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
Monday, March 7, 2011
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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