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  • 2 Kings 3

    2 Kings 3

    Read 2 Kings 3

    Moab Revolts

    3 Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

    4 Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”

    “I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

    8 “By what route shall we attack?” he asked.

    “Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.

    9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.

    10 “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”

    11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?”

    An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

    12 Jehoshaphat 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.

    13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”

    “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”

    14 Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. 15 But now bring me a harpist.”

    While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha 16 and he said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 17 For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. 19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”

    20 The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.

    21 Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. 22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. 23 “That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

    24 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. 25 They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.

    26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 27 Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.

    Go Deeper

    In 2 Kings 3 we are shown three different kings: Jehoram, Mesha, and Jehoshaphat. Jehoram was born of his father Ahab, who was an absolutely dreadful king. His own mother, Jezebel, was potentially even worse. Clearly we can see Jehoram did not come from a faithful, God-fearing family. In fact, he came from the complete opposite. It is mentioned that Jehoram was not as bad as his parents, but he was still a wicked king. He put away the pillar of Baal, but persisted in many other abominations. How many of us are like Jehoram? Maybe you come from a rough background (or maybe you don’t). At some point, we all compare ourselves to others and think, “As long as I don’t do as many sins as they do, I am good.” This is far from the Truth and far from the heart of God. There is no wiggle room for any of the sins that crucified our Savior to the cross.

    The second king we are introduced to is Mesha, king of Moab. During the reign of Ahab, Mesha would pay a hefty tribute to Israel. However, when King Ahab died, Mesha attempted to escape taxation. This was Moab’s chance to be free of the political and financial grip Israel had placed on them. Israel and Judah then joined together to defeat Moab because of their refusal to pay their tribute.This was unprecedented because Judah and Israel were separated due to civil war. The nation of Edom also joined in.

    During their trek to defeat Moab, Jehoram was filled with guilt as he cried out to the Lord. His sins that were discussed previously began to weigh on him heavily as those he marched with for seven days went without water. Jehoram thought that his previous sins would cause the downfall of himself and all those he marched with. While Jehoram was wallowing in his fear, doubt, and pity, Jehoshaphat sought out God in the midst of the challenges they faced. In the midst of chaos and distress, Jehoshaphat found a godly man (Elisha) and took the other leaders down to meet him.

    When the kings arrived to speak with Elisha they were met with strong words. It was made clear immediately that Elisha would have nothing to do with them, except for one thing: Jehoshaphat was with them. God would speak to them through Elisha because Jehoshaphat loved God and followed Him. Elisha then prophecies over the trio of kings that God will deliver their enemy into their hands and allow them to find water. Elisha shows them that God is in control of all things: water, nations, leaders, nature, everything. To no surprise, God came through. Water was found and the Moabites were delivered into the hands of the kings.

    However, at the end of this chapter we are met with a tragic reality: Once the king of Moab ran out of ways to kill the other armies, he offered his firstborn son as a burnt offering to be hung upon a wall. He was so desperate to not pay his tribute that he killed his eldest son. Disgusted, the three kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom left the battle and returned to their own lands.

    There are two takeaways here: The love of money will cause us to do unthinkable acts and God doesn’t halfway deliver His people; He fully delivers them. However, He requires us to keep moving forward when things look grim. God had delivered the Moabites into their hands, but when they saw the king of Moab burn his son, they returned to their own lands. When the world reacts in unimaginable ways, will you turn to God or to your comforts that God wanted to set you free from in the first place?

    Questions

    1. Are you currently comparing yourself to the sins of others or to the perfection of Jesus? Do you recognize you need a Savior every moment of every day?
    2. What has God fully delivered you from?
    3. What does God want to fully deliver you from now that might be uncomfortable?

    Keep Digging

    We see a reference in 2 Kings 3:3 to “the sins of Jeroboam.” What exactly were the sins of Jeroboam? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org to learn more.

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  • 2 Kings 2

    2 Kings 2

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    Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

    2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

    But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

    3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

    “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

    4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”

    And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

    5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

    “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

    6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”

    And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

    7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

    9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

    “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

    10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

    11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

    13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

    15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

    “No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

    17 But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

    Healing of the Water

    19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

    20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

    21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

    Elisha Is Jeered

    23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

    Go Deeper

    There is a lot going on in this chapter. We see Elijah’s final moments before his ascension into heaven through a whirlwind. We witness Elisha’s succession of Elijah’s ministry and prompt inheritance of ridicule, his miraculous act of cleansing the water of Jericho, as well as his cursing of young men who ultimately suffer a horrific mauling by two bears. There is a lot to digest and learn. For now, let’s look more closely at the important choices made by Elisha throughout the passage.

    It seems that the pending miraculous departure of Elijah was well-known, perhaps because of a prophecy that had been foretold. We aren’t sure, but multiple people are aware Elijah is about to leave. Three different times (at Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho) Elijah offered Elisha the opportunity to stop following him, but Elisha persisted. Similar to Ruth’s devotion to Naomi, Elisha repeatedly chose to follow Elijah until the very end. Not only did he love Elijah, he also desired to see his own faith confirmed by observing the miraculous acts of God to call his brother home.

    In the moment Elijah was taken in the whirlwind, Elisha was faced with another difficult choice. It’s important to recognize that Elijah’s ministry did not fall upon Elisha from heaven; he chose to pick it up when he retrieved Elijah’s cloak.

    Commentaries explain that the cloak was a special mark of a prophet, so Elisha’s choice to pick it up and put it on was a demonstration of his difficult and intentional decision to inherit the ministry of Elijah. True, Elisha was taking on a ministry of great power, but it came with a lot of pressure and responsibility. He willingly took up the cloak and continued the difficult ministry that would almost immediately result in persecution.

    Elisha already demonstrated wisdom when he chose to ask Elijah for a “double portion of the same spirit that worked through him.” Rather than ask for worldly riches or honor, Elisha desired to be filled with the Spirit that would qualify him for the service of God. He understood that he was going to serve the same misguided generation of people that Elijah had served and would therefore need the same spirit and strength that Elijah possessed.

    Like Elisha, we also have choices to make: Do we continue to follow God and His covenants or, like Israel, do we give into what is easy? When we are offered chance after chance to turn around, do we continue to follow Jesus until the very end so that our faith will be our eyes? When we can choose between worldly honor and riches or spiritual blessing, what do we choose? Each day, we are given dozens of opportunities to make a choice to stay firm in our faith. We also must decide to pick up the cloak and continue the ministry of those who led us to our faith. Acts 1:8 tells us that just as Elisha saw Elijah ascend and was then filled with his same Spirit, we now have the same Spirit available to us. We must be diligent each day, mindful each month, and yielding each year to the ministry we have chosen to pick up. Choose wisely today.

    Questions

     

    1. What choice are you faced with right now and how can you honor the Lord with that choice?
    2. How can you stay strong and diligent in your convictions? Do you need to seek wise counsel, spend time in prayer, and/or search the scripture? 
    3. Spend a few minutes in prayer asking the Lord to show you where you need to fight back against what is easy and instead follow Jesus.

    A Quote

    Just as Elisha would not leave Elijah until the very end, we must follow Christ to our last breath. Matthew Henry, the 17th century theologian and writer, said this: “Let not those that follow Christ come short by tiring at last.”

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  • 2 Kings 1 + Introduction

    2 Kings 1 + Introduction

    2 Kings Preview

    As a reminder, 1 & 2 Kings (much like its historical predecessor 1 & 2 Samuel) were originally one long book, later divided into two separate parts. While the author of this book is unknown, some scholars have guessed Ezra, Ezekiel, or Jeremiah as the potential author. Because it was compiled over a period of several hundred years from 973 B.C. to 561 B.C., it is likely that source material came from several people and it was eventually compiled into one long book by one (or potentially multiple) author(s). 

    The story arc of 2 Kings begins somewhere around 853 B.C. The kingdoms are still divided into two parts (Israel and Judah) and, as we’ll see unfold, the leaders of the kingdoms produced mixed results. As this book plays out, we’ll see the Babylonian Empire begin to assert its dominance to the point where God’s people no longer inhabited the Promised Land by the end of the book. Each of Israel’s kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. Some of Judah’s, on the other hand, remained faithful and even led Judah closer to the heart of God. Ultimately, however, it wasn’t enough to keep them from continuously violating the Mosaic Covenant outlined in Deuteronomy 28. 

    Each day as you open your Bible, take good notes. Read closely and carefully, paying special attention to the sequence of events that are unfolding before you. Try to visualize what’s going on in each chapter. That’s the fun of reading these Old Testament stories! Get to know these characters, both major and minor. What does each chapter in this book teach you about God’s character? What does it teach you about humanity? What are the implications for you today? These are the questions we’ll be seeking to answer over the next month as we continue reading the story of 2 Kings. 

    Interested in The Bible Project’s overview of 1 & 2 Kings? Click here to watch it! 

    Read 2 Kings 1

    The Lord’s Judgment on Ahaziah

    1 After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

    3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.

    5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”

    6 “A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’”

    7 The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?”

    8 They replied, “He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.”

    The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

    9 Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’”

    10 Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

    11 At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”

    12 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

    13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14 See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”

    15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

    16 He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” 17 So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.

    Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 18 As for all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

    Go Deeper

    Although this chapter appears to be the beginning of a new book, 1 and 2 Kings were originally one book together, describing the history of Israel and their relationship with God from King Solomon until the exile. Because of this, our chapter skips introductions and wastes no time getting to the action.

    Within the first few verses, King Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper room and becomes injured. Instead of turning to God, Israel’s king sends messengers to consult with a pagan god. The rest of this chapter describes the fallout of this choice of disobedience and rebellion. Elijah is sent by the Angel of the Lord to confront the messengers, and in turn, confront the king. He questions Ahaziah’s choice to turn to a pagan god instead of the one true God of Israel, and condemns him for it. In the end, Ahaziah dies, just as the Lord told Elijah.

    This story, like many in the books of 1 and 2 Kings, shows us the consequence of sin and rebellion. The Israelites were God’s people, and yet their leaders repeatedly turned from God. When we sin or turn to something other than God for true healing and comfort, we see that God is the only true source of joy and life, and other “gods” are just imposters, and will not satisfy our needs.

    We also can find a key takeaway in the part of the story where Elijah is called down from the hill by the king. The first two groups sent to retrieve Elijah were completely consumed by the fire of God. In these acts, we see God’s power and righteous anger on full display. For the final group, the Angel of the Lord commands Elijah to move toward what appears to be certain death or imprisonment at the hands of the enemy. While the other two groups showed the undeniable power of God, this last group shows his power in the face of scary circumstances. God worked through Elijah and protected him, killing the king after Elijah brought the message to him. Even when we are afraid and feel like we are in the hands of the enemy, we can still call on God to protect us and give us strength, and in time, we will see that he is in control and trustworthy.

    Questions

    1. This is Elijah’s last noted passage before being taken up into heaven. What was the most memorable miracle that he performed in 1 Kings?
    2. Would people in your life call you a man or woman of God? Why or why not?
    3. What are the “gods” in your life that you are tempted to turn to before God in times of pain?

    Keep Digging

    Click here to read an overview of the many kings of Israel and Judah, and their standing with God during their respective reigns of leadership. 

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  • 1 Kings 22

    1 Kings 22

    Read 1 Kings 22

    Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab

    22 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. 3 The king of Israel had said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?”

    4 So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?”

    Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

    6 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

    “Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

    7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

    8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

    “The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

    9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

    10 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 11 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

    12 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

    13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

    14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

    15 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”

    “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

    16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

    17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

    18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

    19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

    “One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

    22 “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

    “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

    “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

    23 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

    24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

    25 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

    26 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”

    28 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

    Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead

    29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

    31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” 32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “Surely this is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, 33 the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.

    34 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 35 All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. 36 As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!”

    37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. 38 They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared.

    39 As for the other events of Ahab’s reign, including all he did, the palace he built and adorned with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 40 Ahab rested with his ancestors. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

    Jehoshaphat King of Judah

    41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. 44 Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.

    45 As for the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 46 He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. 47 There was then no king in Edom; a provincial governor ruled.

    48 Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail—they were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 49 At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with yours,” but Jehoshaphat refused.

    50 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.

    Ahaziah King of Israel

    51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 52 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 53 He served and worshiped Baal and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.

    Go Deeper

    The final chapter of 1 Kings details a series of dramatic events that eventually leads to the tragic death of King Ahab. The main characters of this chapter are Ahab (the King of Israel), Jehoshaphat (King of Judah), 400 false prophets, and Micaiah (a prophet of the Lord). As we examine this passage of scripture, there is much that we can learn from these characters and how they respond to the truth of God’s word.

    We’ve already learned a lot about King Ahab’s character, and it’s no secret that he did not highly value God’s word. In reference to Micaiah (the only prophet of the Lord in this chapter who actually spoke the truth), Ahab said “. . . I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil” (verse 8). When confronted with the truth, King Ahab’s response was to blatantly disregard it and continue pursuing his own selfish desires.

    King Jehoshaphat appears to be a wise man when we are introduced to him at the start of this chapter. His initial response to King Ahab was to “inquire first for the word of the Lord,” as opposed to carelessly engaging in battle. He also was discerning enough to realize that the 400 prophets gathered by King Ahab were not true prophets of the Lord. Despite his wisdom, discernment, and rational thinking, though, when confronted with the truth that Micaiah presented from the Lord, he remained silent and still went along with King Ahab’s plans.

    The 400 prophets were not prophets at all.  They were simply telling Ahab exactly what he wanted to hear. We learn from Micaiah’s vision that they actually were lying spirits who the Lord allowed to speak deceit to Ahab ( verse 23). While these spirits were the antithesis of Truth, they were still subject to God’s authority.

    Finally we meet Micaiah, a true prophet of the Lord. When summoned by the King, Micaiah’s response (v. 14) was “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak.” When confronted with the truth, Micaiah was not afraid to speak it. He did not conform to the expectations of King Ahab, nor did he feel pressure to be influenced by the crowd of other prophets. 

    As you reflect on this passage, consider your response when confronted with God’s truth. Are you like King Ahab, determined to blatantly disregard it and continue on a path that will ultimately lead to destruction? Are you more similar to King Jehoshaphat, who is wise and discerning and inquires of the Lord, but ultimately follows the crowd instead of God’s truth? Have you turned from and spoken out against God for so long that he has given you over to your evil desires like he did the 400 prophets? Or are you like Micaiah, a man of strength and integrity whose only goal was not just to speak the truth of the Lord but to obey it?

    2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” May we strive to be like Micaiah who correctly handled the word of God’s truth.

    Questions

    1. When confronted with a situation, is your first response to start planning your own steps (like King Ahab) or to inquire of the Lord (like King Jehoshaphat)?
    2. Which character of this passage do you think you most align with when confronted with God’s truth?
    3. Read through Ephesians 6:10-20 and take note of the verses that address the importance of wearing the belt of truth.

    Keep Digging

    The fact that God used lying spirits to deceive Ahab can be confusing. To read more explanation about 1 Kings 22:19-23 and the sovereignty of God, read this article from GotQuestions.org.

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (1 Kings 16-21)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (1 Kings 16-21)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Keep Digging

    For a deeper dive on some of the stories we read this past week, check out Harris Creek’s sermon series on Elijah “Faith on Fire”! 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s 1 Kings 16-21 Family Guide!

  • 1 Kings 21

    1 Kings 21

    Read 1 Kings 21

    Naboth’s Vineyard

    21 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

    3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”

    4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

    5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

    6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

    7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

    8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote:

    “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”

    11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

    15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.

    17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

    20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”

    “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 21 He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’

    23 “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

    24 “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.”

    25 (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)

    27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

    28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

    Go Deeper

    So much of our journey through 1 Kings has been a deep dive into ancient Jewish history with chapter after chapter of compelling narratives, dynamic characters, and astounding events. Today’s reading is no exception! Let’s see what we can learn from the key players in this chapter.

    First, we have Naboth. When Ahab makes an offer on Naboth’s land, Naboth declines. “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” Naboth’s refusal to sell the land isn’t due to sentimental reasons. He is a righteous man who is attempting to keep God’s Law. In Leviticus, God established a law for Israel regarding family land rights. “No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another…” (Numbers 36:7).  In response to Naboth’s principled stance, Jezebel plots to take his land by force. Sadly, Naboth is falsely accused of cursing God and the king and is stoned to death. 

    The principles that govern Naboth’s life are the same principles that cost him his life. Obedience to God’s Word may not always require giving up your life, but it may look like sticking to God’s truth at the risk of being outcast or ridiculed.  

    Next, we have Ahab and Jezebel. “There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord . . . He behaved in the vilest manner . . .” As Israel’s king, Ahab would have known the law or had access to it. But he is a weak man and a weak king who only desires to satisfy his fleshly whims, with no regard for the law of Yahweh. Jezebel formulates a plan to tarnish Naboth’s name and get him killed. With the help of the city elders and two false accusers, her plan succeeds. Naboth and his family are killed, and Ahab takes ownership of the vineyard. Even though Jezebel does the dirty work, God holds Ahab responsible for this sin.  

    Sound familiar? In the Garden of Eden, God holds Adam accountable for Eve’s sin. Just as God holds Adam and Ahab responsible for the actions of others under their leadership, God also holds us accountable as well. Another way to understand leadership is to use the word “influence.” Your influence affects the actions of others and reflects on you. Therefore, be mindful to steward your influence in a way that honors God. 

    Finally, we have Elijah. Elijah is God’s man. He’s a bold truth-teller, ready to declare God’s justice. He prophesies the judgment of the Lord upon Jezebel and Ahab. In previous chapters, God has used Elijah to feed the hungry, raise the dead, and testify to God’s power. However, Elijah doesn’t shy away from his duties even when he knows he’ll be considered the “enemy.” He stands his ground and declares the word of the Lord. His obedience leads Ahab to a place of repentance and humility, and God’s mercy is shown in Ahab’s life.

    When there is an opportunity to be a bold witness, lean in and allow the Holy Spirit to guide those moments! The kindness of God is what leads us to repentance, and God’s kindness might just look like you being used to stir another person’s heart for Him. As you go through today, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and look for opportunities to respond as He leads.

    Questions

    1. What does this passage teach you about the character and nature of God? What does it teach you about humanity?
    2. What sticks out to you about Ahab’s repentance in this passage? 
    3. Do you take advantage of each opportunity to share the Gospel with each person you interact with? How can you be more intentional than you are today?

    Did You Know?

    Jezebel met a very unfortunate end. She was thrown off a balcony by her own servants and trampled by horses! 2 Kings 9 records that dogs came and consumed her body, eating everything but her palms, feet, and skull.

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  • 1 Kings 20

    1 Kings 20

    Read 1 Kings 20

    Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria

    20 Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3 ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’”

    4 The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.”

    5 The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6 But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’”

    7 The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”

    8 The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.”

    9 So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.

    10 Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”

    11 The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.’”

    12 Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: “Prepare to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.

    Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad

    13 Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

    14 “But who will do this?” asked Ahab.

    The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: ‘The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.’”

    “And who will start the battle?” he asked.

    The prophet answered, “You will.”

    15 So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. 16 They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. 17 The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.

    Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.”

    18 He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

    19 The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 20 and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. 21 The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

    22 Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”

    23 Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. 24 Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25 You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

    26 The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

    28 The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

    29 For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30 The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

    31 His officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

    32 Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”

    The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

    33 The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!” they said.

    “Go and get him,” the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

    34 “I will return the cities my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad offered. “You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

    Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

    A Prophet Condemns Ahab

    35 By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but he refused.

    36 So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

    37 The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him. 38 Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. 39 As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.’ 40 While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”

    “That is your sentence,” the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”

    41 Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.’” 43 Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

    Go Deeper

    Pride. Arrogance. Greed. Murder. Irreverence. All these sins and more are profoundly on display in today’s reading. The King of Aram (Ben-Hadad) and the King of Israel (Ahab) go head-to-head in a battle over nothing, essentially. Twice they fight and twice Israel should have lost, but won instead. One battle was fought on the hilltops, and one was fought in the plains, but both times Israel’s small army defeated their “Goliath.”

    But not by their own strength. Before each battle God speaks through an unnamed, faithful prophet and says, “And then you will know that I am the Lord.” Both battles were won by the Lord for the purposes of the Lord. Ahab, Israel’s king, wasn’t the good guy. 1 Kings 16:30 says that “he did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.” This war wasn’t even righteous or necessary. It was a foolish ego driven endeavor initiated by two prideful kings. The winning army, Israel, didn’t win because their king was smart or honorable or because the war was correcting an injustice. They won because God wanted to show His power and might to a group of foreigners, and even to his unbelieving King Ahab. In short, they won because God wanted to win. They won because God wanted to show that He is the true King.

    In this story we see God work through the flawed king Ahab, a small army, and an unnamed prophet. None of these people could have done what they did on their own: Ahab lacked courage, the Israelite army lacked people, and the unnamed prophet lacked the king’s respect. Yet, God worked through each one of them to show that only He gets the glory due His name. Just like He works through broken jars of clay to show us He is the Potter (2 Corinthians 4:7) and how He works through our weakness to show His perfection (2 Corinthians 12:9), here he works through ill-equipped armies and evil kings to show us His power. “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols,” Isaiah 42:8 says.

    God deserves the glory that is due His name. And one way or another, through whatever person and method He chooses, He will get it.

    Questions

    1. Do you think about the glory that is due God?  
    2. How are we to give God glory in all we do and say? 
    3. In what ways have you seen God move and work through your inadequacies and weaknesses? Remind yourself of His power and faithfulness today! Celebrate God!

    Keep Digging

    Check this article out for more information on the Glory of God.

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  • 1 Kings 19

    1 Kings 19

    Read 1 Kings 19

    Elijah Flees to Horeb

    19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

    3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

    All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

    7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

    The Lord Appears to Elijah

    And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

    10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

    11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

    Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

    Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

    14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

    15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

    The Call of Elisha

    19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

    “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

    21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

    Go Deeper

    Elijah, God’s bold, faithful prophet, has just experienced God’s spectacular display of power discrediting any semblance of Baal’s divinity. However, Elijah’s boldness and God’s response fuel a rage in Queen Jezebel that prompts her threat to kill Elijah. Elijah, fearing for his life, runs long and hard collapsing in exhaustion and despair, even asking God to end his life. Though Elijah expresses his zeal for the Lord, he is discouraged in the response of his people, the Israelites. Elijah is certain he is alone. In his weakness and terror, he seems to forget God’s faithful provision and protection of the past three and a half years. 

    It’s an incredibly human and relatable moment we see from Elijah. Let’s focus our attention on God’s merciful actions in Elijah’s time of personal, spiritual crisis. God never leaves Elijah in his fear or exhaustion. God provides for Elijah’s physical nourishment by gently awakening him with food. God nourishes him enough for a 40-day journey. Arriving at Mt. Horeb, God converses with Elijah, asking a question and listening to Elijah’s reply.

    God then reveals Himself, not in the spectacular display of power Elijah witnessed when confronting Baal worshippers, but in a gentle whisper. Even as Elijah answers with a discouraged statement, God encourages him by giving him tasks that usher in new leadership and provide for Elijah’s successor, Elisha. The Lord also assures Elijah that he alone is not the only Israelite who worships God. God has a remnant of 7,000 who are faithful to Him. 

    For any of us who face weariness, fear, doubt, or struggles that appear insurmountable, what encouragement there is! God is with us. He hears us. He cares. He provides. He tenderly and mercifully holds us in our times of greatest need. When our body, mind, and spirit is weak, Jesus reminds us to “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

    Questions

    1. What do you fear that needs a dose of “remembering God’s faithfulness” in your life?
    2. How has God encouraged you in times of discouragement or weariness?
    3. With whom might you offer a word or deed of encouragement today?

    Did You Know?

    The Mountain of God, Mt. Horeb, where Elijah hears God’s gentle whisper is the same mountain where God revealed Himself to Moses.

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  • 1 Kings 18

    1 Kings 18

    Read 1 Kings 18

    Elijah and Obadiah

    18 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

    Now the famine was severe in Samaria, 3 and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. 4 While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) 5 Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.” 6 So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

    7 As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”

    8 “Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”

    9 “What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10 As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ 12 I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. 13 Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

    15 Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”

    Elijah on Mount Carmel

    16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

    18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

    20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

    But the people said nothing.

    22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

    Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

    25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

    Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

    27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

    30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

    34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

    “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

    36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

    38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

    39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

    40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

    41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

    43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.

    “There is nothing there,” he said.

    Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

    44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

    So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

    45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

    Go Deeper

    This is one of the most action-packed chapters in all of 1 Kings! At the beginning of this passage, tensions are high as there has been famine in the land for three years. Similar to the famine found in 2 Samuel 21, God sometimes uses famines as punishment for Israel’s disobedience. Sometimes, this will lead people to repentance and to correct their wrongdoings (which also happens with King David in 2 Samuel 21). However, in 1 Kings 18:5 we see King Ahab continue to try to make due on his own by searching for “grass to keep the horses and mules alive.”

    Despite the death and strain the three years of famine has caused, Ahab’s hardened heart remains opposed to repentance. This is entrenched stubbornness and pride! At the beginning of chapter 17, Ahab was told that there would be a famine except by the word of God. Ahab knows who has the power to reverse the famine, but due to his pride, he would rather leave his palace and take on the role of a livestock caretaker than repent. The amount of shame Ahab had to endure lowering himself to such menial tasks speaks to the depth of his pride. Sadly, this toddler-like response is seen in our current struggles today when we try to fix things by ourselves when God has told us to turn to Him.

    Although Ahab and heretical prophets wouldn’t turn to God, God still had a plan for His people remaining in the land. As seen with Obadiah, some of the people in the land had not hardened their hearts, but they felt oppressed by the rulers and likely by the heretical prophets. God wanted to give them the courage and proof that He was still present and worthy to follow. He wanted their hearts even though he couldn’t have the hearts of their leaders. Elijah is called to meet with Ahab and help set up wonders for God to perform. 

    As with most wonders, God wanted there to be no doubt who performed this wonder. The watering of the burnt offering 3 times would have rendered the offering nearly impossible to light with fire. However, the fire that followed had strength beyond expectation engulfing the burnt offering and surrounding area. It was so impressive that the only explanation was “The Lord indeed is God.” Like Obadiah, God has asked us to follow Him even if God doesn’t have the hearts of the leaders over us. Obadiah’s time had prophets and miracles to give them courage and remind their people of God, but we have an even greater event in Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection!

    Questions

    1. What area of your life are you the most reluctant to seek out God in?
    2. To give yourself courage in pursuit of God, ask yourself the following question. How has God revealed Himself and His provision in your life?
    3. Like Obadiah, how are you trying to further God’s kingdom whether or not you are facing opposition or difficulty?

    A Quote

    In Chapter 18 of Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis explains the problem of pride:

    “Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind. . . . The Christians are right: it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. Other vices may sometimes bring people together: you may find good fellowship and jokes and friendliness among drunken people or unchaste people. But pride always means enmity–it is enmity. And not only enmity between man and man, but enmity to God.

    In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that–and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison–you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

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  • 1 Kings 17

    1 Kings 17

    Read 1 Kings 17

    Elijah Announces a Great Drought

    17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

    Elijah Fed by Ravens

    2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

    5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

    Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

    7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

    12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

    13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

    15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

    17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

    19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

    22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

    24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

    Go Deeper

    The wickedness of King Ahab, described in the previous chapter, is confronted by God through Elijah, the prophet. Elijah boldly announces to evil King Ahab that the living, present God of Israel will withhold dew or rain lasting for years, except by Elijah’s command. Elijah, with God’s guidance, is challenging King Ahab’s worship of Baal, considered to be the god of rain. As Elijah proceeds to obey God, his faith and trust grow. Facing isolation and drought in the desert, his physical need of nourishment is miraculously provided by ravens. 

    When the brook dries, God leads him to the widow who, with only a dwindling jar of flour and oil, provides food for him and her family. This miracle deepens his faith, his boldness and his dependence on Yahweh, the living God of Israel. It also confirms to others that he is a prophet of God. The miraculous resurrection of the widow’s dead son reveals Elijah’s powerful, honest prayer life and solidifies that he spoke the truth from God. Only God has the power of life and death, and this incident proves it to the widow and others. As God’s prophet for this time in Israel’s history, these miraculous experiences will provide the courage and faith Elijah required for events to come.

    God’s preparation of Elijah as His prophet in the wicked days of Israel is remarkable. Elijah’s strong faith and the sense of God’s power are palpable as this account develops. But how does this apply to us? Does God equip each of us for the call or task He gives us? The answer is yes! Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Can we approach God boldly and persistently like Elijah? The answer is, absolutely! Hebrews 4:16 says to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Let’s join Elijah in boldly seeking God’s provision and trusting His direction as we trust and obey.

    Questions

    1. Where are you lacking courage to pursue God’s direction in your life?
    2. For whom might you be prompted to boldly ask for God’s provision and mercy? Would you stop right now and pray for that person?
    3. How have you experienced God’s mercy as you’ve boldly approached His throne of grace?

    Did You Know?

    Elijah’s name means, “Yahweh is my God.” Even his name confronts the false god, Baal.

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