Hear the Word of the Lord

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD

1 Kings 22:19-28

19 Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host 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 lying 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 lying 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!"

NIV

After the four hundred prophets were inspired by a spirit sent from the LORD to entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead, there stood one prophet alone who spoke truth of God or for God. Micaiah stated the truth and told them, Hear the word of the LORD.” Micaiah saw this vision, inspired to see the LORD on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing around him to his right and left. There are so many truths within this passage to focus our attention on. First, the LORD is upon His throne in heaven, wherever that is right now. He sent a spirit to do His bidding, to entice Ahab to go to war. However, this spirit was sent to be a lying spirit through those four hundred prophets. But Micaiah spoke the truth, and it cost him first a slap in the face and, second, imprisonment with only bread and water until the king of Israel returned safely, which he would not, as we will see later. The one truth we want to focus on is about hearing the word of the Lord. In our culture today, there are so many voices, some of which are extremely loud. Everyone is screaming for attention. Even within the church, we have a multitude of voices, some of them with sweet words, some are nothing more than silver-tongued purveyors of deception. It is unfortunate that some who profess to be believers love to have their ears tickled by lies, even some of the elect will be deceived. Jesus warned about being deceived by false prophets, or men who speak lies, and that even the elect could be deceived if that is possible. What we want to hear is the word of the Lord. There are words of the Lord that are blessings in our lives, words that inspire us, that lift us up. Some words correct us, rebuke us, teach us, and train us in righteousness. Sometimes we only want to hear the good things of God, as King Ahab wanted to hear from that lying spirit through those four hundred prophets. He knew that was one prophet who would speak the truth, but he hated him because he never prophesied anything good about him, only bad. Isn’t that what we want to hear, only the good? We should not be deceived by those who speak only the good things of God, because we need to hear correction at times. We need to hear instructions, even hear a rebuke, if we have been thinking wrongly. What we want is to hear the word of the Lord. 

Importance

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

IMPORTANCE

1 Kings 22:9-18

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.'" 2 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." 3 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets 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 shall I refrain?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." 6 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?"

NIV

From four hundred so-called prophets to one man who is the prophet of the LORD may be our story here. However, there are two other stories we should focus on. One of these truths is the two kings sitting on their thrones dressed in their royal robes. Isn’t that just what kings are supposed to do? Although we have not come to the truthful prophecy of Micaiah, which includes seeing the LORD sitting on His throne, men make their own thrones, setting themselves high to be lifted up by other men and to be important. Do we think too much of ourselves than we should? Do we think we are important? There are so many ways in this world to make ourselves important. We cannot imagine enough wealth to wear clothes and jewelry that cost as much as our home, but some people do, looking so important. Others may feel that their degrees make them important. The position in life may also make someone feel important. However, Jesus, being God, or the Son of God, Son of man, the Messiah, our  Lord and Savior, did not come to sit upon a throne in His royal robes, to be served, but He came to serve. Again, learning from Him, we are to be gentle and humble of heart. The second truth to consider is what Micaiah told the messenger that he could only speak what the LORD told him. We might think that could only apply to those who have been called to preach the word of God, but that would be wrong thinking. The Spirit gives His gifts to whoever He chooses and when He chooses to manifest them. Those gifts that would be considered speaking only what the Lord tells us are the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, and the gift of prophecy. We may also be prompted to use the gift of healing or do miracles. The point is that we should not even attempt to wield the power of man, or the importance of man is from the mind of man, but rather, as we humble ourselves before the Lord, lifting Him up, exalting His name, He will lift us up. He is the one who needs to break us, mold us, fill us, and use us for His divine purpose. If He wants to lift us up, that is up to Him. Of course, we want to do good things for our Lord, but even that is one of the Spirit's gifts, called the gift of helps. It should never be about what we think makes us important, even to the kingdom of God. It is about serving His divine purpose for our lives, doing what He says we should do. Our lives should always be about seeking the counsel of the Lord and speaking only what He speaks to us, and never thinking we are so important or a person of importance. 

Seeking His Counsel

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

SEEKING HIS COUNSEL

1 Kings 22:1-8

22:1 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 not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" 8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man 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 that," Jehoshaphat replied.

NIV

Considering the outcome of this alliance against the king of Aram and the ensuing battle, we wonder how it is possible that there are four hundred prophets who would actually be prophets of the LORD. There is this one truth from the mouth of Jehoshaphat that bears our attention. When he went down to visit Ahab, the king of Israel, Ahab was the one who brought up Ramoth Gilead. However, before going to war, Jehoshaphat wanted to first seek the counsel of the LORD. There is no way that four hundred men were all prophets of the LORD. From what we know, God usually uses one man to be His prophet, who will declare the word of the LORD as it is spoken to him. These four hundred remind us of the prophets of Baal that Elijah, under the power of God, showed who the LORD was. Jehoshaphat was wise to the false prophets, and asked if there was not one prophet of the LORD here whom we could inquire of. That is the truth we need to focus on. Before going to war, Jehoshaphat wanted to know if he had the consent of the LORD or not. He knew his success depended on the favor or the will of the LORD. Ahab, on the other hand, did not want to hear from the one true prophet of the LORD because he never told him what he wanted to hear. The question before us is the same. How much do we really want to know what the Lord has to say about what we are supposed to do, and not to do? Before we make any choice about anything, we should first seek the counsel of the Lord. The Lord always spoke to his people throughout the Old Testament, and we believe he might have been silent for about four hundred years before the time of Jesus. When he determined the time for Jesus to come to earth in the form of man, God was no longer silent. When Jesus was finished with this work, dying on the cross, being buried for three days, then resurrected, before he ascended some days later, he told his disciples to wait for the Spirit. This is the same Spirit who lives within. We have all we need to be able to inquire of the LORD before we do anything. Sometimes it seems that we believers just move ahead and do things just because we think they are good, or because they are what we have always done. Have we ever inquired of the Lord as to what we should be doing? Have we ever inquired of the Lord if we should stop something we are doing? Every aspect of our lives, both personally and corporately, should be connected directly due to our seeking the counsel of the Lord. We can make all sorts of plans, devise a plethora of formulas that are supposed to bring us success, but if we are not inquiring of the Lord, we could be doomed to failure. Before we attempt anything, let us seek the counsel of our Lord. Let us seek the counsel of our Lord for affirmation of what we are doing, or if we are to cease. That is the one truth we can live by, seeking the counsel of the Lord.  

The Verdict

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE VERDICT

1 Kings 21:15-29

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'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume 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 provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' 3 "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 of the air will feed on those who die in the country." 25(There was never a man 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."

NIV

Under the covenant God made with Israel, men still did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They had such a great promise from the LORD, but they needed to obey his word. Ahab’s lust for Naboth’s vineyard was at the heart of this murderous plot of Jezebel. The problem is that she could not act without the LORD seeing what was done, and Jezebel and Ahab provoked the LORD to anger. Elijah was sent to pronounce the verdict for their crime against the LORD. Dogs and birds would eat their blood as death was the verdict for their crimes against the LORD. Ahab did tear his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and went around merely or humbly. The LORD was compassionate toward Ahab and allowed him to live, but the kingdom would be torn from him and his household. Just as it was with Solomon and Rehoboam, it will be with Ahab and his sons. Who can escape the verdict of the LORD? Today we live under another kind of verdict: light came into the world, but men loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. We know their fate, but this verdict also applies to whoever lives by the truth comes into the light. When we live in the light, our deeds may be seen plainly, and all that is done has been done through God. We live within the Light, who is Jesus, for He is the Light of the world. Because of Jesus, we can live. Because of Jesus, God sees us through His blood. We can never say it is because we did, or how good we think we are. It is never about how much we do, how good we try to be, or how obedient we try to be. It is just that simple. It is not because of us; it is always because of Jesus. That does not mean we can live anyway we want. Jesus told us to learn from Him. He is gentle and humble of heart. If we learn that lesson, we will find rest for our souls. We can learn many truths from the word of God, such as not to be prideful, boastful, arrogant, unforgiving, and not to be rude and self-centered. But we can learn to be gentle and humble. There is no other way to find rest for our souls. Ahab had no rest for his soul because he was not gentle or humble. He was self-centered, wanting what belonged to another. When we learn this truth from Jesus, we will be at peace with God and at peace with each other. Because of the love of God through Jesus, his love covers a multitude of our sins, and that translates into our being gentle and humble of heart, so our love covers a multitude of offenses against us. God’s verdict was upon Ahab and Jezebel, and it was a verdict of guilty. God’s verdict on those who are in Christ is that He declares us innocent, holy, and pleasing in his sight. We live by God’s verdict.

 

 

Want it All

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

WANT IT ALL

1 Kings 21:1-14

21:1 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 fathers." 4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." 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 testify 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 and is dead."

NIV

More evil, but this was all Jezebel. On the surface, she was concerned about her husband, wanting him not to be sullen nor to eat. It could appear she was motivated by her love for Ahab. However, the story here is about Ahab lusting after what belongs to another. He was trying to do the right thing by offering something in exchange for a vineyard that he wanted to turn into a vegetable garden. This vineyard of Naboth had been in his family for years, which would have meant the vines were old and well cared for, producing fine grapes for an even finer wine. The vineyard was Naboth’s inheritance that he had invested in. He had no desire to give it up, for whatever reason. However, this lust, this desire for Naboth’s vineyard that was not being fulfilled, drove Ahab into despair, sullen and not wanting to eat. Yes, the evil of Jezebel is another story, for she is a wicked woman, for she had Naboth killed, just so her husband could take possession of what he wanted. It is not right to desire what belongs to another. This lust is usually motivated by either jealousy or envy, but Ahab was the king of Israel. He lived in a palace, had many servants, the finest of clothes, the best of foods, he lived the ‘Good life” so many people desire for themselves. We do live the “good life” because, first, we know our Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior, and we have been given life eternal. Second, the Lord has blessed us with so many material things of this world. We live in a fine home, wear nice clothing, eat good food, and enjoy each day. He gives us the ability to praise and honor Him. What more could we need? Why would we lust after anything someone has? Why would we ever be jealous of another? Why would we envy what someone has or does? Ahab was wrong; he had more than enough, more than all others; he was the king of Israel. We cannot afford to get this wrong. We know the truth; we have learned to be content and trust in the Lord. He loves us, leads us, protects us, and provides for us, so what more do we need? We do not need to desire what someone has; we have it all. We do not need to be like Ahab and want it all. 

Follow His Plan

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

FOLLOW HIS PLAN

1 Kings 20:31-43

31 His officials said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of the house 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. 35 By the word of the LORD one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, "Strike me with your weapon," but the man 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.

After such heavy casualties were inflicted on the Aramean army, it was time for them to surrender. This wearing of sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, like a noose around their necks, was a sign of humility. They came pleading for their lives, and the life of Ben-Hadad, the man of arrogance. Yet, their humble state turned to boldness, as King Ahad asked if Ben-Hadad was still alive. They now call him the king's brother. Ben-Hadad is no longer the arrogant man demanding everything from Ahab, out of fear for his life, he offered what he had taken back. However, our story is about Ahad accepting a treaty rather than obeying the Lord. This prophet did something strange: he wanted a man to strike him. This was for a purpose we will see in the rest of this story later. However, the man’s refusal to strike the prophet is another example of not obeying the word of the LORD, and it did not end well for that man. This is the lesson we should keep close to our hearts. Always obey the word of the Lord. This is different from trying to be a “Good Christian” doing all the religious things, appearing as righteous as possible, nearly sin-free. This obeying the word of the Lord has to do with following his directions as to where we go, or stay, and what we are supposed to be doing under his authority. King Ahab was supposed to kill Ben-Hadad, but he allowed him to live and made a treaty with him. That was not going to end well for Ahab,We need to understand, as the Lord speaks to our hearts, what we should be doing; we need to follow the path He has laid out before us. Why King Ahab chose to do whatever he thought was right is unclear. Do we have some choices of our own that God is pleased with? Are believers just living their own lives in this world, doing what they deem the best course of action for their lives, but simply adding Jesus to their routine and some religious activity? That sounds really judgmental, but it is only a question about how we determine what being obedient to the word of the Lord means. Are we living where he has directed us, or where we want to? Are we working, or have we worked according to His plan or ours? Do we attend the church He has directed us to, or the one we want? Do we do, or serve in accordance with His plan, His purpose, or according to what we think is a good thing to do? Many questions, and the answer comes from the Lord. Ahab had a prophet to tell him the word of the LORD; we have the Spirit within. Ahab did not abide by the word of the LORD, although he heard the message loud and clear. We may not hear a loud message, but we could, but maybe only a small still voice within, but the point is the Lord speaks to us, and we should follow His plan. 

Unleashed Power

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

UNLEASHED POWER

1 Kings 20:22-30

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.

NIV

It was foolish of Ben-Hadad to think the God of Israel could be contained in the hills, or, for that matter, anywhere. God Almighty is the God of everywhere, both of all the earth and all the heavens. He cannot be limited to any place or power that is devised by the mind of men. The proof is in this battle between an army that filled the countryside and a small group of Israelites that looked like two small flocks of goats. However, because of the power of Almighty God, Israel, who looked like two small flocks of goats, inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. That is almost too much to imagine how such a small army that Israel had could do that much damage in one day. But then again, we cannot put any limits on the power of God, nor can we even imagine trying to limit His power and authority over the lives of those who worship Him. Of course, Ben-Hadad was only familiar with the gods of his own making, or gods devised by the mind of men. This is our lesson; we should take special care never, ever, not even once, to try to limit the power of God in our lives. The question that is before us is whether we try to limit God’s power in our lives. Do we want some of our own power, making our own way, doing what we want, quenching the Spirit, in one sense or another? Do we think our religiosity or spirituality, or our education, wealth, position, or any other skills or training are substitutes for the power of God? If we learn anything from Jesus, it should be to be humble of heart. Forget even trying to be prideful of anything within ourselves. We are like Israel in one sense, except we are just a small flock of sheep, and He is our Great Shepherd. Our Lord has all the power; many things are impossible for us, but there is nothing impossible with the Lord God Almighty. He can do all things. Although we are told that we can do all things through Jesus, who strengthens us, as Paul said in his letter to the Philippians. However, that was in the context of him knowing what it was to have plenty and to be in want, and he had learned to be content in every situation. However, Israel saw the power of God unleashed against the Armenian army. This is how we should be living. We should learn from the Psalmist to be still and know that He is God and unleash His power in our lives.