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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Read More… from April 9, 2024 — Seven Days Without God Makes One Weak
Israel didn’t like Samuel appointing his sons, so they compounded the problem with kings and their sons! After a God-honoring reign of 41 years, “Asa…was buried with his fathers in the City of David,” and “Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place” (1 Ki 15:24). But before we read the story of Jehoshaphat, the narrative […]
Read More… from April 8, 2024 — The End Of The House Of Jeroboam
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you’” (Ps 122:6). Stalwart king Asa stood against his own grandmother when she introduced idolatry into the palace. Like so many Bible characters—Abel, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Jael, Abigail, David, even our Lord—he found opposition within his own house. Two commands seem to collide at […]