Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
A Study in I Kings Week 22
The Verses
1-28 An agreement between Ahab and the king of Syria brought three years of peace. Ahab asked 400 false prophets whether he should wage war on Syria with Jehoshaphat’s army by hiw side. We know they were false prophets, because they worshiped idols and Jehoshaphat (a good king, who served the Lord God) didn’t like them.
A prophet who had been in prison, Micaiah, comes along and proclaims that the Lord would give them success.
The difference between a true prophet and a false prophet is that 100% of a true propher’s predictions come true.
29-40 Ahab's fundamental dishonesty and cowardice emerge in his proposal in verse 30. He disguised himself as a common soldier but insisted that Jehoshaphat wear his royal robe into the battle.
Ahab's disguise should have guaranteed his survival.
Verse 35 notes that Ahab's lifeblood ebbed from his body into the bottom of the chariot.
This detail is important because verse 38 mentions that the chariot was washed in Samaria after Ahab's body had been returned to his capital for burial. And as the chariot was being washed, the dogs licked up the blood of Ahab, fulfilling the word of Yahweh to Elijah in 1 Kings 21:19.
41-50 Jehoshaphat became the king of Judah (Southern Kingdom). He ruled 25 years and “did right in the sight of the Lord.” He followed the example of his father, Asa.
He died and was succeeded by Jehoram, his son.
51-53 Ahaziah , son of Ahab, became king of Israel. He ruled only two years. Like Ahab, Ahaziah was a wicked king and angered the Lord God.
So, what was the point of all of this?
1Kings systematically subverts all the institutions that Israel might be tempted to trust in.
Think that a wise king will preserve Israel's prosperity and peace? Take a look at Solomon.
Think that prophets will save Israel? They might, but no one listens to them.
Think that keeping the Law will save Israel? Take a look at Josiah, the perfect Law-keeper, who cannot save Judah from destruction.
Think that the Temple will save Israel? Tell me again about that heap of smoldering ruins on the mountain of Jerusalem.
When Israel breaks covenant, Israel dies.
And when Israel dies, neither king nor temple nor Torah can bring her back to life.
I and II KINGS AND THE GOSPEL
(We will get to II Kings in the near future, but in these paragraphs you will get a brief preview.)
1-2 Kings is a gospel text in part because it points Israel to her only source of hope, new life, and renewal: Yahweh. 1-2 Kings is also a gospel text because of what it reveals about Yahweh, God of Israel.
First, it reveals a God whose patience with His people is uncanny.
Yahweh warns Solomon that the temple will be destroyed if Solomon turns from Him (1 Kings 9), but several centuries pass before the temple is destroyed (2 Kings 25).
The man of God from Judah warns Jeroboam about a king named Josiah who will destroy Jeroboam's altar (1 Kings 13), but Josiah doesn't come for centuries (2 Kings 22-23).
Yahweh tells Elijah that He will raise up avengers to destroy the house of Ahab (1 Kings 19), but years pass before they appear.
Kings does not reveal a God with a hair-trigger temper; it reveals a God who is, if anything, irresponsibly indulgent toward His favored people.
Second, Kings reveals a God who is faithful to His promises to David's house.
Again and again, David's house is nearly destroyed.
The kingdom divides, and David's house is left with two tribes. Athaliah kills all the princes of the Davidic dynasty (2 Kings 11), but the Lord preserves Joash by the skin of his teeth. Assyria destroys Samaria (2 Kings 17) and threatens Jerusalem, but Yahweh delivers (2 Kings 18-19). Babylon destroys Jerusalem, but the last scene of 1-2 Kings shows Jehoiachin elevated above all the captive kings in Babylon.
Here is the gospel of 1-2 Kings: The long-suffering God of Israel will not leave David in the grave; on the third day, he will rise again. And Yahweh alone will have the glory.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A Study in I Kings Week 21
The Verses
1-7 The law said that nobody must make a permanent sale of his land. People must not pass land from tribe to tribe. (See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7.) Naboth was right to refuse the king.
If Naboth sold the field to the king, he (Naboth) would not be obeying God’s law. So this was not merely a business matter or an ordinary argument. Naboth could not obey the king, because such an action would be against God’s law. So Naboth firmly refused Ahab’s request. Naboth chose to stand for God.
Ahab was angry. He had everything that he needed. But he was not happy without Naboth’s vineyard. Jezebel promised to get the land for him.
She thought that the king should be like a god. If Ahab did not behave like one, she would!
8-16 During a trial the panel, or accused person, was placed on a high seat, in the presence of all the court; but as the guilty person was supposed to be unknown, the setting of Naboth on high among the people must have been owing to his being among the distinguished men of the place.
Naboth’s trial was like the trial of Jesus. In both cases, false witnesses said that they had spoken against God and the king. (See Luke 22:70-71; 23:1-3.) So, although Naboth was innocent, people killed him.
We can see that Ahab and Jezebel were becoming even more wicked. They were ready to use false (lying) witnesses to accuse people who upset them. And they were not afraid to kill an innocent man.
But God knew about their sin.
17-29 Elijah took God’s message to Ahab. This terrible announcement made a deep impression on the king's heart, and led, for a while, to sincere repentance. Going softly, that is, barefoot, and with a pensive manner, within doors, he manifested all the external signs, conventional and natural, of the deepest sorrow.
He was wretched, and so great is the mercy of God, that, in consequence of his humiliation, the threatened punishment was deferred.
Fact is, Ahab’s attitudes and actions seem unforgivable, but he had been strongly influenced by his Ba’al worshiping wife, Jezebel.
John wrote to a church where an evil woman was controlling some people. He warned the members of that church about her. They would suffer greatly if they continued to obey her. He called that woman by the name ‘Jezebel’ (Revelation 2:20-25).
True repentance leads to eternal forgiveness by God. But this only comes when we place our faith in and only in the finished work of Christ at Calvary.
There is a need for revival in the church today. That revival will only come when we admit that it is we who need it most. Then God can use us as He wants to use us.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
A Study in I Kings Week 20
The Verses
1-21 Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria
The scene shifts dramatically in chapter 20. God had told Elijah at Mt. Horeb that judgment was coming on Ahab. The anointing of Jehu was an announcement of the end of Ahab's reign. Chapter 20 describes the historical process that God began to use to bring about the end of Ahab's dynasty.
The king of Syria (Aram), Ben-hadad, laid siege to Ahab's capital of Samaria. Ahab is forced to pay tribute and it appears as if the entire kingdom might be lost.
Yet a prophet of God offers Ahab the opportunity to experience grace one more time. When Ahab responded positively, God gave the Syrian army into his hands and Israel won a great battle.
However, Ben-hadad was allowed to escape, and so further trouble lay in the future. Ahab failed to obey God by sparing Benhadad.
21-34 Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad
Ahab got his counseling from a prophet, Ben-Hadad from his servants.
It appears that Ahab had ignored the prophet's counsel, and Israel was not prepared for battle; their army was small. In a picturesque comment, the author of 1 Kings compared Israel's small army to two little flocks of goats dotting the hillside.
On the other hand, the Aramean army filled the whole country. As before there appears to be no military hope for Israel.
35-42 A Prophet Condemns Ahab. The judgment of God is pronounced upon Ahab (v. 42). God had wanted Ahab to punish Benhadad. Instead, Ahab made an agreement with him. This showed that he did not trust God.
As a result, Ahab died in a battle against the soldiers from Syria. Later the soldiers from Syria attacked the nation and it suffered greatly.
God is fair when he punishes people for their sins. Nobody will be able to say that He is not.
Sin is the basic problem with man. The realization of sin starts with an understanding of who God is: the Mighty, Sovereign, Righteous God of all that is.
When we understand His righteousness, we begin to see how depraved we are and how much in need of a Savior we are.
It is when we realize our depravity that we understand our need to repent.
Repentance is the beginning of salvation.
Salvation is the result of trusting in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary and His resurrection.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Saturday, May 07, 2011
A Study in I Kings Week 19
The focus of attention in chapter 19 is on Elijah. After two chapters of overwhelming prophetic success, after two chapters of seeing the hand of God at work in powerful ways, we might expect Elijah to be spiritually invincible. However, this chapter focuses on Elijah's depression and his inability to function spiritually at all.
The Verses
1-3 Here the circumstances leading to his spiritual crash landing are briefly described..
Ahab told Jezebel about the death of the 450 prophets of Baal. She responded with the kind of anger and hatred that is so characteristic of sin.
Never mind that the drought destroying her people had ended. Never mind that Baal's prophets had totally failed in the contest of Carmel.
Never mind the facts; Jezebel responded out of the self-centeredness of sin and she promised vengeance. She sent a messenger to Elijah with the grim promise that she would kill Elijah within twenty-four hours. Elijah's response was fear, flight, and depression.
4-18 Elijah is comforted by the angel of the Lord. When we see “an angel” in the Old Testament, the reference is to a messenger of God. When we see the angel of the Lord, most often the reference is to Jesus.
Because of the words of the text, it is not certain that this particular incident is speaking of Jesus, it may or may not be.
When asked his purpose, Elijah, like so many of us, points out his accomplishments, as if to impress the Lord. Then he whines that his “reward” does not match his contribution.
Verses 11-12 show us that God controls nature, but He is not nature.
The Psalmist tells us, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
God does not cause the disruption of the elements except when He has a specific lesson to teach, such as Jesus’ calming of the sea when the disciples were afraid. (Matt. 8:23-27)
Verses 15-17 speak of “anointing.” Anointing is used synonymously with appointment (Judges 9:8), and is applied to all named, although Jehu alone had the consecrated oil poured over his head.
19-21 Elisha the son of Shaphat—Most probably he belonged to a family distinguished for piety, and for their opposition to the prevailing calf-worship.
Elijah had been educated in the schools of the prophets, and the throwing on of the mantle was an investiture of the prophetic office. Elisha was being “ordained” as a prophet.
Elijah tells Elisha that he has been called by God, not man.
There are many ceremonies that we observe as institutes of man, not God. God does not depend upon those ceremonies. He calls whom He calls, quite apart from earthly “ordinations,” etc.
Elisha took care of his responsibilities and then followed Elijah as his minister.
In the New Testament, some men were fishing. They too did not hesitate when Jesus called
them. They left their nets and they followed Jesus. See Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20.
What about you. Would you leave what you are doing to follow Christ?
Monday, May 02, 2011
Sunday, May 01, 2011
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