The Mantle

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE MANTLE

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

NIV

This is the call of Elisha, although the official call of Elisha came from the LORD. He told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his replacement or successor as the prophet of the LORD. Interestingly, this cloak, or mantle, was a fine garment made of fur or hair, and it was the mantle of a prophet, as directly indicated in Zechariah chapter 13. When Elijah threw it over Elisha, he would have known the significance of receiving this mantle of a prophet, this call upon his life. Although we may not recognize a prophet of the LORD by his clothes today, we must remember that a prophet is one of the gifts to the church. The church is gifted with apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers. We put emphasis on the calling to be a pastor and an evangelist, which we may see in today's missionaries. Although we would not have considered Billy Graham as a missionary, but as an evangelist who declared the good news. Yet there should also be apostles and prophets in the church today. However, unlike a pastor, who is called by God, in most evangelical denominations, the one called to be a pastor must meet denominational requirements, be invited by a church, and be voted on by the members to be accepted as their pastor; the prophet is called solely by God. Understanding that apostles are the ambassadors of the Gospel, and the prophet is either a foreteller or an inspired person. To be inspired by God to speak for God is an awesome responsibility. Elijah carried that responsibility to the extreme, especially when he challenged those four hundred and fifty so-called prophets of Baal. Again, the reason we consider them so-called prophets is that Baal is a man-made god, who has no eyes to see, ears to hear, or mouth to speak, so Baal could not inspire anyone to speak for him. However, our God can call anyone to be one of his prophets today, just as he did with Elijah and Elisha. The important issue is about all these gifts to the church. Man does not make that call, but God does. Men may establish requirements to obtain a license or to be ordained in their denomination. Still, it is God who ordains a person to be a shepherd of His people, a pastor, to preach the truth to prepare God’s people for works of service, so the body of Christ might be built up. That brings up another important truth about the works of service. These works are not the “Good works” some are accustomed to believing are needed, even for salvation, or to earn an extra jewel in their crown.  But these works of service have the expressed purpose of building up the body of Christ, the church, or others within the church. We are supposed to build each other up until we all reach the unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus. Still, the point of this portion, and with Ephesians, is to know that God continues to call people to be His prophet. We should be open so that we can understand and feel the mantle if God places it on us. 

The Gentle Whisper

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE GENTLE WHISPER

1 Kings 19:1-18

19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel — all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him." NIV

How do we divide this narrative into smaller sections without losing the point? Here we have a man of God who was so bold and zealous for the LORD that he first challenged four hundred and fifty of the so-called prophets of Baal with their false god, and just himself with his LORD God Almighty. Then he had them all killed, and now he runs for his life because he is afraid of one woman, even though she is pure evil. Elijah became so depressed that he wanted to die. We could learn a lesson here about getting down or feeling negative, despondent, or depressed because of certain situations in our lives. There may even be times when we want to give up, stop fighting, and just give in to our “self”. There is another story we need to focus our attention on. Elijah wanted to give up and just die, but the LORD had a plan for him and sent angels to encourage him and feed him. He traveled for forty days and forty nights to arrive at the mountain of God. Our story is about the gentle whisper, the still small voice of the LORD as he spoke to Elijah. When there are earthquakes, fires, powerful winds, and the storms of life that can distract us from hearing the sweet whisper of our Lord, speaking truth into our lives, giving us direction, encouragement, and courageous endurance so we can face all situations with faith and grace. The psalmist said it well, “Be still, and know I the God.” “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” “Do not fret.” Being still in our hearts is the key to hearing the voice of the Lord. When we are fretting about, worrying about this or that, getting all tied up in knots over some situation, whether that be our health, wealth, relationship, or lack of any of those things, or whatever storm our lives are in, we cannot hear that gentle whisper. When we are so loud in our complaints, even complaining to God, yelling and screaming within our hearts because we are fed up with what is happening to us, we cannot hear his answer. Being still means to be still, to just sit down, throw our cloak over our heads, in the presence of the Lord, and listen for that gentle whisper, and we will hear his voice, and we will know what our next step will be. When we are so busy doing what we think is the right thing to do, even doing church things, all those “Good deeds”, we may miss the being still part of our life with Christ. Even when we pray, if we fill our prayers with great religious words and just keep talking and talking, telling God everything that is happening, or our needs, or even if we are praising him, if we do not shut up and listen, we will not hear that gentle whisper. Let us still our hearts, our souls, learn from Jesus, being gentle and humble of heart, listening for the gentle whisper, we will not know where he wants us to be and do. We will be stuck with our thoughts instead of his thoughts, our ways instead of his ways. Be still, listen for the gentle whisper. 

Outrun

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

OUTRUN

1 Kings 18:40-46

40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." 44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

NIV

Although we spent some time rereading the slaughtering of the so-called prophets of Baal and how that relates to those who reject the one true God, the story in this portion of the narrative is all about the power of the Most High God. We recall the word of the LORD that came to Elijah that God would bring no rain to the land. It has been three years since any rain, which caused a great famine in the land, and now Elijah is to present himself before Ahab. After all was said and done, Elijah told Ahab to eat and drink, for there is a sound of heavy rain. This is the famous story of Elijah climbing Mt Carmel and bending with his face between his knees, telling his servant to go check for rain clouds. Seven times, which is not a coincidence, for seven represents God’s perfection and completeness. It was on this seventh time that the servant reported a small cloud the size of a man's fist. That was it, heavy rain was coming. A storm was on the way. That one small sign from God was all Elijah needed. How often do we want a great miracle to prove God’s power? Perhaps in our search for a great sign, we might miss that small cloud the size of a man’s fist off in the distant horizon. We know our thoughts are not His thoughts or our ways His ways, still with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, there are times, not in a big storm, with lighting and large gusts of wind, but rather in that gentle breeze, there is a small voice, an inspiring thought, His thought, His direction, His leading, His power at work within us, and thought us. The word of the LORD came to Elijah, and it can come to us if we are listening. However, the power of the LORD was displayed through Elijah. Ahab climbed aboard his chariot, pulled by what we would imagine to be the best and fastest horses in his realm. Yet here comes the power of God, greater than any power of men. Elijah tucks his cloak, a long type of garment, into his belt, giving his legs the freedom to run, and he outruns a wheeled chariot pulled by horses. It is not difficult to believe a man, filled with the power of God, can outrun horses. Sometimes we may look to solutions to the challenges we face in this life, from the minds of men, books geared to the “How to” of some formula that should help us overcome. We only need to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We should look for the power of God to be at work for us, within us, and through us. With the power of God upon Elijah, he outran horses. When we experience the power of God, we can outrun everything else. That would be called being an overcomer. As the power of the Most High God overshadows us, we can outrun anything in this world. We can be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive. Look in the church; it is the power of God causing us to outrun the world. 

Slaughtered

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

SLAUGHTERED

1 Kings 18:40-46

40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." 44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

NIV

There are two stories here, one about the fate of the ungodly, the other about the power that came on Elijah. We will deal with the so-called prophets of Baal first, then tomorrow about Elijah and the power of the LORD that came upon him. The fate of those four hundred and fifty so-called prophets of Baal was to perish by being slaughtered. This Hebrew word carries the meaning of being beaten, as with a hammer, or like a bull is slaughtered for a sacrifice. That would mean they were cut to pieces, slain. We could say they perished from the face of the earth. That may not be the exact fate of all who worship false gods, or who have made idols out of the things of this world, but they will perish, first from the face of this earth, and second from the presence of God. There is a major difference in theology over what it means to perish. One school of thought is that all the ungodly will spend eternity in torment in hell, or if they take the revelation given to John about the lake of burning sulfur, then as hell or Hades is thrown into that lake, so then are all the ungodly thrown into the lake of burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb and the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. This does make it sound as if the ungodly will live for eternity or have eternal life in torment within the flames of the lake of burning sulfur. The other school of thought comes from the words of Jesus as recorded by John. Jesus said that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. This indicates there are two fates: one is to perish, and the other is to have eternal life. Interestingly, the Greek word Jesus used, translated as 'perish,' is apollumi, which has a direct meaning to be fully destroyed, to put out of the way entirely, abolished, put an end to, ruin, to be put to death. It is only in the metaphorical sense that it is seen as being given over to eternal punishment. Yet James used this word to mean to be blotted out, to vanish, or perish. What we know is that whatever it means to perish is awful, miserable, and a horrible end to life. Although the devil will indeed be thrown into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet are, and the three of them will be tormented day and night forever and ever, the people whose names are not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, which is their second death. The first death would be of the body, the second would be of the soul; that is what it means to perish, just as those so-called prophets of Baal perished, ceasing to exist. However that is defined, we do not want anything to do with it. We have rejected anything false, or would or could be an idol, or made into an idol, and worship the one true God and Him alone. We have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we have the confidence that our names are written in the book of life. However, it is not because of us or anything we could ever do; it is because of Jesus and what He did. We never need to be worried about being slaughtered, as those who served Baal were. We have the peace of Jesus within and the assurance of eternal life.

 

 

True or False

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

TRUE OR FALSE

1 Kings 18:25-39

25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." 34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD-he is God! The LORD-he is God!"

NIV

We are finally at the moment of truth. Who has eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mouth to speak? It is not Baal, but it is the LORD God Almighty of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and who is our Lord and Savior. Baal is a worthless god devised by the mind of man. All worthless idols in this world have been invented by the mind of man and hold no power to answer any request or petition. All false gods, or idols, cannot give life as our Lord and Savior does. It is difficult to understand how so many so-called prophets worshipped a false, blind, deaf, and dumb god, especially when it was not a real living god, but only a figment of someone’s imagination. Although there are many of those same types of figments or imaginary idols in the world today. Millions of people chase after these false gods of this world with no hope of ever being seen, heard, or responded to by them. Elijah taunted those four hundred and fifty so-called prophets of Baal. Perhaps he is on a trip, deep in thought, or even sleeping, but none of that could have been true for Baal is not anyone, just imaginary. That is how so many of the idols today have become: imaginary, worthless, and useless. When Elijah asked the LORD to show Himself, to show His power to the people, God answered. He sent a fire of such immense heat that it consumed the bull, wood, stones, water, and all the mud around the altar. He is God, the one who spoke the whole universe into existence. He is the God who formed us from the ground, with his very hands, and breathed his very breath into our lungs. Although He spoke everything else into existence, even all other living creatures, He personally took a hands-on approach when He formed us into their image.  He did not speak us into a living being, but formed us with his hands. He forms us in our mother's womb, just as he formed Adam from the dust of the earth. He breathed life into us, just as He did with Adam. We are His people, and He is our God. Elijah had asked the Israelites how long they would waver between two opinions. We cannot waver between two opinions, for we do not have an opinion, for faith in the Lord God Almighty is not an opinion, but it is a way of life. God exists not because of our opinion, but if we were to have an opinion, it would be that God exists. Jesus made it clear that we cannot have two opinions or serve two masters. We do not waver; we serve the Lord God Almighty, leaving all false gods behind. Joshua said the people needed to choose whom they would serve that day, but as for him and his house, they would serve the Lord. We have chosen, made up our minds, our spirits, souls, and strength that we will serve the Lord. Baal and all the gods or idols of this world are false; God is true. 

Weak-Minded vs the Weak

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

WEAK-MINDED VS THE WEAK

1 Kings 18:16-24

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" 18 "I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire — he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."

NIV

Isn’t it interesting that the one who has done more evil in the eyes of the LORD than all before him calls Elijah, the troubler of Israel? It is obvious that Ahab was lying, for Elijah was a man of God, spoke the word of the LORD, and responded with the truth that Ahab and his family were the troublers of Israel. We are just about at the confrontation between Elijah and the four hundred and fifty so-called prophets of Baal. It does seem strange that they are called prophets when, according to the Hebrew word, a prophet is an inspired man. How can any of them be inspired by a god who has no ears to hear, eyes to see, or a mouth to inspire them? The showdown is about to begin, and all those who worship Baal are against the one who worships the LORD. Will Baal answer? No! Will the LORD answer? Always! This challenge still holds true today. Those who worship the world will never get any answers for their quest. They will always end up doomed to destruction, judged according to the evil they do in the eyes of the Lord. Those of us who worship the Lord God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of life, will always be answered, because God has ears to hear, eyes to see, and a mouth to speak into our hearts and minds. Years ago, a former governor of Minnesota, although a decorated former Navy SEAL, said that Organized Religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people.  He was speaking about Christianity, our faith in Almighty God. The truth be told, those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and their Lord and Savior, must be thoughtful and deep thinkers, understanding the depth of the word of God. There can be no weak minds among true believers. However, those who reject the word reject God and serve any god they can manufacture, such as those who came up with Baal and Asherah. False gods are nothing more than a figment of man’s imagination. We will watch the weak-minded try to stir Baal to consume their offering with fire, and we will see one man of God ask Him, and everything will be consumed by fire. There is a major difference between the weak-minded and the weak, or the meek, the humble, because when we are weak, He is strong. Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians, "When I am weak, then I am strong." 

Faith Over Fear

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

FAITH OVER FEAR

1 Kings 18:8-15

8 "Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'" 9 "What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' 12 I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. 13 Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred of the LORD's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!" 15 Elijah said, "As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today."

NIV

Ahab rules with fear, as we see Obadiah fears for his life if he goes to him and tells him that Elijah is here. Obadiah lives in fear of his king. Elijah assures him that he will present himself before Ahab, but the point of today's lesson for us is about living in fear. We know that faith conquers fear, or, another way to say it, faith over fear. We are told not to be concerned or afraid of those who kill our bodies but cannot kill our souls. Jesus said that we should be afraid of the One who can destroy both body and soul, and the body in hell. He was making the point that we are worth more than the sparrow that does not fall to the ground apart from our Father’s will. Jesus also made the point that our heavenly Father knows every hair on our heads, so we should not be afraid. Fear can cripple us, making us ineffective for the kingdom of God. We certainly do not need to fear God, although Solomon said that to fear God is the beginning of wisdom. He quoted a psalm his father, David, wrote, but the Hebrew word used for 'fear' of God actually means moral reverence of God. That is far different from being afraid, as to live in fear of God. When we give our Heavenly Father the proper respect, giving him reverence, we find the beginning of wisdom. It might seem unkind to think that those who do not give God the proper respect or revere him are unwise, which, in other words, is dumb or stupid.  They should be like Obadiah, living in fear of the King of kings. We know our Father because He has revealed Himself to us, showing us His love toward us, His forgiveness, protection, provisions, directions, and giving us a purpose for our lives. He gave us Jesus, who gives us His peace and eternal life. We have so much more from the hand of God that we would need a book to record it. In fact, God already saw that everything He has done for us is recorded in sixty-six books. Yet, at the same time, we could expound forever on all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. We live in His love, so we are not afraid. Faith is always over fear. 

Rest or Chaos

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

REST OR CHAOS

1 Kings 18:1-7

18:1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria, 3 and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. 4 While Jezebel was killing off the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) 5 Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." 6 So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another. 7 As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"

NIV

We are approaching the face-off between Elijah and the four hundred prophets of Baal, but first, we have this prelude to that scene. We know there has been no rain in the land as the word of the LORD was spoken through Elijah, and now it is in the third year of that drought, and famine is now at hand in Samaria. The LORD tells Elijah to present himself to Ahab, and the LORD will send rain on the land. This severe famine in Samaria is due to Ahad committing more evil than anyone before him and building an altar to Baal there. This is where that big confrontation will take place. We are also introduced to Obadiah, a believer in the LORD God Almighty who hid the LORD’s prophets because Jezebel, whom Ahad took as a wife, a worshipper of Baal, was killing the LORD’s prophets. Evil knows no bounds; it finds its way into the hearts and minds of those who have no concern about the LORD, but have taken on false gods to worship. It is always a choice in the hearts of all people as to whom they will serve, God or self. Because both Baal and Asherah are figments of man’s mind, and have no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no mouth to speak, they are false gods with no power whatsoever, although it was possible that Satan used them to display false power to lure people into worshipping them, forsaking the LORD. That is always the plan of the devil. He always wants to draw people away from the LORD. He has no power against those who live in Christ, but he can create illusions and temptations to lure even believers into a slumber, a false reality, so they begin to establish their own rules and regulations they can conform to, thinking they are serving God while only serving self. We cannot be fooled by those illusions or temptations, but must remain in Jesus, hearing only the voice of God and the direction of the Spirit within. Jezebel and Ahab are fine examples of people deceived by evil, the handiwork of the devil. Let us learn this lesson well, learn from Jesus, for he is gentle and humble of heart, and we will find rest for our souls. Evil will never give us rest for our souls; it can only bring us turmoil and chaos. 

Unshaken Faith

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

UNSHAKEN FAITH

1 Kings 17:17-24

17 Some time later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!" 22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!" 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."

NIV

We could start right out with Elijah asking the LORD to bring life back into a dead boy. God is the author of life; He is the God of the living. Jesus made that clear to the Sadducees when they tried to trap him with the seven brothers who all married the same woman in an attempt to have a son for the first brother who died, and all seven died. When she died, they wanted to know whose wife she would be in the resurrection, which they did not believe in. According to the gospel of Luke, Jesus told them that God told Moses at the burning bush that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that God is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive. This son of the widow was alive as far as God was concerned,  but in the flesh, or the reality of this world, the boy stopped breathing and died. Elijah, being a man of God, knew that God was the God of the living, and the life of this boy was in the LORD’s hands. God did not disappoint and restored life to the boy's body.  Elijah knew the LORD would answer him. He had no doubt, yet he prayed over the boy three times until the LORD restored the boy’s life. Although we cannot or should not make this three times into a formula for prayer when we seek a specific answer from the Lord, it does give us the truth about being persistent in prayer. There is another story within this narrative that gives us another truth. We are not told how long elapsed between the time the jars of flour and oil never ran out and the time they had food until the son became ill. However, this widow witnessed the hand of God in her home, keeping flour and oil in the jars so she could make bread day after day. Yet, when her son became ill and stopped breathing, she became angry at Elijah, accusing him of having something against her or judging her sin. Because we do live in this world, and in our corruptible and perishable flesh, there may be things that happen to us as believers. We are subject to illnesses, or infirmities, broken bones, joint problems, and all sorts of physical difficulties,  or even the loss of a loved one. Our first response should not be to become angry and blame God for any trouble we might experience. After God responded to Elijah’s prayer and restored the son’s life, the woman knew that Elijah was truly a man of God. The full jars weren’t enough for her faith in God; she needed another miracle. Is our faith built on continued miracles from God, or do we believe in God just because he is God? Faith is the substance of things hoped for, yet not seen. Likely, most believers have never seen God, or a miracle for that matter, but that does not shake our faith, because we know God; we have the Spirit within bearing witness to God. We know he is real, that Jesus is true, that our sins have been forgiven, and that someday we will see Jesus face to face. No matter what we go through in this life, our faith in God will not be shaken. 

Follow His Lead

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

FOLLOW HIS LEAD

1 Kings 17:7-16

7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread." 12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread — only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it — and die." 13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'" 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.  

NIV

The direction of the LORD is always best to follow rather than trying to abide by our own thoughts or plans. Although the LORD directed Elijah to the Kerith Ravine because there was a brook, or stream, there, it became dry from the lack of rain, so the LORD directed him to another place that would prove to be more than a provision for Elijah, but also for a widow and her son. God always has a plan and purpose for each of our lives. If we are wise, in the least bit, we will listen to the voice of the Lord, either staying where he tells us to stay, or going to where he would have us go. Because Elijah obeyed the word of the LORD, he went to the place he was told, and now the widow and her son would be both the provision for Elijah and for the widow. Following the LORD's directions can apply to both our physical, mental, and spiritual lives. When we follow his leading to some physical place, it may be solely for our benefit, as when he led Elijah to the Kerith Ravine. His leading us to a specific place can also benefit others, as was the case with the widow whose flour and oil never ran out. The place where that can happen mostly for us believers is within the community of faith, the church. When God directs us to go to a specific church, it is twofold. We are to be there for our own benefit as well as for the benefit of others. When it comes to our mental or spiritual location in life, that is where we are in our spiritual life, which includes our mental state. The Lord has a plan and purpose for our growth, producing much fruit as we are connected to him, as in the vine and the branches. This is the one place he does not tell us to stay in the same place, but he directs our spiritual life so we will grow, increase in our faith, and walk with him. However, he will always see that the oil and flour, metaphorically his word, will never run dry. We will always have spiritual food to sustain our lives. Just as the word of the LORD that came to Elijah was always true, so it is with the word he speaks to us, either through his written word, the scriptures, an angelic visit, a dream, or a vision, or from his own lips, speaking to us in that small still voice. One thing we can be certain of is that we cannot put the Lord God Almighty in a box, wanting him to direct us in a specific manner. He will use whatever method of directing our path that suits him, for he is sovereign. He is our great shepherd, and we are his sheep. He leads, and we follow. He will lead us to the greenest pasture and the quietest waters, and he will always restore our souls. We just need to follow his lead. 

Protect and Provide

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

PROTECT AND PROVIDE

1 Kings 17:1-6

17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." 2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

NIV

Jesus taught in his sermon on the mount that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, so that we may know we are sons of our Father in Heaven. The point he was making is that God causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike. However, at this point, with all the kings who have done evil in the eyes of the LORD, and Ahab being worse than all before him, the LORD sends Elijah to tell Ahab that the LORD will withhold the rain until he says so through Elijah. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah regarding providing for him. That is where our story comes home. Elijah was led to a brook so he could drink, and ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day. He was also hidden there by the LORD, so that Ahab, being such an evil king, could not find Elijah and either try to force him to recant his prophecy or kill him. Although we are not told that detail, it seems right, otherwise the LORD would not have hid Elijah. However, our story is twofold. First, as the Psalmist puts it, the Lord hides us under the shadow of his wings, a metaphor for his protection. God protects us even when we do not see his protection. We may not be aware of some evil that was or is intended toward us, and the Lord God Almighty’s hand shadows us from it, like living under the shadow of an umbrella in the rain. Second, as the LORD directed the ravens to bring bread and meat to Elijah and water from the brook. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated as 'brook' originally meant 'stream'. Do we not drink from the stream of living water? Do we not eat from the bread of life? After speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, first telling her he could give her living water, when his disciples showed up with food, he told them that he had food, or meat they knew not of. God will provide for us; we only need to trust him, as Elijah did. God has already provided us with the stream of living water, and Jesus gave his body for us. In some sense, as we consume Jesus, digest his truth into our beings, we have life, the eternal provision of God. However, as we live out our lives under the shadow of his wings, we live in his divine protection and provision. He told us to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and he would provide; he would add to us those things the world chases after. God will provide. 

Leaving Right for Wrong

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

LEAVING RIGHT FOR WRONG

1 Kings 16:29-34

29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. 34 In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

NIV

Ahab did more evil than any king before him. That had to be so much evil that it is difficult to imagine God not striking him down at the first sign of Ahad serving Baal. Is this a case of power always corrupting the man? We have seen throughout our lifetimes many who have attained a political position with the stated intent, at least, of doing good for the people they represent, turn to self-interest to gain more power, influence, and wealth. Ahab could not have been much different, turning his back on God to serve other gods. However, our story is about Hiel of Bethel, who rebuilt Jericho. When Joshua and the people of Israel marched around that city seven times and, on the last day, they shouted, and the walls crumbled, and they destroyed the city, he prophesied a curse, or declared an oath, on anyone who tried to rebuild it. His exact words are recorded in the book of Joshua, which includes that whoever rebuilds this city will cost him both his firstborn and his youngest son. This is precisely what happened, as Joshua had spoken. Once again, we see a man who does not pay attention or give credence to the old ways. Israel had such a rich heritage, and these stories about Ahab and Hiel both show us a total disregard for their rich heritage and relationship with the LORD. We wonder if we have left our rich heritage to serve our own self-interests. Surely, we have not left out our relationship with our Lord, but over the years we have seen the people of the church set up their own set of standards, or rules and regulations, which they know they can abide by, thus showing themselves as “Good Christians”. The problem is twofold. First, it is the rules of men, without the command of God. Second, those standards, or rules and regulations, are subject to change depending on the current times. That was a problem with Baal, or an Asherah pole, as they were false gods, who had no eyes to see, no ears to hear, and no mouth to speak, so any rules that applied to them were made by men, therefore changeable. We know God never changes, and His commands are trustworthy and eternal. However, because of Jesus, we are not subject to the law as Israel was. Jesus fulfilled all the law and gave us the two greatest commands. If we could just live by those two commands, our lives would fall into place, and we would learn from Jesus. It is not that we forgo all the Old Testament, with all God’s commands, but Jesus told us that if we love as he told us, then we would be fulfilling all the law and doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. The problem that can arise is when we let our “self” get in the way. We start to think we are the center of life, more important than we are, and when we believe we are offended, we leave love behind to serve self. Let us not be like the people of old who left right behind to do wrong. Let us remind ourselves that love covers a multitude of sins. 

Focus

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

FOCUS

1 Kings 16:23-28

23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill. 25 But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him. 26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols. 27 As for the other events of Omri's reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 28 Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

NIV

Another king who served worthless idols, as he walked in the way of his great, great, great-grandfather, Jeroboam. Omri also did evil in the eyes of the LORD. It is no wonder that Jesus came through the line of Judah with all these kings of Israel always committing the sins of Jeroboam and worshipping worthless idols. We have been blessed to have the Holy Spirit convict us so strongly that we turned from our wicked ways and accepted the grace of God, Jesus, as our Lord and Savior. We cannot be sure whether we ever worshipped worthless idols before Jesus came into our lives, but in some sense, everything about our lives could have been seen as worthless, except to God. He so loved us that he sent Jesus, so that whosoever, which meant us, believed in him should not perish, but would have everlasting life. God never saw us as worthless, because we have always been his creation with the intent to fellowship with us. Sin disturbed that relationship. We could almost say broke it, but that may not be true, as although we were caught up with worthless living, God still sent Jesus, and the Holy Spirit still came to convict us of our need for Jesus. Even though we are now followers of Jesus, who some say are Christians, we must always be careful not to get sidetracked by any kind or form of idol. That is not to say we cannot put our efforts into our work or profession, or have things, hobbies, or interests, or even time itself; it is just that we cannot make them so important that they become more important than our relationship with Jesus. It always comes back to doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. We know it is right to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We know it is right to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. We know it is right to love God with our whole being, and to love each other as we love ourselves. One after another, so many things are right in the eyes of the Lord, that if we occupied ourselves with all the right things, we should not have any time left to do what is evil in his sight. The question we must ask ourselves is what our focus is, or who we are focused on, ourselves or God? 

Humble

 DEVOITON

1^ST KINGS

HUMBLE

1 Kings 16:21-22

21 Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri. 22 But Omri's followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

NIV

A short story about the strong overpowers the weak. In this world, it is a dog-eat-dog lifestyle. In fact, in this story, the strong survive while the weak die. But that is not how Jesus taught us how to live. He wants us to learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart, and in doing so, we will find rest for our souls. All believers should live humbly before our God as well as before others. Prideful behavior does not align with Jesus' teachings. Thinking more highly of ourselves does not fit with what Jesus taught us. Humility is the way of life for a believer. We are told to love one another just as we love ourselves, and then we would serve each other, giving ourselves to one another. Jesus told us that he did not come to be served, but to serve. That is being humble, as when Jesus washed his disciples' feet. It is not that we should wash each other’s feet, although we have been in that kind of service. But it is the principle of serving each other because we love each other, and then we will exhibit being humble. 

No Suicide

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

NO SUICIDE

1 Kings 16:15-20

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. 16 When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. 17 Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, 19 because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD and walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit. 20 As for the other events of Zimri's reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

NIV

Being king for only seven days, he still had time to order the murder of the son of Baasha and all the family and all that belonged to the house of Baasha. From this account, Zimri did not have much support. When the Israelites found out that Zimri plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri King. So much for this Zimri fella, he was out, and in fact, the army laid siege to the city he was living in. What we learn here is that Zimri was a coward because instead of facing the people, he set fire to his palace all around him, so he committed suicide. We do not know Omri's intent regarding Zimri’s judgment, but Omri did not have the opportunity to pass any judgment because of Zimri's cowardly act. There are two aspects of doing what is wrong in the eyes of the Lord. The first is when we offend someone. Because we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, spirit, and strength, and love others as we love ourselves, we would not intentionally offend others. But if we do, then the right thing to do in the eyes of the Lord is to go to them and seek their forgiveness. If we don’t, that person may hold our offense against us, becoming bitter, failing to forgive us, and in some sense, committing suicide. If we do not forgive, God will not forgive us. It is right in the eyes of the Lord to ask any person we might have offended, purposefully or unintentionally, to forgive us, so they can do what is right in the eyes of the Lord by forgiving us. The second way of doing wrong in the eyes of the Lord is to sin. We may sin unintentionally, but we could also sin purposefully. In either case, our Lord is ready to forgive; in fact, he has already forgiven us, but we still need to seek his forgiveness. It is not that he would not forgive us, for Jesus paid the price for all our sins. But it is for our benefit that we repent and ask for forgiveness. If we never ask, we might be committing suicide.

Humility Over Ego

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HUMILITY OVER EGO

1 Kings 16:8-14

8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years. 9 Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah. 10 Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king. 11 As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha's whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. 12 So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu— 13 because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols. 14 As for the other events of Elah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

NIV

We know that Elah did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and once again he was killed. Zimri is another of these characters who is all about self, as he plotted against his king. He was a commander in the army of Israel, in charge of half the chariots. He had a prominent position in the army of Israel, but that was not enough for him. His ego got the best of him, and his plot against Elah ended in murder. Zimri did the exact thing to all who belonged to Baasha as he did to all who belonged to Jeroboam. The prophet had said that all who belonged to the house of Baasha, that dogs would eat all those who lived in the city, and birds would eat all who lived in the country. Elah's reign was doomed because of all the evil he did in the eyes of the LORD. The story here is about this revolt, Zimri's plotting. The end of Elah was from the hand of God, but was Zimri the instrument of the hand of God, or was it that the foreknowledge of God knew of the ego, the self-centeredness of Zimri, that he would take the life of Elah? We know God has used pagan countries to invade and capture Israel because of their disobedience. God could have used Zimri in the same manner, causing him to take the life of Elah, but that does not seem to match the character of God we know. However, what we should learn here is threefold. First, never to be like any of those kings who did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Secondly, do not let our ego get the best of us so that we would plot against anyone for personal gain. Thirdly, we must make sure we do not have any worthless idols. It is necessary that we examine ourselves, even have the Lord examine our hearts to see if we have made anything into an idol, understanding that any idol is worthless, as it cannot give us life. This comes back to Jesus' teaching about not serving two masters. We may not actually serve an idol, other than giving it much of our time, because we think it will give us personal gain. This might be the case when we store up wealth for our older years, but we cannot guarantee we will have it. Wealth, position, and power, or anything that feeds our ego, can become an idol.  Pridefulness is a byproduct of the ego, which becomes an idol because of the “good deeds” we think we do. Jesus said that we are to learn from him, as he is gentle and humble of heart. When we learn to become humble, first before God, but also before others, we set our ego aside, and become a servant, and if we happen to occupy a position of leadership, as Zimri did, instead of plotting, we become servant leaders. That is where humility strikes down the ego. Can there be a humble ego? It must be humility over ego. 

Life or Perish

DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

LIFE OR PERISH

1 Kings 16:1-7

16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha: 2 "I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins. 3 So I am about to consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4 Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country." 5 As for the other events of Baasha's reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 6 Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king. 7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger by the things he did, and becoming like the house of Jeroboam — and also because he destroyed it.

NIV

We have already been told that Baasha did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and he caused Israel to sin. He receives a visit from a prophet with a word from the LORD, and the message is not positive, although the word of the LORD positively comes true. It is bad enough that he is told his reign is over, but his life and everyone in his family, or those belonging to Baasha, will be consumed either by the dogs or the birds. Their bones will be picked clean, and there will be no evidence of who they were. This is truly what it means to perish. What a horrible thing to be subject to the anger of the LORD. We think the way the world is today must provoke the Lord to anger, yet we are told God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. What about those who do not believe in Jesus? According to the word of the Lord, they will perish. That means there will be no evidence of their existence; it will be as if either the dogs or the birds picked their bones clean. We know that if Baasha had done right in the eyes of the LORD, this perishing of all those who belonged to him would not have occurred, but they would have received their just reward. Praise the Lord because we do not have to worry about perishing, as we have everlasting life as our just reward. However, it is not because we have done all the right things in the Lord's eyes. It is not because of how many good things we have done. It is not about how spiritual we are or think we are. It's not even that we still struggle and yield to temptations. It is all about believing in Jesus, accepting him as our Lord and Savior, and experiencing being born again, or born from above. This is what gives us life everlasting. We are not saved by works because if we were, then we could boast, but we are saved by faith in Jesus. Without Jesus, or apart from Him, we can do nothing; we would be lost forever, perished. If we remain in Jesus, He will remain in us, and we will be gathered to our Father’s house to live with Him forevermore. 

Love Covers Sin

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

1 Kings 15:25-34

LOVE COVERS SIN

25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. 27 Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king. 29 As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam's whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the LORD given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite— 30 because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. 31 As for the other events of Nadab's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 32 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

NIV

Is there no one who does what is right in the eyes of the LORD? Hadad, son of Jeroboam, did all the same evil practices as his father. This was a case of like father, like son, and the LORD was not pleased because not only did Hadad do evil in the eyes of the LORD, but he caused all of Israel to commit sin. Then Baasha, son of Ahijah, killed Hadad, and although he had all the household, every member of the house of Jeroboam was destroyed because of the evil he had done in the eyes of the LORD. Baasha ended up doing the same evil in the eyes of the LORD. What is it with men in power, or is it the same for all men, including women? We know power corrupts, but what about all of us normal people who have no power in this world? Can we be corrupted like Jeroboam, Hadad, and Baasha were? Is there a difference between the corruption that is in the hearts of people that causes them to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, and us believers who fall short of his glory because of our humanity? None of us is without sin, even if we think that we don’t sin according to the lists we have developed. We are supposed to live in accordance with the two things Jesus told us. His list included loving the Lord with all our being and loving each other as we love ourselves. If we could just do those two commands, then we would fulfill all the law, the prophets, as well as all the epistles, in other words, all the word of God. There is more than one way to understand that phrase, love covers a multitude of sins, yet it carries the idea that if we love each other, we will overlook the faults in each other, in fact, not even keeping a record of any wrongs anyone does. If we love each other, we do not see imperfections in others, as if we were blind to them. This is covered within the attitude of kindness, one of the aspects of love. If we love, we will not harm anyone, as we would not intentionally harm ourselves. There may be many other aspects of love, but it does cover over all the imperfections of others. Loving God and others is doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord, just as when we do not love, that is doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. Let us learn that lesson from Jeroboam, Hadad, and Baasha so that we are not like them. Let us learn from Jesus, for he is gentle and humble of heart, and he has shown us what it means to love. Jesus taught us, and Peter repeated it, “Love covers sin”. 

Trust

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

TRUST

1 Kings 15:16-24

16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. 18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 "Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me." 20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah — no one was exempt — and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah. 23 As for all the other events of Asa's reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

NIV

Although we are told that King Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and that his heart was fully committed to God, he was still a man and subject to the ways of the world. When Baasha, the king of Israel, went up against Judah, Asa made a major mistake in going to Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram. He trusted in a foreign king for help instead of the LORD. We know from the annals of the Kings' Chronicles that Asa oppressed his people; no one was exempt.  But it was this gift of gold and silver to Ban-Hadad to encourage him to break his treaty with Baasha and attack him. The lesson we learn here is that we should always trust in God rather than in the world. We do live in this world, just as Asa did, and he relied on it for the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, and money; however, we are supposed to rely on God to supply all we need of the necessities of life. By looking to the Lord for all we need, we will be doing what is right in the Lord's eyes. However, when we look at the world as Asa did, we could face difficulties we should not have to face. How did Asa go from doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD to doing what was wrong in the eyes of the LORD? Is that just the way of humanity? Are we subject to that same kind of mistake? It is more than a divided heart, which is bad enough and does not please the Lord, but to change the direction of our heart, and look straight at the world for our wants, while maybe just giving God a little lip service, is just as mistaken as Asa was. We need to be fully committed to trusting the Lord with our lives, seeking him first, for all our direction, help, provisions, and everything from his hand. Asa trusted a king, we trust The King. 

Fully Committed

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

FULLY COMMITTED

1 Kings 15:9-15

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

NIV

Finally, a king who did everything right in the eyes of the Lord. Asa was the great-grandson of Solomon. Asa reigned over Judah, but Jeroboam, the man who thought to himself, whose thoughts were self-centered, ruled over Israel. But our story is about how Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. Without repeating all he did, we come right to our story. First, do we do what is right in the eyes of the Lord? Second, are our hearts fully committed to the Lord all our lives? Those two questions require some pondering. First, we know that accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior was the right thing to do in God's eyes. Asa expelled the evil practices from the land, and even deposed his grandmother because of her repulsive Asherah pole. Have we expelled all the evil in our land, or rather, our lives? Have we deposed anything repulsive to us, more importantly, to God? True, we are weak, we fail, but we also repent, seeking forgiveness for our sin. That is also doing right in God’s eyes. We want to do whatever he asks of us, serving his kingdom wherever and however he has determined. We want to be the person God desires us to be, and be right in his eyes. Whether we are is up to him to judge, not us. Second, we want our hearts to be fully committed to him. If our hearts are divided in any way, they could not be fully committed to him. We know that we cannot serve two masters, and that is an absolute. How can we do, even some of the practices of this world, and say our hearts are not divided? Although we live here, we need to work here to buy the things of life: a home, clothes, food, and other necessities; we cannot chase after them. Those things are not the reason we live, but the result of our seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness. God provides us with those things that the pagans, the unbelievers, chase after. Our hearts need to be fully committed to the Lord. We are supposed to love him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, not partially, while we endeavor to gain all the things of this world. Asa brought all the silver and gold into the temple. We need to bring the most valuable asset to God into his house,  He has sent the Holy Spirit to his most valuable asset, our hearts, souls, spirits, and minds. Let us be fully committed, doing what is right in our Lord's eyes. 

Like Father Like Son

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

1 Kings 15:1-10

15:1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.   3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life — except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout [Abijah's] lifetime. 7 As for the other events of Abijah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king. 9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

NIV

Is this a case of like father, like son? Abijah, the son of Rehoboam, committed all the sins his father had done before him. We are told that his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD, his God, as his forefather David had been. There will be some kings that do what is right in the eyes of the LORD, but for now, we are with this son who was just like his father. This could be our story. We all have had earthly fathers, and some of us sons may take after our father in some way, while others find another path in life, yet our genetics still follow some pattern from our father. Some sons are fortunate to have had an earthly father who loved the Lord and brought his sons up in the ways of the Lord. Other sons had fathers who did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. However, in whatever situation we sons have been raised in, we still had to make our own choice to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, or reject Jesus and do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord. For those sons who decided to follow Jesus, they are adopted into the family of God and become sons of God. We are now back to that principle of like Father, like son. Of course, the daughter would fall under all the same plan as sons, but because we are with the son of Rehoboam, we speak of ourselves as children or sons of God. The question is whether we are like our Father. Have we taken on the qualities of our Heavenly Father? As a child of an Earthly father, we watched him, loved him, and wanted to be around him. Some may not have had that kind of experience and did not want to be like their father, but wanted something different in life. But once we have been adopted into the family of God, our Father wants us to be just like him, and that is our desire as well. We want to imitate our Father. We want to do what is right in his eyes. We may fail at times, as all men have, even David, in the case of Uriah, yet God still testified that he found a man who would do everything God commanded him to do, that he was a man after God’s own heart. That is our desire is to be known as a son who is after his Father’s own heart. We want to be like our Father. 

War or Peace

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

WAR OR PEACE

1 Kings 14:21-31

 

21 Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 22 Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done. 23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 28 Whenever the king went to the LORD's temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom. 29 As for the other events of Rehoboam's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 30 There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 31 And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.

NIV

What is it with the people of Israel that they should build sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill? They are the tribe of Judah, with King Rehoboam, who reigned in Jerusalem, where the temple of the LORD was. They did not need sacred stones or Asherah poles; they had the temple of the LORD. However, they could not engage in male prostitution in Jerusalem, so they created their own spaces, shrines, so they could do those detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before them. The reign of Rehoboam was not peaceful, as he fought wars against Jeroboam and Egypt. The story here is about his unsuccessful efforts to rule rightly over the house of Judah. He did not lead his people in the ways of the LORD, but allowed them to practice those detestable behaviors and worship other gods. This is a warning to all believers, but also a harsher warning to anyone who serves in leadership within the church. What shepherd or pastor would give approval to the people of God to have detestable practices or lead them astray from the word of the Lord? We know about those false teachers and preachers who, with their silver tongues, spread erroneous doctrines. However, all of us who believe God should make every effort to stay the course, be true to His word, and follow Jesus. Those who believe God know about the Spirit and His gifts and fruit and have available the gift of discernment so they can know the difference between false teaching and the truth. Yet we wonder whether some have allowed worldly practices to infiltrate their lives. However, we know that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve the Lord and serve some portion of this world, or its ways. We do live in the world, and we do need to work in it, and be paid by its standards, so we can buy the things of life. But it is how we manage that, without being entangled by its web of deception, that matters. What we put value on is the key to life as a believer. When we value the Lord, we live in accordance with His ways. If we put any value on the world, we will live in accordance with its ways. We cannot value both or live in accordance with both; it is either one or the other. Rehoboam did not learn that lesson, nor did the people of Judah, and they had no peace, but rather war. If we do not learn that lesson, we too will live without peace, but if we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and do not have a divided heart, then we will have the peace of the Lord in our lives. If our hearts are divided between the Lord and this world, then we live with unrest or war. Giving our whole heart to the Lord brings us peace. 

Knowing God

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

KNOWING GOD

1 Kings 14:12-20

12 "As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the LORD, the God of Israel, has found anything good. 14 "The LORD will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now.   15 And the LORD will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the LORD to anger by making Asherah poles.   16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit." 17 Then Jeroboam's wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the LORD had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah. 19 The other events of Jeroboam's reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 20 He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his fathers. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

NIV

This is the rest of what the old prophet told the wife of jeroboam about what would happen because of the evil Jeroboam did in the sight of the LORD. Although this is history, and the people of Israel were living under the law given to Moses, God dwelt with them in accordance with their behavior regarding the law. This does provide us with insight into the character of God. This is one of the central truths within the scripture: knowing God. We know his word never fails to be true, and whatever he says will always be true and come to pass. When he passes judgment, it is final. We are incredibly blessed to live under the new covenant through Jesus Christ, by the grace of God. We also know the love of God, although his judgment is still final. We do not have to live under that old law, but there are still commandments of God we are expected to obey. We are not free to do evil in the sight of the Lord, although any sin, which we all still struggle with, is evil in the sight of the Lord. Any attitude we have that does not match those Jesus said we should have is sin. Any words or behaviors that are not in line with the teachings of Jesus are sin. However, even David sinned, yet he was known as a man after God’s own heart because he did whatever the Lord told him. This must be our story, as it was with David. We may still sin, but our hearts must be bent toward the Lord and do whatever he tells us. We know God will not punish us for our sins because of Jesus. As long as we are in Christ and he is in us, we are connected to him, and we will bear much fruit. Our lives are richer and fuller because of Jesus. We want to know more about Jesus and his love for us. We are blessed to live when we have the whole canon, the complete word of God, so that we can know him, love him, worship him, and follow his commands or his ways. We know our thoughts are not his thoughts nor our ways his ways, but that is why he wants us to know him, so that we can know his thoughts and his ways and change our thoughts and ways to be in accordance with his. This is our challenge, our calling, to follow Jesus, and then we know God. 

Behind Our Backs

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

BEHIND YOUR BACK

1 Kings 14:1-11

14:1 At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go, disguise yourself, so you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there — the one who told me I would be king over this people. 3 Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy." 4 So Jeroboam's wife did what he said and went to Ahijah's house in Shiloh. Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. 5 But the LORD had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else." 6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back. 10 " 'Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel — slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11 Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The LORD has spoken!'

NIV

It is not possible to thrust the LORD behind our backs if we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or is it? Jeroboam not only thrusted the LORD behind his back, but he also turned to other gods he had made of metal, such as gold, silver, or bronze. He built high places and made all sorts of people priests to these gods. He had to pay a price for the evil he did in the eyes of the LORD. We also see his deceptive heart in that he had his wife try to disguise herself before the prophet Ahijah, but she was unsuccessful, as there is no way to hide oneself from the LORD. This is where we could learn that lesson. No matter how we might try, we can never hide from the Lord. He knows our hearts, our thoughts, and words, before we desire, think, or speak. If he were not able to know our hearts, then he would not be the Lord God Almighty. Whatever we try to do, even in secret, we are not alone. He knows when we are doing right in his eyes, and he knows when we are doing wrong in his eyes. We know, as we have known since our beginning to walk with him, that he has forgiven our wrongs, our sins, because of Jesus. However, that does not give us the freedom to either put God behind our backs or turn to another form of a god. He knows when we might become frustrated, upset, or even angry over either the situations we face or the people we live with, the community of faith. He knows our hearts, our weaknesses, and our strengths. He knows the plans he has for us, plans to bless us. He wants all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. He desires that we always turn toward him, race toward him, turning all else behind our backs. He wants us to forget what is behind and run the race, straining for what is ahead, to take hold, to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which the Lord has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. Because we run toward Jesus, we can never put God behind our backs.