Category Archives: Worthy of Fear / Reverence

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Government, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Idols / False Gods, Obeying God, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Just Because the LORD Tolerates the Wicked Does Not Mean He Approves of Them

There are times when the LORD tolerates the wicked to have power and influence, success in the eyes of men. Just because he allows the wicked to rule over His people does not mean He approves of them. In fact, He has already determined their punishment and downfall in advance.

Similarly, the LORD is capable of arranging for placing in power whom He wants, when He wants. Pray for Him to bring forth righteous rulers and remove or change the wicked.

2 Kings 8:16-29

Another Jehoram Reigns in Judah

      16Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. 17He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab became his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 19However, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, since He had promised him to give a lamp to him through his sons always.

      20In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; but his army fled to their tents. 22So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

      24So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

      25In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab had done, because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

      28Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. 29So King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

2 Kings 9

Jehu Reigns over Israel

      1Now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2“When you arrive there, search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room. 3“Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee and do not wait.”

      4So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting, and he said, “I have a word for you, O captain.” And Jehu said, “For which one of us?” And he said, “For you, O captain.” 6He arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. 7‘You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. 8‘For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel. 9‘I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.

      11Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know very well the man and his talk.” 12They said, “It is a lie, tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’” 13Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”

Jehoram (Joram) Is Assassinated

      14So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram with all Israel was defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this is your mind, then let no one escape or leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel.” 16Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

      17Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” 18So a horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.” 19Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” 20The watchman reported, “He came even to them, and he did not return; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

      21Then Joram said, “Get ready.” And they made his chariot ready. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he answered, “What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” 23So Joram reined about and fled and said to Ahaziah, “There is treachery, O Ahaziah!” 24And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his arms; and the arrow went through his heart and he sank in his chariot. 25Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Take him up and cast him into the property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father, that the LORD laid this oracle against him: 26‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the LORD, ‘and I will repay you in this property,’ says the LORD. Now then, take and cast him into the property, according to the word of the LORD.”

Jehu Assassinates Ahaziah

      27When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him and said, “Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David.

      29Now in the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

      30When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. 31As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it well, Zimri, your master’s murderer?” 32Then he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three officials looked down at him.

Jezebel Is Slain

      33He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot. 34When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” 35They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36Therefore they returned and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

All Powerful / King of All, Anger (unrighteous anger), Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Fear / Reverence for God, Murder, Patient, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Seeking God, Selfishness, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

When Things Get Really Bad, Seek the LORD More Fervently!

Sometimes we face situations so dire, it seems hopeless. We call upon the LORD but His help does not come in the way or timing in which we expect or hope. We may grow desperate. Remain faithful. Do not turn from the way of the LORD.  In these situations it is Him and Him alone who can deliver us.  When things get really bad, seek the LORD more fervently and do not turn away from His ways!

2 Kings 6:24-33

The Siege of Samaria—Cannibalism

      24Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27He said, “If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” 28And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29“So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” 30When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body. 31Then he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.”

      32Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, “Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

2 Kings 7

Elisha Promises Food

      1Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, ‘Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” 2The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Then he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”

Four Lepers Relate Arameans’ Flight

      3Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? 4“If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.” 5They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there. 6For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.” 7Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life. 8When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also, and went and hid them.

      9Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.” 10So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were.” 11The gatekeepers called and told it within the king’s household. 12Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’” 13One of his servants said, “Please, let some men take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.” 14They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”

The Promise Fulfilled

      15They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king.

      16So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 18It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.” 19Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.” 20And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

This is miraculous even if Elisha had not predicted it. How much more so that he prophesied that it would happed and then it did, just as he said!

We can certainly debate why the LORD did not act sooner or why it was only when Elisha’s life was in danger that he acted. That will lead us to speculation and more questions. It is fine to explore there. However, my focus for today is that, recognizing the LORD’s ways are different than ours and we may not always understand them, we should always put our faith and trust in Him. There is no situation for which He is not prepared or by which He is surprised. He knows all. He is all powerful.

I would point out that there was no message accompanying this miracle. Perhaps it was simply intended to bring about glory to the name and reputation of YHWH. Perhaps it was discipline for His people or their king. Elisha did not exactly compliment the king to call him a son of a murderer. Also, the king would not seek to kill or punish the prophet of God if he was close to God himself.

To recap where we began, when things get really bad we should seek the LORD more fervently and not turn from Him or His ways!

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Humility, Protector / Deliverer, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Humble Yourself to Hear What Yahweh Has to Say

Yahweh responds favorably to those who humble themselves before Him. He does not respond favorably to those who reject Him in favor of false gods or who are arrogant in standing against Him and His messengers. Let us listen to His message, even when it convicts us in our sin. Let us repent rather than get angry at the messenger or the one who sends them.

2 Kings 1

Ahaziah’s Messengers Meet Elijah

1Now Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.” 3But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4“Now therefore thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” Then Elijah departed.

5When the messengers returned to him he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6They said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”’” 7He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” 8They answered him, “He was a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’” 12Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13So he again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. 14“Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king. 16Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”

Jehoram Reigns over Israel

17So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. 18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Take note  that He demonstrates power against His people who stand against Him in 2 Kings 1, rather than pagans or gentiles. While He will not always act as clearly in our eyes as He did here through Elijah, the principal remains the same.

Ahaziah seems to suffer from a similar problem as Ahab before him. He does not listen to the message from Yahweh. Instead he gets angry at the messenger. He misses the whole point and chooses not to repent in this situation. We should take care to listen to the message of Yahweh’s word, even when it stands in judgment against our mistakes. Repent and get right with our Father rather than hate and abuse the messenger.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Lord Sent Forth a Deceiving Spirit

1 Kings 22 will stretch you a bit if you really read and think about it. Do not allow yourself to come in constrained by what you already think God will or will not do. Instead, read it for what it says and really reflect on it. After you read today’s scripture we have some points to reflect on identified below in this article.

1 Kings 22:1-40

Ahab’s Third Campaign against Aram

      1Three years passed without war between Aram and Israel. 2In the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?” 4And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

      5Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” 6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 7But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” 8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 9Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.” 10Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 12All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Predicts Defeat

      13Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak.”

      15When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.” 16Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

17So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep which have no shepherd.
And the LORD said, ‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

      19Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. 20“The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 21“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 22“The LORD said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’ 23“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

      24Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?” 25Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.” 26Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 27and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 28Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”

Defeat and Death of Ahab

      29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 31Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” 32So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

      34Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight; for I am severely wounded.” 35The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot. 36Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city and every man to his country.”

      37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of the LORD which He spoke. 39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

I am not going to be able to develop all the interesting themes inside this scripture. Instead, I am going to highlight what I hope are some thought provoking things to consider and prayerfully reflect on for each of you.

  • Ahab, king of Israel, is upset because Ramoth-gilead is controlled by Aram. Back in 1 Kings 20, Yahweh gave victory to Ahab over Aram. However, instead of seizing full victory, Ahab instead made a deal with the king of Aram.  It is Ahab’s own fault, but we never hear Ahab internalize that and accept responsibility for his actions and their repercussions.
  • Despite the previous experience relying on the 450 prophets of Baal, which Elijah confronted on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18, Ahab has once again surrounded himself with false prophets who will tell him whatever he wants to hear. They even try to pull Micaiah in on it. Ahab strongly resists hearing from a true prophet of the LORD, because he blames them for bringing bad news. Once again, Ahab avoids connecting his wicked actions with the consequences he does not like. He blames the true messenger from Yahweh instead. This is the same reaction we see from Ahab throughout his story in 1 Kings with Elijah as well. He has learned nothing.
  • Micaiah delivered a message at first that was what Ahab wanted to hear, but it was deceptive and intended to bring him to defeat. There are a number of things about this part which are intriguing.
    1. Did Micaiah lie about what the LORD told him to say? or did the LORD tell His prophet to deceive King Ahab?
    2. It appears from what Micaiah says that the LORD was intentionally deceiving Ahab to lead him to defeat in battle. He sent a deceiving spirit to convince Ahab’s prophets to lead him to defeat by telling him what he wanted to hear.
    3. Ahab was so used to hearing “bad news” from the LORD’s prophets, he knew that what he heard from Micaiah at first was not right.  (As an interesting side note, there was no way for Micaiah to win with Ahab, even when he tells him what he wants to hear.)
  • Do not overlook point 2, above. We often disregard the thought that the LORD would deceive someone, but he clearly does in this situation. It reminds me of when the LORD sent an evil spirit to harass Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). It is just something most of us as Christians don’t think the LORD would do, but it is there in scripture. We need to seek to understand who He is fully and take care not to define Him in our own minds as to what He will or will not do.  For some additional thoughts about the LORD using a deceiving spirit, consider Why did God use a lying spirit to deceive Ahab_ _ GotQuestions.org. 
  • Ahab puts Micaiah in prison as if to punish him or make him somehow change his mind to make Ahab win instead of lose. Once again, Ahab misses the point. Micaiah has no authority to change what the LORD has chosen.  He is only a messenger. Micaiah tries to make that point by emphasizing that if Ahab returns, then the LORD has not spoken through him.
  • We are probably all tempted to say that Micaiah was treated unfairly and why would Yahweh allow it? None the less, that is what happened. There is no guarantee that we get “fair” treatment from the wicked when we serve the LORD or we always get God’s protection to keep us from persecution. We are to serve Him anyway.

If I had to summarize to a key point for today’s scripture, I would probably highlight the failures of Ahab and warn each of us to take heed not to fall in that trap. Do not blame God’s messengers for bad things that happen to us. Instead, seek to repent and humble ourselves before God. God showed even Ahab mercy when he did so in 1 Kings 21:27-29. Seek godly advice, even when it may not be what we want to hear. Do not seek a bunch of people who simply tell you what you want to hear. Take accountability for our actions and the implications that has on our own lives.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Murder, Repenting from Sin, Stealing / Theft, Through Prophets, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Ahab and a Vineyard: From Coveting to Mercy and a Lot to Learn Along the Way

Whoever thinks the Bible is boring or out of date is not really paying attention to what it says and how it relates today. 1 Kings 21 records an action packed, and historically accurate, record of our LORD interacting with His people. We can at once be drawn in by exciting stories and also learn about our Creator and how to have relationship with Him.

In today’s scripture, we see clear example of how coveting leads us further and further in to sin. We see the LORD hates sin and does not just hold us accountable to wickedness as defined by what we ourselves do, but also what we accept and allow others around us or under our authority to do.  We see that even someone who has been very wicked, when they repent, can find mercy from our LORD with genuine repentance.  Finally, the scripture shows us that our sin can affect our family including future generations.

1 Kings 21

Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard

      1Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like, I will give you the price of it in money.” 3But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.

      5But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?” 6So he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

      8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. 9Now she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; 10and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

Jezebel’s Plot

      11So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. 12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

      15When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

      17Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19“You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.”’”

      20Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD. 21“Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; 22and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have made Israel sin. 23“Of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.’ 24“The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat.”

      25Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. 26He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel.

      27It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. 28Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.”

Reflect prayerfully on all this scripture has to offer us in understanding how to live our lives submitted to our LORD. Apply it to your life specifically. What are you doing well? What should you change?

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Idols / False Gods, Justice / Judgment, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Follow the LORD Wholeheartedly

I find it intriguing that Jeroboam, when tough time come, looks to YHWH through His prophet to seek help and clarity. However, when things are going ok for him prior to that he goes his own way, which was very bad and we can read more about by reading 1Kings 12 and 1 Kings 13.  Notice, the conflict within Jeroboam. He clearly must not think much of the prophet if he thinks he can fool him on who is asking the question, but at the same time he is drawn to him as he had properly prophesied about Jeroboam becoming king. Jeroboam seems to be trying to walk the fence… using YHWH when convenient but doing things his own way as seems beneficial to him.

As we quickly think about how foolish this may seem, let us take time to challenge ourselves that we do not also do likewise in our own lives. Do we go to church and claim the name of Yeshua when things suit us? Do we still do so when we face losing our job or getting harassed by people for our faith? Do we order our steps according to how the Bible instructs, even when it is not what we would like to do? If the Spirit guides us to do something that does not make sense to us, will we obey or rationalize that our way is better?

We also see in 1 Kings 14 how Jeroboam now faces consequences for his idolatry and rebellion against the LORD. We are all accountable before YHWH. It is just a question of when and how. To truly follow the LORD is to do so wholeheartedly, not sometimes “yes” and sometimes “no”. We should not take what YHWH tells us to do and then make our own version of it as Jeroboam did. That is idolatry. It does not go over well with the LORD. It is worth noting that we see no signs of repentance within Jeroboam after his mistakes… thus he remains in defiance against the LORD.

1 Kings 14: 1-20

Ahijah Prophesies against the King

      1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. 2Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise now, and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people. 3“Take ten loaves with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

      4Jeroboam’s wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that she will pretend to be another woman.”

      6When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman? For I am sent to you with a harsh message. 7“Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel, 8and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight; 9you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back— 10therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone. 11“Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat; for the LORD has spoken it.”’ 12“Now you, arise, go to your house. When your feet enter the city the child will die. 13“All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam’s family will come to the grave, because in him something good was found toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. 14“Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on.

      15“For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger. 16“He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin.”

      17Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died. 18All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

      19Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20The time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years; and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Idols / False Gods, Justice / Judgment, Lying / Deceiving, Obeying God, Spiritual Warfare, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

A King’s Idolatry in God’s Name and a Disobedient Prophet

1 Kings 13 has several important threads to pull on. The kingdom has just been divided between Rehoboam and Jeroboam due to Solomon’s rebellion against God, and Rehoboam’s arrogance and pride, mixed with some foolishness for listening to bad counsel instead of good counsel. Jeroboam set up his own altars and priests for the LORD, but this is truly idolatry as we do not get to change and adapt for our desires what the LORD has said… even if we still claim we do it for Him. Meanwhile, we also get an opportunity to explore the path of two prophets who are knitted together in this historical account.

1 Kings 13

Jeroboam Warned, Stricken

      1Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. 2He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3Then he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the LORD has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’” 4Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6The king said to the man of God, “Please entreat the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before. 7Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. 9“For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’” 10So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel.

The Disobedient Prophet

      11Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father. 12Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. 14So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16He said, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17“For a command came to me by the word of the LORD, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” 18He said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. 19So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

      20Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have disobeyed the command of the LORD, and have not observed the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, 22but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’” 23It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. 25And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.

      26Now when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him.” 27Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28He went and found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor torn the donkey. 29So the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. 30He laid his body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” 31After he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32“For the thing shall surely come to pass which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria.”

      33After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but again he made priests of the high places from among all the people; any who would, he ordained, to be priests of the high places. 34This event became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to blot it out and destroy it from off the face of the earth.

Clearly we see Jeroboam is warned in dramatic fashion about his sin and idolatry… and he refuses to repent. This is not a man who is truly pursuing the LORD, despite the actions of setting up a priesthood and altars in His name. He is going through religious activity but missing on the main point of being in relationship and obedience to God. He is doing things his own way and damaging the name or reputation of God in the process. There are people doing this very commonly throughout our culture today! We should prayerfully reflect and ask God to show us if and how we are doing this in our lives today, by rationalizing how we mix and mingle obeying God with other cultural influences or personal desires. We should submit to and serve God and God alone.

In regards to the prophet, we can explore many different aspects. We could get focused on why the old prophet who lied was not punished. Maybe he was. That is not the focus God wanted us to have from this historical account. He wants us to focus on the young prophet. He knew clearly and firmly that he was not to eat or drink in that place. He said so firmly to both king and the older prophet. He allowed himself to be deceived. He chose to go against what God had clearly told him. God held him accountable for that. When we are in a mature relationship with the LORD where He does miracles through us and brings His word clearly through us, He also has high expectations that we obey. In that case, He knows we clearly understood Him and then disobeyed.

It is not written, but one can easily imagine the role of Satan playing out behind the scenes here. I imagine him influencing the king to tempt the prophet. As we learn from Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, he always comes more than once and he gets trickier. You only defend by clearly understanding the word of God and obeying it. I can see Satan coming back with a trickier approach through the older prophet and he manages to get the younger prophet to disobey God and face the consequences. God sent the lion to cause death to the prophet. This was not simply the LORD removing his hedge of protection. The lion killed the man and then ate neither man nor donkey and just stayed there by the site where it happened. The LORD punished the prophet by bringing about his death.

If that seems harsh or makes us uncomfortable, then we should prayerfully reflect on it, but it is still true. Let us recognize that the LORD is to be respected and at times feared. That should encourage us in our obedience, in particular when He has clearly spoken to us what we are to do.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Arrogance, Consequences of Sin, Humility, Pride, Selfishness, Teachable, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Seek Guidance from the Wise, Not Those Who Echo What You Want to Hear

Seek guidance from those who are truly wise. Do not seek counsel from those who just tell you what they think you want to hear. Rehoboam sought advise from multiple sources. He did not seek the wisest advice, but rather the one that agreed with his opinion. We do not learn or grow wiser in this way. Nor is this counsel helpful as it is redundant. It would be fair, in this case to point out that YHWH caused this to come to pass to fulfill His word to Solomon about splitting the kingdom, but none the less we see that Rehoboam’s actions, whether led by YHWH or himself, still have the same result. His pride and arrogance and refusal to listen to wise advice were devastating. It is also fair to observe that Rehoboam was totally focused on himself and serving the LORD did not even come up. Compare that to David and Solomon when they started their rule. We can also conclude that Solomon, like David, did not appear to be a very good father. His children were a mess and totally lost. So too that Solomon’s heir was not following the LORD, as Solomon had turned away from the LORD also.

I suppose an equally powerful message for us to hear is that government, even kings, get their power by submission of the people to allow their rule. What makes this work is the ability of a people to have weapons of warfare, not self defense alone from robbers, so that they can stand up to a tyrannical government or king.  Once you give that up, then it is hard to remain free.

1 Kings 12:1-24

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

      1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). 3Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5Then he said to them, “Depart for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.

      6King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7Then they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. 9So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

      12Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” 13The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him, 14and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of events from the LORD, that He might establish His word, which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

 16When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the  people answered the king, saying,
“What portion do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;
To your tents, O Israel!
Now look after your own house, David!”
So Israel departed to their tents.

17But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

      20It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

      21Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, 24‘Thus says the LORD, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me.”’” So they listened to the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way according to the word of the LORD.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

If You Will Do as I Have Commanded…

The Bible is very clear, over and over again, New Testament and Old Testament… our relationship with our Father is not a one way, do as you like relationship. There is a blessing of obedience and a curse of disobedience, a promise and a warning.  How we live matters. There is much more to following YHWH through Yeshua than simply a two minute prayer at an altar call, even if it is totally genuine. If we truly submit to YHWH than our lives start to change as we learn more about His laws, statutes, and ordinances. He wants us to change to follow His instructions… all of them, as best we can. To bring the point further, following them as best we can means we continue to seek to learn more and then continue changing. It does not mean we simply obey the few items our church talks about or what we learned growing up. We seek Him in all of the Bible and apply it to our lives. We will have a richer and more joyful life and relationship with our Father.

Remember, it is not simply about “going to heaven”. It is about having relationship with Him even now in this life. If all you are interested in is “getting to heaven”, then that is very selfish and, ironically, you will likely not make it. We must genuinely seek relationship with our LORD.

1 Kings 9:1-9

God’s Promise and Warning

1Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all that Solomon desired to do, 2that the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3The LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 4“As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 5then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

6“But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 7then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8“And this house will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9“And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore the LORD has brought all this adversity on them.’”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fear / Reverence for God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Don’t Focus on the Bare Minimum “Required” to Please YHWH

Sacrifices are not always something we understand fully in our culture today. The end of 1 Kings 8 does however make one thing clear even for those somewhat unfamiliar with sacrifices… Solomon spared no expense or effort to honor YHWH. He was not concerned about what was the minimum required. He was focused on how to really honor YHWH in a big way. We would do well to adopt this attitude in our lives generally and not only at special occasions.

In fact, if we are always focused on doing the bare minimum to please YHWH, we will not be pleasing to YHWH. He looks into our heart and not just our actions. Solomon acted out of love and desire to honor YHWH. He did not act out of “requirement”. Our attitudes combined with our actions are what can be pleasing to YHWH.

1 Kings 8:62-66

Dedicatory Sacrifices

      62Now the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the LORD. 63Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. 64On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, because there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

      65So Solomon observed the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, for seven days and seven more days, even fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David His servant and to Israel His people.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.