Author: Nicholson
Posts by Nicholson
April 18, 2024 — Who Troubled Israel?
One year. Two years. Three years had passed with cloudless skies, barren fields, and empty tables. After three arid years, had Ahab learned the lesson? Later, the Lord would say, “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities…yet you have not returned to Me” (Amos 4:6). Yes, “there was a severe famine in […]
April 17, 2024 — Life From The Dead
Meet the first one immortalized in the words, “Women received their dead raised to life again” (Heb 11:35). Each morning at the little house in Zarephath, the flour and oil brought fresh cause for thanks to the Lord. But then one day that changed. “It happened after these things that the son of the woman […]
April 16, 2024 — From Hand To Mouth
Learning to accept groceries from unclean birds prepared Elijah for his next stop—a Gentile’s home. Yes, it’s more blessed to give than receive, but I think it’s more humbling to receive than to give—as Elijah the mighty prophet was to discover— especially from a Gentile widow in Sidon! Her hometown of Zarephath means “refinery,” and […]
April 15, 2024 — Dry Up, Ahab!
Those who lead others into unbelief “are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest” (2 Pet 2:17). Seemingly out of nowhere, like a whirlwind from the wilds of Gilead, Elijah the Tishbite appears in the palace of Ahab and Jezebel. Dry up, Ahab! Dry up, Israel! Dry up, until you return to God, the […]
April 12, 2024 — God Means What He Says
People advertise themselves as a “Bible-believing church,” but we need to be “Bible-obeying.” In recounting the sins of Ahab, a solemn footnote is added: “In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word […]
April 11, 2024 — Degeneration Nation
Wicked king, wicked king, wicked king—could anything be worse? Oh yes, a wicked king with a wicked wife! In our saga today we come to something even worse than division among God’s people—Omri’s wicked son, Ahab, unifies with the Baal worshipers of Sidon! You can see the deterioration of the nation step by step. “Solomon […]
April 10, 2024 — Division Divided
Loyalty to the Lord will unite the people of God; loyalty to a man will always divide. You may recall that Zimri was commander of only half the charioteers (1 Ki 16:9). So when Omri replaced him, he had the loyalty of only half the people. Thus “the people of Israel were divided into two […]
April 9, 2024 — Seven Days Without God Makes One Weak
Anytime people get the chance to choose between tyranny and freedom, they choose freedom. It seems there were always two job openings in the kingdom of Israel: bold prophets to speak for God and executioners of God’s judgment on wicked kings. But the trend continues throughout history: the deliverer from tyranny is soon wearing the […]
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