Monday, June 30, 2014

You baldy head

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 2:19–25, “And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.”

Once the trainee prophets realised that Elijah had, in fact, gone up to heaven and wasn’t going to be there any more, they brought their problems to Elisha. They lived in an area near the Dead Sea where the water was salty and the ground was barren from the salt. Apart from that, the place had a very nice outlook. Elisha told them to bring him a container of salt and he poured the salt into their water supply. After that, miraculously, the water turned fresh and the land was no longer barren. These people were able to grow decent crops and make a good living from there land. Elisha set off to go north. As he was leaving that place some young men came and started to mock Elisha and blaspheme against the Lord. They said, “Go up you badly head.” Elisha had shaved his head in mourning for Elisha’s entry into heaven. They were mocking him for saying that Elijah was dead and had gone up to heaven. In reality they were telling Elisha to go up to heaven himself before they would believe that the Lord had taken Elijah up to heaven. This was a serious case of blasphemy against the Lord God of Israel and the Lord punished them Himself. The Lord didn’t wait for the religious or civil leaders to judge and punish these young men because He knew the serious state of moral and religious decline that had taken hold of Israel. The Lord brought bears out of the bush and the young men were killed, according to the Law of the Lord. Elisha went to Carmel, the site of Elijah’s challenged to Israel to serve the Lord and then he went to Samaria, where he was to continue his ministry against the severe religious decline in Israel.
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The prophet's coat

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 2:13–18, “He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?”

The fearless and rugged prophets who brought the Lord’s message to Israel during the time of their spiritual decline were extremely courageous men. Imagine what a person could expect today if they went to a prosperous nation full of self satisfied and self righteous people and told them that they are sinners. That is just about the best way to get a good hard hit in the head. Well, the Lord’s prophets in Old Testament times were like that. Many of them were beaten and treated with scorn, some were also killed for their obedience to the Lord. Some of these brave people are mentioned in the New Testament. (see Heb 11:32–38, “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”) Many of there courageous prophets wore rough coats as a uniform showing their dedication to the Lord. Elisha noticed that Elijah’s coat had fallen down from the chariot of fire so he took that coat and assumed his position as another one of the fearless servants of the Lord by wearing the uniform. He came back to the Jordan River, called out to the Lord, Elijah’s God, struck the water with his prophet’s coat and crossed the river bed just like Elijah (and Joshua with Israel many years before) had done. When the trainee prophets, the men who were training in the prophet school saw Elisha they were worried about Elijah and wanted to look for him. Elisha told them not to because he knew that no one would ever find him as he was in heaven. However the students persisted so that Elisha let them go but they didn’t find Elijah or his body.
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A chariot of fire

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 2:9–12, “And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.”

Elijah had been a fearless and powerful prophet who had dedicated his life to serving the Lord. He had paid a high price for this service but had done great things for the glory of the Lord. He had even prayed and the Lord stopped the rain for three years. In spite of Elijah’s great dedication and faith, Israel refused to submit to the Lord and continued in their rebellious ways. However, Elisha knew that he had been called to keep Elijah’s work going and wanted to have some of the power that the Lord had given to Elijah. When Elijah asked Elisha what he would like, Elisha asked for a double portion of the older prophet’s powerful spirit. The double portion belonged to a firstborn son who was to carry on the family name and traditions. (We can see this from Deut 21:17, “But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.” where the firstborn son had inheritance rights that his father could not abrogate) Elijah was going back to the Lord and Elisha wanted to carry on the great work that he had done with the same power so he asked for this double portion. Elijah told Elisha that he would receive this special gift if he watched the old prophet right to the end. As the two men walked along the road, a chariot of fire came from heaven and Elijah was taken away. Elisha had remained attentive to his Moses to the very end and witnessed the entire event. As Elisha looked up into heaven he called out, “My father, my father!” because Elijah had been a spiritual father to him. Elisha tore his clothes as a sign that he was mourning for the loss of his spiritual father.
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Tarry here

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 2:1–8, “And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.”

Elijah was the great prophet sent to warn Israel of their sin before they finally slipped away from the memory of their relationship with the true God of heaven. After Ahab they had fallen so badly into sin that they were just like any of the other nations without knowing the Lord God. However, once Ahab was dead Elijah had finished his job and the Lord was ready to call him away to heaven so that he could rest from the huge task of fighting all the evil forces that had taken control of Israel. By that time, Elisha was following Elijah as a trainee prophet and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with Elijah so that he would receive the best possible preparation that he could. The Lord already knew how Elijah would finish his life but no one else knew. On the other hand, Elisha was dedicated to serving Elijah and learning from him for as long as he could. At that stage, everyone understood that Elijah was very close to the end of his life. Elijah asked Elisha to wait while he went further but this was just to test Elisha’s perseverance and Elisha understood this test so he remained with his Moses (Moses trained Joshua to take his place and Elijah was doing the same thing with Elisha). A few more people tried to keep Elisha from following Elijah to the very end but Elisha wouldn’t turn back. After all, the Lord told Elijah to call Elisha and Elisha heard the Lord’s call so he was determined to keep faith with the promise that he made to the Lord when Elijah called him. Elisha knew that this call was special because Elijah wrapped his prophet’s coat around Elisha’s shoulders when he let Elisha know that the Lord was calling him. Elisha persevered in spite of many temptations to leave Elijah and take things easy. When the two men came to the Jordan River, Elijah struck the water with the his coat and the water parted to let them go through.
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Friday, June 27, 2014

A wise captain

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 1:9–18, “Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.  And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?”

Ahaziah made the assumption that he was king and that everyone in his kingdom must obey him. He forgot that the Israeli king only ruled under the Lord’s authority. He sent a captain with a company of soldiers giving the captain all his royal authority to bring Elijah to Samaria. Elijah was the Lord’s prophet so he served a higher authority than the king. When the first captain came in the king’s name he ordered Elijah to come and see the king. In order to show that the Lord had greater authority than the king Elijah called on the Lord to ring fire from heaven and that company and their captain were consumed. The same thing happened to the second captain and his company of soldiers. This wasn’t just a case of gratuitous violence but was done in the context of Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab at Mount Carmel. In that case, the Lord had brought fire from heaven to show that He is the true God while Ahab’s god of fire was just a fake. Because the captains had come believing in a god that had recently been proved to be false, Elijah demonstrated to them and the entire nation, that there is one true God in heaven and Elijah was the servant of the true God of heaven. The third captain understood the truth and begged Elijah to save his life. This captain knew that Elijah served the true God and treated the prophet with the respect that the Lord deserved. Elijah castigated Ahaziah causing after false gods and forgetting the first commandment and that he would die as a punishment. Ahaziah’s son was called Jehoram, who reigned as king after his father’s death. Another Jehoram, Jehoshaphat’s son was also the king in Judah.
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Enquire of Baalzebub

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 1:1–8, “Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

King David originally conquered Moab but by this time Moab decided that Israel was in such disarray that they could afford to rebel against their overlords and become independent. Such was the reduced state of the formerly great but now divided kingdom. Ahaziah, the new king of Israel was looking out of one of the windows in his harem, which had windows covered with lattice so that no one could see in. He was badly hurt and sent messengers to the gods that his mother worshipped to see if he would be well again. Previously, when Jeroboam’s son was ill he sent a messenger to see a prophet who served the true God of heaven but Ahaziah had slipped so far away from the Lord God that he didn’t even think about consulting the Lord. As the messenger left to consult Baalzebub, Elijah found the messenger and told him that Ahaziah would surely die of his injuries. When the messenger came back, Ahaziah asked him why he was so quick and he messenger said that he met a prophet along the way. Elijah was a rugged individual who lived in the wilderness, most of the time, and dressed in rugged outdoor clothes. The messenger described Elijah to the king and the king knew that it was Elijah who had given a message from the Lord.
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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Jehoshaphat

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 22:41–53, “And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places. And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land. There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king. Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber. Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.”

Early in Ahab’s reign as king of Israel, Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Israel. He was a good king who followed the Lord all the days of his life. He made sure that the Lord was the official God of Israel and that the Temple ceremonies were followed according to the Law of the Lord. However, there were still some people who secretly followed their old religions. They followed the old fertility religions of the people who had lived in the Land before the Lord gave the Promised Land to Israel. Jehoshaphat wanted to send ships to the land of Ophir, where Solomon had been able to obtain great quantities of gold but the ships were wrecked in the Red Sea before they could go to Ophir. King Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, wanted to send another expedition for gold but Jehoshaphat said that he didn’t want to do that. After 25 years, Jehoshaphat died and was replaced by his son Jehoram. On the other hand, Ahaziah, king of Israel was an evil king and followed in his father, Ahab’s footsteps. Ahab had taken Israel to a new level of sin and Ahaziah made no effort to take them back to obedience to the Lord.
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A random arrow

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 22:29–40, “So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

The kings of Judah and Israel went, with their armies, to take Ramoth in Gilead from the Syrians. When they arrived at the place and were ready to go into battle, Ahab told Jehoshaphat that he would go in disguise while Jehoshaphat went in his kingly battle dress. It is hard to image why Jehoshaphat agreed to such a request without, at least, being a bit suspicious. Perhaps Jehoshaphat was pure hearted and assumed everyone else was too. (Titus 1:15, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”) On the other hand, Ahab knew that there was history between himself and the Syrians so he was hoping that they would go to Jehoshaphat and he would be saved. When they went to the battle thirty two of the Syrians officers were committed to killing Ahab. This was the reward that Ahab earned for himself when he let Benhadad go after an earlier victory. The officers when straight to Jehoshaphat and tried to kill him but Jehoshaphat cried out, probably to the Lord. The officers realised that they weren’t attacking Ahab so they let the other king go. One man had a spare arrow so he just shot it in the air at random and the arrow hit Ahab between the joints of his armour so he was mortally wounded. When it was evening time everyone went home because it was hard to fight a battle in the dark.  Ahab died in his chariot which came back to Samaria. They buried Ahab with honour as a king and washed out his chariot. The dogs licked up his blood just as they had licked up Naboth’s blood. Ahaziah, Ahab’s son became king instead.
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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Lord hasn't spoken by me

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 22:15–28, “So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.”

When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him whether they should go to war or not. Micaiah knew what Ahab wanted to hear so he told him to go and fight. Ahab knew that the message hadn’t come from the Lord, deep down he must have known that he was in conflict with the Lord. When Micaiah gave the message he said that Israel would be soundly defeated in battle and left leaderless. Micaiah went on, further, to say that he had a vision of the Lord in heaven with his angels and the Lord asked the angels who would persuade Ahab to go into battle and be killed. One spirit said that he would come down and teach all Ahab’s prophets to lie. We read about a similar situation in the beginning of Job’s history. In that case the Lord was speaking with his angels and Satan came to that meeting a spoke to the Lord, making lies for the Lord, however the Lord didn’t believe those lies. In this case the spirit went to Ahab’s prophets and told them to lie. They had no understanding of the true God of heaven and were easily taken in by the lies. When Micaiah told the king about this vision, from the Lord, the other prophets were enraged because they didn’t want to lose their positions of influence. One of the leading prophets hit Micaiah on the cheek but Micaiah told him that he would see the truth of this prophecy. Ahab told one of his administrators to put Micaiah in prison until they came back from the battle. Micaiah told everyone that if Ahab wasn't defeated then the Lord wasn’t speaking through him.
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Micaiah

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 22:1–14, “And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria? And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand. And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.”

After Benhadad was defeated he didn’t prosecute a war against Israel for three years. This is hardly surprising as he suffered two massive defeats in succession. Jehoshaphat from Judah came to Ahab and asked him about Ramoth in Gilead, a northern region on the eastern side of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. This area is now known as the Golan heights (although the boundaries are not exactly the same). This is high ground that overlooks Israeli territory on the flat lands around the sea. Mount Hermon in the north is a snow topped mountain. Ahab wanted to take this area back and Jehoshaphat agreed that this was a good idea, after all the land had belonged to Israel since the nation’s foundation. Jehoshaphat was more interested in believing the Lord and wanted to consult some true prophets of the Lord to find out if this was a worthwhile venture. Ahab had any number of prophets that would tell him whatever he wanted to hear but that wasn’t good enough for Jehoshaphat. Ahab said that there was a man called Micaiah the son of Imlah but Ahab hated him because Micaiah gave Ahab’s the Lord’s message and it was never the message Ahab wanted. When Micaiah came Jehoshaphat told him what all the other prophets had said and then asked him to give the true message from the Lord, rather than a message from Ahab’s god.
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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

O my enemy

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 21:17–29, “And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.”

As soon as Ahab went to take possession of Naboth’s land, he accepted full responsibility for his wife actions. Although he was legally responsible for her actions when he let her use his seal, he was morally responsible when he took the fruit of her perversion of the legal system. Ahab could never claim, before God, that he was innocent of this crime. Elijah came to confront Ahab because of this sin. Ahab called Elijah his enemy but Elijah was actually his best friend because Elijah gave Ahab an opportunity to take advantage of the Lord’s grace. Elijah gave Ahab an eternal opportunity while Jezebel gave Ahab a temporary opportunity. Elijah told Ahab in graphic terms that he would suffer the Lord’s extreme punishment for his sin. In those days there were dogs that roamed in packs around the city at night and they would eat any bodies that were left. On the other hand, the scavenger birds would come to a battlefield after the battle. Elijah’s prophecy meant that all of Ahab’s sons would die in an untimely and unplanned way and they would not be given a decent burial. Naboth’s body was thrown out of the city and the wild dogs ate it. Jezebel would also experience an untimely and unmourned death because she instigated the unlawful procedures against Naboth. When Ahab heard this he repented of his sin and the Lord told him that the would take place in his son’s time.
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Monday, June 23, 2014

Naboth

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 21:5–16, “But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”

Jezebel, Ahab’s wife was a foreigner and had no understanding of the Lord or His Law. She understood how to use power to obtain her own ends without any regard for integrity or honour. When she realised that Ahab was having another sulk and not coming to eat his food she went to his room and asked him what was bothering him. Ahab had a grumble about the fact that Naboth wouldn’t give his vineyard away. Jezebel said to Ahab, “Leave it up to me.” She took Ahab’s royal seal and made orders in his name. Ahab let Jezebel use his royal seal and his authority so he was responsible for her actions. Jezebel wrote to the local civic leaders and told them to suborn some men to lie about Naboth. They called an civic ceremony and let Naboth sit in an important place then they called their liars to say that they had heard Naboth blaspheme against the Lord. This is an all too modern scenario whereby jealous people lie to gain personal advantage. Naboth was taken out of the town and stoned to death for his blasphemy. Once Naboth was dead, Jezebel told Ahab that the property he wanted was now available so Ahab went and took possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
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A nice vineyard

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 21:1–4, “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.  And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.  And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.”

After Joshua had defeated the Amorites, who were in the Promised Land before Israel, he allocated the Land among the tribes according to the size of each tribe. The Land was a sacred gift from the Lord and was to belong to each family in perpetuity. It became their inheritance. The Lord commanded that every fifty years all the Land be returned to the original owners so that the Land would never be lost as the family’s inheritance. It was illegal, according to the underlying Israeli constitution, the Law of the Lord to move the original survey marks and alter a person’s inherited property. (Deut 19:14, “Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.”) Every family in Israel had constitutional authority to keep their inheritance even though the king himself wanted the property and Ahab knew this. Ahab decided that he wanted to own a vineyard that belonged to a man called Naboth. Ahab’s  palace looked out over the vineyard and he felt that it would nice for him to have a garden there. The king went to Naboth and asked Naboth to give him the property. Ahab promised Naboth that he would give him a much better property. However, Naboth wanted to keep control of the property that was given to his family when Israel first came into the Promised Land. He knew it was his right, under the Law of the Lord, to keep his family inheritance and he refused to give Ahab what he wanted. When Ahab didn't get his way he went back to his bedroom and had another sulk.
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An escaped prisoner

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 20:31–43, “And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away. And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.”

When armies came against Israel they were actually fighting against the living God. When this happened, these armies were working actively to prevent the Lord from completing His overall plan of redemption. This was grievous act of blasphemy against the Lord and deserved to be punished as such. When the Lord gave Ahab a decisive victory against the Syrians because they boasted that they could defeat the Lord God in the valleys, Ahab was acting as the Lord’s agent in the earth. On the other hand, the Syrians feared that they would be treated as enemies like anyone else would have done. Benhadad and his senior leaders came to Ahab and asked his for mercy. Ahab didm’t see the battle in its true context and thought that he could do whatever he wanted in spite of the fact that the Lord had given the victory. Ahab set the Syrian leaders free. The Lord sent Ahab a message. The man charged with giving Ahab the message was to give Ahab the message in terms that he would understand. This prophet asked a man to strike him with a sword so that he looked as though he had been wounded in battle. The man refused to do what the Lord required and was punished for his disobedience. When the prophet was struck by another man, he covered the wound and told Ahab that he had been charged to keep a prisoner but the prisoner had escaped. Ahab said the prophet should be punished for letting the prisoner escape. This was the was things operated in those days. The prophet let Ahab know who he was and then told Ahab that he would lose his own life for letting his, much more important prisoner escape. Ahab sulked after he heard this message; he seems to have been a bit of a spoilt brat and sulked whenever he didn’t get his own way.
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Friday, June 20, 2014

The God of the hills and the valleys

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 20:22–30, “And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.”

Ahab’s reign was a critical reign in the northern kingdom of Israel’s history. When Jeroboam became king, he established the golden calves and told the people that these calves were the Lord God Who brought them out of the land of slavery. He established a new priesthood, one that was not approved by the Lord. The Lord was patient and gave Israel and their kings many chances to repent of their sin and return to worshipping the true God of heaven. However, Ahab gave up any pretence of worshipping the Lord and began to worship the gods of the surrounding nations in exactly the same way as those nations worshipped their gods. The Lord sent two of His mightiest prophets during this reign, Elijah and Elisha, and allowed them to perform amazing miracles because this was a time of spiritual transition. The Lord also gave Ahab extra opportunities to see His power and might during times of battle. Benhadad came and the Lord used his arrogance as a chance for Ahab to see that the Lord is the true God of the earth. After one great battle, Benhadad was extremely angry and looked for further vengeance. He decided that the Lord was the God of the hills and that was why his army lost. He replaced all the kings who led his former army with trained army generals and sought to fight his battle in the valley because, he assumed, his god was superior in the valley. When they came to do battle again, Benhadad had a huge army but Ahab was supported by the God of the whole earth. Even though Benhadad believed that he had sufficient intelligence about the Lord to win, he didn’t know enough and his army was decisively beaten again. Benhadad left the scene of the battle and hid in his room.
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That you shall know

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 20:12–21, “And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city. And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.”

Benhadad had done everything he could to provoke Ahab and when Ahab refused his request he decided to go to battle with Ahab and the Israeli armies. Ahab was still waiting in Samaria and the Lord sent a prophet to tell Ahab that the Lord would give him a great victory against this huge army. The Lord was giving Ahab another chance to repent of his sin and submit to the Lord. Even though Ahab refused to accept that the Lord was God at Mount Carmel, the Lord remained gracious and gave this king, and Israel, another chance to accept that the Lord was God and obey the Law that was an essential part of their tenancy in the Promised Land. The prophet, inspired by God, told Ahab to get 232 senior pubic servants from his own administration and ask then to lead his army against the Syrians. Benhadad and his army were so confident of victory that they spent their time getting drunk. Ahab’s small army came out to the battlefield and Benhadad’s army went to meet them. The Syrian confederation was confident but they were massacred in the battle.
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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Benhadad's boast

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 20:1–11, “And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not. And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

Ahab was disobedient to the Lord and had led Israel astray therefore Israel’s enemies came in against Israel to bring them back to their knees in repentance before the Lord. The Syrian king, Benhadad came came with a coalition of thirty two other kings to do battle with Israel. Benhadad boasted to Ahab that he would take everything that belonged to him in battle. However, Benhadad overstepped the mark. He told Ahab that he was going to send his servants into Samaria and they would walk around the city and take whatever they wanted to take. This was too much for Ahab so he called his advisors together and told them what Benhadad wanted to do in Samaria. They all agreed with Ahab and sent the messengers back to Benhadad telling him that he was asking too much. Benhadad was very angry and told Ahab that he would come and completely destroy Samaria so that there was nothing left of the city but dust. Ahab told Benhadad that it wasn’t good to boast before a battle, it was better to boast after the battle rather than before it. We live in a day when people don’t understand the wisdom of this advice when many people boast about what they are going to do. However, we may plan to do this or that but in the end the Lord’s plans come to pass. (see Prov 16:9, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”)
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Elisha


Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 19:19–21, “So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”

Elijah returned from the wilderness to Israel and found Elisha. Elisha must have been a man of some means because he was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, that is, twenty four oxen. Elijah put his prophets coat around Elisha and Elisha followed him. Elisha understood that the Lord, through Elijah, was calling him to be a prophet. He asked for permission to say to goodbye to his parents and then used two of the oxen to offer a sacrifice to the Lord before he followed Elijah and begin his training as a prophet.
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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

A still, small voice

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 19:9–18, “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”

Elijah was lonely after his prolonged battle with the evil king Ahab, the evil queen Jezebel and all the forces of the evil one. He thought that he was the only man left in Israel who was true to the Lord and His Law. The Lord told Elijah to go and hide in a cave. While Elijah was in that cave the Lord brought a huge wind storm that broke rocks away from the side of the cliff. Elijah could tell that the Lord wasn’t in the great wind storm. The Lord sent a great earthquake but the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. The Lord also sent a fire to burn the mountains but the Lord wasn’t in the fire. Lastly the Lord spoke to Elijah in a small quiet voice. If we want to hear the voice of the Lord we should understand that we can hear Him in the quiet place of contemplation rather than in the noise of great activity. The Lord knew that Elijah was exhausted so He sent the prophet on one last mission. Elijah was told to appoint a new king over Israel and another new king in Syria. After that the Lord told Elijah to appoint another prophet to take his place. Finally the Lord told Elijah that he wasn’t the only person who had remained faithful to the Lord in Israel, in fact, there were seven thousand other Israelis who had not worshipped Baal.
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A forty day journey

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 19:1–8. “And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”

The Lord gave Ahab an opportunity to see that he was following false gods, confess his sin and repent but he chose the false gods and complained to his wife Jezebel. Jezebel had no understanding of the true God of all the earth and threatened Elijah with her vengeance. She had no experience of the Lord God Who cared for and carried His own people. (compare Judg 6:31, “And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.”) Jezebel thought that she had to protect her god rather than rely on the Lord God to keep her secure. She told Elijah that she would kill him. Elijah was spiritually and emotionally exhausted and had a crisis in hope. He ran away from Jezebel to the desert in the south. He sat down under a tree and longed to die so that he wouldn’t be troubled by that wicked and vicious queen any longer. The Lord had an important lesson for Isaiah so He provided the prophet with food and told him to journey out into the wilderness so that Elijah could meet the Lord in the place where Moses received the Law.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Carmel to Jezreel

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 18:41–46, “And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”

Even though the fire from heaven proved that the Lord God was far superior to Baal, Elijah had said that the drought would break. Fire from heaven wasn’t the same as rain. Elijah promised Ahab that he would see rain and the sky was clear so Elijah bowed down in prayer before the Lord and then asked his servant to look over the sea while he continued to pray. Six times Elijah sent his servant and six times and six times the sky was still clear but when the servant went the seventh time he saw a cloud out over the sea. Elijah told Ahab to prepare to go back to Samaria and the king mounted his chariot. As they headed back to Jezreel the sky blackened and a huge storm came. Elijah ran in front of Ahab’s chariot all the was to Jezreel, about 17 miles.
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