had said.
After these things had happened, the widow woman's son had become so sick that he died ! She became mad at Elijah and blamed him for the boys death. Elijah then went to the boy and prayed to God for his life and God brought him back to life ! It was only then when the widow woman says," Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth."
When we are in the will of God and are doing as we have been directed, He will always provide and protect us ....ALWAYS !!! This is a very valuable lesson for us to know and learn. Does this mean all will be roses and rain bows ? God forbid !!! But it does mean that God's will will never be undone or delayed by Satan or by man or by circumstance .
Friday, May 25, 2018
Chapter 16 All Did Evil
Chapter 16 opens with Baasha as king over Israel and God rebuking him and telling what his future is because of all the evil he has done. The dogs will eat whoever, in his house, dies in the city and the birds will eat whoever dies in the country ! Baasha had eliminated all of Jeroboam's family and God was going to do the same to him. Then Elah, the son of Baasha became king and reigned for two years. He was killed by Zimri and he reigned as king for 7 days. As soon as he sat on the throne, he killed all of Baasha's family and his extended family. This was to fulfill God's promise. Zimri reigned for 7 days. This is the shortest reign in Israel history. Omri became king after being commander of military. When the people heard what Zimri had done they made Omri king and Zimri committed suicide by burning himself alive in the kings house. Omri reigned over Israel for 12 years then his son Ahab took over as king and he was king for 22 years.
All of these kings reigned over Israel and they all did evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is said in verse 30 " Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all that were before him". We will see in the next chapter how God uses Ahab and Elijah to bring God' people back to Himself.
All of these kings reigned over Israel and they all did evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is said in verse 30 " Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all that were before him". We will see in the next chapter how God uses Ahab and Elijah to bring God' people back to Himself.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Chapter 15 Four Kings ... One Good !
When I read this chapter, I am reminded of Jesus' parable in the New Testament about the four soils. Of the four conditions of the heart when hearing the word of God, only one takes root and produces fruit. Here, in chapter 15, we see that there are four different kings talked about covering about 50 years and only one of them did what was right in the eyes of God ! Another thing I notice is that when any king is introduced to the reader, the name of the mother or grandmother is mentioned. This is unusual in that women were not equal or highly valued in that society and yet the writer goes out of their way to tell us who the important female in their life was and how this king was seen in God's eyes !
The first two kings mentioned are Abijam and Asa. Both were kings over Judah. Asa is the one king who did right in the eyes of God. Not by coincidence, God allowed him to serve the longest of these 4. He was king for 41 years and Abijam served first and for only 3 years. Its says that Asa banished the perverted people from the land, he removed all the idols made by his fathers, and removed his grandmother from being queen mother because she had made an obscene idol of Asherah. The high places were not cut down but his heart was with God just as his father David's was.
The second two kings reigned over Israel. Nadab for 2 years and Baasha for 24 years. Both did what was evil in the eyes of God. Nadab was the son of Jeroboam and was killed in his third year of reigning by Baasha. It says of Baasha " And it was so, when he became king, that he killed all the house of Jeraboam. He did not leave to Jeraboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonits, because of the sins of Jeraboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger." Verse 29-30)
It is important to remember ,when looking at 1 Kings, that the 12 tribes had split and made two countries out of Israel. 10 1/2 tribes started the country of Judah and the remaining 1 1/2 tribes stayed in Israel. So, when we are talking about the different kings, we need to pay attention to which country we are talking about lest we become confused.
The first two kings mentioned are Abijam and Asa. Both were kings over Judah. Asa is the one king who did right in the eyes of God. Not by coincidence, God allowed him to serve the longest of these 4. He was king for 41 years and Abijam served first and for only 3 years. Its says that Asa banished the perverted people from the land, he removed all the idols made by his fathers, and removed his grandmother from being queen mother because she had made an obscene idol of Asherah. The high places were not cut down but his heart was with God just as his father David's was.
The second two kings reigned over Israel. Nadab for 2 years and Baasha for 24 years. Both did what was evil in the eyes of God. Nadab was the son of Jeroboam and was killed in his third year of reigning by Baasha. It says of Baasha " And it was so, when he became king, that he killed all the house of Jeraboam. He did not leave to Jeraboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonits, because of the sins of Jeraboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger." Verse 29-30)
It is important to remember ,when looking at 1 Kings, that the 12 tribes had split and made two countries out of Israel. 10 1/2 tribes started the country of Judah and the remaining 1 1/2 tribes stayed in Israel. So, when we are talking about the different kings, we need to pay attention to which country we are talking about lest we become confused.
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