And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?-vs. 25, 26

This stood out to me in regards to our current political situation. In some ways, it’s a quite unpleasant thought. “Every city, every kingdom.” The words are axiomatic and true. Of course, the consequences for our nation are stunning if our current state of affairs continues. Lincoln correctly applied this principle to see the clouds of Civil War rising. One wonders what awaits our divided land at this hour.

He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.-v.30

The “He that is not with me is against me” scripture has always been one I’ve known, but I saw the second part in a new light. Those who are not working to forwarding God’s kingdom are scattering abroad people from the truth. Christ leaves no room for neutral ground here.

Either make the tree good and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit.-v. 33

This to me is an affirmation of the importance of first reforming the inward man, rather than the approach of reforming outward conduct. The state of the inward man and the state of the outward conduct are linked. This point is missed by both antinomians who believe in no change of life and the legalist who believes we can be reformed by changing our ways rather than having our spirits reformed. The antinomian believes that if he calls the thistle an Apple tree, it is an acceptable apple tree. The legalist focuses on hot gluing apples onto the thistle in order to make it an apple tree. What’s needed is a change of heart or the type of tree we are.

 But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment.

  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”-vs. 36, 37

My thought: Lord, help me to learn to watch my mouth better. Amen.

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, “Master, we would see a sign from thee.”

 But He answered and said unto them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.-vs. 38, 39

This reminded me of someone I know who went around seeking only experiences. He experienced God, experienced the Holy Spirit, next week went and experienced drugs and getting drunk. An adulterous generation is perhaps a generation that wants to be amazed, or perhaps a generation that wants to be entertained. It’s adulterous in that has its affections set on something other than God. If they can get what they want from God, they’ll be with him, but only for a night. So, it can be with us and our obsession with entertainment, professionalism, and feeling good. At its root, it’s pretty simple: an adulterous and wicked generation seeks after something other than God.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

Then he saith, `I will return into my house from whence I came out.’ And when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.-vs. 43-45

The interesting thing here is that I’ve heard this applied mainly to someone who had demons cast out, but didn’t have the Holy Spirit. Jesus was actually referring to an entire group of people who had Jesus (“the Light of the World”) come and cast out demons and drive out evil, but by their refusal to allow him and His Spirit to dwell in them, they were engulfed by an even greater darkness.

While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood outside, desiring to speak with Him.

Then one said unto Him, “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand outside, desiring to speak with thee.”

But He answered and said unto him that told Him, “Who is My mother? And who are My brethren?”

And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples and said, “Behold, My mother and My brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of My Father who is in Heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.”-vs. 46-50

What actually made it come alive to me was Marciano’s performance that made me see the scene in a different light. Usually, I imagine Jesus saying this, standing still and continuing on to whatever point he makes next. Marciano pointed in the direction and began to walk over to his disciples. That seemed more truer to the text than my narrow vision of the event. It reminded me of the close relationship that Christ wants with each of us. To be brothers and sisters. It’s amazing!

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. (v.3)

The act of having the King’s son offered to a pagan God was abhorrent. Like many today, he sacrificed his children for his own ends.

It was a sign of depravity and the lack of a fear of God that would play itself out in national affairs when Judah was invaded.

His plan: Loot the House of the Lord to buy off the King of Assyria:

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.

And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.

And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon the pavement of stones.

And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.-vs. 8-18

Ahaz committed such acts of sacrilege that few foreign kings have been so audacious. It is reminder both of the importance of Godly leaders and Godly people.

Ahaz took the small and free state his father had left him and turned it into a Vassal of Assyria. The consequences of his actions would be felt for generations.

There’s also something to be said of a people that slowly but surely had turned itself from God. To the discredit of Judah, there was no Judas Maccaeus to stand against the paganism of the King.

There was a prophet by the name of Isaiah, whose words fell on deaf ears. Ahaz’s reign marked a terrible turning point in the history of Judah. During the following century plus, Judah would be blessed with two of its most righteous kings, but their righteous deeds could not survive the wickedness of a people that had begun to view the Word of God as common and heeded not his warning. From the story of Judah, we learn God is loving and long-suffering, but that his judgment doesn’t sleep forever.

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Too often, we cry to God for help and when it comes, we are not thankful. We continue to walk in sin and unrighteousness rather than turning ourselves fully to the Lord our God, and as a result our relief is only temporary because it’s just a matter of time until we pay the wages of sin, which is death.

Next we come to the story of the Prophet Elisha’s death:

Now Elisha had fallen sick with his sickness whereof he died. And Jehoash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!”

And Elisha said unto him, “Take bow and arrows.” And he took unto him a bow and arrows.

And he said to the king of Israel, “Put thine hand upon the bow.” And he put his hand upon it, and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.

And he said, “Open the window eastward.” And he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot.” And he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria, for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek till thou have consumed them.”

And he said, “Take the arrows.” And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, “Smite upon the ground.” And he smote thrice, and ceased.

And the man of God was wroth with him and said, “Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times. Then had thou smitten Syria till thou had consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” vs. 14-19

This is an interesting story in scripture? Why the smiting of the ground with arrows? Like the call for Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan, this really comes down to a question: How much do you want God to move? How much do you believe he’ll move? Are you willing to do something that may look a little silly because God says so? That’s the test of faith. The Challenge to Joash was to believe that God was a mighty deliverer, yet he couldn’t grasp it. He knew what a great man Elisha was and how much he meant to Israel, but he could not grasp the importance of following the Lord’s command. Let’s be willing to grasp fully onto the Lord’s deliverance and not hold back:

And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha. And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.-vs. 20, 21

Elisha did God’s work even after he was dead. While no one may come to life from touching our dead bones, there are many ways we can continue to serve God after we’re dead.

Writers and ministers can continue to speak, even if their pulpit is reduced to a dusty spot in the library. Long after they’ve passed from one life to the next, they continue to speak the words of truth–the words of God. Think of Matthew Henry, or Spurgeon, or AW Tozer. Their works speak for them.

Those who have money can use their money to set up endowments and trusts that will nourish and provide for needs of people and for Kingdom work long after they’re gone.

Parents, by raising and shaping their children to be Godly men and women, can have an impact on this world that lasts beyond their lifetime.

Our goal should be the service of God, and to continue that service as long as possible. The Bible tells us that at the River of Jordan when Joshua crossed the Jordan, they left stones at the Jordan River as a memorial to remind their descendants. Southern Gospel group Legacy sings a song, “Where are the monuments we should be building so our children can find the way home. We should be laying stones so they can follow the pathway that leads to God’s throne.”

Amen. Let us leave behind a Godly legacy for those who follow after.

—–

Jehu then had to handle the worshipers and priests of Baal and for that he needed help:

And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.-2 Kings 10:15, 16

The Bible tells us that Jonadab was the head of a house called the Rechabites and that he was a strict man who laid down rules for his family that would be followed generations later in the days of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 35: 6,7:

But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:

Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.-Jeremiah 35:6,7

Jonadab was devout, but was Jehu?

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. v. 31

In killing the sons of Ahab and destroying the child-sacrificing religion of Baal, Jehu’s heart was not towards righteousness. He made a political decision. Getting rid of Ahab’s sons would solidify his political power, as would destroying Baal worship. There’s a thought that we can take from this. When someone claims to have a great zeal for God, are they being honest, or are they, like Jehu, using God’s will towards their own end? Once doing God’s will stopped being politically advantagous, Jehu stopped caring about the Lord and his ways, taking no heed. Such men can be ruinous with false piety that deceives even the faithful.

Jehu dies and then Jehoahaz reigned in his stead.

Next, we’re told the story of Athaliah who, on finding out of her son’s death, ordered all the King’s sons slain. Had she succeeded, she would have destroyed the entire house of David and effectively made the fulfillment of God’s promises to David impossible. Thankfully, the Lord intervened and a baby by the name of Joash was saved and kept alive by the high priest Jehoiada. When the child was seven, Jehoiada staged a coup, removing the wicked Athaliah from power. This serves as a reminder that God always keeps his promises, though certainly those who didn’t know that Joash lived doubted how God would fulfil his promises, God was still faithful and his plan was not thwarted by the wickedness of Athaliah.

In 2 Kings 12, we have two stories. The first was of Joash’s efforts to repair the house of the Lord. He ordered the priests to take the money they received and to repair the breaches in the House of the Lord. In the 23rd year of his reign, he noticed this wasn’t done, so he ordered them to cease taking money from their acquaintences, but rather to repair the breaches.

Jehoiada then placed a wooden box by the door of the house of the Lord and the people of God filled it up and he took it to Joash, saying the money had been “found” in the House of the Lord. The repairs were then completed.

From this we can learn that if we want to see something done in the local church, it is required that we put our money where our mouth is. As much as churches do, more could be done with generosity of Christians towards the work of the Lord. In one church my wife and I were in, they had a place on the offering envelope for a pew fund. The pastor’s wife advised us we should put money in the fund when we get tired of being poked by the springs.

If you don’t think your church is doing enough for the poor, have you given to the Alms fund? If you don’t think the level of your church’s support for missions is sufficient, have you supported the mission’s fund? Have you asked about filling the needs of the church?

Consider that for decades, there had been breeches in the House of the Lord and that so many people simply walked past. No rich merchant said, “How can I help repair the breeches?” Rather, mass fundraising efforts were required to make up what was needed to have the House of the Lord in good repair.

Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem. vs. 17, 18

This is an important point. Too often in today’s society, we overuse the term “people of faith.” Anyone, who adheres to a religion is considered a person of faith. I’d suggest, we need to examine ourselves. A person of religion understands facts about God and mentally accepts his presence in reality. A person of faith believes in Who God is and bases his life around it.

While, there’s more evidence of this in 2 Chronicles, what this illustrates is that while Joash was a man of religion, he was not a man of faith. So many times, this game was played in the history of Judah where the House of God would be emptied to appease the wrath of a foreign king.

The act of bribery shows a deficiency in faith, a lack of it. It says, “God, I don’t trust you to take care of me.” It was done by Hezekiah, who despite his great trust in the Lord, stumbled and relied on a bribe to keep the King of Assyria at bay.

Every time a king did this, he turned from faith in God to faith in money. Hezekiah falling into this trap reminds us that even the best may stumble, but we all must grow to truly become people of faith.

Linked to Pursuing Holiness, Third World County, Random Yak,

—–

I do not believe prophesy is given with the goal or intent of only letting people know of their certain doom. Rather, it is given with the hope that we will see our wicked ways and turn from it.

In the book of Jonah, God pronounced destruction on the City of Ninevah, yet when the people repented, he turned from his intention and spared the city. What happened with Joram was that he didn’t turn. He put aside the worship of Baal, but continued in the sins of Jeroboam that had caused Israel to sin. God reached to Jehoram in many ways, but at each turn God found Himself ignored and forgotten. After 12 years of Jehoram on the throne, the time of judgment was at hand.

Elisha sent a young prophet to anoint Jehu and give him God’s command to destroy the house of Ahab.

Once getting his mission from God, Jehu, like a laser beam, was off. He focused on fulfilling the Lord’s command and ending the reign of Jehoram. Messengers were sent and Jehu told them to go behind him. At this point, the King of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah (who was visiting) rode out to meet Jehu in field of Naboth the Jezreelite.

The location is important because it was this field Jezebel acquired by having Naboth killed. And it was after this that God pronounced judgment against the House of Ahab. Think about that. A kingdom fell by the ordinance of God because it stole a poor man’s land through murder.

This should cause those of us who seek justice in our lives to be at ease, God brings justice. It is a defining characteristic. It doesn’t sleep. Though, it is sometimes delayed, it will not be denied. It should also cause us to beware how we treat others. Relatively small injustices can have major consequences if we are recalcitrant.

Jehu killed the two kings. Ahaziah escaped from Jehu directly and made it to Megiddo. Jehu arrived at the palace and asked who was on his side and three eunichs emerged. He ordered Jezebel cast down from the window and he trampled her with his horses.

After eating a meal (and I have no understanding of how one has an appetite at that time,) he ordered Jezebel buried, but they found only her skull, her feet and the palm of her hands.

Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, `In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. v. 36

Scary, yes, but it’s a reminder that God will not be mocked and he doesn’t play games. The innocent deaths of God’s prophets and of a poor land owner at the hand of that woman was avenged in God’s time, just as he promised.

Bible

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And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.” V. 6

This was the power of her testimony, because she had lived the life of a giver, opening her heart and home to God and His Servants, God continued to bless and take care of her.

The next section has Hazael, a servant of the King of Syria coming to visit Elisha to ask whether the King would recover:

And Elisha said unto him, “Go, say unto him, `Thou mayest certainly recover’. However the LORD hath shown me that he shall surely die.”

And he fixed his countenance steadfastly until Hazael was ashamed; and the man of God wept.

And Hazael said, “Why weepeth my lord?” And he answered, “Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel. Their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.”

And Hazael said, “But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha answered, “The LORD hath shown me that thou shalt be king over Syria.” vs. 10-13

Hazael returned and killed his master and became king. The sad lot of a prophet is that not all the news is good news or what you’d like to deliver. You don’t just see the sunny side of life, but the dark foreboding of the pain that sin will bring your land.

Prophets weep. It comes with the job.

The chapter ends describing the rise and reigns of two kings of Judah, Joram and Ahaziah. Both did wickedly and were influenced by the house of Ahab due to their father, Jehoshaphat’s decision to intermarry with that house. It led a whole nation astray.

Sadly, of all Jehoshaphat’s works of faith and righteousness, his compromise with sin led his nation to ruin. He sought peace, peace at the price of holiness, in that he joined himself in alliance to King Ahab, despite Ahab’s persecution of the Lord’s prophets and the wickedness of Queen Jezebel.

New Testament Christians are commanded in 2. Corinthians 6:14 not to be “unevenly yoked” with unbelievers. While we may at times work with unbelievers, the danger when we join ourselves to them in marriage or any other permanent venture is that with different values, they will lead us on the road to compromise.

In the case of Jehoshaphat, his children and his nation were led to the point of ruin because of his folly and his compromise with sin.

Bible

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Then Elisha said, “Hear ye the word of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD: `Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” v.1 (KJ21)

Not everyone believed:

Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?” And he said, “Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” v.2 (KJ21)

When we doubt God, we often find ourselves cut off from His blessings, because we miss them. We live in doubt and can’t react properly when God shows He is still a God of miracle and powers.

And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. And they said one to another, “Why sit we here until we die? If we say, `We will enter into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.” vs. 3,4

Such wisdom. How many times do we sit still and wallow in utter misery rather than reaching for the Hope of healing that comes from God? We have too much pride. So we’d rather sit without the city walls than turn in hope to the God who has promised help and healing. We’d rather die than take action. The Bible talks several times about indecisiveness. The prophet declares, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.” Elijah cried out and told the people to serve the Lord if He was God or to serve Baal if Baal was God. Joshua in Joshua 24 demanded that the people, “Choose you this day who you will serve.”

I’m convinced that indecisiveness is something that God utterly hates. When we stand on the cracks, we feel “good enough.” We don’t do anything “seriously wrong.” We don’t commit ourselves to God, we practice evil and sin, but not so much that we still can’t claim to be good people or even Christians. God wants us to make our decision, so that if we make the wrong one, at least we can fall hard enough to realize our need for Him.

However, if we’ve got a dreary outlook wherever we look, and no hope anywhere, than it’s time to step out and take the road God has set before us. And if you don’t know Christ, the right road at the crossroad is the cross.

God had frightened away the Syrians with a noise of horses and chariots. The Syrians had left their camp abandonned. Oh how the lepers feasted and spoiled the enemies of the Lord:

Then they said one to another, “We do not what is right. This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. If we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us. Now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.” v. 9

When God blesses you, He calls you to bless others. Surely, as Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve; he has called us to share our blessings, be it money, wisdom, or spiritual knowledge. God expects us to bless others through the blessing He’s given us.

Bible

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And when the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

And he answered, “Fear not, for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.”

And Elisha prayed and said, “LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. vs. 15-17

The young man looked around him and saw the forces of Syria. He saw only death coming upon Him and then Elisha prayed and his eyes were opened that he saw the reality.

Do we see? Do we see that God is with us? Sometimes, we look and all we can see is the obstacles around us, but Elisha wanted more for his servant. He wanted him to know that God was there, with them in the midst of the great trial.

We need to pray, “Dear God, open my eyes!” And we shall truly see with our Spirits that our mountains and valleys are filled with the horses and chariots of the Lord our God.

Elisha, after praying that his servant might receive sight, prayed that the Syrians would be blinded. He then went out and told them he would lead them to the man they sought, but instead led them into the middle of Samaria, and in the midst of the Army of Israel and its great armaments, their eyes were opened.

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha when he saw them, “My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them?”

And he answered, “Thou shalt not smite them. Wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” vs. 21,22

‘

God was merciful to them. He continually was trying to show himself to the Syrians, who nonetheless hardened their hearts against Him. God has been merciful to so many and showed compassion on people who didn’t deserve it.

So, they went back and they didn’t come back for the express purpose of taking Elisha. However, the next verse tells of the siege of Samaria and what was one of the most compelling moments in scripture. The city of Samaria was besieged and great famine reigned in the land. Dove’s dung and donkey’s heads were being sold for ridiculous prices in the marketplace and King Jehoram was in a state of depression.

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

And he said, “If the LORD do not help thee, from whence shall I help thee? Out of the barn floor or out of the wine press?”

And the king said unto her, “What aileth thee?” And she answered, “This woman said unto me, `Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

So we boiled my son and ate him. And I said unto her on the next day, `Give thy son, that we may eat him’; and she hath hid her son.”

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. vs. 26-30

This man was evil, he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. But, in this one instance, this one moment, his utter humanity is displayed.

He hears this tale of depravity and wickedness and without thought for decorum, without thought for his political position, he rips his clothes.

How many of us are more hardhearted than that wicked King? We look at pictures of death and brutality and it has no effect on us We’ve been trained by Hollywood to view such things as entertaining and amusing.

No sight can move us to cry out, “My God, the horror of it.” And to mourn and weep, and to say, “What a horrible thing has happened!” Are our hearts so seared that we cannot fathom the idea of heartfelt weeping.

Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?

And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

Jehoram’s heart may have been human, but so were his reactions. We want to immediately blame someone and that someone is usually God and His people.

Jehoram closed this chapter with a question. Why should he wait for the Lord any longer? Once again, its a question that we can all sympathize. Why shouldn’t we do what we want and forget about God? Why should we wait on him any longer?

Scripture tells us that God is not slack concerning his promises. We should wait, because we wait on God who answers our prayers in his season and his time.

—–

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest cure him of his leprosy.”

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to cure a man of his leprosy? Therefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.”

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” vs. 6-8

One thing you can say for Jehoram is that he knew his limitations, which is more than you can say for some politicians, however God had made provision for Jehoram and for Naaman.

Sometimes, people come to us with a problem, be it emotional or financial, that we cannot cope with. It’s beyond our capability. At that time, it’s appropriate to pray and think of who can help.

So Naaman was sent to Elisha’s house and Elisha sent a messenger out to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times.

But Naaman was wroth and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, `He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and cure the leper.’

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

And his servants came near, and spoke unto him and said, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, `Wash, and be clean’?”

What had angered Naaman? What had distracted him? God had moved in a way he didn’t expect. God had done it simply. He’d been expecting the man of God to come out and heal him personally, but rather was told to go in faith and bathe in a dirty river.

The servant had far more wisdom than his master. He asked a fair question. Naaman gladly would have done great Herculean deeds to earn his healing, but here all God asked was faith.

It’s what stops many people from coming to Christ, because on the surface, it’s easy, but also counter to our internal thoughts. It leaves them no one to thank, other than God, and no room for boasting. Our pride and our expectations keep us from God’s blessing, just as it almost did with Naaman. God asks faith and obedience to His will, nor matter how little sense it may make to you on an Earthly level.

Faith healed Naaman. Then, Naaman came to offer Elisha a blessing, but Elisha refused. Naaman promised to only offer sacrifices to the Lord and to refrain from the worship of false gods, except it was required by his position when the King went into the house of Rhimnon.

Why didn’t Elisha take a blessing? Because Elisha wanted all the glory and honor to go to God alone. It wasn’t about Elisha being rich, it was about Naaman learning of the one true God who was real and had servants who obeyed his voice. What follows is one of the Bible’s great cautionary tales for those in ministry.

Elisha’s servant saw a big time donation walking out the door and ran after him, pledging to get something of him. He told Naaman two young sons of the Prophets had arrived and asked for two changes of garments and a talent of silver. Naaman was so generous, he gave two talents.

And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

Just as God gave Adam and Eve a chance to tell the truth, so Elisha gave Gehazi the chance. Elisha’s asked, “Is it a time to receive money and gain? No, its time to behold the Glory of the Lord.”

Anytime God moves, you have men, like Gehazi, who move in to capitalize, but God will not be made into product. God will not be sold in the marketplace to build riches. Gehazi should have fallen down and worshiped the Lord who has power over everything, from whom nothing is hidden.

Gehazi didn’t have a heart for God, he had a heart for money and he got to keep his money, but at a high price. Oh, how many Gehazis run rampant in our world.

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And Elisha said unto her, “What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house?” And she said, “Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.”

Then he said, “Go, borrow thee vessels abroad from all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou hast come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.”

So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, “Bring me yet a vessel.” And he said unto her, “There is not a vessel more.” And the oil flow ceased.

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children on the rest.”-vs. 2-7

The first observation here is that it took faith to ask of the neighbors. Their backs were against the wall, though. They had no other option than faith, and sometimes that’s the only time we’ll do something that by Earthly standards is nuts.

The second observation is how God worked. He could have just as easily caused gold to appear somewhere in the house. He could have caused some type of windfall to occur, but notice what he does.

He puts her to work for her living. Her sons have to go to the neighbors and collect the pots. And once she has the oil, she’s got to load it up and sell it.

Time and time again throughout scripture, God gives people temporary help. He sent ravens to feed Elijah and a widow who was taking care of Elijah had oil and meal provided for her through the time she took care of him. But, this case suggests something different. This woman was not going to be actively in service to God. She was going to take care of her children. So what does God do? He has her work as a long term solution.

I believe that when it comes to that long term help, God’s preference is that people work somehow. You notice that the man of God asked her, “What do you have in your house?” If you find yourself in financial difficulty, you may find the answer is, “I have enough stuff to hold a garage sale.” or “I’ve got a lawnmower in the back yard.” As a long term solution, God will then help you take what you have and make money with it. Short-term, there are different things, but long term God wants us to work if at all possible, because we’re created to do that.

And there was a day that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed and a table and a stool and a candlestick. And it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.”

The Bible tells us that this was a great woman. And what made her great? She was attentive to God. She says, “I perceive.” She was sensitive to the Spirit of God and saw where He was moving. More than that, she responded to God’s guidance with what she had.

Some people would think, “God gave me a big house and money and servants so that I could live the good life.” Yet, she said, “God gave me this, so I could bless His servant.”

So she was a great woman indeed. After some time, the prophet Elisha wanted to bless her and sent his servant to find out what she needed and she told him she dwelled among her people, which means she didn’t need anything. She wasn’t doing this because she wanted God to bless her; she was doing it to be thankful to the God who had blessed her, but Elisha was persistent and a need was recognized by Gehazi:

And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.”

And he said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

And he said, “About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son.” And she said, “Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.” vs. 14-16

This is a reminder to never, ever say that God can’t do anything. She didn’t seek it, she didn’t demand it, she didn’t name it and claim it. God gave it to her because He loved her and wanted to bless her.

We serve a God of blessing. We don’t have to demand material blessings. We don’t have to lust after material gain. God will take care of it. We don’t have to do anything but live our lives according to God’s will and with the wisdom that God has given us. He’ll take care of us and give us our daily bread and everything above that

The blessing, though, came with tears. The child was in the field and died. She went to see Elisha:

And she called unto her husband and said, “Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God and come back.” And he said, “Why wilt thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” And she said, “It shall be well.” (vs. 22,23)

Some people are like the husband. They have the attitude that you can’t go to God except at a specific time, but she understood that the time to go to God was the time of need. The time to go to God was right then. So, she approached to where Elisha was:

Run now, I pray thee, to meet her and say unto her, `Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is well.”

And when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet; but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her; and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.” (vs. 26, 27)

This is important. I’m asked all the time, “How are you doing?” If I’m not feeling well that day, I’ll say, “Good.” I’ve learned over time that, “How are you doing?” doesn’t really mean people care and even if they care on some level, it doesn’t mean I want to talk to them.

We have to be sensitive in the Spirit to what’s going on and what people really need. Gehazi was thinking, “If it’s well, what business does she have distubring Elisha?”

Because, it’s not well. Sometimes, people just don’t feel like going into it. We need to be people who’ll see pass polite colloquialisms to what a person’s really feeling. We have to listen to their voice tone and look at their body language and if that tells us, something’s wrong, we need to ask, “Are you really okay?” “Is it really well?” Sometimes, the Spirit will lead us, if we’ll listen. If we’re determined to be a blessing and to serve.

She came with questions, but God healed her son through Elisha and he was raised from the dead.

There’s another miracle of bad stew being healed, but I won’t go into that one. This one at the end was important and it wasn’t done by Elisha:

And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, “Give unto the people, that they may eat.”

And his servitor said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” He said again, “Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the LORD: `They shall eat and shall leave some thereof.’”

So he set it before them, and they ate and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD. vs. 42-44

This, of course foreshadows Christ’s miracle of feeding 5,000 with far fewer loaves and a couple fish.

It also teaches us something about giving. Many people will say, “Why does God allow poverty?” A question must be asked back, “Have you given to God?” Have you brought your firstfruits out, be they little or much, have you opened your wallet book to the men of God?

And I’m not talking about giving money to some televangelists. No, I’m talking about opening your wallet to a local church or organization that is caring and compassionate towards the needs of others. I see the efficiency of the Idaho Food Bank in feeding people in my community or the way the Boise Rescue Mission turns people’s lives around. How do they do that? Because, a few people are willing to bring fruit. But, so many more don’t.

In a time of famine, how many farmers had crops? How many of those would tithe of those crops to the man of God? Yet, if this farmer had not done it, people wouldn’t have been fed. As the song says, “Little is much when God is with it.”

The second point is that the man of God is to care for the needs of others. Elisha could have said, “You know, I could really use this bread and corn. It could take care of me for weeks.” No, he poured out what God had given him to meet the needs of others. For the man of God is not just to be a receiver, but a giver and to bless others with what God has blessed him with through the gifts of others.

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Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.

Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. vs.1-3

So Jehoram stopped following after the sins of his father but still did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

How often do we compare ourselves to others. Well, at least I’m not as bad as HIM Yet, God wants goodness and holiness, not just less bad from us and this was the case with Jehoram.

The King of Moab rebelled against Jehoram and he got the help of Jehoshaphat King of Judah. and the King of Edom to fight against Moab. They then ran into a problem mid-campaign where they had no water for their Army.

Jehoshaphat once again formed an alliance with an Ungodly king and once again found himself in a tight spot. This is a lesson, when one joins regularly with people who don’t serve God and walk after their own ways, trouble will be your companion. However, Jehoshaphat was a blessing to Jehoram because he knew who to call in. He asked for a prophet of God and they went to Elisha:

And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. vs. 13 and 14

Elisha then did a miracle, the men had water for their journeys and went on to totally route the Moabites.

In Genesis, the Bible tells us that God caused everything Joseph did to prosper.

God will often bless an organization or individual who is himself not worthy because of someone in his employ who is faithful and obedient. Thus Christians can be preserving salt and carry forth God’s blessing to the world around them in the work they do.

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And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. vs. 4-8

One could say that Hezekiah was blessed beyond measure. Prosperity teachers would tell us that this was a more abundant life. Yet, the worm turned. God never promised, there would be no suffering. God never promised us a life without danger or peril.

What happened was that the Assyrian Army began to move across the Earth like a swarm, they conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Hezekiah panicked:

And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. vs. 14-16

Hezekiah had a problem. His plan:buy his way out. In the West, we tend to trust in our money
to save us. We trust our cleverness and our ingenuity. God is the last resort rather than our first hope. So, King Hezekiah gave away gold and silver and showed a sign of weakness, which provoked an attack.

One of the King of Assyria’s Chief Lieutenant’s came and derided Hezekiah’s servants. He reminded them that their natural allies were gone. They asked him to speak in Aramaic and not in Hebrew so that this would not be common knowledge. Rabshakeh however decided to let all the Jews’ know:

Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand: Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern: Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.

Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine. vs. 28-35

Thus, the most common form of persecution and the greatest way that Satan makes war on the saints. It is through the mind which we are most tested and from which the devli attacks us. In our country, when someone sells out their faith, it doesn’t require violence. It is a threat, “If you go against this, you will lose your job. If you take this stance, you will lose this election. If you stand up as a believer, you will be ostracized.”

In the United States of America, we’re fools. We believe that Christian Persecution occurs in other lands, but not here. Yet, it doesn’t happen at the hands of people, but at Satan’s. Like Hezekiah, many times we face a choice that’s far more profound than it appears. The choice Hezekiah was facing was ostensibly one of whether he would hold his throne. But had he walked out of that city and told the King of Assyria, we give up, he would not have just lost his throne.

By so doing, he would say to God, “I really don’t believe in you! I don’t think you’ll take care of me. I’m willing to follow you in the good times, but God you can’t take care of me now. I don’t trust you.”

In walking out of that city, he would walk away from the Living God and spend his last days in regret of the foolish choice he made. There are lots of people who face that choice. There is more fear of persecution in our Western World than there could ever be persecution itself. Having ran from the persecution, having walked away from the living God, millions are unable to admit they betrayed God and unable to face the truth. The Devil, through condemnation and pride keeps them his prisoners.

The prisoner for Christ in Iran or North Korea suffers, but they have hope. What shall be said of those who are prisoners of their own minds, whose fears have built into a fortress of darkness that cannot be broken? It is for this reason Christ declared to the church of Laodecia:

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.-Revelations 3:17

Hezekiah sent to the prophet Isaiah and the Prophet told Hezekiah that the King of Assyria would be forced to return to his own land. The messengers of the King of Assyria than came with more blasphemy. This time Hezekiah went to God himself:

And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.

Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only. vs. 15-19

He brought this issue to God. Sometimes, we feel like we have all the answers, so we try and fix it ourselves. Many times when I’ve been attacked, I’ve not made a response myself. I’ve remembered Hezekiah and like Hezekiah I spread out the charges and lies before God (either figuritively or literally) and left the matter in the hands of the Lord, for He alone will judge and defend.

He didn’t say, “God, save us, because I really like being King.” He didn’t cry out, “God, I really don’t like the Assyrian.” He said, “God, through your deliverance glorify yourself and show yourself to an unbelieving world.”

God is able to show himself, either through our suffering or through our triumphs, if we will let him. Hundreds come to Christ through the testimony of simple faith by martyrs and the suffering church. If our motive is the Glory of God, we’ll trust God with what comes our way.

We may feel it’s too late. We’ve made our mistakes, we’ve made our choices, just like King Hezekiah did when he thought money could save him. Yet, God is ready if we’ll trust him with our fears and apprehensions, if we’ll give up on the idea that we are own saviors and say simply, “To God be the glory.”

Elisha knew Elijah was going (vs. 3, 5)up to Heaven, but he kept following. He knew what was happening. Like Jacob wrestling with the angel, he wouldn’t let go. There are times when God tests our endurance. Are we serious about serving Him? Are we serious about following the vision God has given us?

Elisha also had to be spiritually sensitive. Scripture doesn’t record Elijah telling Elisha about it and context tells us that he didn’t. He had to be spiritually sensitive and aware to know what God was doing. When the sons of the Prophets came up to tell him this, he already knew. He knew because he was attentive to the Spirit.

And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (vs. 9-11)

Elisha asked “a hard thing” and this was coming from a man who raised the dead. Too often, we limit God and what God can do for us by our own lack of faith. Elisha knew what God could do and that nothing was impossible for him.

God once again tested Elisha’s focus, as the Chariot of Fire was a distraction, but Elisha kept his eyes on Elijah. So, we must keep our eyes on what God has called us to.

Sometimes, people will come with us with all kinds of things and they’re not all bad. Many are good, but what is God’s focus? If God has called you to the pro-life work, it’d be foolish to leave that work without his permission and go and work on helping the persecuted Church. If you’ve been called to help the Persecuted Church, you’d be foolish to leave that to go and camp outside an abortion clinic.

Now, this isn’t to say you might not help out with some other project that’s outside your calling, like you may give money to Voice of the Martyrs, or you may pray at a Pro-Life event. You also have to be flexible to following God who can move you from one focus to another. But, if you move, you have to ask, are you following God, or have you taken your eyes off of what you were intended to do?

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. (vs. 13, 14)

What did Elisha do with Elijah gone? The same thing he’d seen his teacher do. Peter did the same thing in the healing of Tabitha, as Andrea pointed out a few months back.

Here is an illustration of the need for discipleship in the church. We need those who will set a godly example, whom we can follow as they follow Christ. Those who are older Christians who undertake this, must be careful for those who seek their advice and guidance will follow them.

Finally, in verses 23 and 24:

And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. (vs. 23, 24)

This was not about an insult to the person of Elisha, as I’ve heard some baldheaded ministers suggest, rather it was an insult on who Elisha represented. It is what happened in a nation where a lack of piety was taught, where there was no respect for God or the things he represents. It was not a single act, but it was a lifestyle of disrespecting God from an early age.

We live in a day of grace, so bears will not attack a group of children, but other consequences which are the natural result of failing to fear God will follow our lives and the lives of our children if we teach them no respect or fear of Almighty God.

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But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. (vs. 3,4)

Very matter of fact here. The big thing that stands out here is that we so often turn to other things or people rather than the Lord who can actually help us. There is one God who is true and faithful and we should turn to Him.

After this, Ahaziah asks his men what happened and they told him. He then asked for a description of the man and it matched Elijah the Prophet, so he sent a captain of fifty to bring Elijah back, but the results were not what he’d hoped for, the first group came and the captain demanded that Elijah come down and fire came down and consumed them. Second guy did the same thing. The third man, having learned from this entreated Elijah and God told him to go down with this third captain, because he wouldn’t do Elijah harm as the prior captains very well would have.

In here we can see that sometimes there is necessary provocation and sometimes one can be unnessarily provocative and harsh, and what’s sown is then reaped.

The chapter ends with Elijah re-affirming that Ahaziah would die and Ahaziah passing on, with the throne being left to his brother, King Jehoram who reigned at the same time that King Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram was beginning a period of co-regency with his father. So, future chapters may get a little confusing.

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“And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him.” (v.7)

Discerning men can see through false prophets, false preachers, false men of God. Jehoshaphat didn’t want to hear from any old spiritual counselor, he wanted to hear from the Lord.:

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the
son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. (vs. 8,9)

Ahab was an a poor leader in that he couldn’t face the truth. Truth-tellers can be annoying. Sometimes, it can be because they have a bad attitude, or maybe we do, but those leaders who go around surrounding themselves with sycophants who will never tell them bad news and never challenge them. These type of leaders make mistakes, because they’re blinded by their own pride:

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD,
With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? (vs.11-16)

If you really want to believe a lie, God will let you. God continues to woo for so long, then he lets people go and respects their decision. They want to believe a lie, God lets them believe the like, as 2. Thessalonians 2:11, 12 says:

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Despite proof of God’s wonderful miracles, Ahab had hardened his heart and not listened.

Now, Micaiah gave him the truth:

And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. (vs.17-23)

Now, first thing, you notice that Micaiah can’t win for losing. At first, Ahab is angered because he didn’t speak truth and then Ahab got angry that the truth was negative. We say we want the truth, but do we? So many arguments begin with, “Tell me what you really think!”
Second point. God used the false prophets of Ahab and allowed this lying spirit to come and deceive them, which shows us that even evil in the end is subject to the Lord. Ahab had gone so far that even when it was explained that he was being told a lie, he followed after it anyway.

Such is the fate of the man who resists God, who hardens his heart time and time again, who ignores the truth and makes him blind to its problem.

Ahab ordered Micaiah locked up and they want to battle. Jehoshaphat went against what had been told by the Lord. There are many reasons for that. He wanted to be at peace (v.44) but sadly Jehoshaphat chose peace ahead of going where God’s blessing was.
Ahab chose to make his friend a target. He rode out dressed as a normal soldier while Jehoshaphat was dressed in his robes. At first, they went after Jehoshaphat. The Bible tell us, “Jehoshaphat cried out” and the Syrians realized it was not Ahab. (vs. 32, 33)

There’s some speculation as to what he cried out, but I believe he cried out to God and at the point, they knew it wasn’t Ahab, because they knew what type of man Ahab was.

Ahab thought he would cheat God’s justice, but the Bible tells us that an archer shot him “at a venture” or “by chance.” Ahab was shot and spent the rest of the battle in his chariot dying, bleeding to death. When they brought the King’s chariot back, the dogs licked up his blood as Elijah had prophesied.

Some people believe that they can cheat God or outsmart God, or that they’re so clever that no one will ever find them out. God will. Time and time again, God offered Ahab chances to turn around and to obey the Lord and submit himself to him. He gave him chances and sent blessings upon him, but Ahab was too blind to realize it. Even his mourning before the Lord in 1 Kings was a temporary experience that didn’t change the type of man He was.

We are fools if we think a one time “religious experience” is going to deliver us. It is not enough to follow after Him at one time, to do the right thing, one time and you’re set for life. No, Christ said, “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

What follows was an overview of Jehoshaphat’s reign and it concludes by noting that after reigning 25 years, he died. Now this isn’t the end of Jehoshaphat’s part in scripture.

However, the author of Kings’ is running two parallel histories: the History of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the History of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This summary only notes Jehoshaphat’s role in the Southern Kingdom, as far as the author felt it was necessary to note. The reign of Jehoshaphat is covered in much more detail in Chronicles.

The book of 1 Kings concludes with an introduction of King Ahaziah, Ahab’s son. The Bible tells us that Ahaziah was just like his father and did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and served Baal, which means the family of disobedience to God would remain unbroken.

—–

And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. (v.4)

Now, here sat the King with power over the whole land of Israel. He was rich, yet he was not satisfied. In here lies a powerful lesson in contentment. If we are not satisfied with what we have, we will never be satisfied no matter how much we get.

Jezebel asked him what was wrong and he told her. Jezebel said, “Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” (v.7)

She then hatched a scheme where a fast was called, and false accusation were brought against Naboth and he was stoned. She told King Ahab that Naboth was dead and Ahab heads down to take the property and was met by the Prophet Elijah:

And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. v.20-24

Ahab had sold himself to work evil. He’d made a decision to serve evil with his life and as scripture tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23) So, for his deeds, Ahab would reap a just reward.

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. (vs. 25, 26)

I noticed one thing in scripture here. God says that Jezebel “stirred up” her husband. Note, it doesn’t say that Jezebel made Ahab evil, only that she agitated him in those area where he already had that ability and tendency.
This is something for those of us who are spouses should be aware of. We can stir things up, both for good or for ill in our mate. We can make them better, or stir up things that will lead them to utter degeneracy and degradation.
Sometimes, as was the case with Jezebel, the most wicked parts of a person are stirred up by the wickedness of their own spouse.
However, God had a greater point here:

And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about dispiritedly.
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me? Because he humbleth himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.” (vs.27-29)

God had pronounced judgment. Yet Ahab put on the signs of mourning and fasting. After describing how wicked he had been, the Bible tells us that God had mercy in that Ahab would not see the fall of his house.
This was before grace, this was before there was an opportunity to be a new creation in Christ. What could God have done for Ahab today? Yet, God still extended mercy to Ahab, and if He’ll do it for Ahab, what makes you think he won’t do it for you? Come to in with a heart of repentance, and God will grant you mercy, greater than you deserve.

Benhadad had besieged Samaria and demanded all of Ahab’s gold and silver, as well as his wives and children. Ahab agreed. Then Benhadad said he’d send someone in and they would take whatever was pleasing to Ahab. At this point , the goal became humiliation. Ahab balked and received this response from:

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

Ahab showed he knew how trash-talk right back with this response:

And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

This got the men of Syria in array against Israel and then something remarkable happened:

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. (vs. 13, 14)

So Ahab took these 232 princes out into battle and defeated the Syrian Army. What was extraordinary is that Ahab was not a godly king. Why did God do this? Ahab was a wicked, rebellious king. He slaughtered the prophets of God. Why would God give Ahab victory?

Because the Lord is gracious and full of mercy. He wanted to reveal who He was to King Ahab. As he mounted his horse, the King had to know there was no way in his own power that he was going to come back alive. He was leading a group of 232 men vs. thousands of enemy soldiers. But, he had no choice, no retreat left but in utter disgrace and dishonor. He’d tried to run from the problem, but it wouldn’t go away. He had to face his enemy. How could he mount his horse, without knowing God was with him.

You’ll meet those men through life who’ve experienced the power of God, who make all types of prayer and supplication and then God grants their cry and God is forgotten when times are good. Yet, why does reveal himself to such men? Because our God is a just and perfect God who sends his rain on the just and on the unjust and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The prophet warned Ahab to prepare because the king would be back next year. The Syrians made a boast that demanded God’s action:

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. v. 23

When the Syrians assembled themselves again in the valley, once again a messenger came:

And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. v.28

God is not some local deity. He is the One, True God and the Earth is the Lord’s and all that dwell therein. God had to give an answer. But, still notice how he was once again reaching out to Ahab, that you may know.

Outnumbered, once again Israel won a victory over the Syrians, and Benhadad found himself at the mercy of King Ahab. He offered Ahab, a return of cities that Benhadad’s father and to give Ahab marketplaces as Ahab’s father had given to Benhadad.

This makes sense, but it was truly God’s Will?

And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbor in the word of the LORD, “Smite me, I pray thee.” And the man refused to smite him.
Then said he unto him, “Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee.” And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion found him and slew him.
Then he found another man and said, “Smite me, I pray thee.” And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said, “Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle. And behold, a man turned aside and brought a man unto me, and said, `Keep this man. If by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.’

And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” And the king of Israel said unto him, “So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.”

And he hastened and took the ashes away from his face, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was of the prophets. And he said unto the king, “Thus saith the LORD: `Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.’”

And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. (v.35-43)
The lessons of v. 35 and 36 are that when God tells you to do something, you do it, no matter how strange it sounds. Though, it does certainly make one thankful to live under Grace.

The more I think about it, the prophets of the old testament days were truly artists with a message from God. You have the story tellers, you have performance artists (ex. Ezekiel), and you have poets. They used their creative arts to deliver God’s message. In this case, Ahab had an actor on his hands.

The prophet’s point was clear. Ahab had chosen not to follow the Will of God. My wife asked me an interesting question, “Where had God said to kill Benhadad?”

At first, I thought perhaps it just hadn’t been mentioned. But, something far more obvious occurred to me. Ahab simply never asked. As he did with his whole life, Ahab did whatever he wanted to. Yet, that the Lord had given him a great victory, and delivery against an overwhelming foe, all was forgotten when Ben-hadad offered him a few marketplaces in Damascus.

When we fall into “great fortune” such as a new position or a sum of money, we should recognize the source of our success and ask God what He would have us do with it. Let us never be like that long ago foolish king who to his own harm forgot the Lord was the One who’d brought him success.

—–

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. vs. 1-4

After the moment of great victory, what brought one of the great prophets to this moment of despair: unmet expectations.

He expected the mighty miracles of God to move the hearts of a nation. He expected Ahab, having seeing the power of the true God would turn from his wickedness. But, yet Jezebel continued to run rampant, doing whatever she willed.

We too, like Elijah can run away or suffer disillusionment when are expectations are missed. We expect something to be a certain way and we can get angry and frustrated, but we mustn’t give into despair. The Lord declared:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.-Isaiah 55:8,9″

Elijah had no way to control the reaction of the people. His job was to declare the word of the Lord faithfully. Our job is to do the work the Lord has given us faithfully.

During my 2004 campaign for the State House, I was nervous leading up to the primary about the result. I went to the State Day of Prayer. Bryan Fischer was taking me back to my car and all along the way back, I’d been talking about my campaign and my concern with the result. Before I went back to my car, he prayed with me. I’ll never forget the word he prayed over me, “Duty is ours, results are God’s.”

We are not called to always be “the winners” but we are called to always be faithful to the vision the Lord has given us.

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

The Angel of God was prodding Elijah. God does not want us to lay down in our depression and sorrow, but to get up, to rise up and live. So, Elijah gets up and goes to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.

It was where Moses received a revelation. It was where God had moved mightily in the past. So soon after his great victory, he felt the glory of God was so far away. He wanted to see the power and might of God.

And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

God’s first question for Elijah is, “What are you doing here?” I think that’s also his first question for us when we step out of His Will.

Elijah came up in despair because he was abandonned and alone. He came to the place of God’s might to understood why God had left him so utterly alone.

Great manifestations passed by: wind, earthquake, and fire, but it says God was not in any of these. Then, came a still small voice.

I have people ask me sometimes for proof of God’s existence or proof of Christ. I rarely argue the point, because God is not a science project that you put under a microscope and study. That you on examining, say, “There, I see God.”

No, God is the Lord. He is in the still, small voice. Yet, most of us never stop to listen to Him. It is not, as some well-meaning ministers have professed, a result of cell phones and Internet. For in Elijah’s day, God was ignored by an entire nation.

What this tells us is that Elijah didn’t need to take his great Spiritual Journey up Horeb because God was with him in that still small voice that his own despair had drowned out.

God then asks Elijah the same question and Elijah gives the same answer:

13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. v. 15-18

God’s message to Elijah two messages here.

The first is, “Elijah, get up, you have work to do.” Often when we throw a pity party, we can forget that God still has a work for us to do. We still have duty and self-pity is not a reason to avoid doing it.

The second is, “You are not alone.” When we sit on our isolation, we can feel like Elijah, “I’m the only one who truly believes in God as we live in a world that’s full of Sunday Morning religion.” Yet, God saw the hearts of seven thousand, who quietly held to the way of God, even as they hid from the wrath of Jezebel.

Elijah reminds us why we need to be in community with like-minded believers who will encourage us and lift us up. God is not so limited that you or I are all that He has. He has people everywhere who serve in Spirit and Truth whether we acknowledge it or not.

So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

We meet Elisha and we learn two things about him. The first is that he’s ready to follow the Lord. Some man comes and throws a coat on us, or more likely tells us to follow him, and we’ll make excuses. We’ve got jobs and commitments. Elisha was hungry to do the Will of God. He doesn’t call after Elijah, he runs after him. That shows some enthusiasm.

Second, he leaves his family and steps on the road to becoming a great prophet. Where does it begin? He ministered to Elijah. His road to greatness began with servanthood, as it must with us all.

Linked to Random Yak, Pursuing Holiness, and Third World County

Bible

And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

Now, Obadiah is an interesting character. First, of all, its a given that his master did not know how he’d thwarted their efforts. He was obedient to God, for he feared the Lord greatly. As we talked about with Elijah, his faithfulness was honored.

The second thing I notice is who he worked for. Some of us might say, “Obadiah, you should not work for such a despicable man as Ahab.” Yet, God used him in that capacity. He could have backed out, but had he done so, had he moved off to Judah to get away from that wicked boss, all the prophets of the Lord would be dead. We have to be in tune to the Spirit of God, to be where he wants us to be, when he wants us to be there. We should never participate in sin, but as I wrote the last week, we all have opportunities to make a difference.

And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.

Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’s prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me. (vs. 9-14)

When he references how Ahab had carried out a worldwide manhunt for Elijah, God’s decision to have Elijah go to Sidon makes sense. It would be the last place in the world that anyone would expect the Prophet of God to be hiding: in a small town in the home country of Queen Jezebel.

What we learn from Obadiah is that there is a difference between obeying out of fear and obeying out of love. Obadiah feared God, so he hid the prophets, but he did not have that trusting relationship of Elijah.

He lived in a land that for decades had been corrupted by Jereboam’s paganism. He knew of God, but he didn’t know God. He feared God, but like so many today, he thought God was not on his side. God was not going to reward him. God was to be feared, not loved, or trusted.

Elijah promises that as “the Lord liveth” he’ll be there when Ahab gets back. Ahab, ever the pompous politician returns:

And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

Again, we see this projection. It is Ahab and Jezebel who slew the prophets of God and introduced a false god to the Israelites. Elijah did not of his own will decide there would be no rain, but rather was the messenger of God. We’d rather kill the messenger than deal with the message and this is still true today. We get mad at people who carry placards with aborted fetuses on them rather than the person who killed the fetuses and disfigured their bodies.

Elijah tells Ahab to bring the prophets of Baal for a historic confrontation on Mount Carmel where he lays out his case:

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.-v. 21

I think the greatest thing God cannot stand is indecision. God wants us to make choices about life:

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live-Deuteronomy 30:19

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.-Joshua 24:15

The God of the Bible has no patience for games. His call is, “Make up your mind, stop being wishy washy, decide who you are and what you believe, but stop pretending to be who you are not.” The people don’t answer him.

Elijah then proposed a test: give the 450 prophets of Baal a bullock and him a bullock and whoever’s God sends fire is God indeed. The Prophets of Baal made quite spectacle and Elijah could not resist some sarcasm:

And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.-1 Kings 18 26-29

The New Living Translation summarizes this way:

About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or he is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or he is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

Its some bitter sarcasm, but appropriate nonetheless. If you treat foolishness with reverence, how can anyone else not see it for what it is?

So Elijah put his sacrifice on the altar of God and he ordered them to pour 8 barrels of water on the wood and the sacrifice. No one would be able to say Elijah was doing a magic trick:

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (vs. 36-40)

The goal of God was to turn His people back to Him. That was what the famine, what everything, was for. God had a plan, and people’s initial reaction when the fire fell was worship out of fear. Yet, their hearts were fickle and once the memory had faded, they’d return to their wicked ways.

I’ve seen men who’ve seen God do great things and yet turn away. People will have a great revival experience, see the power of God, and turn away once the experience fades.

All the while, God continues to reach out for us, as He did with Israel, seeking the return of his lost sheep.

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. v. 41-46

Ahab did not hear the rain, the prophet’s servant did not hear the rain, but Elijah did. He knew what God promised and he wouldn’t stop praying for it, some of us would stop at the 2nd time there was nothing, some at the third, but Elijah kept praying until he saw an answer and he didn’t need to see a downpour to know what God could do. So, we must be persistent though we we don’t see what we’re looking for, we must not lose faith.

In an odd feat, the Lord empowered Elijah to outrun Ahab to the gates of Jezreel to cement the moment of victory.

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1) The Key to Greatness

This chapter introduces one of the Bible’s great prophets, Elijah. Elijah, the Prophet is a special character in scripture. Along with Enoch, he is one man who didn’t die to go to Heaven. We know little about Elijah really. All that we know about him from his life in Judah is contained in 8 chapter of Kings (1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2.) Compare that to Moses 5 books, or to Isaiah or Jeremiah, or even the minor prophet, Zechariah. Yet, Elijah is the one who a place is set for at Passover. Why?

The first thing I noticed about Elijah is obedience:

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (v.1)

And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. (vs. 2,3)

So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: (v. 5)

And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. (vs. 8,9)

So he arose and went to Zarephath. (v. 10a)

So he has a series of four commands God gives him.

First, he tells him to go to the King and prophesy that there will be no rain on the land. He goes and faces Ahab and Queen Jezebel who had persecuted the Prophets. (18:3) He was taking his life in his hands to go before such people, but he went. God’s next command is to go to the wilderness and the birds will feed you and he goes.

Then God says, go into a city of Zidon. I never realized how much faith it took to go there until today. When reading the scripture, my mind for the first time jogged back to Chapter 16, Jezebel was the daughter of the King of Zidon. Elijah had a blood thirsty woman who hated the prophets of the Jewish God and God wanted him to go to her homeland and be taken in by an inhabitant of that land.

At anytime, he could have made excuses. He could have said, “It makes more sense for me to go to Judah, or to hide here.” But, that was not what God demanded. We are amazed by the fact that Elijah after this did so many mighty works for God, yet we shouldn’t be. We should be amazed if he didn’t, because Elijah walked before the Lord in great obedience. Would God grant him great things? Yes, because Elijah died to himself, he died to his own logic and his own pre-conceived notions to say, “Yes, Lord, I go.”

Now, obedience shines through when Elijah goes to the house of the widow of Zidon. He’s obeyed God and come to Zidon, but what if the woman doesn’t obey God and nourish him? God had been dealing with her heart. She was scared to death. The scripture tells us:

So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

It was a sad situation, but God had his solution. It wasn’t manna in the wilderness like in the wilderness. I never noticed this before, but up in a prior verse, it says that God commanded her to sustain him. Our solutions will include a lot of things, but God’s was to pour out. What He asked was to take a leap of faith, but she wanted to make excuses:

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

This made me think of myself. Sometimes, we tend to wrap our fears up in nice-sounding words. I could never imagine myself doing what Elijah did, looking at this starving woman, and her weak child and saying, “make me a little cake first.” Our first reaction is that it was selfish and that God rewarded selfishness.

Elijah’s action was not born out of selfishness. He knew what His God could do and would do if this woman obeyed. She and her son could eat that one cake and they would die. Their only hope was to trust God and obey Him. Anything else would be death.

The nice thing to do would have been to smile, let them eat their cake and offer your sympathies. The kind and good thing to do was to tell them to obey the Word of the Lord, the faithful God who is able to do wonders.

Can we be so unselfish at times, so nice, that we let people waste away? Can we be so focused on not shoving ourselves in, that we quench the Spirit of God and deny others what they need the most?

And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?-1 Kings 17:17,18

In this scripture, you can see the hand of the Devil in this woman’s heart. When bad things happen, we often think that we are being punished for our sins: our unconfessed, unrepented sins that we carry about us like a bag of snakes. The Devil torments us with them and when bad happens, he uses them to drive us away from God and believe that God is punishing us through our suffering.

And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. (vs. 18-24)

He goes upstairs and cries out. Some might say that he questions God, that he demands to know. I’d suggest something different. Elijah knows something that I think we’ve forgotten. I remember Abraham standing and pleading for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah “Shall not the God of all the Earth do Justice?”) and Moses pleading with God to remember his promise in the wilderness.

These men knew God well enough to know that He was not a stone idol, not some god conjured up by a craftsman, but a God who heard the cry of men, who had compassion and mercy. He was a God who would listen.

God seeks those who will walk before him uprightly and walk in obedience. God allows things to happen for His Glory, not for our suffering. God looks upon us with mercy for he knows our frame, for we are dust.

Yet, there are certain people who have God’s heart. They see needs with His eyes. They desire to please Him, obey Him, and love Him. They know that a relationship with Christ isn’t something you get off Cable TV like a cookware set, but rather it is who they are.

Can it be that the reason we don’t see God move more powerfully, is that we’ve not realized the strength to cry out and plead with God?

The widow at the end of this section realizes that God is who He says He is and God is God because of Elijah’s healing. One might ask whether the oil and meal that never ran out might not be a clue, but we are much like this woman in ignoring God’s goodness towards us. I’ve heard people give testimony of God moving in great ways to help them three or four times before they get the message. Some of us will pray and God will grant our request, but we still will not come to Him.

What made this Zidonian Woman so special? Jesus, in an observation that brought about an attempted stoning, declared:

“Verily I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you in truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. But unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Zarephath, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.-Luke 4:24-26″

Why was that? I’d suggest its because, despite her reluctance, the widow of Zidon had it in her to take a leap of faith, to pour out all she had in hope that God would meet her. Thus, that’s why sometimes God will use those who are not believers to help spread His word, because in the hour that he looks, none who call themselves Children of God will answer.

Bible

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