Category Archives: Sin

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Miracles, Study the Word, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets

Seek Righteousness and Obey His Instructions

The Bible is anything but boring. Chapter after chapter, king after king, the adventure of the historical record takes some surprising turns.

2 Kings 3 shows some interesting aspects. There is an Israelite king who has turned from Yahweh and does things in the way of his parents instead. There is a more righteous king, working alongside the first that sets the example of seeking out the prophet of Yahweh. There is an uprising, or rebellion, and a war. There is a miracle to provide water. And at the end there is a bit of mystery about exactly why the attacking armies decided to call off the siege after the Moabite king sacrificed his own son on the wall of a besieged city.

2 Kings 3

Jehoram Meets Moab Rebellion

      1Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal which his father had made. 3Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

      4Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. 5But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6And King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8He said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

      9So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them. 10Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 11But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?” And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” 12Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

      13Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you. 15“But now bring me a minstrel.” And it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 16He said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ 17“For thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. 18‘This is but a slight thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also give the Moabites into your hand. 19‘Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’” 20It happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

      21Now all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And all who were able to put on armor and older were summoned and stood on the border. 22They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23Then they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!” 24But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites arose and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land, slaughtering the Moabites. 25Thus they destroyed the cities; and each one threw a stone on every piece of good land and filled it. So they stopped all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left its stones; however, the slingers went about it and struck it. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him 700 men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. 27Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.

If I am to highlight one or two things for consideration, there are many, I suggest we look at the response of Elisha when the kings ask of him about the battle. Elisha  basically says to the king who was leading people in sin and doing things in the way of his parents (somewhat) rather than Yah’s way that he would not even talk to him if it were not for the righteous king with him.  It is good for us to be around righteous people to be sure. It is better for us to learn and adapt our lives to follow in their righteous example. Do not expect Yahweh to just fix your problems when you call on Him if you insist on living according to your own path rather than His.

I also see this as a good example to demonstrate some online tools for additional study. Consider verse 27 where it says after a sacrifice to a false god, “there came a great wrath against Israel” that leads to the attacking armies leaving. I include a link to a parallel commentary view which you can review in BibleHub.com (and other great websites have similar resources).

One final thought… to experience the miracle of water, the armies had to obey the instructions of the prophet, even though they may have seemed strange. The same trenches used to catch water, was used to lead the Moabites into a trap by the LORD. Obedience, even when it does not make sense, is key to experiencing all that Yahweh has for you.

Seek righteousness, seek relationship with the LORD and obey His instructions and things will go well with you.

Shalom (“peace” in Hebrew)

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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.

Murder, Pride, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Selfishness, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil

What Can We Learn from the Death of John the Baptist?

There are four perspectives through which I want to view and reflect on the death of John the Baptist, perhaps five. Read through the scripture and I will meet you after with some additional comments.

Matthew 14:1-12

John the Baptist Beheaded

      1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, 2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

      3For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.

      6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8Having been prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. 10He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12His disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.

Let us reflect on this scripture from the perspective of John the Baptist, Herod, Herod’s wife, and her daughter. I will not go very deep in any one, but rather focus on getting you started. You can reflect more deeply and build out the positions and reflect on it. Human nature has not changed. This is still relevant to what we face today and how we react.

John is perhaps the easiest to summarize. He boldly proclaimed the truth of Yahweh and Messiah Yeshua even at his own personal expense. He did not compromise. He did not ignore sin if it was from powerful people. He was a prophet and submitted servant of Yahweh. He was willing to face persecution, even die for his faith and submission to the Father.

Second, let us reflect from the perspective of Herod. He was fearful of the people even as he was ruler. He was weak as a leader, at least in this situation. He lacked the courage to kill John or perhaps had the wisdom to spare John based on concerns for how the people would react. Either way, how weak can you be to change your mind and kill him because of someone dancing in front of you? Seriously. I get the whole promise thing, but before we give him too much credit remember he was fine with murder to not break a promise! By the way, why even get yourself into that situation with such an open ended offer to the young lady who asked for the head of John the Baptist. Do not miss that there is likely some pride factoring in here as he did not want to look bad in front of dinner guests. He made bad decisions and did so for bad reasons.

Herodias was consumed by hate for John. She did not like what he had to say about her relationship with Herod. She held a grudge. It was not enough that he was in jail and she was married to the ruler doing as she pleased. She has to get even. Think about the fact that she was so selfish. She could have encouraged her daughter to get something else which could have been of real value and benefit to her. Nope. She selfishly demanded to kill John, which benefits her daughter absolutely nothing.

Herodias’ daughter was trying to please her mom. I get that. I do not know how old she is at this time, but she failed to exert her own good judgment to not murder someone. She could have asked for something really beneficial to her, but did not. She is an example of how much power and influence parents can have over their children. That can be a good thing, but not in this case with Herodias as the mother. The disregard for John’s life and the waste of an opportunity to get something of real value is evidence of a child who is well on her way to being like her wicked mother.

The last perspective… consider it all from God’s perspective. With whom was He pleased? With whom was He disgusted? Why? If John would have changed his testimony to save himself, would God have been more or less pleased? I think God was pleased with John. He would have been disappointed if John would have changed to save himself.

Now, the final part… let’s think through the different aspects of this message today and apply it to our lives. Are we fully devoted to serve and please the LORD? Are we selfish and prideful, letting others influence our choices for sake of our image? Are we vindictive and pursuing revenge rather than mercy? Are we consumed with hate or can we move on gracefully when someone does something we do not like or agree with? Are we willing to hear criticism from another’s perspective and consider it? If we are trying to please others, do we use good judgment and do what is right even if it is displeasing to them? Do we remember to please God first?

We are free to choose our way, but we are not free from the consequences of our choices as it relates to our relationship and righteousness (or not) before our Father.

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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.

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Miracles, Miracles, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Do You Want a Blessing or a Curse?

Yahweh’s prophets are not to be taken lightly. The seem to be given significant power and authority in and of themselves without having to go ask Yahweh first in every case. There is no indication that Elisha went to God to ask for a response to the mockers or the stream. He spoke on the LORD’s behalf and had authority to curse or bless on His behalf.

At some level, 2 Kings 2 reflects the overall choice we have in serving God and being blessed, or rejecting Him and being cursed. We should take it seriously, though clearly our culture at large does not.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

    26“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

2 Kings 2:15-25

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

      15Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16They said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. 18They returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

      19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” 20He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.’” 22So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

      23Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. 25He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Ask me if I want a blessing or a curse? Blessing, of course. But if we truly want that then we need to seek and submit to Yahweh through Yeshua. We build relationship and we will want to live according to His ways to be pleasing to Him. He cares how we live.

Ask most folks if they want a blessing or a curse, and they will say blessing. Look at how they live their lives, and in many cases you will see they are selecting the opposite answer and may not even realize it.

Prayerfully reflect on this before Yahweh. Ask Him to help you see any gaps in your relationship with Him, any areas where you are not choosing Him and His ways. Then change in those areas.  Pray for others as well.

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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, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Fear / Reverence for God, Heaven and Hell, Justice / Judgment, Parables, Seeking God, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil

Fishing with a Drag Net… Some Will Be Discarded, Others Saved

The last parable in Matthew 13 is very similar and consistent with the earlier one of the wheat and the tares. We can see that there is a mixture of good and evil upon this earth. At the end of the age they will be separated and the wicked thrown into the fire. This is real. Take is seriously. Do not simply read over it too quickly and miss the importance of what is said.

Matthew 13:47-52

A Dragnet

     47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49“So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

      51“Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” 52And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

We have an opportunity now to pursue and submit to our LORD while we yet live. So, too, we have the opportunity to witness to and serve others in His name, to love others in His name. Let us pursue this as the priority in our lives and rejoice in our relationship with Him.

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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, Obeying God, Parables, Satan, Seeking God, Spiritual Warfare, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil

The Tares Among the Wheat – Spiritual Warfare is Real

The parable of the wheat and the tares is very interesting. This is another example of a parable that Yeshua explains directly to His disciples. It can give us some good perspective to understand those around us that seem so completely lost and far from God. It is because they are far from God. In fact they are not even “wheat”, but “tares”.

Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43

Tares among Wheat

      24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25“But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26“But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27“The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28“And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29“But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Tares Explained

      36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40“So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43“Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The wheat and the tares serve different masters. We should not expect them to align, but to be at odds with one another. The tares look like wheat at first, but as they mature and bear fruit one can tell the difference.  They can not simply “get along” side by side. The tares, like weeds, will not be satisfied until they crowd out the wheat and inhibit its growth or choke it out all together.

Additionally, do not neglect the reality that we have an enemy in Satan and that spiritual warfare is real. (For more on spiritual warfare consider our teaching, Spiritual Warfare.)

There is an excellent study on this topic from Shoreshim Ministries by Bill Cloud from 2018. It comes as podcast in 4 parts at Returning to our Roots with Bill Cloud. Scroll down to see part 1 of the Wheat and the Tares and then go in order from 1 to 4.

Additionally, the Barnes Notes Commentary, on BibleHub.com, draws out some additional thoughts around the wheat and the tares.

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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.

Children, Idols / False Gods, Parenting, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Wickedness / Evil

Parents Influence Their Children… for Better, or for Worse

Parents have great influence on the direction in which their children will go.

Provers 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

We have been reading about Ahab, who was a wicked king and more recently about Jehoshaphat as they joined in war against Aram. We see in 1 Kings 22 now a transition in leadership and we have a chance to reflect on a broader view over the life and reign of two kings.

1 Kings 22:41-53

The New Rulers

      41Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. 44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

      45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46The remnant of the sodomites who remained in the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the land.

      47Now there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. 48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. 49Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place.

      51Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. 52He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 53So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.

Ahab was wicked. He blamed others, God’s prophets in particular, for the punishment he received from God. Thus, he did not sustainably repent and transform his life and continued to run up against God. We see now his son, Ahaziah, follow in his footsteps and do evil in the sight of the LORD. We should not be surprised as he would have grown up with Ahab and Jezebel as his examples to follow.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jehoshaphat followed the ways of his father, Asa, who did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He even chased the remaining sodomites out of the land, which was good. However, we see where he, like his father before him, accepted the altars in the high places, where people burned incense and made sacrifices, which were not pleasing to the LORD.

In this entire scripture passage we see the strong impact that parents have on their children. Where we set an example of unrighteousness, our children will follow. If we want our children to be righteous in the eyes of the LORD, then so must we be in order to set that example. If we “mostly” or “somewhat” serve the LORD, do not expect our children to do more. If we accept some sin, likely our children will also.

Prayerfully reflect on the example you are setting for your children, or if you have no children, for others around you. What sin are you accepting in your life? What are you going to do about it? Ask God to help you identify changes you need to make and to make those changes. Don’t dismiss wickedness as that stuff people like Ahab do, who reject God. Recognize that folks like Jehoshaphat, who was pleasing to God,  also do things they should not. It would be better had he torn down the altars on the high places.

All of us, whether we are Ahab or Jehoshaphat, have sin that we can turn from still remaining in our lives. Let us seek to be fully pleasing to 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.

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.

All Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

Should We Demand a Sign that Yeshua is Messiah?

Many desire signs and wonders in order to believe in Christ. Though at times He brings many signs and wonders, clearly He wants us to look back to the signs and wonders already done! Were the miracles of Yeshua recorded in the gospels not enough? Was it not enough that He died and rose again with so many witnesses? Why would we assume anyone will really accept a new sign and wonder as proof if they disregard what He has already done?

Matthew 12:38-45

The Desire for Signs

      38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42“The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

      43“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44“Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45“Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Let us pray for those around us that they would have the spiritual blindness lifted from their eyes. May they see and accept the truth and the evidence that has already been laid before us. Let it move us as a people to accept Christ as Messiah and repent from our wicked ways. This is not just a message for those who outright reject Christ. This is also a message for those who claim to accept Christ, but do not live submitted to Him, continuing to live as they please and as culture dictates.

Another example of Christ teaching this fundamental truth can be found in Luke 16:19-31, culminating in the final verses as follows:

 29“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30“But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Lagniappe – a little something extra…

Another interesting detail in this passage is often overlooked. Clearly Yeshua states that He will spend 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb. This totally shows that the common misconception that Christ died on a Friday and rose on a Sunday can not be the case. This premise is based on an assumption that when Christ died, it was directly before a weekly Sabbath, which started on Friday night. That does not match up with 3 days and 3 nights in Matthew 12. The most likely explanation is that Yeshua died on a Thursday, in advance of a Sabbath associated with Passover which would have started Thu night that year. Then the weekly Sabbath would have followed on Friday night to Sat night. Sunday would have been the first opportunity for His followers to come to the tomb, and they did. One can even reflect on the fact that Yeshua waited until after the Sabbath to rise. This may not seem like a major point, but I am always interested to try to fit the puzzle pieces together to get a better fit in understanding what actually happened and how it contrasts to what we are often taught today.

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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.

Controlling Thoughts, Discerning / Judging, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Holy / Set Apart, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Self Control, Wickedness / Evil

Words Reveal Character as a Fruit Reveals the Tree

In just a few short verses, there can be much to unpack. Sometimes it helps to focus on a few at a time. The fruit reveals the tree. If I see apples, I know it is an apple tree and not an orange tree. So, also, with people who are good or evil. We can, with some degree of effectiveness, judge someone by their fruit (e.g. by their actions and attitudes).

Matthew 12:33-37

Words Reveal Character

      33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 36“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

It may seem harsh to say that our words will justify or condemn us, but in a very clear sense, the point is that our words are simply an overflow of our heart. Words are obviously very important as well, as they can cause much hurt or much good.

Pray for wisdom and restraint over your own tongue. Pray for a pure heart such that what overflows is likewise pure.

To us a personal example, there was a time in my life when I never used curse words. As I went to college I started allowing myself to use them now and then, “but not as bad as others”. With this rationalization, I walked into a trap. Now, decades later, having sincere desire to completely forgo this type of language, it still slips out at times. It is a failure on my part, but I share it as an example that when we allow ourselves to lower our standards and we let our guard down on what is right, we let in impurity to our heart. It can be very hard to get that back out completely. Best to defend against ever accepting it in the first place.

We do well to truly focus on filling ourselves with what is good and pure. In this way, that is all that will come back out. If you, like me, have already allowed impurity in, then ask God’s forgiveness and His help to purify you and be sure to defend yourself. Whether it is bad words, or lashing out in anger at people, or lusting after others, defend your purity. Avoid any additional exposure to these things. Do not let them in your mind anymore and ask God to help purge them and purify you. Focus on what is good and pure. Let that fill you up inside and then that is what will overflow.

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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.