Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The Year Uzziah Died



Isaiah 6[i]

Uzziah died in approximately 742 B.C. 

Uzziah was king in Jerusalem, ruling over the country of Judah.  He was a descendant of David.  However, in case one should think this made him perfect, he was also the great, great, great grandson of none other than Jezebel.  But, that is a different story for a different time.  Uzziah was the 10th king of Judah after the nation of Israel divided.

Uzziah became king at the age of 16, and he reigned 52 years.  The Bible says he did right in the eyes of the Lord, except he did not remove the high places and altars where people made sacrifices. 

The Law of Moses was clear that there was to be one central place of worship for the whole nation.  (Deuteronomy 12)  This is one law that Uzziah did not adhere to nor did he enforce it as the ruler of his people.

The story of his reign is an amazing success story.  He conquered the enemies surrounding his nation.  He expanded the nation’s territory, and elevated the country to a position or regional power.  When the Assyrians invaded the region, they conquered every nation in their path.  However, Uzziah led a coalition of the surrounding nations and stopped the advance of the Assyrians.  This historical campaign was one of the last things he did.  He died before the Assyrians could retaliate.[ii]

There is a blot on his record.  Uzziah was rich, powerful and successful, and the Scriptures tell us that he became proud.  In his pride, he entered into the temple to burn incense, which was something that only the priests were to do.  The high priest and 80 accompanying priests tried to stop the king, but he became furious with them.  God intervened and leprosy instantly appeared on the forehead of Uzziah.  Uzziah died a leper in isolation.  In his last years, his son, Jotham, took charge of the palace and government, sharing the throne with his father.

Isaiah 6 records one of the great visions of the Bible.  Isaiah 6:1 says, “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord.  He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.”

Isaiah dates this from the year King Uzziah died.  Therefore, we know some of what was going on in Judah at that time.  We know that the nation was prosperous.  We know that they had a strong military.  However, they were facing a dangerous enemy.  Assyria was conquering the surrounding nations, and laying the foundations for what would become the Babylonian Empire and then later the Persian Empire.  The Assyrians were a concern for everyone, even Egypt.

The Lord chose this time to show Himself to Isaiah.

The People of Judah were religious.  They had the Temple of God and continued to offer daily sacrifices.  However, God was not impressed with their sacrifices.  In Isaiah 1 God gave this message concerning the people of Judah:
2Listen, O heavens!  Pay attention, earth!  This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me.  3Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master.  My people don’t recognize my care for them.”  4Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt.  They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD.  They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.  (Isaiah 1:2-4)

God was not happy with them, and yet they continued to be prosperous and successful.  Because of their success, they thought everything was okay, including their relationship with God.

In Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah says, “I saw the Lord.”  He saw a sight that was so magnificent that his first response was, “It’s all over!  I am doomed, for I am a sinful man.”  (Isaiah 6:5)  When Moses saw the glory of God, his face shown for years afterward.  For Isaiah, the sight was so glorious that even the angels present were covering their faces.  Very few men in history have seen such a vision of God’s glory.  In Moses’s case, it strengthened him and sustained him through many years of leading the people of Israel through the wilderness.  In Isaiah’s case, it was to strengthen and sustain him through many years of preaching to a stubborn, obstinate people.

God told Isaiah to deliver this message to the people of Judah.  He said: 
“Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand.  Watch closely, but learn nothing.’  10Harden the hearts of these people.  Plug their ears and shut their eyes.  That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.”  (Isaiah 6:9-10)

In John 12, Jesus quotes this text to explain the unbelief of the Jews.  Even though they saw many miraculous signs, the Jews would not believe in Jesus.

Isaiah saw the glory of God, while a nation remained blind to that same glory.  A mere handful out of thousands were able to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ when he walked this earth.  John 1:10 says of Him, “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.”  In much the same way, although there were many prophets in Judah, Isaiah was the only one who saw this glorious vision of God.

Isaiah describes what he saw.  He says, “He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.”  The English Standard Version translates this “high and lifted up.”  Isaiah does not describe God, but rather His throne.  This is significant because God told Moses, “But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live."  (Exodus 33:20)  Isaiah was impressed with the lofty, majestic power of God.  The first thing he describes is the exalted position of God.

In Isaiah 1, God had accused Judah of despising the Holy One of Israel.  They had too low a view of God. Isaiah saw a lofty, exalted throne with God seated on it.  The biggest mistake humanity makes is despising God.  We tend to think too little of Him and too much of ourselves.  It is crucial for us as individuals and as nations to remember who God is.  In Deuteronomy 8, God warned Israel:
11“But that is the time to be careful!  Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.  12For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful!  14Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

18Remember the LORD your God.  He is the one who gives you power to be successful.  (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 18)

Uzziah demonstrated what pride does.  He grew proud because of his success and then tried to enter into God’s presence on his terms rather than on God’s terms.  He never entered the temple again, and died a leper.

We can know God, but the first and greatest hindrance to our entering into the knowledge of God is pride.  How can we hold onto our pride when we see God on a lofty throne, high and lifted up?

Along with the throne, Isaiah saw mighty seraphim attending God.  Each had six wings.  With two wings, they covered their feet, with two, they covered their faces and with two, they flew.  They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!  The whole earth is filled with his glory!”  (Isaiah 6:2-3)

The angels covering their faces is an indication of God’s glory, and covering their feet is an indication of God’s holiness.  These mighty, heavenly beings continually proclaim God’s holiness.  Throughout Scripture, we confront the holiness of God.  God is holy beyond our ability to comprehend.

The dictionary definition of “Holy” according to Google is “dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.”  In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated holy means “set apart” or “separate.”  In the New Testament, the Greek word translated holy means “set apart.”  These meanings are consistent with the idea of dedication.  However, when applied to God, dedication does not capture the meaning of “holy.”  When we say God is holy, we mean that he is separate from His creation.  He is entirely “other” than His creation.  While God has created all things and sustains all things, He is not “all things.”  He is separate, “other.”  Another idea is captured in this separateness.  His “separateness” also extends to His absolute purity.  The Bible says, “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.”  (1 John 1:5)  Light is another expression of God’s purity, His holiness.  The brilliance of God’s holiness is why faces are always covered in His presence.  Even the eyes of angels cannot bear to look upon the brilliant radiance of His glory, His holiness.   

Overwhelmed by what he saw, Isaiah said, “It’s all over!  I am doomed, for I am a sinful man.  I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips.  Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”   (Isaiah 6:5)  Upon seeing God, Isaiah was painfully aware of his sinfulness.  This is the effect of confronting God’s perfect holiness.  The burning coal taken from the altar and touched to Isaiah’s lips burnt away the impurities.  Without the intervention of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice to pay the price for our sins and purify us, we would all be consumed by the presence of God’s holiness just as fire consumes a moth.

However, pride keeps us from acknowledging sin.  Isaiah was called to confront this problem in Judah.  They did not acknowledge that they were sinful.  Jesus confronted this problem on the streets of Jerusalem.  They did not acknowledge they were sinful.  We confront this problem in our own lives.   

Even Christians, who are saved by faith and cleansed of their sins by the blood of Christ, often will not admit their sins.  1 John 1:8 warns us, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” 

God showed Isaiah a vison of His own majesty and holiness in order to make Isaiah aware of his people’s sin of pride.

Through Isaiah’s record, God confronts our pride.  God still speaks.  Isaiah’s vision still lives.  How do we respond?  Do we, like Isaiah, say, “It’s all over!  I am doomed, for I am a sinful man.”  Or, do we, like Judah, harden our hearts?

Why not be reconciled to God today?

Why not call on His name and receive His cleansing?

1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 



[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.
[ii] Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, 1966.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Our Expectations



2 Kings 5[i]

Leprosy terrorized humanity for millennia.  Before the age of antibiotics, leprosy was untreatable, incurable and terminal.  The disease started with skin lesions and insensitivity of the body’s extremities (fingers, toes and such), and progressed to disfigurement and death.

Today, leprosy is considered curable and although approximately 180,000 cases exist in the world, it is considered rare.  In 2015, 63 cases of leprosy were diagnosed in the United States.[ii]

In 1873, a doctor, named G. H. Armauer Hansen, discovered the bacterium that is the cause of leprosy.  As a result, the disease is now also known as “Hansen’s Disease.”[iii]

The bacterium that causes leprosy can live in a person’s body for many years without causing any symptoms.  Therefore, leprosy has a long or unpredictable incubation period.  A person exposed to the disease may never develop symptoms or may develop symptoms 6 months, a year or 20 years after exposure. 

Because of these characteristics of the disease, its unpredictable incubation and incurable nature, it is used typologically to represent sin and impurity in the Bible.  God does not fear, hate or misuse the victims of leprosy.  However, humanity has done so in the past.  As long as it was considered incurable and was not understood, leprosy was greatly feared, and to be diagnosed with leprosy was to be instantly made an outcast.  The only way to control the spread of the disease was to isolate those infected, separating them from the general population.  The similarity with sin breaks down at this point, because humanity is all infected with sin without a single exception.

In 2 Kings 5, we meet Naaman.  Naaman was the commander of the army of Aram, a mighty warrior and a leper.

In his day, this was a certain death sentence.  There was no cure.  However, Naaman was valuable to the king of Aram.  Naaman led his troops to great victories.  Therefore, the king was willing to commit the resources of the nation to curing Naaman.

For a disease or condition without a cure, no amount of resources, money or effort can help.  Sin is like this.  No amount of resources, training, effort or money can alter the natural course of sin in a person’s life. 

Our world screams, “Where is God in all of this?”  “God is silent.”  “He does not speak.”  However, humanity refuses to acknowledge we have a problem.  We refuse to acknowledge that we are sick, disfigured and infected with a terminal illness.

Naaman was not in denial.  The Scripture does not tell us Naaman tried to hide or deny his disease.  However, it does tell us that a young servant girl told Naaman’s wife, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria.  He would heal him of his leprosy.”  (2 Kings 5:3) 

The first step in finding healing, help or a cure is to acknowledge the problem. 

Whether the problem is physical or spiritual, this acknowledgement must be honest.  It will not do to treat leprosy as if it is a simple wart or acne.  It will not do to treat cancer as if it is a simple cold.  It will not do to treat alcoholism as if it is a simple desire for alcohol.  It will not do to treat sex outside of marriage as if it is a simple desire for pleasure or happiness.  At what point are we willing to acknowledge we have a problem?

Naaman was on the right track.  He knew he had a problem. 

God provided an answer.

He always does.  In the case of Naaman, it was through a servant girl.  Of course, Naaman would not have listened to the servant girl.  However, he did listen to his wife.  We do not always listen, but occasionally God gets through to us.

Naaman listened and told the king there was hope in Samaria.  Therefore, the king sent money and a letter to the king of Israel, who lived in Samaria, saying, “With this letter I present my servant Naaman.  I want you to heal him of his leprosy.”  (2 Kings 5:6)

The king of Aram and Naaman made the mistake we all tend to make.  They looked to other people for the answer. Other people are not the answer.  Other people help us in so far as they bring us to the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  (John 14:6) 

The king of Israel responded by tearing his clothes and saying, “He is trying to pick a fight with me.” There was no way that he could cure Naaman’s leprosy.  However, Elijah heard of the king’s dilemma and sent the king a message saying:
Why are you so upset?  Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.  (2 Kings 5:8)

At this point, Naaman is being directed to the only One who can help.

Naaman went to Elisha’s house.  He went with horses and chariots, because he was an important man.  He represented a nation and came with a letter of introduction from his king.

This is human.  We like to be important.

Elisha is unimpressed.  He does not bother to come out of the house.  He sends a messenger out to tell Naaman:
Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River.  Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.  (2 Kings 5:10)

Naaman is outraged.  He said:
“I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said.  “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!  Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel?  Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?”  (2 Kings 5:11-12)

However, Naaman’s officers reasoned with him and said:
“Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it?  So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’”  (2 Kings 5:13)

As a result, Naaman went and washed himself in the Jordan River and he was healed of his leprosy.

Our expectations keep us from the healing God has for us.

We want to be treated as important, but we must humble ourselves and acknowledge our leprosy (read sin).  We want to pay for a cure or earn a cure, but no price can pay for what we need.  We want to do some great deed in order to merit being cured.  However, God has provided only one Way.

Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Our expectation is that we should be able to find our own way to God, but He says there is only one Way.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Our expectation is that nothing is free.  We have to work for it.  However, God takes away our right to boast.  We cannot earn it.  If Naaman had done some great deed to take healing for himself, he could have boasted, but God did not give him that option.  Neither does God give any of us that option.

Our world may scream, “Where is God in all of this?”  However, as long as we refuse to acknowledge we have a problem and as long as we refuse to accept His solution, God’s voice falls on deaf ears.

God gave His Son to save us from our sins, what more do we expect?




[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.
[ii] https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=leprosy
[iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

A Still Small Voice



1 Kings 19:1-18[i]

Elijah was a man of God.  In 1 Kings 17, he announces a famine.  God is trying to get the attention of Israel.  Israel has been consistently unfaithful by worshipping idols and participating in religious practices that God never sanctioned.  In 1 Kings 18, Elijah takes on the king and the prophets of Baal in front of the whole nation of Israel.  He boldly challenges them to a contest to see who is the true God.
                                                                                        
The Lord God answers Elijah’s simple prayer with fire from heaven, demonstrating that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the true God.  In response, the people proclaim that the Lord is God, and Elijah boldly takes charge and has the people of Israel slay all the prophets of Baal.

Elijah has won.  The people have acknowledged that the Lord is God.  (1 Kings 18:39)  Therefore, Elijah prays for rain, and God sends rain.  Elijah warned Ahab of the coming rain, and outran Ahab's chariot to Ahab's hometown.

Surely, this is the beginning of reform, a return to the God of Israel.

However, this is not to be.  1 Kings 19:1 tells us that when Ahab got home he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.

Ahab had a habit of getting Jezebel to do his dirty work.  Therefore, this is what he does.  1 Kings 21:25 tells us, “There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.”  (NIV)[ii]  His heart was not moved by the demonstration of God’s power.  Consequently, he goes home and tells Jezebel his troubles.  How that bad old “troubler of Israel” killed all his prophets of Baal.  Jezebel then sends a message to Elijah.  “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” (1 Kings 19:2)  She was not king.  She could not have done this without the king’s support.  However, Ahab was afraid of the people.  The people had followed Elijah in slaying the prophets of Baal.  The people had proclaimed, “The Lord is God!”  Ahab insulated himself from the consequences of taking action by getting Jezebel to do it for him.

However, Jezebel was not stupid.  She sent a message.  If she had sent soldiers or someone to kill Elijah, they would most likely have been stopped.  After all, Elijah had just killed 450 people.

1 Kings 19:3 tells us, “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.”  Up to this point in the life of Elijah, he acted on the word of the Lord.  In this case, he responds in fear.  He took his eyes off the Lord his God.  This reminds me of Peter, when he saw Jesus walking on the water.  He said to Jesus, “Master, if it is truly you, command me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus said, “Come.”  Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water until he took his eyes off Jesus, saw the storm and noticed the wind and the waves.  Then, he sank and had to be rescued by Jesus.  We see this same response in Elijah.  He took his eyes off the Lord his God and ran.

How often do we do the same thing?  Do we wait patiently for the Lord, or do we panic and run?
                              
Circumstances look threatening.  In response, we take action before taking our concerns to the Lord and seeking His will. 

Elijah panics.  He went to Beersheba.  He ran 120 miles south.  He is in Judah, which should be a safe place.  However, he does not stop there.  He leaves his servant and continues alone into the wilderness.  He finally reaches the end of physical endurance, lies down under a tree and prays to die.  In this, we get a glimpse into his frame of mind.  He says, “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”  (1 Kings 19:4)  He is thinking about his ancestors.  We also know that he goes to Mt. Sinai, the Mountain of God where Moses received the Law. 

When Elijah gets to Mt. Sinai and the Lord asks Him, “What are you doing here?” we see more of Elijah’s frame of mind.  He says, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty.  But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets.  I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”  (1 Kings 19:15)

Elijah remembered the great demonstration of power at Mt. Sinai and the powerful leadership of Moses and felt sorry for himself.  He had expected an entirely different result from his ministry at Mt. Herman.  He ministered with a passion to see his people return to the Lord his God.  He is angry with God.  His statement that he is the only one left is an accusation pointing at God.  He went back to the place where it had all started, Mt. Sinai.  That is where the covenant that had been broken was established.

Have you ever been disappointed with God?

Have you ever worked hard, served the Lord and then met with what you perceived as failure?  I have.

“God, I worked hard for you.  I was faithful, and look what is happening now!” 

At this point, Elijah is nowhere near where he should be.  Twice, God asks him, “What are you doing here?”

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you have no business being?  I have.  Do not worry.  Many people have.  Abraham found himself in Egypt, where he had no business being.  Jonah found himself in the belly of a big fish.  David found himself in Philistia.  Peter found himself running away, weeping after having denied Jesus.  Disappointment and frustration with God seems to be a part of the life of the one who would follow God.  It is not the fact that God is good that upsets us.  It is the fact that His ways are not our ways.  Elijah wanted a revival.  Jonah wanted Nineveh judged.  David wanted safety from Saul.  Peter wanted the Kingdom of God.  All wanted good things, but the desired results did not happen when and how the man of God wanted.

These men got mad at God, threw a fit and went their own way.  How did God respond?

He sustained them.  He fed Elijah heavenly food.  He kept Jonah from drowning and provided transportation back to dry land.  He provided a home and protection for David.  He protected Abraham and made him rich.  He chose Peter to lead his Apostles and the Church in Jerusalem.

How does God respond to you when you get angry, frustrated, disappointed and lack faith?  He sustains you.  He provides you with heavenly food.  He carries you through the storm to dry land.  He provides safety and shelter.  He gives you blessings you do not deserve.  Hebrews 12:5-6 make it clear that God disciplines His children.  This is important.  He treats us as His children, because that is exactly what we are.  We are His children.  John 1:12 tells us:
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

God used a famine, and fire from heaven to speak to Ahab.

Ahab was not God’s child.  He made himself God’s enemy

God used plagues, death and destruction to speak to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh was not God’s child.  He made himself God’s enemy.

God uses earthquakes, plagues and disease to get the attention of those who set themselves against Him.  In the book of Revelation, God says He will use earthquakes, plagues and disease to speak to those who set themselves against Him.  However, this is not how God speaks to His children.

To Adam, He said, “Where are you?”  To Elijah, He said, “What are you doing here?”

God reminded Elijah that He could smash rocks with wind, shake the earth and bring fire from heaven.  What happened in Israel was not up to Elijah.  God gave Him an assignment.  “Go back the way you came.”  Elijah was to anoint Hazael king of Aram.  Hazael would be the wind that would smash the rocks of Israel.  Elijah was to anoint Jehu as king of Israel.  Jehu would be the earthquake that would shake the foundations of Israel, removing the family of Ahab from the face of the earth.  Elijah was to anoint Elisha as his own successor.  Elisha would be the fire that purified the nation.

However, the wind, earthquake and fire were not for Elijah.  God does not speak to His children that way.  God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.  The Hebrew is literally “a sound of gentle stillness.”  God tells us, “Be still and know that I am God!”  (Psalm 46:10)  God speaks to His children with impressions, through His word and through thoughts.  Psalm 16:7 tells us that even at night our hearts instruct us.  This, along with examples in scripture, leads me to believe that He speaks to us even in our dreams. 

Jesus has saved us from the wrath of God.  As His children, we do not live in fear.  We live in the glorious triumph of the grace of God.  The warning of wrath and judgment are for a world that sets itself up in opposition to God.  For us, His children, we need to listen and in the stillness hear the sweet sound of His still small voice.  When God needs to shout to get someone’s attention, then there is a serious need for repentance and contrition.

God speaks to His children.  Are we listening?



[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.
[ii] Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

What Does It Take?




King David and then his son Solomon led Israel to be a great and powerful nation.  Under their leadership, Israel grew to be one of the most powerful nations in that region.

However, Solomon was unfaithful and worshipped idols.  Therefore, God judged Solomon, took 10 of Israel’s tribes and gave them to another dynasty.  Israel became two nations.  The 10 tribes became what is known as the northern kingdom or Israel.  The tribe left to David’s line became what is known as the southern kingdom, or Judah. 

The map of Israel now looked like this:
When God took the northern kingdom away from Solomon’s son, He gave it to a man name Jeroboam.  Here is what God told Jeroboam:
‘I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!  32But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.  33For Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites.  He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight.  He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did.  (1 Kings 11: 31-33[ii])

God explained that He was leaving one tribe for David’s line because of His promise to David.  However, He went on to say to Jeroboam:
38If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you.  I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you.  (1 Kings 11:38)

In a few short months after God had spoken to him, Jeroboam found himself king over the northern kingdom.  However, he did not trust God.  He thought to himself:
“Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.  27When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah.  They will kill me and make him their king instead.”  (1 Kings 12:26-27)

His solution was to set up idols at the north and south ends of his kingdom so that his people would not go to Jerusalem, the heart of the southern kingdom, to worship.  He also set up shrines to some of the gods that Solomon had worshipped.

In response, God told Jeroboam that his family would be completely destroyed.  His lineage would be completely wiped out.  God also said, “[ I ] will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and made Israel sin along with him.”  (1 King 14:16)

When Jeroboam died his son, Nadab became king.  Nadab was king two years and then Baasha assassinated Nadab, made himself king and slaughtered all the descendants of Jeroboam.

Baasha was worse than Jeroboam, but he passed the Kingdom down to his son Elah.  Elah was king for two years and then Zimri wiped out his descendants and even his relatives.

Zimri was king for 7 days, but the army was out of town.  So, the army chose their commander Omri as king.  Omri ruled Israel for 12 years.  This is what 1 Kings 16:25 says of Omri:
But Omri did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him.

So the kings of the northern kingdom have been: Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri and Omri.  (As a side note, there was a Tibni who fought a civil war with Omri for control of the nation.)  The most notable thing about each of these kings is that each one was worse than his predecessor in ignoring the word of the Lord and in turning the people away from God by promoting idol worship.

The Lord sent prophets, warnings and judgments but these kings ignored them.

Omri had a son name Ahab who succeeded him as king.  And, just when we thought it could not get any worse . . .

Ahab married a woman named Jezebel.  He built a temple for a god named Baal in his capital city.  He set up an Asherah pole.  In fact, the Bible says, “He did more to provoke the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.”  (1 Kings 16:33)  (1 Kings 21:25 says, “No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the LORD’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel.”)

Up to this point, the kings of the nation were judged.  The nation was still prosperous and powerful.  It was still one of the major powers in the region.  Ahab was a powerful, rich king.

God was not getting through to these kings of Israel, so He raised up a prophet, a man of God, by the name of Elijah.  God sent Elijah to Ahab with a message.  He said, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”  (1 Kings 17:1)

3 1/2 years later, we find Ahab searching the whole land trying to find enough grass to save at least some of his horses and mules.  (1 Kings 18:5)  It is at this point that the Elijah sets up a meeting with the King. 

A little background is in order.  Elijah has been in hiding during the past three years.  Ahab has been searching everywhere for Elijah.  He had searched the surrounding nations and everywhere inside the borders of Israel.  It was not safe to worship the Lord God in Israel.  We are told that Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord's prophets but one of the king's servants named Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves.

When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” 
(1 Kings 18:17)

Listen to Elijah's response.
18“I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied.  “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.  (1 Kings 18:18)

Is it not interesting that Ahab blamed Elijah for the famine?

How is it that he can ascribe godlike powers to Elijah?  Is this not obviously the hand of God?  Can a man control the weather?  What will it take to get Ahab's attention?

When God sent plagues on Egypt, he targeted specific Egyptian gods.  Each plague challenged or corresponded with a particular Egyptian God.  The drought that God sent on Israel also targeted the Baal and the Ashtoreth that Ahab worshiped.  However, Ahab did not recognize the hand of God but found a scapegoat in God's messenger and blamed it on Elijah.

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal that were in the employ of King Ahab's house to a contest.  1 Kings 18:20 -21 tell us:
20So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel.  21Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow him!  But if Baal is God, then follow him!”  But the people were completely silent.

Elijah built an altar.  The prophets of Baal built an altar.  They each put wood on top of the altar and then put a bull on top of the wood.  The challenge was that they were both to call on their god and the God that answered by fire would be understood to be the true God.  Elijah let the prophets of Baal go first.

All morning, the prophets of Baal called on him, but there was no response.  Then from noon until about six o'clock in the evening, Elijah heckled them.  Listen to what he said.
“You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god!  Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself.  Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”  (1 Kings 18:27)

There was never any answer from Baal.  Baal was the storm god.  This challenge was perfectly suited for him because he should have been able to answer by lightning and set the wood on fire that was underneath the bull on the altar.

When it was Elijah's turn, he first soaked everything with water.  Then he offered up a simple prayer, and fire came from heaven and consumed the bull, the wood, the stones and the water.  Here is how 1 Kings 18:38-39 describe what happened:
38Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust.  It even licked up all the water in the trench!  39And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The LORD—he is God!  Yes, the LORD is God!”

Israel had been straying from God for many years, and the Lord spoke to them repeatedly through prophets.  Even when famine came, announced beforehand by a man of God, Ahab would not listen.  It took fire from heaven to get the people's attention.

We know that soon there is a time coming that the Scriptures call the tribulation.  First, there will be a mass disappearing of Christians, but the world will explain it away.  Then there will be earthquakes.  Earthquakes challenge our confidence in the earth and our ability to tame it, and our claim that matter is eternal.  There will be war, plagues and diseases all with the purpose of demonstrating the futility of our modern idols of economics, political power and science.  Science in this setting means our confidence in ourselves and our ability to master all challenges.

Let me ask you a question.  Are not these idols at the core of what troubles our world today?  Has not God shaken our economic foundations to get our attention?  Are earthquakes not becoming more common than ever before?  Are new and strange diseases not a cause for concern?  What will it take for God to get our attention?  God still speaks.  Are we listening?

I know for me personally sometimes God has to use drastic measures to get my attention. 

Is there a drought in your life today?  Has something shaken the very foundations of your life and your world?

Our world assumes that because we are prosperous or well or at peace that we must be all right with God.  However, Ahab was prosperous, healthy and had the strongest military in the neighborhood, but he could not have been farther from God.

I would like to echo the message of Elijah, the message of John the Baptist, and the message of Jesus Christ.  "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand."  God speaks.  Are we willing to listen?

Let me close with some words from Jesus.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  (Matthew 6:33)





[i] http://growingkidsingrace.blogspot.com/2013/01/kings-divided-kingdom_13.html
[ii] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

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