Jesus was “carried up” (Lk 24:51), “taken up” (Acts 1:9), “received up” (1 Tim 3:16). It makes me want to go up! Two Old Testament characters and two from the New were caught up into heaven without dying: Enoch and Elijah, Paul and John. Of course, Paul and John returned to earth and later passed […]
God loves boldness in faith. Have you “asked a hard thing” of Him lately? He specializes in the impossible. Having journeyed from Gilgal to Bethel, and from Bethel to Jericho, Elijah and Elisha came to the fords of the Jordan River, in sight of “fifty men of the sons of the prophets” who “stood facing […]
The towns that Elijah and Elisha visited were rich with memories and with life lessons as well. “So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah” […]
Don’t trifle with a God who “makes His messengers winds and His servants flames of fire” (Ps 104:4, WEB). Back so soon? the king wondered aloud. There wasn’t nearly enough time for his messengers to make the round trip to Ekron in Philistia. No, they responded. The trip had been aborted. “A man came up […]
The world’s governments have experts on everything. But who seeks the Wonderful Counselor? As we transition between the books of 1 and 2 Kings, we see a continuation of the same saga. What is the overall lesson from these books? It is certainly one of great significance to the nations of the West, encapsulated by […]
The highlights of a life can be expressed in a few lines—not what I say but whether I walk with God. About the time that Jehoshaphat was wonderfully delivered from the Syrian assault, a “man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor” (1 Ki 22:34). […]
The believer’s greatest danger is not found in times of persecution but in times of popularity. Rarely does a believer have only one warning when approaching danger. Circumstances, conscience, reason, memory, Scripture, experience, friends—all these and many more can sound the alarm. Jehoshaphat knew that Ahab and Jezebel were missionaries for Baal. He should never […]
Three years passed after Ahab got a glimpse into his future—years of God’s longsuffering grace. Over the next three years, the Lord held back the Syrians, Israel’s relentless foe. Then Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came to visit Ahab. This led Ahab to wonder how Jehoshaphat could be used to Israel’s advantage. He hadn’t discovered the […]