2 Kings 8:7-29
As the story shifts its focus back to the kings, it begins by showing the power struggle that was arising in Syria. When king Ben-hadad was on his death bed, he sent his servant Hazael to inquire of Elisha. He wondered if he would recover from the sickness he had received. Elisha told Hazael that the king would surely recover from his illness but he would also die. He then began to weep knowing what the future held for Hazael, Syria, and Israel. Elisha went on to tell Hazael that because of the evil in his heart, he would be the one that would not only kill Ben-hadad but also attack Israel. Shocked at what Elisha had told him, Hazael could not believe what Elisha had predicted about his future, but after relaying the good news to the king about his recovery, Hazael murdered Ben-hadad. He was then promoted and became king of Syria.
Meanwhile, Judah was beginning to drift from God. For the most part, Judah had been blessed with several great kings. It was a rare exception when they found one that chose to turn from God. As they were all direct descendants of David, most followed in his footsteps. Jehoram, however, did not. His wife was Ahab’s daughter, and if you remember anything about Ahab, he was the worst king Israel had ever seen. The influence of her family caused Jehoram to stumble, and he followed in their ways and not the ways of God. While God could have destroyed Judah then and there, He chose to spare them due to the promise He had made with David. There was punishment, however, as the Edomites revolted against Israel, setting up their own king. Whereas kings like David and Solomon were blessed by conquering new lands and extending the kingdom, Jehoram experienced the loss of land due to his disobedience.
After his death, his son, Ahaziah, took the throne. He too had connections with the house of Ahab. His mother was Ahab’s granddaughter. So he walked in the ways of Ahab and not of God. He later formed an alliance with Israel, but not in an effort to reunite the two nations. He knew that Syria was a common enemy, so the two nations joined forces in an effort to destroy Hazael and Syria. The plan backfired, and Joram (king of Israel) was injured.
The wickedness of the house of Ahab had now spread throughout all of Judah, and they had become as corrupt as their northern neighbor, Israel. This story illustrates the dangers of associating ourselves with people such as these. While it is important to reach out to all people in an effort to share the Gospel with them, and while it is important to build those relationships so that they can see Christ living in us, our strongest relationships should be with fellow Christians. It is far easier for non-believers to bring us down than for us to lift them up. Please do not think that I am saying that we should not have strong relationships with non-believers (for we should for the sake of the Gospel). But those relationships should look a lot different from the relationships we have with fellow believers.
Thankfully, Ahab’s influence was about to come to end. God had promised Ahab that his line would find its end in Israel. Remember that whereas the kings of Judah were still from the same line of David (an unbroken line), the kings of Israel came from many different families. Due to corruption and murder, several different families had inherited the throne in Israel. So while God did not end it with Ahab, He told Ahab that his son would be the end of his line. The story continues in 2 Kings 9.
Matt
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
2 Kings 8:1-6
2 Kings 8:1-6
As this extended section of the miracles that Elisha performed comes to an end in 2 Kings 8, a familiar family comes back into the picture. Some of the first we saw Elisha ministering to was the Shunammite woman, who had provided for him in so many ways, and her son, whom had been raised from the dead. Elisha apparently stayed in touch with this family and may have even spent more time with them in the time that had passed since we last saw them. So after receiving word that a famine was about to come on the land, Elisha warned her and her family of the coming famine. He encouraged them to leave Israel for 7 years so that they would not have to endure the famine, which they did. They traveled to the land of the Philistines and lived there for 7 years. But when they came back to Israel, they found that they no longer had their land.
Meanwhile, the king was speaking with Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. This is an interesting pairing, as the king had an on and off relationship with Elisha. While he supported Elisha in some ways, he hated Elisha at times as well. Furthermore, Gehazi was the servant who had been plagued with leprosy after he sought out rewards from Naaman for the minor role he played in Naaman’s healing of leprosy. In 2 Kings 8, however, we find them discussing the great works of Elisha. It appears as if they had put their differences behind them and were truly amazed at what Elisha was able to do. In the middle of their conversation on how Elisha had even been able to raise people from the dead, the Shunammite woman and her son entered into the room. She was seeing if there was any way that they could receive their land back. After hearing her story about what Elisha had done for them, knowing that Elisha held this family in high regards, the king restored all her land and gave back to her all that it produced while they had been away.
It seems as if these two men ended up closer to the Lord in the end. They had been through some rough times and had doubted God’s presence and ability on multiple occasions. But the testimony of Elisha finally convinced them that God was who He said He was. They could deny all that God had done through Elisha. It was clear that God had been at work. Time and time again, Elisha’s words came true just as he had predicted. That begs the question, what do others see in us? Is it evident that God is at work in our lives? Our lives should point back to God, proving that He is still at work today. When people see us, they should see God. When people hear us speaking, they should hear about God. Our lives should reflect the truths taught in Scripture, and our words should boldly proclaim His Gospel. When our walk matches our talk and we live lives dedicated to God’s service, people will not be able to deny that God is still at work. They will see God and hopefully turn to Him. It is our responsibility to share this Good News with others.
This marks the end of this extended section of Elisha. While Elisha is still in the story of the kings for several more chapters, the story will now begin to focus back in on the various kings of Israel and Judah (much like 1 Kings). We will continue down the line of kings seeing who remained obedient to God and who drifted from Him. As a side note, remember that there were 2 “Jehoram’s,” one in Israel and one in Judah. 2 Kings 8 refers to the “Jehoram” in Israel as “Joram.” He is the man who has been king during these last several chapters where the story has focused more on Elisha than Jehoram/Joram himself, and this is where the story will pick up next.
Matt
As this extended section of the miracles that Elisha performed comes to an end in 2 Kings 8, a familiar family comes back into the picture. Some of the first we saw Elisha ministering to was the Shunammite woman, who had provided for him in so many ways, and her son, whom had been raised from the dead. Elisha apparently stayed in touch with this family and may have even spent more time with them in the time that had passed since we last saw them. So after receiving word that a famine was about to come on the land, Elisha warned her and her family of the coming famine. He encouraged them to leave Israel for 7 years so that they would not have to endure the famine, which they did. They traveled to the land of the Philistines and lived there for 7 years. But when they came back to Israel, they found that they no longer had their land.
Meanwhile, the king was speaking with Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. This is an interesting pairing, as the king had an on and off relationship with Elisha. While he supported Elisha in some ways, he hated Elisha at times as well. Furthermore, Gehazi was the servant who had been plagued with leprosy after he sought out rewards from Naaman for the minor role he played in Naaman’s healing of leprosy. In 2 Kings 8, however, we find them discussing the great works of Elisha. It appears as if they had put their differences behind them and were truly amazed at what Elisha was able to do. In the middle of their conversation on how Elisha had even been able to raise people from the dead, the Shunammite woman and her son entered into the room. She was seeing if there was any way that they could receive their land back. After hearing her story about what Elisha had done for them, knowing that Elisha held this family in high regards, the king restored all her land and gave back to her all that it produced while they had been away.
It seems as if these two men ended up closer to the Lord in the end. They had been through some rough times and had doubted God’s presence and ability on multiple occasions. But the testimony of Elisha finally convinced them that God was who He said He was. They could deny all that God had done through Elisha. It was clear that God had been at work. Time and time again, Elisha’s words came true just as he had predicted. That begs the question, what do others see in us? Is it evident that God is at work in our lives? Our lives should point back to God, proving that He is still at work today. When people see us, they should see God. When people hear us speaking, they should hear about God. Our lives should reflect the truths taught in Scripture, and our words should boldly proclaim His Gospel. When our walk matches our talk and we live lives dedicated to God’s service, people will not be able to deny that God is still at work. They will see God and hopefully turn to Him. It is our responsibility to share this Good News with others.
This marks the end of this extended section of Elisha. While Elisha is still in the story of the kings for several more chapters, the story will now begin to focus back in on the various kings of Israel and Judah (much like 1 Kings). We will continue down the line of kings seeing who remained obedient to God and who drifted from Him. As a side note, remember that there were 2 “Jehoram’s,” one in Israel and one in Judah. 2 Kings 8 refers to the “Jehoram” in Israel as “Joram.” He is the man who has been king during these last several chapters where the story has focused more on Elisha than Jehoram/Joram himself, and this is where the story will pick up next.
Matt
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
2 Kings 6:24-7:20
2 Kings 6:24-7:20
Strife continued between the Israelites and the Syrians. Although the Israelites had been spared once, as they Syrians had been turned away after encountering God’s horses and chariots of fire, they found themselves in trouble yet again. After some time, the Syrians returned to Israel (or as it is being referred to in these chapters, Samaria). They lay siege to the city and caused a great famine amongst the Israelites. The famine was so severe that the Israelites were reverting to some extreme actions just to survive. For instance, two women fought over boiling their own children just so they would have something to eat. When one of the women hid her child, she caused a great uproar in the city, to which they went to the king for a solution. But the king was in just as much distress over the situation. He was mourning as well, not knowing what to do or where to turn. He felt like his only option was to kill Elisha, an order he gave out of his anger and distress.
So one of his servants went to the house where Elisha was staying with the intent of killing him, and the king was not far behind. Knowing that the men were on their way, Elisha told his men what they were up to. They held the door shut, not letting the king or his servant into the room and carried on their conversation with only a door separating them. The king wanted relief from the famine and threat of war, and Elisha promised that it would soon come. The servant doubted that God could actually provide for them in their present crisis, but Elisha assured him that they would be giving and selling food at the gates of the city the next day. In fact, he also knew told the servant that he (the servant) would not taste any of the food that was being sold.
Meanwhile, God was taking care of the Syrians with his horses and chariots. Hearing the sound of a great army approaching, the Syrians feared that the Israelites had joined forces with one of the larger countries in the area, like Egypt. They fled back to their homeland, leaving Israel altogether. In fact, they left so quickly that they did not even take the time to collect up all of their things, making their camp look like a ghost town.
There were also four guards outside the city gates contemplating how they would die. They knew that the famine would eventually kill them, but they wondered when the Syrians would come and attack. Knowing that death was more than likely imminent, they left their post and went into the Syrian camp hoping that they would find help there. They were shocked to see that the Syrians were gone, and after going through the whole camp, they reported back to the king that the Syrians had left. Wanting to make sure that the Syrians were not devising some master plan, the king sent a few men all the way to the Jordan just to make sure the Syrians had not snuck off somewhere else to prepare for a surprise attack. Those men found no trace of the Syrians and knew that the coast was clear. As a result, the Israelites were able to ransack the Syrian camp, taking all of their food (which is what they needed most). In a fulfillment of the prophecy God had given through Elisha, the food was then sold at the gates to the city and that servant did not receive any to eat. But in a surprising twist, the reason he did not eat was because he was killed in the gates when he was trampled by the men running through. He did not believe that God could actually provide for their needs and laughed at the idea that they would soon have food to sell and to eat. As a result, he found himself dead while the rest of the city was rejoicing at God’s provisions. Even when it seems impossible, God can meet the needs of His children if He so chooses.
Matt
Strife continued between the Israelites and the Syrians. Although the Israelites had been spared once, as they Syrians had been turned away after encountering God’s horses and chariots of fire, they found themselves in trouble yet again. After some time, the Syrians returned to Israel (or as it is being referred to in these chapters, Samaria). They lay siege to the city and caused a great famine amongst the Israelites. The famine was so severe that the Israelites were reverting to some extreme actions just to survive. For instance, two women fought over boiling their own children just so they would have something to eat. When one of the women hid her child, she caused a great uproar in the city, to which they went to the king for a solution. But the king was in just as much distress over the situation. He was mourning as well, not knowing what to do or where to turn. He felt like his only option was to kill Elisha, an order he gave out of his anger and distress.
So one of his servants went to the house where Elisha was staying with the intent of killing him, and the king was not far behind. Knowing that the men were on their way, Elisha told his men what they were up to. They held the door shut, not letting the king or his servant into the room and carried on their conversation with only a door separating them. The king wanted relief from the famine and threat of war, and Elisha promised that it would soon come. The servant doubted that God could actually provide for them in their present crisis, but Elisha assured him that they would be giving and selling food at the gates of the city the next day. In fact, he also knew told the servant that he (the servant) would not taste any of the food that was being sold.
Meanwhile, God was taking care of the Syrians with his horses and chariots. Hearing the sound of a great army approaching, the Syrians feared that the Israelites had joined forces with one of the larger countries in the area, like Egypt. They fled back to their homeland, leaving Israel altogether. In fact, they left so quickly that they did not even take the time to collect up all of their things, making their camp look like a ghost town.
There were also four guards outside the city gates contemplating how they would die. They knew that the famine would eventually kill them, but they wondered when the Syrians would come and attack. Knowing that death was more than likely imminent, they left their post and went into the Syrian camp hoping that they would find help there. They were shocked to see that the Syrians were gone, and after going through the whole camp, they reported back to the king that the Syrians had left. Wanting to make sure that the Syrians were not devising some master plan, the king sent a few men all the way to the Jordan just to make sure the Syrians had not snuck off somewhere else to prepare for a surprise attack. Those men found no trace of the Syrians and knew that the coast was clear. As a result, the Israelites were able to ransack the Syrian camp, taking all of their food (which is what they needed most). In a fulfillment of the prophecy God had given through Elisha, the food was then sold at the gates to the city and that servant did not receive any to eat. But in a surprising twist, the reason he did not eat was because he was killed in the gates when he was trampled by the men running through. He did not believe that God could actually provide for their needs and laughed at the idea that they would soon have food to sell and to eat. As a result, he found himself dead while the rest of the city was rejoicing at God’s provisions. Even when it seems impossible, God can meet the needs of His children if He so chooses.
Matt
Monday, March 28, 2011
2 Kings 6:1-23
2 Kings 6:1-23
These short stories recounting the many miracles of Elisha continue in 2 Kings 6. First, the sons of the prophets prepare to find a new city in which to live. After receiving permission from Elisha, they set out to a city along the Jordan and began to build a new place to live. In the process, one of their axes fell into the river. The man was greatly disturbed not because he had lost the ax but because he had lost an ax that he had borrowed from someone else. There would have been punishment for that action according to the Law if he was never able to return the ax to the one who had given it to him. Elisha saw no problem, however, as he was able to cause the ax to float in the water. Whether he manipulated the wood or the water, I am not sure. Either way, this went against the laws of nature as Elisha exhibited the power of God (for only God can manipulate the laws of nature).
Not long afterwards, the Syrians began to prepare for battle against the Israelites. Elisha, knowing of the king of Syria’s plans because God had given him that ability, warned the king of Israel. He told Jehoram where the Syrians would be so that Jehoram could keep his armies away from that area lest they be defeated by the Syrians. This rightly enraged the king of Syria. He did not understand how the Israelites had discovered his plans. He assumed that one of his own men was secretly working with the Israelites, but he soon found out that that was not the case. Someone finally figured out that it was the prophet Elisha, and the king of Syria ordered that they surround the city he was living in and destroy it. Think about how foolish this order is. Elisha knew his plans; he had known when and where they would attack Israel. So would Elisha not know that they would be coming his way next? Furthermore, his special knowledge was a gift from God (and probably viewed as some sort of special power in the eyes of the Syrians). If he was able to know their plans, would it not be possible that he could do other miraculous things as well? The king of Syria was so focused on destroying Elisha that he did not think through all the possibilities, not realizing how foolish his actions were.
So when the Syrians approached the city of Dothan, where Elisha was living at the time, there was naturally fear in Dothan. In fact, Elisha’s servant feared that they might be overrun. Elisha assured him that there was a much larger army surrounding them that would protect them from the Syrians. God had sent His horses and chariots of fire (more than likely an army of angels) to protect Elisha and those in the city of Dothan. The servant’s eyes were later opened so that he could see them and find comfort in the fact that God had sent them help. The Syrians were then led into Israel, where Elisha told Jehoram that they had captured the Syrians. The in an act of generosity, they fed the Syrians and sent them back to their homelands. They could have destroyed the Syrians in that moment, but instead, they let them leave hoping that they would see their act of kindness and not try and attack Israel again.
God was with Elisha and his men in their time of greatest need. He was not through with Elisha, so He sent His army of angels to protect him. We never know when the end of our life may come. It could be today, or it could be years from now. So when the hard times come, we must always turn to God, seeking His help and protection, knowing that He may choose to let us suffer for a little while. Nowhere in Scripture do we see that God’s children will never suffer. Sometimes God does provide that way of escape, but there are other times in which He lets us go through the hard times. Either way, it should always draw us closer to Him, teaching us to trust Him in His infinite wisdom. He knows what is best for us, as He knows the end of the story. So whether He protects us as He did for Elisha in 2 Kings 6 or lets us suffer for a while, we can trust that He has a plan. We may not understand it all in the moment, but we can know that God is in control of our lives.
Matt
These short stories recounting the many miracles of Elisha continue in 2 Kings 6. First, the sons of the prophets prepare to find a new city in which to live. After receiving permission from Elisha, they set out to a city along the Jordan and began to build a new place to live. In the process, one of their axes fell into the river. The man was greatly disturbed not because he had lost the ax but because he had lost an ax that he had borrowed from someone else. There would have been punishment for that action according to the Law if he was never able to return the ax to the one who had given it to him. Elisha saw no problem, however, as he was able to cause the ax to float in the water. Whether he manipulated the wood or the water, I am not sure. Either way, this went against the laws of nature as Elisha exhibited the power of God (for only God can manipulate the laws of nature).
Not long afterwards, the Syrians began to prepare for battle against the Israelites. Elisha, knowing of the king of Syria’s plans because God had given him that ability, warned the king of Israel. He told Jehoram where the Syrians would be so that Jehoram could keep his armies away from that area lest they be defeated by the Syrians. This rightly enraged the king of Syria. He did not understand how the Israelites had discovered his plans. He assumed that one of his own men was secretly working with the Israelites, but he soon found out that that was not the case. Someone finally figured out that it was the prophet Elisha, and the king of Syria ordered that they surround the city he was living in and destroy it. Think about how foolish this order is. Elisha knew his plans; he had known when and where they would attack Israel. So would Elisha not know that they would be coming his way next? Furthermore, his special knowledge was a gift from God (and probably viewed as some sort of special power in the eyes of the Syrians). If he was able to know their plans, would it not be possible that he could do other miraculous things as well? The king of Syria was so focused on destroying Elisha that he did not think through all the possibilities, not realizing how foolish his actions were.
So when the Syrians approached the city of Dothan, where Elisha was living at the time, there was naturally fear in Dothan. In fact, Elisha’s servant feared that they might be overrun. Elisha assured him that there was a much larger army surrounding them that would protect them from the Syrians. God had sent His horses and chariots of fire (more than likely an army of angels) to protect Elisha and those in the city of Dothan. The servant’s eyes were later opened so that he could see them and find comfort in the fact that God had sent them help. The Syrians were then led into Israel, where Elisha told Jehoram that they had captured the Syrians. The in an act of generosity, they fed the Syrians and sent them back to their homelands. They could have destroyed the Syrians in that moment, but instead, they let them leave hoping that they would see their act of kindness and not try and attack Israel again.
God was with Elisha and his men in their time of greatest need. He was not through with Elisha, so He sent His army of angels to protect him. We never know when the end of our life may come. It could be today, or it could be years from now. So when the hard times come, we must always turn to God, seeking His help and protection, knowing that He may choose to let us suffer for a little while. Nowhere in Scripture do we see that God’s children will never suffer. Sometimes God does provide that way of escape, but there are other times in which He lets us go through the hard times. Either way, it should always draw us closer to Him, teaching us to trust Him in His infinite wisdom. He knows what is best for us, as He knows the end of the story. So whether He protects us as He did for Elisha in 2 Kings 6 or lets us suffer for a while, we can trust that He has a plan. We may not understand it all in the moment, but we can know that God is in control of our lives.
Matt
Saturday, March 26, 2011
2 Kings 5:15-27
2 Kings 5:15-27
Elisha was not a prophet because he wanted to receive the gifts and blessings that people might offer him as a result of his service. He was not seeking payment for the miracles he performed (through God’s strength). He knew that this was the task God had called him to, and living in obedience to God was enough “payment” for Elisha. So when Naaman offered him payment for his services, for healing Naaman of his leprosy, Elisha refused. He knew it was not his place to receive anything for something he had not done. God was the one who had performed the miracle, not Elisha. Elisha was just the instrument that God used. The fact that Naaman had declared that he would serve God and God alone from that moment forward was enough “payment” for Elisha.
However, this was not enough for Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. Gehazi was the man that had been the messenger between Elisha and Naaman in the first part of 2 Kings 5. He was the one who had explained to Naaman what he needed to do to be cured from leprosy. He also felt that they should accept Naaman’s offer, so he set out after Naaman. But he did not just ask for whatever Naaman had previously offered. Instead, Gehazi made the situation worse by lying to Naaman. He created a lie about two men who had just arrived and were in need of money and clothes. Oblivious to the situation, Naaman did as he said. He believed that Elisha had sent Gehazi with the message and did not question the situation.
The situation only got worse when Gehazi returned home. Elisha asked him where he had been, and Gehazi once again had to lie. He could not tell Elisha that he had gone to accept gifts from Naaman when Elisha had already declined Naaman’s offer. Furthermore, he could not tell Elisha the story he had made up to get Naaman to give him the gifts he had received. So he told Elisha that he had not gone anywhere. Elisha knew that Gehazi was lying and knew what he had done. So as punishment, a curse was put on Gehazi and his family, and they suffered from the disease of leprosy that had once troubled Naaman.
The lesson here seems pretty obvious; do not lie. It is such a simple lesson. Lies always lead to more lies. The more you lie, the harder it is to come clean later. We see what happened to Gehazi as he had to continue to lie in order to stay in Elisha’s good graces. However, his lies eventually caught up with him, and they always well. Even the best liars will eventually slip up, and when they do, there can be some severe ramifications.
That is not the only lesson we learn from Gehazi, however. Another is this; when we serve God, we should not expect anything in return. While it is true that God does indeed bless His children, it should never be our motivation in serving Him. Elisha refused to accept the gifts from Naaman because he saw them as payment for his service to God. Elisha served God because he loved God. He wanted to live in obedience to God’s commands. He wanted to do as the Lord asked, and he did not expect God to reward him for his service. That does not mean that we have to feel guilty if God rewards us in some way for obedience and service. Again, God does want to bless His children, and He might choose to reward us in some way. But if we ever become more focused on what we might receive from God than on our service to God, we have fallen into the same trap that Gehazi fell into.
Matt
Elisha was not a prophet because he wanted to receive the gifts and blessings that people might offer him as a result of his service. He was not seeking payment for the miracles he performed (through God’s strength). He knew that this was the task God had called him to, and living in obedience to God was enough “payment” for Elisha. So when Naaman offered him payment for his services, for healing Naaman of his leprosy, Elisha refused. He knew it was not his place to receive anything for something he had not done. God was the one who had performed the miracle, not Elisha. Elisha was just the instrument that God used. The fact that Naaman had declared that he would serve God and God alone from that moment forward was enough “payment” for Elisha.
However, this was not enough for Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. Gehazi was the man that had been the messenger between Elisha and Naaman in the first part of 2 Kings 5. He was the one who had explained to Naaman what he needed to do to be cured from leprosy. He also felt that they should accept Naaman’s offer, so he set out after Naaman. But he did not just ask for whatever Naaman had previously offered. Instead, Gehazi made the situation worse by lying to Naaman. He created a lie about two men who had just arrived and were in need of money and clothes. Oblivious to the situation, Naaman did as he said. He believed that Elisha had sent Gehazi with the message and did not question the situation.
The situation only got worse when Gehazi returned home. Elisha asked him where he had been, and Gehazi once again had to lie. He could not tell Elisha that he had gone to accept gifts from Naaman when Elisha had already declined Naaman’s offer. Furthermore, he could not tell Elisha the story he had made up to get Naaman to give him the gifts he had received. So he told Elisha that he had not gone anywhere. Elisha knew that Gehazi was lying and knew what he had done. So as punishment, a curse was put on Gehazi and his family, and they suffered from the disease of leprosy that had once troubled Naaman.
The lesson here seems pretty obvious; do not lie. It is such a simple lesson. Lies always lead to more lies. The more you lie, the harder it is to come clean later. We see what happened to Gehazi as he had to continue to lie in order to stay in Elisha’s good graces. However, his lies eventually caught up with him, and they always well. Even the best liars will eventually slip up, and when they do, there can be some severe ramifications.
That is not the only lesson we learn from Gehazi, however. Another is this; when we serve God, we should not expect anything in return. While it is true that God does indeed bless His children, it should never be our motivation in serving Him. Elisha refused to accept the gifts from Naaman because he saw them as payment for his service to God. Elisha served God because he loved God. He wanted to live in obedience to God’s commands. He wanted to do as the Lord asked, and he did not expect God to reward him for his service. That does not mean that we have to feel guilty if God rewards us in some way for obedience and service. Again, God does want to bless His children, and He might choose to reward us in some way. But if we ever become more focused on what we might receive from God than on our service to God, we have fallen into the same trap that Gehazi fell into.
Matt
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Magician's Nephew
This is the book that they have chosen for the next Narnia movie. Now I know that I had mentioned previously that The Silver Chair would probably be the next movie, and I thought it would (as did many other people). But with this series, they really can take it any many different directions and end up with the same result. So although we will not see the continuing adventures of Eustace in the next movie, we will meet the first boy and girl from our world that stumbled into Narnia. Plus, if this movie does well enough, we will eventually be able to see Eustace's second trip to Narnia.
This news is only a few days old, and the movie itself may not come out for a couple of years. That means we have plenty of time to start talking it up. Get people excited about the latest installment of Narnia. It will be a great conversation starter as it not only provides answers to some of they mysteries of Narnia (like the lamppost), but it also has some great Christian parallels. Like the movies before it, there will be some great Christan themes portrayed that will have people talking.
Until then, enjoy the other 3 movies that have already been released. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes out on DVD in just a couple weeks. Be sure to pick up a copy! Then, why not read through the series. You have 2 years to do so! Read the whole story (all 7 books), and see the big picture. Hopefully production will move along quickly and we will find ourselves back in Narnia not too long from now!
Matt
Thursday, March 24, 2011
2 Kings 5:1-14
2 Kings 5:1-14
Moving on to 2 Kings 5 (yes, it is a new chapter!), the story shifts to a man from Syria. Naaman was a commander in the army of the king of Syria, and he was well respected by the Syrians and king. He had led Syria to victory over Israel (because God had granted the victory to Syria), and that victory elevated his status among his people. There was, however, a problem with Naaman. He was a leper. This awful skin disease, which marked Israelites as unclean, plagued Naaman, and he sought relief. Knowing of his condition, a young Israelite servant girl that Naaman had acquired ruing his battles told him that there was a prophet of God in Israel that could heal him. She believed in God’s power and knew that God spoke and worked through His prophets.
So Naaman prepared for a trip to Israel, hoping to find relief from his disease. He took with him a letter from the king of Syria asking the king of Israel to grant him healing. This story is a perfect example of why Israel had been created. God wanted Israel to be a light to the nations so that the surrounding nations would see that there was something different in Israel. This would then lead them to Israel’s God (the only God). But Israel’s unfaithfulness had distorted God’s plans, and they had not lived up to their potential. This young girl, however, recognized God’s power and because of her, Naaman set out to learn more.
The king in Israel, however, became upset with Naaman, knowing that he could not perform this miracle. He wondered why the king of Syria would ask such a ridiculous request of him and thought that it might be a set up of some type. When Elisha heard of the situation, he rebuked the king, reminding him that through God’s strength, the healing of Naaman was not impossible. So Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman with instructions on what he was to do cleanse himself of the leprosy. After washing himself 7 times in the Jordan River, he would find healing.
Naaman became upset with Elisha’s instructions. He was expecting more, something more miraculous. He did not want to have to physically do something. Furthermore, he did not understand why he could not cleanse himself in his own rivers (which were cleaner in his opinion). He was ready to walk away and continue to live in his sickness. Is this not a picture of the lost? They (do not forget that this was once us if we are believers) are given the answer to their problem, sin. They are told to trust in Jesus in order to find forgiveness and salvation. Yet, they want to do it on their own terms, find another way. They are not satisfied with God’s way and turn from Him living in their sin as they try to find healing through their own strength.
That is where Naaman was until his servants confronted him on the issue. They knew he had been given very simple and very specific instructions. All he had to do was obey those simple instructions, and he would be healed. Naaman eventually recognized his foolishness, went to the Jordan, and did exactly what Elisha had asked. In the same way, the Gospel really is quite simple. We do not really have to “do” anything. God tells us that if we believe on Him, that He sent His Son to die for our sins, that Jesus died and rose again from the dead conquering sin and death, and confess our faith in Him, then we can be saved. It is really that simple, and yet we make it so hard. We say that it is too easy or that God could never accept us. We try to fix our lives before we come to God or reject Him altogether. Like Naaman, many people turn from the truth and walk away. But unlike Naaman, there are many who never turn back. No one ever goes back to them to confront them on the issue. No one ever tries to share the Gospel with them again.
May this be a lesson for those of us who are Christians, that we do not give up on a person just because they reject Christ the first time. Continue to get to know those people, love them, and invest in their lives. Continue to share the Gospel with them. They may never come to know Christ, but what would happen if we gave up on them? There is only one way to salvation, and that is through Jesus Christ. There is a world out there that needs to hear it, and we are the ones that God chose to deliver the message.
Matt
Moving on to 2 Kings 5 (yes, it is a new chapter!), the story shifts to a man from Syria. Naaman was a commander in the army of the king of Syria, and he was well respected by the Syrians and king. He had led Syria to victory over Israel (because God had granted the victory to Syria), and that victory elevated his status among his people. There was, however, a problem with Naaman. He was a leper. This awful skin disease, which marked Israelites as unclean, plagued Naaman, and he sought relief. Knowing of his condition, a young Israelite servant girl that Naaman had acquired ruing his battles told him that there was a prophet of God in Israel that could heal him. She believed in God’s power and knew that God spoke and worked through His prophets.
So Naaman prepared for a trip to Israel, hoping to find relief from his disease. He took with him a letter from the king of Syria asking the king of Israel to grant him healing. This story is a perfect example of why Israel had been created. God wanted Israel to be a light to the nations so that the surrounding nations would see that there was something different in Israel. This would then lead them to Israel’s God (the only God). But Israel’s unfaithfulness had distorted God’s plans, and they had not lived up to their potential. This young girl, however, recognized God’s power and because of her, Naaman set out to learn more.
The king in Israel, however, became upset with Naaman, knowing that he could not perform this miracle. He wondered why the king of Syria would ask such a ridiculous request of him and thought that it might be a set up of some type. When Elisha heard of the situation, he rebuked the king, reminding him that through God’s strength, the healing of Naaman was not impossible. So Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman with instructions on what he was to do cleanse himself of the leprosy. After washing himself 7 times in the Jordan River, he would find healing.
Naaman became upset with Elisha’s instructions. He was expecting more, something more miraculous. He did not want to have to physically do something. Furthermore, he did not understand why he could not cleanse himself in his own rivers (which were cleaner in his opinion). He was ready to walk away and continue to live in his sickness. Is this not a picture of the lost? They (do not forget that this was once us if we are believers) are given the answer to their problem, sin. They are told to trust in Jesus in order to find forgiveness and salvation. Yet, they want to do it on their own terms, find another way. They are not satisfied with God’s way and turn from Him living in their sin as they try to find healing through their own strength.
That is where Naaman was until his servants confronted him on the issue. They knew he had been given very simple and very specific instructions. All he had to do was obey those simple instructions, and he would be healed. Naaman eventually recognized his foolishness, went to the Jordan, and did exactly what Elisha had asked. In the same way, the Gospel really is quite simple. We do not really have to “do” anything. God tells us that if we believe on Him, that He sent His Son to die for our sins, that Jesus died and rose again from the dead conquering sin and death, and confess our faith in Him, then we can be saved. It is really that simple, and yet we make it so hard. We say that it is too easy or that God could never accept us. We try to fix our lives before we come to God or reject Him altogether. Like Naaman, many people turn from the truth and walk away. But unlike Naaman, there are many who never turn back. No one ever goes back to them to confront them on the issue. No one ever tries to share the Gospel with them again.
May this be a lesson for those of us who are Christians, that we do not give up on a person just because they reject Christ the first time. Continue to get to know those people, love them, and invest in their lives. Continue to share the Gospel with them. They may never come to know Christ, but what would happen if we gave up on them? There is only one way to salvation, and that is through Jesus Christ. There is a world out there that needs to hear it, and we are the ones that God chose to deliver the message.
Matt
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
2 Kings 4:38-44
2 Kings 4:38-44
Most people know about the miracles of Jesus. If someone has had some type of encounter with Scripture, they can probably tell you a few things they know about Him: that He was a good person and teacher who did miraculous things. When people think about the miracles Jesus performed, raising the dead, walking on water, and feeding the 5,000 are probably some of the most recognized. What people do not realize is that some of these same miracles were performed in the Old Testament as well. Knowing this, the miracles of Jesus are even more miraculous. He took them all to a whole new level. For instance, He raised people from the dead like Elijah and Elisha, but He also raised Himself from the dead!
One commonly overlooked story from the Old Testament is found at the end of 2 Kings 4. First there is the story of the deadly stew, which we will come back to later. The chapter ends, however, with a story very similar to the feeding of the 5,000. After the incident with the stew, a man came up with a small portion of bread, just 20 loaves, to give to Elisha. Seeing the needs of the sons of the prophets around him, Elisha asked that it be distributed amongst them. The man questioned his instructions, realizing that it was a small amount of food for such a large group of men. He did not see how it would physically be possible for them all to be filled. Elisha persisted that he distribute the bread, saying that God had promised that there would be plenty with some left over. Then, after they had all eaten, some was left, just as God had promised.
This story parallels the feeding of the 5,000, but I can probably count on one hand how many times I have ever heard this passage mentioned other than my own reading through Scripture. I do not understand why it is overlooked. This whole chapter in 2 Kings has been amazing. It has shown God at work in miraculous ways, providing for His children. It has shown us what great faith looks like and how we should turn to God first in our time of need. We have spent 3 days in 2 Kings 4, but there has been a lot of truth packed into these three short stories.
So now look back to the story about the stew, which is another picture of God’s provision and protection of His children. Elisha and some of his men were preparing a stew for these same sons of the prophets (before the bread story). But some of Elisha’s servants unknowingly retrieved some ingredients that were poisonous. After mixing it into the stew, several of the men realized that there was a problem with the stew and were fearful for their lives. Elisha quickly responded to the problem by throwing some flour into the pot, which miraculously cured the stew, making it edible for the men.
There are some great stories in the Old Testament, and I would encourage you to read through these 39 books if you have never done so, especially the books of history. In today’s church, we seem to know a lot about the New Testament, but sadly, many people pass over the Old Testament. The New Testament is so much richer in light of the Old Testament, and you will be amazed at some of the parallels that you will find. Just because we have a “newer” section of Scripture does not mean that the “older” one is obsolete. There are some great lessons that can be learned from these great stories of the Patriarchs.
Matt
Most people know about the miracles of Jesus. If someone has had some type of encounter with Scripture, they can probably tell you a few things they know about Him: that He was a good person and teacher who did miraculous things. When people think about the miracles Jesus performed, raising the dead, walking on water, and feeding the 5,000 are probably some of the most recognized. What people do not realize is that some of these same miracles were performed in the Old Testament as well. Knowing this, the miracles of Jesus are even more miraculous. He took them all to a whole new level. For instance, He raised people from the dead like Elijah and Elisha, but He also raised Himself from the dead!
One commonly overlooked story from the Old Testament is found at the end of 2 Kings 4. First there is the story of the deadly stew, which we will come back to later. The chapter ends, however, with a story very similar to the feeding of the 5,000. After the incident with the stew, a man came up with a small portion of bread, just 20 loaves, to give to Elisha. Seeing the needs of the sons of the prophets around him, Elisha asked that it be distributed amongst them. The man questioned his instructions, realizing that it was a small amount of food for such a large group of men. He did not see how it would physically be possible for them all to be filled. Elisha persisted that he distribute the bread, saying that God had promised that there would be plenty with some left over. Then, after they had all eaten, some was left, just as God had promised.
This story parallels the feeding of the 5,000, but I can probably count on one hand how many times I have ever heard this passage mentioned other than my own reading through Scripture. I do not understand why it is overlooked. This whole chapter in 2 Kings has been amazing. It has shown God at work in miraculous ways, providing for His children. It has shown us what great faith looks like and how we should turn to God first in our time of need. We have spent 3 days in 2 Kings 4, but there has been a lot of truth packed into these three short stories.
So now look back to the story about the stew, which is another picture of God’s provision and protection of His children. Elisha and some of his men were preparing a stew for these same sons of the prophets (before the bread story). But some of Elisha’s servants unknowingly retrieved some ingredients that were poisonous. After mixing it into the stew, several of the men realized that there was a problem with the stew and were fearful for their lives. Elisha quickly responded to the problem by throwing some flour into the pot, which miraculously cured the stew, making it edible for the men.
There are some great stories in the Old Testament, and I would encourage you to read through these 39 books if you have never done so, especially the books of history. In today’s church, we seem to know a lot about the New Testament, but sadly, many people pass over the Old Testament. The New Testament is so much richer in light of the Old Testament, and you will be amazed at some of the parallels that you will find. Just because we have a “newer” section of Scripture does not mean that the “older” one is obsolete. There are some great lessons that can be learned from these great stories of the Patriarchs.
Matt
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
2 Kings 4:8-37
2 Kings 4:8-37
Another interesting parallel between Elijah and Elisha appears in the next story in 2 Kings 4. In 1 Kings 17, after the widow’s needs were met, her son died, and Elijah was there to raise him back from the dead. In 2 Kings 4, after the widow’s oil was replenished, Elisha met a family who had no son. This family provided food and lodging for Elisha every time he passed through their town. They knew him to be a prophet of God and wanted to provide all that they could for him so that he could continue his ministry. While Elisha was grateful for their hospitality, he wanted to give back to them. This is an awesome picture of thanksgiving and a giving heart. While Elisha was glad to receive whatever they offered him, he felt like it was not enough for him to just receive great gifts. He wanted to show his gratitude by providing for them as well. This is very different from the American culture where we try to see how much we can get. The only time we ever seem to care for and provide for others is around Christmas and in times of disaster around the world.
But Elisha wanted to help them out anyway he could. At first, the woman was unwilling to tell him anything she wanted. All she had done for Elisha had been from her heart, and she had never expected anything in return. So she continued to refuse to burden Elisha with her desires. His servant, however, discovered that they had always wanted to have a son. Now old in age, they seemed to have resided to the fact that they would have no children. After hearing this news, Elisha told the woman that she would indeed have a son in a year. At first she thought he was lying, not seeing how it was possible. She did not want to get her hopes up only to have them crushed one year later. But as spring rolled back around, the woman conceived and had a son, just like she had always wanted.
This is where we see another parallel between Elijah and Elisha. Like the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17, this woman’s son becomes ill and dies. After going out to see his father one day, he returned home with what appeared to be a severe headache of some type. Moments later, he died, and she laid him in the extra room they used for Elisha. After his death, the woman immediately saddled up her donkey and set out to find Elisha, knowing that if anyone could bring her son back from the dead, he could.
This woman showed great faith, just like the widow in the previous story. She knew that Elisha was a prophet from God, and that if God so willed, He could bring her son back from the dead. Part of her motivation for going to see Elisha was her faith that he could indeed bring healing to her son. But I think there was something else as well. She went out of fear and possibly anger. Elisha had promised that she would have a son, and to lose him so early made her wonder if what Elisha had told her was true. While he had not promised how long the child would live, she probably assumed that he would have a long life. This is so much like the way we treat God. We believe that He is all-powerful and wise. We believe that He has the ability to bring healing, but when tragedy strikes we become angry. Not understanding why it happened, we wonder if God really cares for us any longer. Why would He allow tragedy to strike His own children?
What we can take away from this woman is that even though she was probably angry and upset at what happened to her son, her anger did not deter her from going to God with her problem, and in the end, her son was brought back from the dead. Although we may not always experience a “happy ending” like this, we can trust that God is still in control. No matter how the situation turns out, when we turn to God for help, He will be there for us. The first place we should turn when tragedy strikes is God!
Matt
Another interesting parallel between Elijah and Elisha appears in the next story in 2 Kings 4. In 1 Kings 17, after the widow’s needs were met, her son died, and Elijah was there to raise him back from the dead. In 2 Kings 4, after the widow’s oil was replenished, Elisha met a family who had no son. This family provided food and lodging for Elisha every time he passed through their town. They knew him to be a prophet of God and wanted to provide all that they could for him so that he could continue his ministry. While Elisha was grateful for their hospitality, he wanted to give back to them. This is an awesome picture of thanksgiving and a giving heart. While Elisha was glad to receive whatever they offered him, he felt like it was not enough for him to just receive great gifts. He wanted to show his gratitude by providing for them as well. This is very different from the American culture where we try to see how much we can get. The only time we ever seem to care for and provide for others is around Christmas and in times of disaster around the world.
But Elisha wanted to help them out anyway he could. At first, the woman was unwilling to tell him anything she wanted. All she had done for Elisha had been from her heart, and she had never expected anything in return. So she continued to refuse to burden Elisha with her desires. His servant, however, discovered that they had always wanted to have a son. Now old in age, they seemed to have resided to the fact that they would have no children. After hearing this news, Elisha told the woman that she would indeed have a son in a year. At first she thought he was lying, not seeing how it was possible. She did not want to get her hopes up only to have them crushed one year later. But as spring rolled back around, the woman conceived and had a son, just like she had always wanted.
This is where we see another parallel between Elijah and Elisha. Like the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17, this woman’s son becomes ill and dies. After going out to see his father one day, he returned home with what appeared to be a severe headache of some type. Moments later, he died, and she laid him in the extra room they used for Elisha. After his death, the woman immediately saddled up her donkey and set out to find Elisha, knowing that if anyone could bring her son back from the dead, he could.
This woman showed great faith, just like the widow in the previous story. She knew that Elisha was a prophet from God, and that if God so willed, He could bring her son back from the dead. Part of her motivation for going to see Elisha was her faith that he could indeed bring healing to her son. But I think there was something else as well. She went out of fear and possibly anger. Elisha had promised that she would have a son, and to lose him so early made her wonder if what Elisha had told her was true. While he had not promised how long the child would live, she probably assumed that he would have a long life. This is so much like the way we treat God. We believe that He is all-powerful and wise. We believe that He has the ability to bring healing, but when tragedy strikes we become angry. Not understanding why it happened, we wonder if God really cares for us any longer. Why would He allow tragedy to strike His own children?
What we can take away from this woman is that even though she was probably angry and upset at what happened to her son, her anger did not deter her from going to God with her problem, and in the end, her son was brought back from the dead. Although we may not always experience a “happy ending” like this, we can trust that God is still in control. No matter how the situation turns out, when we turn to God for help, He will be there for us. The first place we should turn when tragedy strikes is God!
Matt
John Waller - As For Me and My House
May 3rd... that's the day that John Waller's new CD will be released. This coming month and a half is definitely an exciting time. With the release of a new Ted Dekker book, the newest Narnia film, and a new CD by John Waller, I am going to have plenty to buy and do!
The verses at the top of this blog from Deuteronomy 30:19-20 came from a previous John Waller song, "The Blessing." Many of his songs quote scripture, and that is evident on both of his previous CDs. I love contemporary music, and there are all kinds. Some songs talk about situations that we go through in life and how we can depend on God. They offer us encouragement and hope and are great alternatives to some of the more secular situations we hear from other music genres. But there is even a subsection of music within contemporary music that actually quotes Scripture extensively within the song. Many artists do this from time to time (some more than others). John Waller is one of those artists I have noticed that does it quite frequently. Pick up either of his previous CDs and you will see what I am talking about.
I expect nothing less on this new CD. In fact, the only song that has been released so far is entitled, "As For Me and My House." That is a direct quote from Joshua 24:15. At that point in Israel's history, they had a choice to make, similar to their choice in Deuteronomy 30:19-20. Would they choose life or death? choose to follow God or follow the gods of their fathers who had drifted from the Lord? While Joshua gave the rest of the Israelites the choice to consider, he declared that he and his family had already made up their mind. They would serve the Lord, following Him, trusting Him to lead them in life. We have that same choice today. In a world full of distractions, both good and bad, we have to decide how we are going to spend our time. Are we going to spend it following the gods of our world, the sins that so easily enslave us, or are we going to spend it following God and serving Him? This is a great question for us to ponder as we do a self-checkup on our spiritual lives.
While I do not know what the rest of the songs will be like on this CD (nor do I know how much more Scripture, if any, he will use in them), I encourage you to go out and buy this CD when it is released. I am confident that you will be both encouraged and challenged by these songs. Until then, look up this song on YouTube, as the music video is posted there.
Matt
Monday, March 21, 2011
2 Kings 4:1-7
2 Kings 4:1-7
Elisha had officially taken over in Elijah’s place, and he had already had encounters with the kings, which was one of the prophet’s major jobs. When the prophets pop up in Scripture, more times than not, they are in the middle of some situation with one of the kings of Israel or Judah (whether for good or for bad). But their dealings with the kings were not their only jobs. They also worked with the people in the land. Think back to the widow and son that Elijah met at one point. God allowed him to work a great miracle that day when the flour and oil in her house did not run out for quite some time. Through Elijah, God supernaturally met her needs. A similar story is seen in the opening verses of 2 Kings 4. Another widow (this one, a widow of a prophet who had been dedicated to serving God) found herself in a tough financial situation. She had no way to support herself or her two children, and some men were ready to take her sons away from her to use them as slaves. She called out for help from Elisha, and God worked through him like He had done through Elijah. Elisha told the woman to collect large jars from her neighbors, as many as she could find. Then, she was to pour the little bit of oil that she had in her house into those jars. The oil continued to flow long after the small jar should have emptied out. She was then able to take the abundance of oil in all the jars and sell them, thus earning enough money to meet her current financial needs.
The woman had great faith in God, knowing that He could meet her needs. She went to His messenger first, humbly asking for help. She did not let pride get in her way. Instead of feeling shameful about her current situation, she asked for assistance. Instead of trying to resolve her situation through her own strength, she turned to God. God proved in that moment that He is faithful and can be trusted. He does not enjoy watching us suffer. He knows what is best in our life and will always be there to supply our needs. We must not confuse our desires with our needs or think that we deserve more than we are given. It can be easy to think that since we do not have all that we want that God is not looking out for us, when He is meeting our most basic needs. In this materialistic culture that we live in we have confused our wants for our needs. Following God does not mean that we will always be financially set, never to struggle again financially. It does not mean that hard times, whether financial or personal, will not come up in our lives. As I have heard some say recently, “God is not a cosmic Santa Claus.” He does, however, give us what we need to survive, and we can always trust Him to at least do that much.
This is a short passage for today, as this is a longer chapter. We will next look at the story about the Shunammite woman and her hospitality. Although we only looked at a few verses today, there was a lot of truth packed into those short 7 verses. The widow showed us what faith looks like and reminded us that we can always depend on God.
Matt
Elisha had officially taken over in Elijah’s place, and he had already had encounters with the kings, which was one of the prophet’s major jobs. When the prophets pop up in Scripture, more times than not, they are in the middle of some situation with one of the kings of Israel or Judah (whether for good or for bad). But their dealings with the kings were not their only jobs. They also worked with the people in the land. Think back to the widow and son that Elijah met at one point. God allowed him to work a great miracle that day when the flour and oil in her house did not run out for quite some time. Through Elijah, God supernaturally met her needs. A similar story is seen in the opening verses of 2 Kings 4. Another widow (this one, a widow of a prophet who had been dedicated to serving God) found herself in a tough financial situation. She had no way to support herself or her two children, and some men were ready to take her sons away from her to use them as slaves. She called out for help from Elisha, and God worked through him like He had done through Elijah. Elisha told the woman to collect large jars from her neighbors, as many as she could find. Then, she was to pour the little bit of oil that she had in her house into those jars. The oil continued to flow long after the small jar should have emptied out. She was then able to take the abundance of oil in all the jars and sell them, thus earning enough money to meet her current financial needs.
The woman had great faith in God, knowing that He could meet her needs. She went to His messenger first, humbly asking for help. She did not let pride get in her way. Instead of feeling shameful about her current situation, she asked for assistance. Instead of trying to resolve her situation through her own strength, she turned to God. God proved in that moment that He is faithful and can be trusted. He does not enjoy watching us suffer. He knows what is best in our life and will always be there to supply our needs. We must not confuse our desires with our needs or think that we deserve more than we are given. It can be easy to think that since we do not have all that we want that God is not looking out for us, when He is meeting our most basic needs. In this materialistic culture that we live in we have confused our wants for our needs. Following God does not mean that we will always be financially set, never to struggle again financially. It does not mean that hard times, whether financial or personal, will not come up in our lives. As I have heard some say recently, “God is not a cosmic Santa Claus.” He does, however, give us what we need to survive, and we can always trust Him to at least do that much.
This is a short passage for today, as this is a longer chapter. We will next look at the story about the Shunammite woman and her hospitality. Although we only looked at a few verses today, there was a lot of truth packed into those short 7 verses. The widow showed us what faith looks like and reminded us that we can always depend on God.
Matt
Sunday, March 20, 2011
2 Kings 3
2 Kings 3
Life in Israel after Ahaziah was not much different than it was when Ahaziah had the throne. Jehoram continued in the ways of the kings before him, doing what was evil in the sight of God. He led Israel down the same path that Jeroboam had begun when the kingdom first split. He then began to experience his share of troubles as king. Moab, a nation that had been a supplier of lambs and wool for Israel, decided to rebel. They had not been satisfied with the way that they had been treated in the days of Ahab, and when they got the opportunity to do so, they broke ties with Israel. Jehoram, however, was determined to rein them back into service for Israel, so he joined forces with Jehoshaphat in Judah and the king of Edom.
The three nations marched into battle against Moab, but before they ever arrived, they ran out of supplies, most importantly water. They knew that they could not survive much longer without supplies. Jehoram was ready to give up, believing that God had sent them out to battle so that they all might die because of the evil that he had done. Jehoshaphat, however, asked if there was a prophet nearby that they could speak with, knowing that he would speak the word of God. The prophet they found was Elisha.
Due to the fact that Jehoshaphat had come to the aid of Jehoram, the word God gave through Elisha was for their benefit. He was going to give them the strength they needed to survive their journey and then give the Moabites into their hands. The text alludes to the fact that this would not have been the case if Jehoram had gone up to battle by himself. Because of his disobedience, God would have probably allowed he and his men to be defeated by the Moabites. Since Jehoshaphat was with him, and he had done well in following God’s commands, however, God decided to spare both he and Jehoram, giving them what they needed.
The next morning, the men found a pool of water that had miraculously appeared for them just as Elisha had predicted. They were able to get the refreshment that they needed to continue and made their way toward Moab. The battle went in their favor, and they had great success over the Moabites. Although they did not actually take care of the king of Moab, retreating when they saw him sacrifice his son, they were able to do great damage to the Moabites.
Once again, there is a contrast drawn between the kings of Israel and Judah. Whereas those in Judah generally followed God’s commands and received blessings for it, the kings of Israel chose to turn away from Him. As a result, they experienced times of unrest, including plagues and wars. God was trying to draw His children back unto Himself, but they continued to push away from Him. Even when they saw how God continued to bless those in Judah, knowing that the only reason they were granted success in their battle against the Moabites was due to Jehoshaphat’s presence, they continued to turn away from Him. In the same way, God is reaching out to people today, and there are many who continue to ignore Him. It is hard to watch people continue to reject God, but we must remember that our job is not to convert them, for only God can do that. We must be faithful in giving them the message, showing them the truth of the Gospel. It is then up to them to decide what they will do it, and as hard as it is to watch, there will be many who choose to reject it.
Matt
Life in Israel after Ahaziah was not much different than it was when Ahaziah had the throne. Jehoram continued in the ways of the kings before him, doing what was evil in the sight of God. He led Israel down the same path that Jeroboam had begun when the kingdom first split. He then began to experience his share of troubles as king. Moab, a nation that had been a supplier of lambs and wool for Israel, decided to rebel. They had not been satisfied with the way that they had been treated in the days of Ahab, and when they got the opportunity to do so, they broke ties with Israel. Jehoram, however, was determined to rein them back into service for Israel, so he joined forces with Jehoshaphat in Judah and the king of Edom.
The three nations marched into battle against Moab, but before they ever arrived, they ran out of supplies, most importantly water. They knew that they could not survive much longer without supplies. Jehoram was ready to give up, believing that God had sent them out to battle so that they all might die because of the evil that he had done. Jehoshaphat, however, asked if there was a prophet nearby that they could speak with, knowing that he would speak the word of God. The prophet they found was Elisha.
Due to the fact that Jehoshaphat had come to the aid of Jehoram, the word God gave through Elisha was for their benefit. He was going to give them the strength they needed to survive their journey and then give the Moabites into their hands. The text alludes to the fact that this would not have been the case if Jehoram had gone up to battle by himself. Because of his disobedience, God would have probably allowed he and his men to be defeated by the Moabites. Since Jehoshaphat was with him, and he had done well in following God’s commands, however, God decided to spare both he and Jehoram, giving them what they needed.
The next morning, the men found a pool of water that had miraculously appeared for them just as Elisha had predicted. They were able to get the refreshment that they needed to continue and made their way toward Moab. The battle went in their favor, and they had great success over the Moabites. Although they did not actually take care of the king of Moab, retreating when they saw him sacrifice his son, they were able to do great damage to the Moabites.
Once again, there is a contrast drawn between the kings of Israel and Judah. Whereas those in Judah generally followed God’s commands and received blessings for it, the kings of Israel chose to turn away from Him. As a result, they experienced times of unrest, including plagues and wars. God was trying to draw His children back unto Himself, but they continued to push away from Him. Even when they saw how God continued to bless those in Judah, knowing that the only reason they were granted success in their battle against the Moabites was due to Jehoshaphat’s presence, they continued to turn away from Him. In the same way, God is reaching out to people today, and there are many who continue to ignore Him. It is hard to watch people continue to reject God, but we must remember that our job is not to convert them, for only God can do that. We must be faithful in giving them the message, showing them the truth of the Gospel. It is then up to them to decide what they will do it, and as hard as it is to watch, there will be many who choose to reject it.
Matt
Preview - The Priest's Graveyard
How about a book preview rather than a book review? We are just a month away from the release of Ted Dekker's latest novel, The Priest's Graveyard, set to release in the middle of April. In the tradition of his more recent Spring novels, this book is not particularly targeted toward his Christian audience. Please do not misunderstand me though and think that there are no secular elements to this book. If this book is anything like the rest of his books, there will definitely be Christian themes woven into the story line. However, in an effort to get his books to a much larger audience, he now promotes and publishes his Spring releases through a different publisher. Furthermore, you may not find this book in the Christian Fiction section in your local bookstore. Instead, look in your typical Fiction section.
So what is the story about? From what I have gathered through the reviews so far, it is a story about love. When 2 unexpected people come across each other in a hunt for the same man, the story becomes complicated. With what is being promoted as a "twist like Thr3e," this book has definitely drawn my attention. If you have read any of my Ted Dekker reviews, then you know that Thr3e is my favorite book of his. It had the best twist I have ever read, and it was an all around good story. If The Priest's Graveyard is anything like Thr3e then it will definitely be worth your time and money.
After I read the book next month, I will post a review and let you know what I thought. Did it live up to the expectations given in some of the reviews? So look for a follow-up to this post.
Finally, this is not the end of Ted Dekker for 2011. This summer 2 new books will be released that complete what became known as The Books of History Chronicles. These books will not be in bookstores, but I will be receiving a copy of each. Through a promotion this week of facebook, 1,000 fans were given the opportunity tor reserve bundle packages that included these 2 books by purchasing multiple copies of The Priest's Graveyard to distribute, which I did. So this summer I will fill you in on the mysteries that surround The Books of History Chronicles, as we learn some of the secrets behind the series. Where did the original idea for Black, Red, and White come from, and how did it grow into such a huge series? What were some of the connections between the worlds that we never figured out? What was the origin of some of the different groups of people and beings that we encountered? Answers will be revealed in these books. While there is no guarantee that these books will ever be released again and will probably never be released in bookstores, stay tuned to this blog and to Ted Dekker's facebook page. They are currently trying to figure out how to make these books available to more people, and if any news breaks, then I will let you know as soon as I can.
So go out and buy a copy of The Priest's Graveyard next month. I really think you will enjoy it.
Matt
So what is the story about? From what I have gathered through the reviews so far, it is a story about love. When 2 unexpected people come across each other in a hunt for the same man, the story becomes complicated. With what is being promoted as a "twist like Thr3e," this book has definitely drawn my attention. If you have read any of my Ted Dekker reviews, then you know that Thr3e is my favorite book of his. It had the best twist I have ever read, and it was an all around good story. If The Priest's Graveyard is anything like Thr3e then it will definitely be worth your time and money.
After I read the book next month, I will post a review and let you know what I thought. Did it live up to the expectations given in some of the reviews? So look for a follow-up to this post.
Finally, this is not the end of Ted Dekker for 2011. This summer 2 new books will be released that complete what became known as The Books of History Chronicles. These books will not be in bookstores, but I will be receiving a copy of each. Through a promotion this week of facebook, 1,000 fans were given the opportunity tor reserve bundle packages that included these 2 books by purchasing multiple copies of The Priest's Graveyard to distribute, which I did. So this summer I will fill you in on the mysteries that surround The Books of History Chronicles, as we learn some of the secrets behind the series. Where did the original idea for Black, Red, and White come from, and how did it grow into such a huge series? What were some of the connections between the worlds that we never figured out? What was the origin of some of the different groups of people and beings that we encountered? Answers will be revealed in these books. While there is no guarantee that these books will ever be released again and will probably never be released in bookstores, stay tuned to this blog and to Ted Dekker's facebook page. They are currently trying to figure out how to make these books available to more people, and if any news breaks, then I will let you know as soon as I can.
So go out and buy a copy of The Priest's Graveyard next month. I really think you will enjoy it.
Matt
Saturday, March 19, 2011
2 Kings 2
2 Kings 2
After seeing several shifts in power amongst the kings of Israel and Judah, 2 Kings 2 offers a unique perspective on some of God’s prophets. We have seen prophets come and go from time to time, but it was never as clear as to how that transfer of leadership happened as it is in 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 2. One of the most recognized prophets, Elijah, came to the end of his life and ministry, but before God was done with him, He had Elijah prepare another prophet to take his place. Elisha had learned well from Elijah, and like his mentor, he was a man of God. He followed God’s commands and went where God led him. He stayed with Elijah as much as he could, trying to learn all he could before Elijah was taken away.
Then on Elijah’s last day, Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay behind and begin his ministry as he went to meet with God. But Elisha would not allow Elijah to leave him. This was the person he looked up to the most, his mentor. Elisha was not ready for Elijah to be gone for good. So as Elijah made his way to the other side of the Jordan River, where God was going to take him away in a whirlwind, Elisha never separated himself from him, supporting him and sticking by his side until the end. Elisha was truly a great friend. Along the way, the sons of the prophets tried to get Elisha to stay behind, warning him of what was to come. They knew that Elijah’s time had come to an end and tried to keep Elisha away lest it be too hard for him to endure. Despite their concerns, Elisha stood by Elijah’s side.
When the time had come for Elijah to be taken away, he asked Elisha what he could do for him in his final moments. Elisha humbly asked that the spirit that had resided on Elijah be transferred to him. Out of admiration for Elijah, he wanted to serve God as admirably as his mentor had done. When Elijah was taken away, his cloak fell from the skies, and Elisha picked it up. With it, he crossed back over the Jordan River into Jericho where he met back up with the sons of the prophets who had advised that he stay behind. They immediately noticed the change in Elisha, that Elijah’s spirit not resided on him.
The sons of the prophets wondered, however, what had happened to Elijah. They assumed that he had died on the other side of the river and Elisha had left him there. Despite Elisha’s insistence that they should not go for they would find no body, they sent 50 men to find him. At this point, his position of authority had been established, and he had assumed the role as prophet in the place of Elijah. The rest of 2 Kings 2 outlines some of his earliest miracles that he performed. First, he healed the water in the city, purifying it so that they would always have clean water in the land. Then, in a rather odd story, he called up 2 huge bears that attacked 42 young men who had made fun of him for his bald head.
Elisha shows us the importance of having a mentor(s). We all need people in our lives that can help direct us, giving us much needed advice. Having lived life before us, they can relate to situations that we find ourselves in, and we can learn from their experiences. God did not create us to live this life alone. He has given us people to live life alongside of, some of which serve in the role of mentors. There comes a time, however, when we must begin to live life on our own. We can still learn from the experience and advice given by our mentors, but we must begin to seek out people that we can pour our lives into as well. That is the place in which Elisha found himself. His mentor was gone, and he had been promoted into a great position. It was time for him to be the leader, helping to lead others in following God.
Matt
After seeing several shifts in power amongst the kings of Israel and Judah, 2 Kings 2 offers a unique perspective on some of God’s prophets. We have seen prophets come and go from time to time, but it was never as clear as to how that transfer of leadership happened as it is in 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 2. One of the most recognized prophets, Elijah, came to the end of his life and ministry, but before God was done with him, He had Elijah prepare another prophet to take his place. Elisha had learned well from Elijah, and like his mentor, he was a man of God. He followed God’s commands and went where God led him. He stayed with Elijah as much as he could, trying to learn all he could before Elijah was taken away.
Then on Elijah’s last day, Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay behind and begin his ministry as he went to meet with God. But Elisha would not allow Elijah to leave him. This was the person he looked up to the most, his mentor. Elisha was not ready for Elijah to be gone for good. So as Elijah made his way to the other side of the Jordan River, where God was going to take him away in a whirlwind, Elisha never separated himself from him, supporting him and sticking by his side until the end. Elisha was truly a great friend. Along the way, the sons of the prophets tried to get Elisha to stay behind, warning him of what was to come. They knew that Elijah’s time had come to an end and tried to keep Elisha away lest it be too hard for him to endure. Despite their concerns, Elisha stood by Elijah’s side.
When the time had come for Elijah to be taken away, he asked Elisha what he could do for him in his final moments. Elisha humbly asked that the spirit that had resided on Elijah be transferred to him. Out of admiration for Elijah, he wanted to serve God as admirably as his mentor had done. When Elijah was taken away, his cloak fell from the skies, and Elisha picked it up. With it, he crossed back over the Jordan River into Jericho where he met back up with the sons of the prophets who had advised that he stay behind. They immediately noticed the change in Elisha, that Elijah’s spirit not resided on him.
The sons of the prophets wondered, however, what had happened to Elijah. They assumed that he had died on the other side of the river and Elisha had left him there. Despite Elisha’s insistence that they should not go for they would find no body, they sent 50 men to find him. At this point, his position of authority had been established, and he had assumed the role as prophet in the place of Elijah. The rest of 2 Kings 2 outlines some of his earliest miracles that he performed. First, he healed the water in the city, purifying it so that they would always have clean water in the land. Then, in a rather odd story, he called up 2 huge bears that attacked 42 young men who had made fun of him for his bald head.
Elisha shows us the importance of having a mentor(s). We all need people in our lives that can help direct us, giving us much needed advice. Having lived life before us, they can relate to situations that we find ourselves in, and we can learn from their experiences. God did not create us to live this life alone. He has given us people to live life alongside of, some of which serve in the role of mentors. There comes a time, however, when we must begin to live life on our own. We can still learn from the experience and advice given by our mentors, but we must begin to seek out people that we can pour our lives into as well. That is the place in which Elisha found himself. His mentor was gone, and he had been promoted into a great position. It was time for him to be the leader, helping to lead others in following God.
Matt
Friday, March 18, 2011
2 Kings 1
2 Kings 1
As we start to look at 2 Kings we must remember that when these two books were written there was no distinction made between 1 and 2 Kings. Although we now have this division, we need to read the story as if it does not exist. The story itself picks up where it left off at the end of “1 Kings” with the reign of Ahaziah in Israel. Think back to the reign of Ahab for a moment. Due to his disobedience, God had promised that He would strip the kingdom away from Ahab’s family. As was the case with many of the kings in Israel, new families took the throne quite frequently. In Judah, they were still being ruled by the sons of David, but the kingship was transferred from family to family every so often in Israel. God wanted to take it away from Ahab during his reign, but when Ahab turned back to God for a brief moment in his life, God promised that He would wait until his son had the throne.
That day had now come, and Ahaziah had chosen not to follow God. Not only did he do what was evil in the sight of God, but he also turned to other gods for advice. When Moab came against Israel, Ahaziah found himself sick in bed. He instructed his men to consult the god of Ekron, Baal-zebub, for advice. He wanted to know whether or not he would recover from his sickness. Elijah was told by a messenger from God the situation in Israel and the mistake that Ahaziah had made. He was instructed to tell Ahaziah that he would surely die. He would not recover from his illness because he had chosen to follow after other gods rather than the true God of Israel.
Ahaziah did not want to accept the facts. His death would be his punishment for choosing to follow after these other false gods. Ahaziah sent a group of 50 men to seek counsel from Elijah. He wanted Elijah to come down from his resting place so that he could speak with him. He wanted to see if he could have his punishment wavered or changed. Elijah, however, did not budge. He proved that he was truly a man of God by calling fire down on the group of men Ahaziah had sent. Unsatisfied with the results, Ahaziah sent another group who met the same fate. When the third group of men was sent, the angel of the Lord told Elijah to go back to the king with them, and Elijah found out that the reason Ahaziah had been sending these men was to have his punishment changed. But God had already determined that Ahaziah would die of that illness, and since Ahaziah had not chosen to return to God, that was his fate.
With no male heir to take the throne, the line of Ahab had come to an end as God had promised. Jehoram became the next king in Israel. As a side note, be careful not to confuse Jehoram king of Israel with Jehoram king of Judah. The end of 2 Kings 1 shows how these two men reigned in Israel and Judah simultaneously. The Jehoram in Judah was the son of Jehoshaphat from the line of David. The Jehoram in Israel was a new line of kings that replaced the line of Ahab.
Matt
As we start to look at 2 Kings we must remember that when these two books were written there was no distinction made between 1 and 2 Kings. Although we now have this division, we need to read the story as if it does not exist. The story itself picks up where it left off at the end of “1 Kings” with the reign of Ahaziah in Israel. Think back to the reign of Ahab for a moment. Due to his disobedience, God had promised that He would strip the kingdom away from Ahab’s family. As was the case with many of the kings in Israel, new families took the throne quite frequently. In Judah, they were still being ruled by the sons of David, but the kingship was transferred from family to family every so often in Israel. God wanted to take it away from Ahab during his reign, but when Ahab turned back to God for a brief moment in his life, God promised that He would wait until his son had the throne.
That day had now come, and Ahaziah had chosen not to follow God. Not only did he do what was evil in the sight of God, but he also turned to other gods for advice. When Moab came against Israel, Ahaziah found himself sick in bed. He instructed his men to consult the god of Ekron, Baal-zebub, for advice. He wanted to know whether or not he would recover from his sickness. Elijah was told by a messenger from God the situation in Israel and the mistake that Ahaziah had made. He was instructed to tell Ahaziah that he would surely die. He would not recover from his illness because he had chosen to follow after other gods rather than the true God of Israel.
Ahaziah did not want to accept the facts. His death would be his punishment for choosing to follow after these other false gods. Ahaziah sent a group of 50 men to seek counsel from Elijah. He wanted Elijah to come down from his resting place so that he could speak with him. He wanted to see if he could have his punishment wavered or changed. Elijah, however, did not budge. He proved that he was truly a man of God by calling fire down on the group of men Ahaziah had sent. Unsatisfied with the results, Ahaziah sent another group who met the same fate. When the third group of men was sent, the angel of the Lord told Elijah to go back to the king with them, and Elijah found out that the reason Ahaziah had been sending these men was to have his punishment changed. But God had already determined that Ahaziah would die of that illness, and since Ahaziah had not chosen to return to God, that was his fate.
With no male heir to take the throne, the line of Ahab had come to an end as God had promised. Jehoram became the next king in Israel. As a side note, be careful not to confuse Jehoram king of Israel with Jehoram king of Judah. The end of 2 Kings 1 shows how these two men reigned in Israel and Judah simultaneously. The Jehoram in Judah was the son of Jehoshaphat from the line of David. The Jehoram in Israel was a new line of kings that replaced the line of Ahab.
Matt
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Praying for Japan
An earthquake in Japan: it is hard to understand why these things happen. Why are there natural disasters? Why are they so devastating? Did the people who were affected do something to deserve that type of pain? These questions inevitably come up any time disaster strikes. I think back to my own experience with a natural disaster and the thoughts that went through my head in the days that followed. In my case, I quickly realized that we will not always understand why these things happen. These disasters do not pick favorites. They do not know who in the world is "good" or "bad." Any of us could be the victims of the next major disaster. For instance, an earthquake could strike anywhere at any time.
But when you are in the middle of the disaster, that is not always comforting to hear. First of all, you do not want to hear people questioning your morals. That happened to me after the tornado. I remember hearing someone in a local store questioning what sinful acts our university was involved in to deserve such a devastating disaster. While we are all sinners and deserve punishment for those sins, we should not immediately think that when disaster strikes, it is a result of someone's sin. But we must realize that we live in a fallen world, and the reason the world is in this state is because of our sin. Even so, this is not the way to comfort someone who is going through the aftermath of a disaster.
So how do we help those who are hurting as a result of this disaster in Japan? First and foremost, we must pray for them. It may have been a week since the earthquake hit, but the Japanese people are still hurting. Imagine losing everything you own. Imagine your world literally being shaken. Imagine living in a place that you know is your hometown but if you did not know any better, you would not recognize it. Imagine the fear of aftershocks continuing days after the earthquake. Imagine the fear of a nuclear meltdown. While most of us cannot physically go to Japan to help, we can pray. We can pray that there will be no more death as a result of this tragedy. We can pray that people will be found alive in the rubble. We can pray that people will find healing, both physically and emotionally. The emotional effects of this earthquake will carry on for years. We can also pray for spiritual healing. For those who do not know God, we can pray that they will find Him in the midst of this tragedy.
This leads to one final question that people are asking. Why would God allow this? This question arises in the midst of every earthquake, hurricane, and storm. Is God punishing them? Did they do something wrong? We have already seen how while the effects of our sin have led to a fallen world (leading to disasters such as these), these disasters are not necessarily a result of some specific sin. Although this can be true, as we see this in Scripture at times (where God allowed judgment and disaster as a result of the specific sins of different nations), it is not necessarily the norm. So instead of blaming the people for some great sin that they have committed, and instead of blaming God for this disaster, let us pray. Let us pray that healing will come, that restoration will come, and that the Japanese will recover quickly. Yes, it is hard to understand why these things happen, but instead of getting caught up in the philosophical questions that arise out of these situations, we need to take action. We can do this by sending aid to Japan, going to Japan to help if we can, and praying for them.
We never know when we might get caught up in one of these tragedies, and the last thing any of us want is someone blaming us for the disaster that we face. We would want others to reach out to us, helping us recover. So in the same way, let us not judge those who go through these hard times. Let us help them financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Matt
But when you are in the middle of the disaster, that is not always comforting to hear. First of all, you do not want to hear people questioning your morals. That happened to me after the tornado. I remember hearing someone in a local store questioning what sinful acts our university was involved in to deserve such a devastating disaster. While we are all sinners and deserve punishment for those sins, we should not immediately think that when disaster strikes, it is a result of someone's sin. But we must realize that we live in a fallen world, and the reason the world is in this state is because of our sin. Even so, this is not the way to comfort someone who is going through the aftermath of a disaster.
So how do we help those who are hurting as a result of this disaster in Japan? First and foremost, we must pray for them. It may have been a week since the earthquake hit, but the Japanese people are still hurting. Imagine losing everything you own. Imagine your world literally being shaken. Imagine living in a place that you know is your hometown but if you did not know any better, you would not recognize it. Imagine the fear of aftershocks continuing days after the earthquake. Imagine the fear of a nuclear meltdown. While most of us cannot physically go to Japan to help, we can pray. We can pray that there will be no more death as a result of this tragedy. We can pray that people will be found alive in the rubble. We can pray that people will find healing, both physically and emotionally. The emotional effects of this earthquake will carry on for years. We can also pray for spiritual healing. For those who do not know God, we can pray that they will find Him in the midst of this tragedy.
This leads to one final question that people are asking. Why would God allow this? This question arises in the midst of every earthquake, hurricane, and storm. Is God punishing them? Did they do something wrong? We have already seen how while the effects of our sin have led to a fallen world (leading to disasters such as these), these disasters are not necessarily a result of some specific sin. Although this can be true, as we see this in Scripture at times (where God allowed judgment and disaster as a result of the specific sins of different nations), it is not necessarily the norm. So instead of blaming the people for some great sin that they have committed, and instead of blaming God for this disaster, let us pray. Let us pray that healing will come, that restoration will come, and that the Japanese will recover quickly. Yes, it is hard to understand why these things happen, but instead of getting caught up in the philosophical questions that arise out of these situations, we need to take action. We can do this by sending aid to Japan, going to Japan to help if we can, and praying for them.
We never know when we might get caught up in one of these tragedies, and the last thing any of us want is someone blaming us for the disaster that we face. We would want others to reach out to us, helping us recover. So in the same way, let us not judge those who go through these hard times. Let us help them financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Matt
Friday, March 11, 2011
1 Kings 22:41-53
1 Kings 22:41-53
The book of 1 Kings ends with the instillation of two new kings, one in Judah and one in Israel. However, it is important to recognize that what we now know as 1 and 2 Kings were not originally written or read that way. These two books were actually written as one. So the story does not end in 1 Kings 22 and later pick up in 2 Kings 1 when someone decided to continue the story. They should be read together, one flowing right into the next. For the purposes of closing out 1 Kings however, this will be a shorter passage today, and we will start looking at 2 Kings later on.
At the beginning of this last chapter of 1 Kings, we saw that Judah had a new king. After the long reign of king Asa, who followed God and led Judah into some great times of peace, his son, Jehoshaphat took the throne. Jehoshaphat continued in the way of his father and was careful to follow God’s commands. Although he was not perfect, he did not turn away from God, looking to Him for direction. He was able to make peace with Israel, and although Ahab was deceitful in his dealings with the Syrians (thus leading to his death), Jehoshaphat was unaware of what Ahab had been up to. Like his father, he had a long reign in Judah, and they continued to enjoy a time of peace. After his death, his son Jehoram took the throne.
Israel was a different story all together. Their long reign of bad kings continued as Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, took the throne. Like the many kings before him, he chose not to follow God, and He worshipped Baal instead. God had promised Ahab that his family would one day be destroyed. When Ahab turned back to God near the end of his life, God chose to wait, giving them another chance. But God knew what Ahaziah would be like, and He knew that like the many families before them, this family would not have control of the throne forever.
So the book of 1 Kings ends much like it began. After the kingdom split, both nations experienced hard times as they were led by kings who had chosen to abandon God. But in time, Judah returned to God, and He continued to bless them as He had promised since the time of Moses. As for Israel, they chose to turn away from God, and as a result they rarely had a time of peace. There were always wars and battles going on in their land. Furthermore, kings were murdered as new families took charge of the nation. Be careful and do not think that this means that if we follow God we will always experience times of peace without trouble. Even God’s children experience pain. The difference is that God will never leave you during those times. We have seen this time and time again as we have walked from Genesis to 1 Kings. Yes, God blesses those that follow Him, but we also live in a fallen world. Bad things happen in life, and we are not immune from pain and disaster. Still, we must choose to follow God and obey His commands, following the example of the Kings of Judah.
Matt
The book of 1 Kings ends with the instillation of two new kings, one in Judah and one in Israel. However, it is important to recognize that what we now know as 1 and 2 Kings were not originally written or read that way. These two books were actually written as one. So the story does not end in 1 Kings 22 and later pick up in 2 Kings 1 when someone decided to continue the story. They should be read together, one flowing right into the next. For the purposes of closing out 1 Kings however, this will be a shorter passage today, and we will start looking at 2 Kings later on.
At the beginning of this last chapter of 1 Kings, we saw that Judah had a new king. After the long reign of king Asa, who followed God and led Judah into some great times of peace, his son, Jehoshaphat took the throne. Jehoshaphat continued in the way of his father and was careful to follow God’s commands. Although he was not perfect, he did not turn away from God, looking to Him for direction. He was able to make peace with Israel, and although Ahab was deceitful in his dealings with the Syrians (thus leading to his death), Jehoshaphat was unaware of what Ahab had been up to. Like his father, he had a long reign in Judah, and they continued to enjoy a time of peace. After his death, his son Jehoram took the throne.
Israel was a different story all together. Their long reign of bad kings continued as Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, took the throne. Like the many kings before him, he chose not to follow God, and He worshipped Baal instead. God had promised Ahab that his family would one day be destroyed. When Ahab turned back to God near the end of his life, God chose to wait, giving them another chance. But God knew what Ahaziah would be like, and He knew that like the many families before them, this family would not have control of the throne forever.
So the book of 1 Kings ends much like it began. After the kingdom split, both nations experienced hard times as they were led by kings who had chosen to abandon God. But in time, Judah returned to God, and He continued to bless them as He had promised since the time of Moses. As for Israel, they chose to turn away from God, and as a result they rarely had a time of peace. There were always wars and battles going on in their land. Furthermore, kings were murdered as new families took charge of the nation. Be careful and do not think that this means that if we follow God we will always experience times of peace without trouble. Even God’s children experience pain. The difference is that God will never leave you during those times. We have seen this time and time again as we have walked from Genesis to 1 Kings. Yes, God blesses those that follow Him, but we also live in a fallen world. Bad things happen in life, and we are not immune from pain and disaster. Still, we must choose to follow God and obey His commands, following the example of the Kings of Judah.
Matt
Thursday, March 10, 2011
1 Kings 21:17-22:40
1 Kings 21:17-22:40
As a result of Jezebel’s and Ahab’s actions toward Naboth, God sent word of more judgment to come for the house of Ahab. He first predicted the way in which Jezebel would die, a dog attack, and then he told Ahab that he too would be killed, as well as his family. Like many of the kings before him, his family would eventually lose the throne in Israel. The kings in Judah were all direct descendents of David, an unbroken chain. But in Israel, several families had had representatives on the throne. Because of the disobedience of so many of their kings, God had replaced them with new kings from new families, and Ahab was about to experience the same tragedy.
For what was probably the first time in his life (or at least one of the first times), Ahab humbled himself before God when he heard word of his destruction. He finally recognized his sin and knew that he should turn back to God. As a result, God spoke again to Elijah, and promised that the destruction would not come while Ahab was king in Israel. He would postpone the judgment a little longer. But destruction would come when his son took the throne.
In 1 Kings 22 Judah comes back into the story with a new king. Asa had been on the throne in Judah for years, seeing several kings come and go in Israel. He was now dead, and his son Jehoshaphat was king. After 3 years of peace between Syria and Israel, Jehoshaphat was summoned by Ahab concerning a city in Syria. Ahab believed it was their city, and he wanted Jehoshaphat to go to battle with him against Syria. Jehoshaphat viewed the Israelites as family and agreed to support him in his efforts against Syria if they received confirmation from God’s prophets. Ahab summoned 400 prophets and received approval from all of them, but when Jehoshaphat questioned whether he had any prophets of God, Ahab told him how much he hated Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord. Ahab complained how he always prophesied evil in regards to Ahab’s plans, and he did not want to hear what Micaiah had to say. Because his own prophets supported his decision to go to battle, Ahab had his mind made up.
But Micaiah would not fall in suit. Although those around him were asking him to go along with the rest of the prophets, Micaiah understood the importance of doing as God had commanded. God had given him a message for Ahab, a warning to Ahab. He told Ahab that God had allowed a lying spirit to speak through all his prophets. Although they supported his decision to go to war, the war he was headed out to would end in destruction. Micaiah’s words not only angered Ahab but the other prophets as well. Micaiah was thrown in jail, and Ahab ignored his warning and prepared for battle.
Taking Jehoshaphat with him, the nations of Israel and Judah went to battle against Syria. In an effort to protect himself in battle, Ahab disguised himself on the battlefield. Jehoshaphat was almost killed as a result when the Syrians thought that he was Ahab. Their orders had been to find and kill Ahab, so when they noticed that it was not him, they began shooting at anyone and everyone on the battlefield. Then, an arrow was randomly shot that went straight for Ahab. He died later that night, and the warnings of the prophets (such as Micaiah) came true. Ahab was killed as a result of disobedience, and his son, Ahaziah, took the throne.
Micaiah is a great example of a man who stood firm on his convictions. Even when everyone around him had turned away from God, he listened carefully to God’s commands. Men tried to persuade him to change his prophecy so that he would not anger Ahab, but he knew that his allegiance was ultimately to God. Consider the words of Peter and John in Acts 4:19-20 “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” It is far more important to serve God rather than man. That does not always mean that it will be easy. There could be severe consequences for doing so. But God will never leave us, and He will give us the strength to persevere through any forms of persecution that might come our way.
Matt
As a result of Jezebel’s and Ahab’s actions toward Naboth, God sent word of more judgment to come for the house of Ahab. He first predicted the way in which Jezebel would die, a dog attack, and then he told Ahab that he too would be killed, as well as his family. Like many of the kings before him, his family would eventually lose the throne in Israel. The kings in Judah were all direct descendents of David, an unbroken chain. But in Israel, several families had had representatives on the throne. Because of the disobedience of so many of their kings, God had replaced them with new kings from new families, and Ahab was about to experience the same tragedy.
For what was probably the first time in his life (or at least one of the first times), Ahab humbled himself before God when he heard word of his destruction. He finally recognized his sin and knew that he should turn back to God. As a result, God spoke again to Elijah, and promised that the destruction would not come while Ahab was king in Israel. He would postpone the judgment a little longer. But destruction would come when his son took the throne.
In 1 Kings 22 Judah comes back into the story with a new king. Asa had been on the throne in Judah for years, seeing several kings come and go in Israel. He was now dead, and his son Jehoshaphat was king. After 3 years of peace between Syria and Israel, Jehoshaphat was summoned by Ahab concerning a city in Syria. Ahab believed it was their city, and he wanted Jehoshaphat to go to battle with him against Syria. Jehoshaphat viewed the Israelites as family and agreed to support him in his efforts against Syria if they received confirmation from God’s prophets. Ahab summoned 400 prophets and received approval from all of them, but when Jehoshaphat questioned whether he had any prophets of God, Ahab told him how much he hated Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord. Ahab complained how he always prophesied evil in regards to Ahab’s plans, and he did not want to hear what Micaiah had to say. Because his own prophets supported his decision to go to battle, Ahab had his mind made up.
But Micaiah would not fall in suit. Although those around him were asking him to go along with the rest of the prophets, Micaiah understood the importance of doing as God had commanded. God had given him a message for Ahab, a warning to Ahab. He told Ahab that God had allowed a lying spirit to speak through all his prophets. Although they supported his decision to go to war, the war he was headed out to would end in destruction. Micaiah’s words not only angered Ahab but the other prophets as well. Micaiah was thrown in jail, and Ahab ignored his warning and prepared for battle.
Taking Jehoshaphat with him, the nations of Israel and Judah went to battle against Syria. In an effort to protect himself in battle, Ahab disguised himself on the battlefield. Jehoshaphat was almost killed as a result when the Syrians thought that he was Ahab. Their orders had been to find and kill Ahab, so when they noticed that it was not him, they began shooting at anyone and everyone on the battlefield. Then, an arrow was randomly shot that went straight for Ahab. He died later that night, and the warnings of the prophets (such as Micaiah) came true. Ahab was killed as a result of disobedience, and his son, Ahaziah, took the throne.
Micaiah is a great example of a man who stood firm on his convictions. Even when everyone around him had turned away from God, he listened carefully to God’s commands. Men tried to persuade him to change his prophecy so that he would not anger Ahab, but he knew that his allegiance was ultimately to God. Consider the words of Peter and John in Acts 4:19-20 “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” It is far more important to serve God rather than man. That does not always mean that it will be easy. There could be severe consequences for doing so. But God will never leave us, and He will give us the strength to persevere through any forms of persecution that might come our way.
Matt
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
1 Kings 20:35-21:16
1 Kings 20:35-21:16
After the episode on Mount Carmel, it seemed as if all of Israel (and possibly even King Ahab) had turned back to God. But by the end of 1 Kings 20, it became obvious that Ahab had not changed. He continued to live in disobedience, and that became evident by the way in which he handled the situation with Ben-hadad. Instead of killing him along with the rest of the Syrians who had come up against Israel, Ahab decided to spare his life. But even more than that, Ahab made a covenant with Ben-hadad. As a result, God sent word to Ahab through another prophet about his own upcoming destruction. Because he chose to let Ben-hadad live and chose not to follow God’s commands, God promised that he would be punished. He would be killed in Ben-hadad’s stead.
Ahab’s problems continued and his true character was once again shown in 1 Kings 21 as he encountered Naboth. Naboth owned a vineyard that was close to the king’s palace, and Ahab wanted that vineyard for his own. So he asked Naboth to give it to him, and in return he was willing to pay a hefty price. To his credit, he did not want to take the vineyard away from Naboth without giving himself something of equal value in return. However, when Naboth politely refused to sell his vineyard to the king, Ahab went away sulking. He acted like a kid who did not get his way. To make matters worse, his wife, Jezebel, babied him, asking him why he was so upset. Once he told her the story, she reminded him that he was the king of Israel, telling him he could do whatever he wanted.
Again, we can give some credit to Ahab in that he did not retaliate and take the vineyard by force, but the fact that he was pouting and upset over something as small as vineyard shows what kind of man he was. That was not a situation worthy of the pity party he threw. However, it was Jezebel who was the real culprit in this story. After Naboth refused to give up the vineyard, she set up a conspiracy that would condemn Naboth of cursing God and the king. The penalty for such an offense was death. Since the people believed that Naboth had turned against God and King Ahab, he was stoned to death, and the vineyard was free for the taking.
After receiving word that Naboth was dead, Ahab went and took possession of the vineyard without question. But even in this instance you have to wonder what he was thinking. Jezebel told him that Naboth had been stoned to death, which probably means that Ahab also knew the offense that had been charged against Naboth. Even then, Ahab took the vineyard at the expense of Naboth. Although Ahab was not directly involved in the murder of Naboth, he most certainly played a role. If he had even slightly suspected foul play in the matter then he should have left the vineyard alone and not have taken it for himself. But in the end, he did, which indicted him just as much as Jezebel. You may say that in one sense he was guilty by association (association with Jezebel), but it was really much more than that.
The point is that Ahab had never really turned back to God, and in the end he was punished for his disobedience. His life had been characterized by deceit, murder, the worship of false idols, and so much more. He was guilty of leading Israel into unrighteousness. The lesson here is that Ahab is one of those kings that we should not try to emulate in our lives. If you remember, 1 Kings 16:30 told us that he was the worst king Israel had seen up to this point in their history, as he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than any king before him. So while we can learn from his mistakes, he is not a positive role model (like David was) for us to follow.
Matt
After the episode on Mount Carmel, it seemed as if all of Israel (and possibly even King Ahab) had turned back to God. But by the end of 1 Kings 20, it became obvious that Ahab had not changed. He continued to live in disobedience, and that became evident by the way in which he handled the situation with Ben-hadad. Instead of killing him along with the rest of the Syrians who had come up against Israel, Ahab decided to spare his life. But even more than that, Ahab made a covenant with Ben-hadad. As a result, God sent word to Ahab through another prophet about his own upcoming destruction. Because he chose to let Ben-hadad live and chose not to follow God’s commands, God promised that he would be punished. He would be killed in Ben-hadad’s stead.
Ahab’s problems continued and his true character was once again shown in 1 Kings 21 as he encountered Naboth. Naboth owned a vineyard that was close to the king’s palace, and Ahab wanted that vineyard for his own. So he asked Naboth to give it to him, and in return he was willing to pay a hefty price. To his credit, he did not want to take the vineyard away from Naboth without giving himself something of equal value in return. However, when Naboth politely refused to sell his vineyard to the king, Ahab went away sulking. He acted like a kid who did not get his way. To make matters worse, his wife, Jezebel, babied him, asking him why he was so upset. Once he told her the story, she reminded him that he was the king of Israel, telling him he could do whatever he wanted.
Again, we can give some credit to Ahab in that he did not retaliate and take the vineyard by force, but the fact that he was pouting and upset over something as small as vineyard shows what kind of man he was. That was not a situation worthy of the pity party he threw. However, it was Jezebel who was the real culprit in this story. After Naboth refused to give up the vineyard, she set up a conspiracy that would condemn Naboth of cursing God and the king. The penalty for such an offense was death. Since the people believed that Naboth had turned against God and King Ahab, he was stoned to death, and the vineyard was free for the taking.
After receiving word that Naboth was dead, Ahab went and took possession of the vineyard without question. But even in this instance you have to wonder what he was thinking. Jezebel told him that Naboth had been stoned to death, which probably means that Ahab also knew the offense that had been charged against Naboth. Even then, Ahab took the vineyard at the expense of Naboth. Although Ahab was not directly involved in the murder of Naboth, he most certainly played a role. If he had even slightly suspected foul play in the matter then he should have left the vineyard alone and not have taken it for himself. But in the end, he did, which indicted him just as much as Jezebel. You may say that in one sense he was guilty by association (association with Jezebel), but it was really much more than that.
The point is that Ahab had never really turned back to God, and in the end he was punished for his disobedience. His life had been characterized by deceit, murder, the worship of false idols, and so much more. He was guilty of leading Israel into unrighteousness. The lesson here is that Ahab is one of those kings that we should not try to emulate in our lives. If you remember, 1 Kings 16:30 told us that he was the worst king Israel had seen up to this point in their history, as he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than any king before him. So while we can learn from his mistakes, he is not a positive role model (like David was) for us to follow.
Matt
The Unquenchable Flame
The Unquenchable Flame
Michael Reeves presents a great read about the Reformation in his book The Unquenchable Flame, but if you are like most people, reading a history book is not your idea of fun. I also must admit that the idea of having to read yet another textbook about information that we had already read about in a previous textbook was not exciting either. I was pleasantly surprise, however, in the opening chapter of this book. While it is your typical history book that gives you names that you probably cannot pronounce, places you probably have not heard of, and dates that you probably will not remember, it is written in a way that is interesting and fun.
Reeves is not one of those boring historians who only presents the facts. He also provides some of his own insight and interjects in the middle of the story with what appear to be some of his own opinions and thoughts. There are quirky add-ins that make the story more interesting. Another reason why this book is not your typical history book is because it truly does read like a story. While the characters are real and the events actually happened, it almost reads like a work of fiction. The story is captivating and interesting, and although I have studied the Reformation countless times before, I found myself captivated by this story.
So what exactly does Reeves discuss in this book? Well, beginning with Martin Luther, who many would point to as the one who started what we now know as the "Reformation," Reeves walks his readers through years of history on how the Reformation developed and was carried out. He takes his readers through the lives of men such as Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. He takes readers to the countries of Germany, France, Italy, England, and others. He introduces the conflicts that arose because of the stance that these men took. There is conflict between Rome and the Protestants. There is conflict between the Protestants and other groups that begin to arise as a result of their bold stance. But there is not only religious drama. The politics are complicated as well, especially when you have a king who takes multiple wives all because none had bore him a son yet and a queen who makes it her personal mission to kill anyone who might disagree with her religious viewpoint. While the Reformation is viewed in a positive light today by many, it was a rather dark time period. There was death, corruption, and betrayal. Even the "good guys" had their moments of weakness and did things that we would not approve of today.
Yes, this is a history book, and you could find the stories told in countless other books. But The Unquenchable Flame is a quick read, a good read, and a fun read. Whether you have never read anything about the Reformation before or consider yourself somewhat of an expert on it, I encourage you to pick up this book and see where it all started.
Matt
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
1 Kings 19:19-20:34
1 Kings 19:19-20:34
After his moment of weakness where he had lost trust in God, Elijah got back on track and was ready to serve God again. He found Elisha and called him into service as well, as Elisha would be the next prophet to follow in Elijah’s footsteps. Elisha left all that he knew (his family and hometown) and did as Elijah requested, thus following God. As for Ahab, he was about to be tested again. After Israel’s return to God in 1 Kings 18, it was time to see where Ahab’s allegiance stood and if he would indeed trust God as well.
The Syrians were ready to attack Israel, and their king Ben-hadad requested that Ahab go ahead and turn over all his silver, gold, women, and children. He had an army ready to go into Israel and take over. At first it appeared as is Ahab was going to allow Ben-hadad to have his way, but upon the request of some of his most trusted men, Ahab decided to go on the defensive against Ben-hadad. Then God sent a prophet to Ahab assuring him of the victory. God wanted Ahab to know that through His power, Israel could and would have victory over the Syrians. But He also wanted Ahab to take the initiative. He was to go on the offensive against Syria. This was all an effort to see if Ahab would depend on God’s strength alone and in the end turn back to Him.
The war began, and the Israelites took the Syrians by surprise. They gained the upper hand rather quickly, and the Syrians had to react fast. Ben-hadad was able to escape and find safety, but the same could not be said for his army. The prophet that had been sent to Ahab gave him detailed instructions throughout the battle as to how he was to go about fighting the Syrians, and Ahab listened to every word that he spoke. As a result, God gave the Israelites the victory that day over the Syrians.
Sometime later the Syrians went on the attack again. After being defeated the first time, they were determined to make up for what they had lost. But when the Israelites heard that the Syrians were on their way, they too began to prepare for war. God sent another prophet to Ahab and once again assured Ahab that Israel would have the victory. The Syrians did not believe in God, they had their own gods that they followed. As a result, God was not going to allow them to have victory over His children. The Israelites had recently turned back to God, and God was ready to protect them.
Although Israel once again found victory in their battle against the Syrians, Ben-hadad was able to escape yet again. While his army fell around him, he found a place of safety. Then he returned to Israel to ask for mercy from the king. He hoped that Ahab would go lenient on him and allow him to live, and after humbly (or deceitfully) asking this from King Ahab, Ahab agreed and made a covenant with Ben-hadad. But this had not been God’s intention when He had given Israel the victory. They had not only been commanded to destroy the Syrians, but Ben-hadad as well. Ahab went against God’s commands when he made a covenant (alliance) with the very people that God had commanded them to destroy. Although it had appeared as if Ahab had changed, he was still living a life of disobedience before God.
Matt
After his moment of weakness where he had lost trust in God, Elijah got back on track and was ready to serve God again. He found Elisha and called him into service as well, as Elisha would be the next prophet to follow in Elijah’s footsteps. Elisha left all that he knew (his family and hometown) and did as Elijah requested, thus following God. As for Ahab, he was about to be tested again. After Israel’s return to God in 1 Kings 18, it was time to see where Ahab’s allegiance stood and if he would indeed trust God as well.
The Syrians were ready to attack Israel, and their king Ben-hadad requested that Ahab go ahead and turn over all his silver, gold, women, and children. He had an army ready to go into Israel and take over. At first it appeared as is Ahab was going to allow Ben-hadad to have his way, but upon the request of some of his most trusted men, Ahab decided to go on the defensive against Ben-hadad. Then God sent a prophet to Ahab assuring him of the victory. God wanted Ahab to know that through His power, Israel could and would have victory over the Syrians. But He also wanted Ahab to take the initiative. He was to go on the offensive against Syria. This was all an effort to see if Ahab would depend on God’s strength alone and in the end turn back to Him.
The war began, and the Israelites took the Syrians by surprise. They gained the upper hand rather quickly, and the Syrians had to react fast. Ben-hadad was able to escape and find safety, but the same could not be said for his army. The prophet that had been sent to Ahab gave him detailed instructions throughout the battle as to how he was to go about fighting the Syrians, and Ahab listened to every word that he spoke. As a result, God gave the Israelites the victory that day over the Syrians.
Sometime later the Syrians went on the attack again. After being defeated the first time, they were determined to make up for what they had lost. But when the Israelites heard that the Syrians were on their way, they too began to prepare for war. God sent another prophet to Ahab and once again assured Ahab that Israel would have the victory. The Syrians did not believe in God, they had their own gods that they followed. As a result, God was not going to allow them to have victory over His children. The Israelites had recently turned back to God, and God was ready to protect them.
Although Israel once again found victory in their battle against the Syrians, Ben-hadad was able to escape yet again. While his army fell around him, he found a place of safety. Then he returned to Israel to ask for mercy from the king. He hoped that Ahab would go lenient on him and allow him to live, and after humbly (or deceitfully) asking this from King Ahab, Ahab agreed and made a covenant with Ben-hadad. But this had not been God’s intention when He had given Israel the victory. They had not only been commanded to destroy the Syrians, but Ben-hadad as well. Ahab went against God’s commands when he made a covenant (alliance) with the very people that God had commanded them to destroy. Although it had appeared as if Ahab had changed, he was still living a life of disobedience before God.
Matt
Monday, March 7, 2011
1 Kings 18:41-19:18
1 Kings 18:41-19:18
Now that Israel was beginning to turn back to God (at least for the time being), God decided to allow them to have rain again. It was a reminder that He was the one that could send them rain and hold it back from them if He so desired. The lack of rain had been punishment for their disobedience, but because they had chosen to turn back to Him, He sent the rain. As the story continues in 1 Kings 19, it is unclear as to how Ahab took all of these events. While it does not say that he was hostile toward Elijah, it also does not say that he turned back to God like the rest of the Israelites. Nevertheless, he returned to his home and told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. If Ahab was not upset with Elijah, Jezebel most certainly was. She sent word toe Elijah that he would die the next day just as the 450 prophets had. It is obvious that she did not turn back to God for she only grew more hostile.
In fear of his life, Elijah fled and went back to Judah, a land of safety for him. Remember that this was all taking place during the reign of Asa in Judah, a man who was following God. Judah was not a hostile place for Elijah to be, and he found safety there. But it is during this moment of Elijah’s life that we realize that he too was only human. We saw David (a man after God’s own heart and a great example for us) stumble. In the same way, we see Elijah’s struggles. For a brief moment he forgot about God’s provisions in his life. He lost his trust in God and tried to find his own place of safety. But it was in Elijah’s darkest moment that God reached out to him. God once again sent him food, as he had done when Elijah had remained by the brook of Cherith for an extended period of time. God provided for him, gave him the strength to persevere through his hard times, and encouraged him to return to Israel and continue his job.
Elijah had found refuge in a cave, and it was there that the Lord met him and gave him his new mission. This is a very famous passage as it encourages us to listen for God’s still small voice. Elijah witnessed a loud wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but God did not choose to reveal Himself to Elijah in those ways. Instead, it was in the time of peace when everything had settled down that God spoke to Elijah. Now this does not mean that God does not use major events in our lives to get our attentions, but we cannot always expect God to speak to us in this way. Sometimes He is speaking to us during our daily routines. So we must always be listening for God.
As for Elijah, he was commanded to return to Israel, even though he was the only true prophet left. He was to anoint a new king in Syria as well as a new king for Israel, Jehu. Furthermore, God had prepared another man by the name of Elisha who would become Israel’s next prophet, following in Elijah’s footsteps. Elijah was to go to him as well and prepare him for the task ahead of him. Elijah had been rejuvenated. He had been encouraged and strengthened by God and was ready to return to Israel to complete his mission. Although Elijah messed up (as we all do) and began to feel sorry for himself, he did not stay in his self-pity. He found his strength and God, left his place of safety, and returned to the heat of the battle. Yes it can be quite dangerous to be in the middle of God’s will, serving Him, but it is also the greatest place to be!
Matt
Now that Israel was beginning to turn back to God (at least for the time being), God decided to allow them to have rain again. It was a reminder that He was the one that could send them rain and hold it back from them if He so desired. The lack of rain had been punishment for their disobedience, but because they had chosen to turn back to Him, He sent the rain. As the story continues in 1 Kings 19, it is unclear as to how Ahab took all of these events. While it does not say that he was hostile toward Elijah, it also does not say that he turned back to God like the rest of the Israelites. Nevertheless, he returned to his home and told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. If Ahab was not upset with Elijah, Jezebel most certainly was. She sent word toe Elijah that he would die the next day just as the 450 prophets had. It is obvious that she did not turn back to God for she only grew more hostile.
In fear of his life, Elijah fled and went back to Judah, a land of safety for him. Remember that this was all taking place during the reign of Asa in Judah, a man who was following God. Judah was not a hostile place for Elijah to be, and he found safety there. But it is during this moment of Elijah’s life that we realize that he too was only human. We saw David (a man after God’s own heart and a great example for us) stumble. In the same way, we see Elijah’s struggles. For a brief moment he forgot about God’s provisions in his life. He lost his trust in God and tried to find his own place of safety. But it was in Elijah’s darkest moment that God reached out to him. God once again sent him food, as he had done when Elijah had remained by the brook of Cherith for an extended period of time. God provided for him, gave him the strength to persevere through his hard times, and encouraged him to return to Israel and continue his job.
Elijah had found refuge in a cave, and it was there that the Lord met him and gave him his new mission. This is a very famous passage as it encourages us to listen for God’s still small voice. Elijah witnessed a loud wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but God did not choose to reveal Himself to Elijah in those ways. Instead, it was in the time of peace when everything had settled down that God spoke to Elijah. Now this does not mean that God does not use major events in our lives to get our attentions, but we cannot always expect God to speak to us in this way. Sometimes He is speaking to us during our daily routines. So we must always be listening for God.
As for Elijah, he was commanded to return to Israel, even though he was the only true prophet left. He was to anoint a new king in Syria as well as a new king for Israel, Jehu. Furthermore, God had prepared another man by the name of Elisha who would become Israel’s next prophet, following in Elijah’s footsteps. Elijah was to go to him as well and prepare him for the task ahead of him. Elijah had been rejuvenated. He had been encouraged and strengthened by God and was ready to return to Israel to complete his mission. Although Elijah messed up (as we all do) and began to feel sorry for himself, he did not stay in his self-pity. He found his strength and God, left his place of safety, and returned to the heat of the battle. Yes it can be quite dangerous to be in the middle of God’s will, serving Him, but it is also the greatest place to be!
Matt
Sunday, March 6, 2011
1 Kings 18:20-40
1 Kings 18:20-40
Elijah wanted to make a statement in the midst of the Israelites. They had drifted so far from God that mere words were never going to convince them that He truly was their God. Although God had performed great miracles through him and even sent word of coming judgment if they continued to disobey God and worship Baal, Ahab and the Israelites would not turn from their evil ways. So Elijah gave them a challenge, a challenge that would pit their “god,” Baal, up against God (Yahweh, the Lord of Israel). He hoped to convince them that they were following after a false god that was of no use to them and that their actions were in direct disobedience to the God who had given them the land in which they lived in the first place.
So the 450 prophets of Baal chose a bull and prepared a sacrifice for Baal, making it presentable for him. In the same way, Elijah selected a bull for himself and also prepared a sacrifice for God. The prophets of Baal went first and cried out to Baal, asking him to bring down fire on their sacrifice. There was no answer. Elijah encouraged them to continue on if they truly believed that Baal was a real god, and the prophets continued to yell and shout, cutting themselves (allowing their blood to spill out on the sacrifice). But there was still no answer. It seems as if this went on for hours, and it was all useless.
After their failed attempt, it was Elijah’s turn to call out to his God (their God!). But he took it one step further. Instead of just piling the wood on the altar, he poured 12 large jugs of water over it. Of course, water would make the wood wet, which would make it harder to burn. That was Elijah’s point. He wanted to show them God’s power, even to accomplish what might seem as impossible. After he was satisfied that the sacrifice was ready, he called out to God. Imagine what this moment must have felt like. This was the moment of truth. If God failed to come through for Elijah (which Elijah knew He would not do), what would come of Elijah? He would have to abandon all he had ever taught. He would be a mockery in Israel, and he would have probably been killed. The Law of Moses stated that if anyone preached false prophecies (found to be a false prophet), then they were to be killed. This was to keep the threat of their false teachings from spreading. So this was the moment of truth for Elijah, but he exhibited great faith. He knew that God would come through for him, but not only for him, also for His children who had turned their backs on Him. It makes me wonder, do I have that kind of faith? Do I really believe that God is that powerful and that He is exactly what He claims to be? It is a question that we should ponder regularly as a type of “spiritual check-up.” God does not lie, and we can trust that He will always come through for us, but that does require a lot of faith!
So Elijah called out to God, and the fire came down. The sacrifice was consumed by fire, and the people recognized their God. They fell down and worshipped Him, recognizing their mistakes. The question was, would it last? Elijah did all he could to make this moment of truth last for the Israelites. He had the false prophets taken to a nearby town, where he killed every one of them (again keeping line with the Law of Moses). Elijah did not want to take the chance that their false teachings would spread any more. Once again, Israel found themselves at a crossroads. They could remain committed to God, obeying His Law, or they could continue to follow in the ways of Ahab. God had used Elijah to reach out to them, getting their attention, but now it was up to them continue in the faith.
Matt Brewer
Elijah wanted to make a statement in the midst of the Israelites. They had drifted so far from God that mere words were never going to convince them that He truly was their God. Although God had performed great miracles through him and even sent word of coming judgment if they continued to disobey God and worship Baal, Ahab and the Israelites would not turn from their evil ways. So Elijah gave them a challenge, a challenge that would pit their “god,” Baal, up against God (Yahweh, the Lord of Israel). He hoped to convince them that they were following after a false god that was of no use to them and that their actions were in direct disobedience to the God who had given them the land in which they lived in the first place.
So the 450 prophets of Baal chose a bull and prepared a sacrifice for Baal, making it presentable for him. In the same way, Elijah selected a bull for himself and also prepared a sacrifice for God. The prophets of Baal went first and cried out to Baal, asking him to bring down fire on their sacrifice. There was no answer. Elijah encouraged them to continue on if they truly believed that Baal was a real god, and the prophets continued to yell and shout, cutting themselves (allowing their blood to spill out on the sacrifice). But there was still no answer. It seems as if this went on for hours, and it was all useless.
After their failed attempt, it was Elijah’s turn to call out to his God (their God!). But he took it one step further. Instead of just piling the wood on the altar, he poured 12 large jugs of water over it. Of course, water would make the wood wet, which would make it harder to burn. That was Elijah’s point. He wanted to show them God’s power, even to accomplish what might seem as impossible. After he was satisfied that the sacrifice was ready, he called out to God. Imagine what this moment must have felt like. This was the moment of truth. If God failed to come through for Elijah (which Elijah knew He would not do), what would come of Elijah? He would have to abandon all he had ever taught. He would be a mockery in Israel, and he would have probably been killed. The Law of Moses stated that if anyone preached false prophecies (found to be a false prophet), then they were to be killed. This was to keep the threat of their false teachings from spreading. So this was the moment of truth for Elijah, but he exhibited great faith. He knew that God would come through for him, but not only for him, also for His children who had turned their backs on Him. It makes me wonder, do I have that kind of faith? Do I really believe that God is that powerful and that He is exactly what He claims to be? It is a question that we should ponder regularly as a type of “spiritual check-up.” God does not lie, and we can trust that He will always come through for us, but that does require a lot of faith!
So Elijah called out to God, and the fire came down. The sacrifice was consumed by fire, and the people recognized their God. They fell down and worshipped Him, recognizing their mistakes. The question was, would it last? Elijah did all he could to make this moment of truth last for the Israelites. He had the false prophets taken to a nearby town, where he killed every one of them (again keeping line with the Law of Moses). Elijah did not want to take the chance that their false teachings would spread any more. Once again, Israel found themselves at a crossroads. They could remain committed to God, obeying His Law, or they could continue to follow in the ways of Ahab. God had used Elijah to reach out to them, getting their attention, but now it was up to them continue in the faith.
Matt Brewer
Saturday, March 5, 2011
1 Kings 17:17-18:19
1 Kings 17:17-18:19
After seeing God’s amazing provision, the widow that Elijah had ministered to experienced great tragedy. Her son became quite ill and that illness led to his death. The woman was obviously upset, as she thought that God was going to take care of them. He had given them food that never ran out so that they could survive the drought that had ravaged the land, but now He had taken her son away from her. So she questioned Elijah as to why her son passed away. Is this not a common question today? It is still hard to understand why bad things happen to those who follow God. We think that life should go along smoothly and without trouble for those who are God’s children. But the truth is that we experience heartache just like everyone else. It is at those times that we must remember to turn to God for strength and for answers, and that is exactly what Elijah did. He carried the young man to a bed and immediately went to God for answers. He prayed, asking God to allow this child to live again. He knew that God could give this boy his life back if He wanted to. So Elijah boldly prayed to God asking Him to raise this boy from the dead. God heard Elijah’s prayers, and restored the boy to his mother. This miracle helped the widow to believe and showed what great faith Elijah had in his God, a faith that we should have as well. Sometimes God answers our prayers in the way we want, and sometimes He does not. Whatever the case, we must never lose faith in Him. He sees the larger picture, and He knows what He is doing. He knows what is best for our lives as He sees how everything fits together. So we have to learn to trust Him, that He knows what is best.
Elijah’s faith was about to be tested even more in 1 Kings 18. God wanted Elijah to return to Ahab to set up preparations for what was about to be another great miracle. God was getting ready to reveal Himself in another mighty way, and He was going to use Elijah to do so. The land had gone for years without rain, and the drought had become quite severe in parts of Israel. It was so bad that Ahab was sending men out all across the land to find the small patches of grass around the wells to feed their animals, hoping that they did not lose much more of their livestock. One of the men Ahab enlisted was a prophet by the name of Obadiah who had aided several other prophets when Jezebel went on her rampage of killing off God’s prophets. Now he was searching the land for what was little grass was left, and in the process he ran into Elijah. Elijah was on his way back to speak with Ahab, to tell him that rain would soon come. But when Elijah asked Obadiah to announce his coming to Ahab, Obadiah feared for his life. Ahab hated Elijah, and Obadiah did not want to be the one to bring the bad news to the king. Elijah assured Obadiah that he would come quickly so that the king would not take his anger out on Obadiah.
When Elijah arrived in Israel, Ahab was extremely upset with him, blaming him for the drought. Elijah reminded him that it was because of his disobedience to God that no rain had fallen over the last several years. Elijah was getting ready to show Ahab who His God really was. The gods that Ahab had been worshipping were nothing but creations in the minds of me, and Elijah was ready to prove that fact to Ahab. So he had Ahab gather up all his prophets (who were actually false prophets) for what was going to be a showdown on Mount Carmel. Elijah was about to show Ahab God’s power.
Matt
After seeing God’s amazing provision, the widow that Elijah had ministered to experienced great tragedy. Her son became quite ill and that illness led to his death. The woman was obviously upset, as she thought that God was going to take care of them. He had given them food that never ran out so that they could survive the drought that had ravaged the land, but now He had taken her son away from her. So she questioned Elijah as to why her son passed away. Is this not a common question today? It is still hard to understand why bad things happen to those who follow God. We think that life should go along smoothly and without trouble for those who are God’s children. But the truth is that we experience heartache just like everyone else. It is at those times that we must remember to turn to God for strength and for answers, and that is exactly what Elijah did. He carried the young man to a bed and immediately went to God for answers. He prayed, asking God to allow this child to live again. He knew that God could give this boy his life back if He wanted to. So Elijah boldly prayed to God asking Him to raise this boy from the dead. God heard Elijah’s prayers, and restored the boy to his mother. This miracle helped the widow to believe and showed what great faith Elijah had in his God, a faith that we should have as well. Sometimes God answers our prayers in the way we want, and sometimes He does not. Whatever the case, we must never lose faith in Him. He sees the larger picture, and He knows what He is doing. He knows what is best for our lives as He sees how everything fits together. So we have to learn to trust Him, that He knows what is best.
Elijah’s faith was about to be tested even more in 1 Kings 18. God wanted Elijah to return to Ahab to set up preparations for what was about to be another great miracle. God was getting ready to reveal Himself in another mighty way, and He was going to use Elijah to do so. The land had gone for years without rain, and the drought had become quite severe in parts of Israel. It was so bad that Ahab was sending men out all across the land to find the small patches of grass around the wells to feed their animals, hoping that they did not lose much more of their livestock. One of the men Ahab enlisted was a prophet by the name of Obadiah who had aided several other prophets when Jezebel went on her rampage of killing off God’s prophets. Now he was searching the land for what was little grass was left, and in the process he ran into Elijah. Elijah was on his way back to speak with Ahab, to tell him that rain would soon come. But when Elijah asked Obadiah to announce his coming to Ahab, Obadiah feared for his life. Ahab hated Elijah, and Obadiah did not want to be the one to bring the bad news to the king. Elijah assured Obadiah that he would come quickly so that the king would not take his anger out on Obadiah.
When Elijah arrived in Israel, Ahab was extremely upset with him, blaming him for the drought. Elijah reminded him that it was because of his disobedience to God that no rain had fallen over the last several years. Elijah was getting ready to show Ahab who His God really was. The gods that Ahab had been worshipping were nothing but creations in the minds of me, and Elijah was ready to prove that fact to Ahab. So he had Ahab gather up all his prophets (who were actually false prophets) for what was going to be a showdown on Mount Carmel. Elijah was about to show Ahab God’s power.
Matt
Friday, March 4, 2011
Under Construction
I'm once again ready for a change. I found a really neat background through blogger tonight and thought it fit great with the theme of this blog. So I have that much changed already. I am going through and working on the rest, but it might take a few days to get it completely finished. So until then, the design of the blog will be "under construction." As for new posts, expect some over the weekend and on into next week.
Matt
Matt
Thursday, March 3, 2011
1 Kings 16:29-17:16
1 Kings 16:29-17:16
After going through quite a list of kings in Israel that had relatively short reigns (especially when compared to the reign of Asa in Judah), we come to Ahab. Now while Ahab was the worst king Israel had seen up to this point, even worse than Omri who had previously held that title, he was the king of Israel for 22 years. But because of his disobedience and choice to worship false gods such as Baal, God sent judgment on Ahab and his kingdom. Through the prophet Elijah, God sent word to Ahab warning him of a coming drought that would last for several years. With no rain, there would be no crops, and this was all in an effort to get Ahab’s attention.
As for Elijah, God sent him to the brook at Cherith, where God provided for him daily. There is a great contrast between Elijah and Ahab. Because of Ahab’s disobedience, he received judgment from God. The land went into a drought. Elijah, on the other hand, was given a place to stay, water to drink, and food to eat. God provided for Elijah, making sure that he had anything he needed. After some time, God spoke to Elijah again, sending him to Zarephath. The brook that Elijah had used to get his water had dried up, as a result of the drought. But God was not going to abandon his faithful prophet Elijah. He had already prepared another means of provision in Zarephath.
In Zarephath we see the extent of the drought that had plagued the land. Elijah met a widow that God had sent him to visit. Due to the drought, she had no way of providing food for herself or for her son. They had no water, and as a result they had no food. But when she was asked by a prophet of God to bring him some food, she was obedient. Elijah promised her that if she went and baked him a small cake, as well as fixing what would have been her last meal, then God would miraculously cause her flour jar and jug of oil to never run dry. He would provide for her daily until the end of the drought. The widow did as she was asked and God continued to provide for as He had promised.
These two stories in 1 Kings 17 illustrate the provision of God. We all go through rough times in life, and even those who follow God daily encounter financial difficulties. Being a child of God does not mean that we become exempt from the trials of life. However, we can trust that God will always provide what we need. We may not have everything we want, but we will always have exactly what we need to live. In the American culture, it is sometimes hard to grasp this concept. In a place and time where materialism reigns, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to only have enough to get by. We are driven by the desire to have more and more in life and feel as if we are less of a person if we struggling to make it. But consider this: would you rather be like Ahab who had everything in the world he could have ever wanted and was punished for his disobedience to God’s commands or would you rather be like Elijah and this widow who were fed daily by God (by ravens and through His miraculous provisions). They had to trust that He would be faithful every morning, sending them their food for the day, but they were also able to grow closer to the Lord as well.
Matt
After going through quite a list of kings in Israel that had relatively short reigns (especially when compared to the reign of Asa in Judah), we come to Ahab. Now while Ahab was the worst king Israel had seen up to this point, even worse than Omri who had previously held that title, he was the king of Israel for 22 years. But because of his disobedience and choice to worship false gods such as Baal, God sent judgment on Ahab and his kingdom. Through the prophet Elijah, God sent word to Ahab warning him of a coming drought that would last for several years. With no rain, there would be no crops, and this was all in an effort to get Ahab’s attention.
As for Elijah, God sent him to the brook at Cherith, where God provided for him daily. There is a great contrast between Elijah and Ahab. Because of Ahab’s disobedience, he received judgment from God. The land went into a drought. Elijah, on the other hand, was given a place to stay, water to drink, and food to eat. God provided for Elijah, making sure that he had anything he needed. After some time, God spoke to Elijah again, sending him to Zarephath. The brook that Elijah had used to get his water had dried up, as a result of the drought. But God was not going to abandon his faithful prophet Elijah. He had already prepared another means of provision in Zarephath.
In Zarephath we see the extent of the drought that had plagued the land. Elijah met a widow that God had sent him to visit. Due to the drought, she had no way of providing food for herself or for her son. They had no water, and as a result they had no food. But when she was asked by a prophet of God to bring him some food, she was obedient. Elijah promised her that if she went and baked him a small cake, as well as fixing what would have been her last meal, then God would miraculously cause her flour jar and jug of oil to never run dry. He would provide for her daily until the end of the drought. The widow did as she was asked and God continued to provide for as He had promised.
These two stories in 1 Kings 17 illustrate the provision of God. We all go through rough times in life, and even those who follow God daily encounter financial difficulties. Being a child of God does not mean that we become exempt from the trials of life. However, we can trust that God will always provide what we need. We may not have everything we want, but we will always have exactly what we need to live. In the American culture, it is sometimes hard to grasp this concept. In a place and time where materialism reigns, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to only have enough to get by. We are driven by the desire to have more and more in life and feel as if we are less of a person if we struggling to make it. But consider this: would you rather be like Ahab who had everything in the world he could have ever wanted and was punished for his disobedience to God’s commands or would you rather be like Elijah and this widow who were fed daily by God (by ravens and through His miraculous provisions). They had to trust that He would be faithful every morning, sending them their food for the day, but they were also able to grow closer to the Lord as well.
Matt
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
1 Kings 15:25-16:28
1 Kings 15:25-16:28
Now it is time to take a look at the kings of Israel that followed Jeroboam. Remember how the timelines work in the book of Kings and you will not get lost. When Jeroboam died, Asa was king in Judah. He remained the king in Judah through the reigns of Nadab and Baasha (the next 2 kings in Israel who we have already met). Nadab, like his father Jeroboam, did not follow God’s commands. Instead, he led Israel down a path of sin. He was only on the throne for 2 years before Baasha took over.
God had promised Jeroboam that the kingdom would eventually be stripped from his family. Although his son would be allowed to rule over Israel for a time, destruction was part of his punishment for not following God’s commands. Then, when Nadab decided to follow in the steps of his father and not help lead the nation back to God, God used Baasha to overthrow Nadab. Nadab was killed in the heat of battle, and Baasha took the throne.
Although God used Baasha to fulfill His purposes in removing Jeroboam and his family from the throne of Israel, Baasha did not continue to follow God. Instead, he followed Jeroboam’s example, who had also been used by God in a similar situation but in the end turned from God and did things his own way. Therefore, God responded in a very similar fashion. He sent Jehu, a prophet, to Baasha and warned him of his coming destruction. Because of his disobedience and his decision to follow in the ways of Jeroboam, God decided that He would destroy the house of Baasha as well.
After his death, Elah took the throne in Israel (while Asa was still reigning in Judah). Like those before him, he did not follow God. As a result, another man by the name of Zimri rose up seeking to overthrow him, which he did. Elah had a short reign of only 2 years, and Zimri took the throne after him. Zimri also destroyed anyone and everyone associated with the house of Baasha, once again fulfilling the prophecy that God had made. Zimri took the throne (while Asa continued to reign in Israel), but he too had a very short reign. Hearing that Zimri had gone out and killed their king, the Israelites revolted against him, choosing a man by the name of Omri as their new king. They sent him to go in and confront Zimri, but when Zimri heard of their revolt, he shut himself up in his house, set it on fire, and let it fall on top of him, thus killing himself. This gave the throne over to Omri.
Omri did not get the throne easily, for Israel was split on who to promote as king. Although he eventually received the honor, he had to battle it out with another man, Tibni, first. But even after he was chosen to lead Israel, he chose to disobey God, and 1 Kings 16 tells us that he was the worst king Israel had seen up to that point. He was worse than any of the kings that had come before him. Although he had a fairly long reign of about 12 and ½ years, he eventually died, and the throne was given to his son, Ahab.
Do you feel like you are reading the same story over and over again? 1 Kings 15-16 seem to be quite repetitive, but that is due to the sinfulness of these kings. You would think that after seeing how God had consistently dealt with the kings that had come before them, that they would decide to actually follow God. But instead, they continued to do things their own way and led the nation of Israel further away from God. But before we cast too much judgment on these kings (although they deserve it in some ways), we are not that much different. We have the advantage of reading their stories, seeing how God dealt with them thousands of years ago, and yet we do some of the very things. We have our own idols, things that cause us to turn away from God today. We have our own sins that trap us. And do we turn back to God or do we try to do things our own way? The truth is that we are all sinners, and we all have times in our lives where we drift from God. So we must let these tragic stories be a warning to us. We must decide to not allow sin to control us. We must decide to live for God daily, giving our lives over to Him. May we follow in the ways of Asa (king of Judah) who followed God. While all this turmoil was going on in Israel, and they were replacing their king every few years, Judah was in a time of peace as they continued to follow God.
Matt
Now it is time to take a look at the kings of Israel that followed Jeroboam. Remember how the timelines work in the book of Kings and you will not get lost. When Jeroboam died, Asa was king in Judah. He remained the king in Judah through the reigns of Nadab and Baasha (the next 2 kings in Israel who we have already met). Nadab, like his father Jeroboam, did not follow God’s commands. Instead, he led Israel down a path of sin. He was only on the throne for 2 years before Baasha took over.
God had promised Jeroboam that the kingdom would eventually be stripped from his family. Although his son would be allowed to rule over Israel for a time, destruction was part of his punishment for not following God’s commands. Then, when Nadab decided to follow in the steps of his father and not help lead the nation back to God, God used Baasha to overthrow Nadab. Nadab was killed in the heat of battle, and Baasha took the throne.
Although God used Baasha to fulfill His purposes in removing Jeroboam and his family from the throne of Israel, Baasha did not continue to follow God. Instead, he followed Jeroboam’s example, who had also been used by God in a similar situation but in the end turned from God and did things his own way. Therefore, God responded in a very similar fashion. He sent Jehu, a prophet, to Baasha and warned him of his coming destruction. Because of his disobedience and his decision to follow in the ways of Jeroboam, God decided that He would destroy the house of Baasha as well.
After his death, Elah took the throne in Israel (while Asa was still reigning in Judah). Like those before him, he did not follow God. As a result, another man by the name of Zimri rose up seeking to overthrow him, which he did. Elah had a short reign of only 2 years, and Zimri took the throne after him. Zimri also destroyed anyone and everyone associated with the house of Baasha, once again fulfilling the prophecy that God had made. Zimri took the throne (while Asa continued to reign in Israel), but he too had a very short reign. Hearing that Zimri had gone out and killed their king, the Israelites revolted against him, choosing a man by the name of Omri as their new king. They sent him to go in and confront Zimri, but when Zimri heard of their revolt, he shut himself up in his house, set it on fire, and let it fall on top of him, thus killing himself. This gave the throne over to Omri.
Omri did not get the throne easily, for Israel was split on who to promote as king. Although he eventually received the honor, he had to battle it out with another man, Tibni, first. But even after he was chosen to lead Israel, he chose to disobey God, and 1 Kings 16 tells us that he was the worst king Israel had seen up to that point. He was worse than any of the kings that had come before him. Although he had a fairly long reign of about 12 and ½ years, he eventually died, and the throne was given to his son, Ahab.
Do you feel like you are reading the same story over and over again? 1 Kings 15-16 seem to be quite repetitive, but that is due to the sinfulness of these kings. You would think that after seeing how God had consistently dealt with the kings that had come before them, that they would decide to actually follow God. But instead, they continued to do things their own way and led the nation of Israel further away from God. But before we cast too much judgment on these kings (although they deserve it in some ways), we are not that much different. We have the advantage of reading their stories, seeing how God dealt with them thousands of years ago, and yet we do some of the very things. We have our own idols, things that cause us to turn away from God today. We have our own sins that trap us. And do we turn back to God or do we try to do things our own way? The truth is that we are all sinners, and we all have times in our lives where we drift from God. So we must let these tragic stories be a warning to us. We must decide to not allow sin to control us. We must decide to live for God daily, giving our lives over to Him. May we follow in the ways of Asa (king of Judah) who followed God. While all this turmoil was going on in Israel, and they were replacing their king every few years, Judah was in a time of peace as they continued to follow God.
Matt
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
1 Kings 15:1-24
1 Kings 15:1-24
After the death of Rehoboam, which happened before Jeroboam’s death, his son, Abijam took the throne. Like his father before him, Abijam chose not to follow God’s commands. He did what was evil in God’s sight, and as a result, he did not experience peace in the land of Israel as his grandfather Solomon had. Like his father, Abijam had to deal with the constant problems from the north, Israel. Rehoboam’s reign was full of strife between the Northern and Southern kingdoms, and Abijam inherited all of those problems when he took the throne. He had to deal with Jeroboam, and during his 3 short years as king, they were in constant battle. After his death, his son, Asa, took the throne in Judah.
Now God remembered the covenant He had made with David (that the kingdom of Judah would always be in the hands of his descendants), and that is why He did not take it away from Rehoboam and Abijam (although they deserved it). But when Asa took the throne, he turned the nation back to God. He understood the importance of following God and did away with all of the idols and other objects of worship that were scattered throughout his kingdom. He was truly devoted to God and began to lead Judah into that way as well.
At the beginning of Asa’s reign, Jeroboam was still the king in Judah. You may have already noticed that there are time gaps in this book. Remember that the kings did not rise and fall in both kingdoms at the same time. So the different kings overlap each other, which can make the reading of this book somewhat confusing. It constantly shifts back and forth between Israel and Judah. So as for Jeroboam, he was king in Israel while Rehoboam, Abijam, and Asa reigned in Judah. Then, Asa was king in Israel while Jeroboam, Nadab, and Baasha reigned in Israel.
One of these time gaps occurs in the middle of 1 Kings 15. It immediately jumps to when Baasha reigned in Israel, but we have not yet heard what happened with his father Nadab. Instead, we see that Baasha had come against Judah, building a city on the boarder to prevent travel in and out of Judah. When Asa heard what he was up to, he sent men out to fight against Baasha, ultimately pushing him out of their land. He gained victory that day and continued to follow God for the rest of the time that he was king. After his death, Jehoshaphat, his son took the throne in Judah.
I am afraid that this summary of the first part of 1 Kings 15 is choppy. I feel like I have jumped from story to story just mentioning the high points and moving on. But Scripture really does not tell us much about the reigns of Abijam, Asa, and Nadab. They only get a small section of the story. However, there is one theme that should already be evident. As was true with the various leaders and judges of Israel, these kings were faced with a choice. They could choose life by choosing to follow God or they could choose death by choosing to follow after false gods and idols. God had promised back in Deuteronomy 30 that if they chose to follow Him, then He would continue to bless them, as He did for David and Solomon, and most recently Asa. But if they chose to create other gods and turn their back on Him, then He would send trouble their way. Rehoboam, Jeroboam, and Abijam experienced this in the form of constant war and plagues. One of the themes we saw back in the Books of the Law was the importance of obeying God’s Law, and in the midst of what can be some confusing time lines, hard names to pronounce, and odd situations, that theme stands out here as well. We must decide which option we are going to choose. We must decide if we are going to follow God’s Law.
Matt
After the death of Rehoboam, which happened before Jeroboam’s death, his son, Abijam took the throne. Like his father before him, Abijam chose not to follow God’s commands. He did what was evil in God’s sight, and as a result, he did not experience peace in the land of Israel as his grandfather Solomon had. Like his father, Abijam had to deal with the constant problems from the north, Israel. Rehoboam’s reign was full of strife between the Northern and Southern kingdoms, and Abijam inherited all of those problems when he took the throne. He had to deal with Jeroboam, and during his 3 short years as king, they were in constant battle. After his death, his son, Asa, took the throne in Judah.
Now God remembered the covenant He had made with David (that the kingdom of Judah would always be in the hands of his descendants), and that is why He did not take it away from Rehoboam and Abijam (although they deserved it). But when Asa took the throne, he turned the nation back to God. He understood the importance of following God and did away with all of the idols and other objects of worship that were scattered throughout his kingdom. He was truly devoted to God and began to lead Judah into that way as well.
At the beginning of Asa’s reign, Jeroboam was still the king in Judah. You may have already noticed that there are time gaps in this book. Remember that the kings did not rise and fall in both kingdoms at the same time. So the different kings overlap each other, which can make the reading of this book somewhat confusing. It constantly shifts back and forth between Israel and Judah. So as for Jeroboam, he was king in Israel while Rehoboam, Abijam, and Asa reigned in Judah. Then, Asa was king in Israel while Jeroboam, Nadab, and Baasha reigned in Israel.
One of these time gaps occurs in the middle of 1 Kings 15. It immediately jumps to when Baasha reigned in Israel, but we have not yet heard what happened with his father Nadab. Instead, we see that Baasha had come against Judah, building a city on the boarder to prevent travel in and out of Judah. When Asa heard what he was up to, he sent men out to fight against Baasha, ultimately pushing him out of their land. He gained victory that day and continued to follow God for the rest of the time that he was king. After his death, Jehoshaphat, his son took the throne in Judah.
I am afraid that this summary of the first part of 1 Kings 15 is choppy. I feel like I have jumped from story to story just mentioning the high points and moving on. But Scripture really does not tell us much about the reigns of Abijam, Asa, and Nadab. They only get a small section of the story. However, there is one theme that should already be evident. As was true with the various leaders and judges of Israel, these kings were faced with a choice. They could choose life by choosing to follow God or they could choose death by choosing to follow after false gods and idols. God had promised back in Deuteronomy 30 that if they chose to follow Him, then He would continue to bless them, as He did for David and Solomon, and most recently Asa. But if they chose to create other gods and turn their back on Him, then He would send trouble their way. Rehoboam, Jeroboam, and Abijam experienced this in the form of constant war and plagues. One of the themes we saw back in the Books of the Law was the importance of obeying God’s Law, and in the midst of what can be some confusing time lines, hard names to pronounce, and odd situations, that theme stands out here as well. We must decide which option we are going to choose. We must decide if we are going to follow God’s Law.
Matt
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