Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.'
"And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'
"Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."
(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
1 Kings 21:20-28
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever gone through a time in your life where you sinned and made all the wrong decisions? And after committing those sins, have you ever felt the overbearing weight of conviction by the Holy Spirit which comes in the way of guilt and shame for your actions?
I know I have…and those have been some of the worst times in my life…the times when I have failed the Lord and He has spared no expense to let me know about it.
So what do we do when this happens? What steps do we take to while seeking restoration and a return to God’s favor?
I have always loved the following passage from the New Testament because it is so chocked full of truth:
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:8-9
The Lord knows we are imperfect…prone to evil…afflicted by sin. The problem is that we act like we don’t know it all too often. So we carry on living in ways that are against God’s commands, words and will and act like we’re doing everything right. We live in a way that says, “I am OK. I’m doing what makes me feel good every day and am loving life. What’s wrong with that?”
What’s wrong with that? Well…we have reached a point where we have become completely detached from spiritual reality…a reality which constantly reminds us we need the Lord because we are too pathetically weak to withstand Satan without Him. And Satan wants nothing more than for us to think we’re without sin…to deceive us and try and obscure the truth within us.
So how do we escape from Satan’s clutches to where we can flee and run back to the only One who can save?
Friends, it comes down to repentance and confession.
For when we decide to turn away from sin and back toward holiness, we are embraced by the One who is faithful and just…forgiving and merciful…the One whose grace is amazing…and the only One who can purify us from all unrighteousness. Yes…the Lord can and does all this for those who genuinely show Him they’re sorry.
This truth is in full display in our passage. For Elijah had just unleashed a verbal tirade from the Lord, highlighting the fatal consequences that were in store for Ahab, his descendants and people as well as his wife Jezebel. The Lord was angry and there would soon be a price that would be exacted for the evil committed…and evil which culminated with the conspiracy to have Naboth stoned and killed so Ahab could take his vineyard.
Indeed, Ahab was in deep trouble and in the midst of his trouble, he did the only thing he could do.
He through himself at the Lord’s mercy and grace.
Scripture tells us that upon hearing the words of the Lord’s indictment, Ahab “tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted”. He lay around in that sackcloth and “went around meekly”. Such was the depth of his conviction.
This wasn’t lost on the Lord who sent a word to Elijah saying:
“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
And with that, Ahab was spared. Not that the judgment had been rescinded. For there remained negative consequences for Ahab’s negative actions. But at least for the moment, Ahab had learned an important lesson: True repentance results in the Lord’s pardon. Indeed, the Lord is faithful and just when we confess our sins.
Question: Where are you in the way you’re living your life? Are you living as if there is no sin in you…living in deceit and without truth?
If so, there’s good news. For right here…right now…you can get right with your Father. You can turn to Him, tell Him you’re sorry for the things you have done, commit to change your ways and turn back toward His will and word for your life and then receive the full measure of His mercy and grace and forgiveness and, most of all, love.
For there’s no better place to be than in the Lord’s favor.
And no worse place to be than out of it.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
THE POISONOUS NATURE OF COVETOUSNESS
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." But Naboth replied, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"
He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.' "
Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. In those letters she wrote:
"Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard.
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!' "
Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.'
"And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'
"Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."
(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)
1 Kings 21:1-26
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever found yourself yearning for something that someone else has?
Perhaps you found yourself envious of a person’s occupational status. Or maybe you found yourself wishing you had a person’s fame, wealth or appearance. Or possibly you hoped that you might have some possession that another person had.
Indeed, we are immersed in a value-based world that would compel us to have the best of everything, whatever the cost…even if we have to get what we want by dishonest means.
It’s little wonder that God made it a point to command, “"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17)
As we look at today’s scripture from 1st Kings, Chapter 21, we find King Ahab seemingly forgetting God’s command as he gets involved with “an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite”.
The vineyard, located in Jezreel and conveniently “close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria”, led the king to ask its owner, Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."
The request seemed simple enough to Ahab. After all, he was the king and surely Naboth would have no problem either getting a new vineyard better that the one in Jezreel or being paid fair price for the land.
But money isn’t everything to people sometimes, especially when the purchase proposal involves something of sentimental value to the owner. In the case of the vineyard, Naboth had inherited it from his fathers who had worked it generations before him. And knowing how much the Lord valued respect of elders, Naboth declined Ahab’s offer.
Well…as we see…this did not set very well with Ahab who “went home, sullen and angry” because Naboth would not swing a deal with him for the vineyard. Such was the depth of Ahab’s disappointment that he just “lay on his bed sulking” and refusing to eat.
Wondering what was wrong with her husband, we read where Jezebel went to Ahab and asked, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"
And so Ahab told his wife about what happened. That he had went to Naboth and offered to either give him another vineyard or pay for the one he owned but Naboth refused to part with his land. We sense that Jezebel is wondering whether or not she married a wimp for a king as she mockingly says, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” In other words, Jezebel basically said to her husband, I’ll do what you were unable to do…and she knew just how to do it.
What would follow would show just how ruthless people can be when they allow sin to rule supreme in their lives, especially when greed and coveting are involved. A person is literally poisoned so much by pining for what another has that they lose all regard for the one that possesses what they yearn for…even for that person’s right to live.
And this is exactly what happens as Jezebel vows to get her husband what he wants and then sets a sinister plan in place to do just that.
Scripture tells us “she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him”, writing the following:
"Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
And so the “elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters”, proclaiming a fast and seating Naboth “in a prominent place among the people”. Then, as directed, “two scoundrels came…sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth…saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king."
And with that, Naboth was taken “outside the city and stoned him to death”.
Word soon traveled back to Jezebel that Naboth was dead and so she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." And so Ahab did just that. He finally got what he wanted…but not before disobeying yet another of God’s commands: “You shall not murder.”
So up to this point, we have not seen the Lord involved in the matter of the vineyard. But that was about to change and in a big way.
For we catch back up with one of God’s most trusted prophets, Elijah, as he receives the word of the Lord that instructed him to, “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!' " And with that, the Lord’s obedient prophet and servant went to carry out His orders.
Well, you’ll recall that there was a little bit of history between Ahab and Elijah, particularly after Elijah had slain his prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18:40) Ahab’s wife jezebel vowed to kill Elijah for his actions but the Lord kept his prophet safe in the midst of the danger. We sense that Ahab had not forgotten Elijah’s actions as he greets him by saying, “So you have found me, my enemy!"
Elijah, undeterred by Ahab’s words, goes on to tell the king why he is there...saying, "I have found you…because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
And with that, Elijah passed the message of God’s judgment to Ahab saying, “I (God) am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel — slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.”
But that wasn’t all that was going to happen for Elijah added, “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.’ " There was little doubt that both Ahab and Jezebel were in serious trouble with the Lord. In fact, our passage has this to say about Ahab:
“There was never a man like (him), who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.”
Imagine you’re Ahab. Things are not looking good…in fact, things are looking downright fatal as he found himself squarely in God’s disfavor.
And the same thing will happen to us if we allow the poisonous nature of covetousness to enter our hearts.
So what will it be?
Will we be satisfied and thankful for what God gives us?
Or will we instead wish and desire for what others have?
Perhaps the answer for us can be found in the words of David…a man after God’s own heart…who wrote:
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Come to think of it…what else would we ever want if we made the Lord our sole delight?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." But Naboth replied, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"
He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.' "
Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. In those letters she wrote:
"Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard.
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!' "
Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.'
"And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'
"Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."
(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)
1 Kings 21:1-26
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever found yourself yearning for something that someone else has?
Perhaps you found yourself envious of a person’s occupational status. Or maybe you found yourself wishing you had a person’s fame, wealth or appearance. Or possibly you hoped that you might have some possession that another person had.
Indeed, we are immersed in a value-based world that would compel us to have the best of everything, whatever the cost…even if we have to get what we want by dishonest means.
It’s little wonder that God made it a point to command, “"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17)
As we look at today’s scripture from 1st Kings, Chapter 21, we find King Ahab seemingly forgetting God’s command as he gets involved with “an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite”.
The vineyard, located in Jezreel and conveniently “close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria”, led the king to ask its owner, Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."
The request seemed simple enough to Ahab. After all, he was the king and surely Naboth would have no problem either getting a new vineyard better that the one in Jezreel or being paid fair price for the land.
But money isn’t everything to people sometimes, especially when the purchase proposal involves something of sentimental value to the owner. In the case of the vineyard, Naboth had inherited it from his fathers who had worked it generations before him. And knowing how much the Lord valued respect of elders, Naboth declined Ahab’s offer.
Well…as we see…this did not set very well with Ahab who “went home, sullen and angry” because Naboth would not swing a deal with him for the vineyard. Such was the depth of Ahab’s disappointment that he just “lay on his bed sulking” and refusing to eat.
Wondering what was wrong with her husband, we read where Jezebel went to Ahab and asked, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"
And so Ahab told his wife about what happened. That he had went to Naboth and offered to either give him another vineyard or pay for the one he owned but Naboth refused to part with his land. We sense that Jezebel is wondering whether or not she married a wimp for a king as she mockingly says, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” In other words, Jezebel basically said to her husband, I’ll do what you were unable to do…and she knew just how to do it.
What would follow would show just how ruthless people can be when they allow sin to rule supreme in their lives, especially when greed and coveting are involved. A person is literally poisoned so much by pining for what another has that they lose all regard for the one that possesses what they yearn for…even for that person’s right to live.
And this is exactly what happens as Jezebel vows to get her husband what he wants and then sets a sinister plan in place to do just that.
Scripture tells us “she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him”, writing the following:
"Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
And so the “elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters”, proclaiming a fast and seating Naboth “in a prominent place among the people”. Then, as directed, “two scoundrels came…sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth…saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king."
And with that, Naboth was taken “outside the city and stoned him to death”.
Word soon traveled back to Jezebel that Naboth was dead and so she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." And so Ahab did just that. He finally got what he wanted…but not before disobeying yet another of God’s commands: “You shall not murder.”
So up to this point, we have not seen the Lord involved in the matter of the vineyard. But that was about to change and in a big way.
For we catch back up with one of God’s most trusted prophets, Elijah, as he receives the word of the Lord that instructed him to, “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!' " And with that, the Lord’s obedient prophet and servant went to carry out His orders.
Well, you’ll recall that there was a little bit of history between Ahab and Elijah, particularly after Elijah had slain his prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18:40) Ahab’s wife jezebel vowed to kill Elijah for his actions but the Lord kept his prophet safe in the midst of the danger. We sense that Ahab had not forgotten Elijah’s actions as he greets him by saying, “So you have found me, my enemy!"
Elijah, undeterred by Ahab’s words, goes on to tell the king why he is there...saying, "I have found you…because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
And with that, Elijah passed the message of God’s judgment to Ahab saying, “I (God) am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel — slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.”
But that wasn’t all that was going to happen for Elijah added, “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.’ " There was little doubt that both Ahab and Jezebel were in serious trouble with the Lord. In fact, our passage has this to say about Ahab:
“There was never a man like (him), who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.”
Imagine you’re Ahab. Things are not looking good…in fact, things are looking downright fatal as he found himself squarely in God’s disfavor.
And the same thing will happen to us if we allow the poisonous nature of covetousness to enter our hearts.
So what will it be?
Will we be satisfied and thankful for what God gives us?
Or will we instead wish and desire for what others have?
Perhaps the answer for us can be found in the words of David…a man after God’s own heart…who wrote:
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Come to think of it…what else would we ever want if we made the Lord our sole delight?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
THE LORD'S WILL BE DONE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
His officials said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life."
Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.' " The king answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."
The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. "Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
"I will return the cities my father took from your father," Ben-Hadad offered. "You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "On the basis of a treaty I will set you free." So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.
By the word of the Lord one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, "Strike me with your weapon," but the man refused. So the prophet said, "Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.
The prophet found another man and said, "Strike me, please." So the man struck him and wounded him. Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.' While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." "That is your sentence," the king of Israel said. "You have pronounced it yourself."
Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. He said to the king, "This is what the Lord says: 'You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.' "
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.
1 Kings 20:30b-43
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
What happens when we fail to consult God about circumstances in our lives? We tend to lean on our own will and not His…and this typically leads to bad things.
This is the lesson underscored in today’s scripture as we find the surviving Aramean king, Ben-Hadad, seeking mercy after his army had been soundly defeated by Israel.
In fact, as our scripture passage opens, we find Ben-Hadad hiding “in an inner room”, afraid to go out for fear that he would be killed as his army had been…a victory that had been sealed through the word of the Lord issued to King Ahab, Israel’s king, through a prophet.
While in hiding, we read where Ben-Hadad’s officials went to him saying, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life." And so this is what they did as they went to Ahab “wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads”.
As they came to Ahab, the officials said to him, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.' "
Ok…now Ahab was at an important juncture. The Lord had been providing him guidance through the prophet which had not led him wrong yet. So as Ahab was faced with the king who had threatened him so vehemently before, he could have…and should have…turned to the Lord for guidance. He could have sought God’s will for the moment.
But he didn’t.
Instead, we read where Ahab answered the officials, “Is he still alive? He is my brother." These were hardly words that would bring alarm. And Ben-Hadad’s men realized it, seeing Ahab’s words as a “good sign” so they responded, “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" So Ahab asked for the officials to go and get their king and invited him into his chariot.
Ben-Hadad immediately assumed a conciliatory posture telling Ahab he would “return the cities my father took from your father” while allowing Ahab to “set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria."
Again, another important juncture.
Ben-Hadad was before him. The Lord had ordained victory twice over the Aramean king…once because the king foolishly thought the Israelites worshiped gods who were “gods of the hills” and not “gods of the valleys”. And we know how God felt about being mentioned with any other god. He didn’t approve. And yet, Ahab still didn’t turn to God to ensure the judgment he passed was in accordance with God’s will. No…instead, Ahab followed his own will.
For we read where Ahab says to Ben-Hadad, “On the basis of a treaty I will set you free." And that’s exactly what Ahab did…”made a treaty” with Ben-Hadad and then “let him go”. As we are about to see, he is going to regret that decision.
Meanwhile, the scripture shifts to a scene where we see “one of the sons of the prophets” saying to his companion “by the word of the Lord”, “Strike me with your weapon"…a command that the companion refused…again, a bad decision made by someone who decided to make their own mind up about what they were going to do vice ask the Lord what they should do.
So what happened? The son of the prophet told his companion, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." And that’s exactly what happened. The companion’s decision to turn from the Lord was fatal.
Next, the son of the prophet “found another man” and asked him to "Strike me, please”…a request that the man complied with as he wounded the prophet and thus prepared him for his encounter with King Ahab.
We read where the prophet “disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes” and as King Ahab passed, the prophet called out to him saying, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.' While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." Not knowing he was addressing the prophet, Ahab quickly imposed his own judgment saying, “That is your sentence…You have pronounced it yourself." The once merciful Ahab…the Ahab who had made a treaty and set free an enemy king…now had no hesitation for endorsing the execution of a servant who had done the same thing.
And again…we find where Ahab did not even try to seek the Lord’s counsel on the matter.
Well…immediately after Ahab passed his judgment, we see where the “prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes” revealing his real identity to Ahab before proclaiming, “This is what the Lord says: 'You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.' "
True judgment…God’s judgment…and His will had been imposed anyhow…whether Ahab sought it or not. And we can’t but help think the outcome would have been much better if Ahab had only consulted the Lord when he first had the opportunity.
So what about us?
Can you hear the Lord speaking loud and clear in this passage?
For He is reminding us that we should never rely on our own understanding or allow our will to supersede His in our lives.
He alone is Lord.
He alone is King.
He alone is our Master.
So why wouldn’t we allow Him to rule over every part of our lives?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
His officials said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life."
Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.' " The king answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."
The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. "Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
"I will return the cities my father took from your father," Ben-Hadad offered. "You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "On the basis of a treaty I will set you free." So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.
By the word of the Lord one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, "Strike me with your weapon," but the man refused. So the prophet said, "Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.
The prophet found another man and said, "Strike me, please." So the man struck him and wounded him. Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.' While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." "That is your sentence," the king of Israel said. "You have pronounced it yourself."
Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. He said to the king, "This is what the Lord says: 'You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.' "
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.
1 Kings 20:30b-43
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
What happens when we fail to consult God about circumstances in our lives? We tend to lean on our own will and not His…and this typically leads to bad things.
This is the lesson underscored in today’s scripture as we find the surviving Aramean king, Ben-Hadad, seeking mercy after his army had been soundly defeated by Israel.
In fact, as our scripture passage opens, we find Ben-Hadad hiding “in an inner room”, afraid to go out for fear that he would be killed as his army had been…a victory that had been sealed through the word of the Lord issued to King Ahab, Israel’s king, through a prophet.
While in hiding, we read where Ben-Hadad’s officials went to him saying, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life." And so this is what they did as they went to Ahab “wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads”.
As they came to Ahab, the officials said to him, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.' "
Ok…now Ahab was at an important juncture. The Lord had been providing him guidance through the prophet which had not led him wrong yet. So as Ahab was faced with the king who had threatened him so vehemently before, he could have…and should have…turned to the Lord for guidance. He could have sought God’s will for the moment.
But he didn’t.
Instead, we read where Ahab answered the officials, “Is he still alive? He is my brother." These were hardly words that would bring alarm. And Ben-Hadad’s men realized it, seeing Ahab’s words as a “good sign” so they responded, “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" So Ahab asked for the officials to go and get their king and invited him into his chariot.
Ben-Hadad immediately assumed a conciliatory posture telling Ahab he would “return the cities my father took from your father” while allowing Ahab to “set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria."
Again, another important juncture.
Ben-Hadad was before him. The Lord had ordained victory twice over the Aramean king…once because the king foolishly thought the Israelites worshiped gods who were “gods of the hills” and not “gods of the valleys”. And we know how God felt about being mentioned with any other god. He didn’t approve. And yet, Ahab still didn’t turn to God to ensure the judgment he passed was in accordance with God’s will. No…instead, Ahab followed his own will.
For we read where Ahab says to Ben-Hadad, “On the basis of a treaty I will set you free." And that’s exactly what Ahab did…”made a treaty” with Ben-Hadad and then “let him go”. As we are about to see, he is going to regret that decision.
Meanwhile, the scripture shifts to a scene where we see “one of the sons of the prophets” saying to his companion “by the word of the Lord”, “Strike me with your weapon"…a command that the companion refused…again, a bad decision made by someone who decided to make their own mind up about what they were going to do vice ask the Lord what they should do.
So what happened? The son of the prophet told his companion, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." And that’s exactly what happened. The companion’s decision to turn from the Lord was fatal.
Next, the son of the prophet “found another man” and asked him to "Strike me, please”…a request that the man complied with as he wounded the prophet and thus prepared him for his encounter with King Ahab.
We read where the prophet “disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes” and as King Ahab passed, the prophet called out to him saying, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.' While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." Not knowing he was addressing the prophet, Ahab quickly imposed his own judgment saying, “That is your sentence…You have pronounced it yourself." The once merciful Ahab…the Ahab who had made a treaty and set free an enemy king…now had no hesitation for endorsing the execution of a servant who had done the same thing.
And again…we find where Ahab did not even try to seek the Lord’s counsel on the matter.
Well…immediately after Ahab passed his judgment, we see where the “prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes” revealing his real identity to Ahab before proclaiming, “This is what the Lord says: 'You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.' "
True judgment…God’s judgment…and His will had been imposed anyhow…whether Ahab sought it or not. And we can’t but help think the outcome would have been much better if Ahab had only consulted the Lord when he first had the opportunity.
So what about us?
Can you hear the Lord speaking loud and clear in this passage?
For He is reminding us that we should never rely on our own understanding or allow our will to supersede His in our lives.
He alone is Lord.
He alone is King.
He alone is our Master.
So why wouldn’t we allow Him to rule over every part of our lives?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
IN THE END, GOD’S PLAN PREVAILS
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, "See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him."
The elders and the people all answered, "Don't listen to him or agree to his demands."
So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.' " They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.
Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful."
The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.' "
Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: "Prepare to attack." So they prepared to attack the city.
Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, "This is what the Lord says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.' "
"But who will do this?" asked Ahab.
The prophet replied, "This is what the Lord says: 'The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.' "
"And who will start the battle?" he asked.
The prophet answered, "You will."
So Ahab summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders, 232 men. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first.
Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, "Men are advancing from Samaria."
He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive."
The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.
Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again."
Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, "Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they." He agreed with them and acted accordingly.
The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the Lord says: 'Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.' "
For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
1 Kings 20:7-30
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 20 opened, we saw Samaria and the people of Israel under siege by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram who had amassed a coalition of 32 kings and their associated horses, chariots and men. It was a formidable force which allowed Ben-Hadad to make demands of Ahab who found himself in a position to negotiate or face extinction.
You’ll recall how Ben-Hadad first asked for Israel’s silver and gold as well as Ahab’s finest wives and children. And after Ahab agreed to give Ben-Hadad what he wanted, the Aramean leader then demanded even more…threatening to send his “officials to search (Ahab’s) palace and the houses of (his) officials” after which Ben-Hadad’s men would “seize everything” that Ahab valued and “carry it away.' "
Ahab had given Ben-Hadad an inch and the Aramean was now wanting to take a mile.
Well…in today’s passage, we find a frustrated and angry Ahab summoning “all the elders of the land” before addressing them saying, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him." And the elders advised Ahab to not give in to Ben-Hadad’s further demands.
So Ahab gave the following reply to Ben-Hadad via his messengers”:
"Tell my lord the king, 'Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.' "
The reply wasn’t very well received by the confident, arrogant attacking king of Aram as he sent yet another message to Ahab saying, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful." To which an undaunted King Ahab responded, “One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off" which was akin to a popular present day saying, “Don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched”.
And so the battle lines had been drawn. Ben-Hadad made demands and threats if his demands were not met. Ahab rejected Ben-Hadad’s requests, willing to fight instead of surrender everything.
And so Ben-Hadad, drinking with his kings, “ordered his men” to "Prepare to attack” which they did.
How would Ahab and his people be able to stand against the seemingly insurmountable might of Ben-Hadad…who was setting a plan of destruction and annihilation in motion?
As we’ll see, only God could intervene to save them with a plan of His own.
For as Ben-Hadad’s men prepared to attack, we read where “a prophet came to Ahab” and announced, "This is what the Lord says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.' "
The words must have seemed amazing to Ahab. He immediately asked, "But who will do this?" In other words, Ahab was essentially asking, “What resource do I have that is anywhere close to being able to match up against my imposing enemy?”
The prophet had an answer that must have been as equally amazing as the assertion that Ahab could have victory over Ben-Hadad in battle. For the prophet told Ahab that the Lord had told him “the young officers of the provincial commanders will do it." The very existence of Israel would be in the hands of 232 young men after Ahab started the war as God desired.
Wow! 232 men against an enormous army. What would be the odds of victory in conventional wisdom? Not very good I’m afraid. But the Lord is far from conventional, is He? As we have seen in the scriptures…as we will continue to see in the scriptures…as we see every single day in our present day existence…there is nothing impossible with God.
Ahab believed it and we need to as well.
We know Ahab believed it because he “summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders”…all 232 men…before assembling “the rest of the Israelites” who numbered 7,000. The assembled Israelite army “set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk” with the “young officers of the provincial commanders going out first.
Well…Ben-Hadad’s scouts witnessed Israel’s advance and reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria." To which Ben Hadad replied, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive." Israel had no such intention of sparing anyone for we read where “the young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them and each one struck down his opponent”…just as the Lord had predicted. And with that, “the Arameans fled…with the Israelites in pursuit”. The Aramean king, Ben-Hadad, “escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen” while Ahab and his men advanced, overpowering the “horses and chariots” while “inflicting heavy losses on the Arameans”.
God’s plan reigned supreme over any plan the earthly kings may have tried to put together.
But God wasn’t done in this passage. Because He knew well before anyone in Israel that Ben-Hadad and the Arameans would not give up so easily. They would be back in the spring to attack again so the prophet urged Ahab to “strengthen your position and see what must be done”. And Ahab obeyed the recommendation of the prophet.
Meanwhile, the prophecy was playing out in truth. Ben-Hadad’s officials offered him the following ill-advised counsel saying:
“Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they."
And so Ben-Hadad agreed with their advice and preparations began for a second attack.
You may have thought that God would have laughed at the absurdity of the officials’ words. First, there were no gods…just one Almighty, Infinitely Powerful God…just as there is today and will be forever more.
Secondly, the assertion that God would be weak in any area over another was simply ludicrous. God surely had to get a laugh out of their ignorance as surely they had no idea of who they were dealing with.
And so the next spring came around and we read where “Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel” who “also mustered” and “marched out to meet them”. Highlighting the huge advantage in sheer numbers that the Arameans had over the Israelites, we see where the Israelites were likened to “two small flocks of goats” who were up against an enemy army who “covered the countryside”.
Again, the odds didn’t look good but also again…God was with Israel as we see the prophet reenter with more news from the Lord. The prophet tells Ahab, “This is what the Lord says: 'Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.' " The Lord had set the stage yet again for victory.
So “for seven days”, the two armies “camped opposite each other” before the battle began. And scripture tells us of further Israelite success, just as the Lord had promised. For “the Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day” and any Aramean survivors “escaped to the city of Aphek” where further death awaited when a “wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them”.
And as for Ben-Hadad, he must have been at a point where he had seen enough. For we read where he “fled to the city and hid in an inner room”. The Lord had prevailed.
Friends, there is a powerful message to be drawn from today’s scripture lesson, especially in the times we live in today. The economy is terrible. Homes have been lost. Ditto for jobs. Foreclosures and unemployment seem to be rising in unison with one another. Yes…these are tough times…times which may put any of us in a position where the odds against us seem insurmountable…just as it must have seemed for the small Israelite contingent as they faced the Arameans and Ben-Hadad.
But insurmountable is not a word in God’s vocabulary. Because in the end, He and the plans He has for our lives will prevail…if we just take the time to trust in Him.
This Lord…the Lord of Israel…the Lord of all…assured us by His words that with Him, nothing is impossible. Israel believed it and it led to victory for them…not just once but twice. And He is ready to lead us to victory as well…all we need to do is seek Him and trust Him.
So where are you today? Are you going through difficulties that leave you feeling like there is no way you can win? Are you feeling hopeless…despaired…depressed…lost?
If so, know the Lord has never left your side. He promised He would never leave us nor forsake us. He has a perfect plan for each of His children…if His children would only exercise the patience and faith to allow that perfect plan to be carried out.
So trust in the Lord…believe He has a perfect plan for you…and know His plans always prevail…no matter how hard Satan might try to plot and scheme otherwise.
That was good news for Israel in the days of Ahab.
And it’s still good news for us today.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, "See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him."
The elders and the people all answered, "Don't listen to him or agree to his demands."
So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.' " They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.
Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful."
The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.' "
Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: "Prepare to attack." So they prepared to attack the city.
Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, "This is what the Lord says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.' "
"But who will do this?" asked Ahab.
The prophet replied, "This is what the Lord says: 'The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.' "
"And who will start the battle?" he asked.
The prophet answered, "You will."
So Ahab summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders, 232 men. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first.
Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, "Men are advancing from Samaria."
He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive."
The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.
Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again."
Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, "Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they." He agreed with them and acted accordingly.
The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the Lord says: 'Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.' "
For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
1 Kings 20:7-30
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 20 opened, we saw Samaria and the people of Israel under siege by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram who had amassed a coalition of 32 kings and their associated horses, chariots and men. It was a formidable force which allowed Ben-Hadad to make demands of Ahab who found himself in a position to negotiate or face extinction.
You’ll recall how Ben-Hadad first asked for Israel’s silver and gold as well as Ahab’s finest wives and children. And after Ahab agreed to give Ben-Hadad what he wanted, the Aramean leader then demanded even more…threatening to send his “officials to search (Ahab’s) palace and the houses of (his) officials” after which Ben-Hadad’s men would “seize everything” that Ahab valued and “carry it away.' "
Ahab had given Ben-Hadad an inch and the Aramean was now wanting to take a mile.
Well…in today’s passage, we find a frustrated and angry Ahab summoning “all the elders of the land” before addressing them saying, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him." And the elders advised Ahab to not give in to Ben-Hadad’s further demands.
So Ahab gave the following reply to Ben-Hadad via his messengers”:
"Tell my lord the king, 'Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.' "
The reply wasn’t very well received by the confident, arrogant attacking king of Aram as he sent yet another message to Ahab saying, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful." To which an undaunted King Ahab responded, “One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off" which was akin to a popular present day saying, “Don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched”.
And so the battle lines had been drawn. Ben-Hadad made demands and threats if his demands were not met. Ahab rejected Ben-Hadad’s requests, willing to fight instead of surrender everything.
And so Ben-Hadad, drinking with his kings, “ordered his men” to "Prepare to attack” which they did.
How would Ahab and his people be able to stand against the seemingly insurmountable might of Ben-Hadad…who was setting a plan of destruction and annihilation in motion?
As we’ll see, only God could intervene to save them with a plan of His own.
For as Ben-Hadad’s men prepared to attack, we read where “a prophet came to Ahab” and announced, "This is what the Lord says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.' "
The words must have seemed amazing to Ahab. He immediately asked, "But who will do this?" In other words, Ahab was essentially asking, “What resource do I have that is anywhere close to being able to match up against my imposing enemy?”
The prophet had an answer that must have been as equally amazing as the assertion that Ahab could have victory over Ben-Hadad in battle. For the prophet told Ahab that the Lord had told him “the young officers of the provincial commanders will do it." The very existence of Israel would be in the hands of 232 young men after Ahab started the war as God desired.
Wow! 232 men against an enormous army. What would be the odds of victory in conventional wisdom? Not very good I’m afraid. But the Lord is far from conventional, is He? As we have seen in the scriptures…as we will continue to see in the scriptures…as we see every single day in our present day existence…there is nothing impossible with God.
Ahab believed it and we need to as well.
We know Ahab believed it because he “summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders”…all 232 men…before assembling “the rest of the Israelites” who numbered 7,000. The assembled Israelite army “set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk” with the “young officers of the provincial commanders going out first.
Well…Ben-Hadad’s scouts witnessed Israel’s advance and reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria." To which Ben Hadad replied, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive." Israel had no such intention of sparing anyone for we read where “the young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them and each one struck down his opponent”…just as the Lord had predicted. And with that, “the Arameans fled…with the Israelites in pursuit”. The Aramean king, Ben-Hadad, “escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen” while Ahab and his men advanced, overpowering the “horses and chariots” while “inflicting heavy losses on the Arameans”.
God’s plan reigned supreme over any plan the earthly kings may have tried to put together.
But God wasn’t done in this passage. Because He knew well before anyone in Israel that Ben-Hadad and the Arameans would not give up so easily. They would be back in the spring to attack again so the prophet urged Ahab to “strengthen your position and see what must be done”. And Ahab obeyed the recommendation of the prophet.
Meanwhile, the prophecy was playing out in truth. Ben-Hadad’s officials offered him the following ill-advised counsel saying:
“Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they."
And so Ben-Hadad agreed with their advice and preparations began for a second attack.
You may have thought that God would have laughed at the absurdity of the officials’ words. First, there were no gods…just one Almighty, Infinitely Powerful God…just as there is today and will be forever more.
Secondly, the assertion that God would be weak in any area over another was simply ludicrous. God surely had to get a laugh out of their ignorance as surely they had no idea of who they were dealing with.
And so the next spring came around and we read where “Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel” who “also mustered” and “marched out to meet them”. Highlighting the huge advantage in sheer numbers that the Arameans had over the Israelites, we see where the Israelites were likened to “two small flocks of goats” who were up against an enemy army who “covered the countryside”.
Again, the odds didn’t look good but also again…God was with Israel as we see the prophet reenter with more news from the Lord. The prophet tells Ahab, “This is what the Lord says: 'Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.' " The Lord had set the stage yet again for victory.
So “for seven days”, the two armies “camped opposite each other” before the battle began. And scripture tells us of further Israelite success, just as the Lord had promised. For “the Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day” and any Aramean survivors “escaped to the city of Aphek” where further death awaited when a “wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them”.
And as for Ben-Hadad, he must have been at a point where he had seen enough. For we read where he “fled to the city and hid in an inner room”. The Lord had prevailed.
Friends, there is a powerful message to be drawn from today’s scripture lesson, especially in the times we live in today. The economy is terrible. Homes have been lost. Ditto for jobs. Foreclosures and unemployment seem to be rising in unison with one another. Yes…these are tough times…times which may put any of us in a position where the odds against us seem insurmountable…just as it must have seemed for the small Israelite contingent as they faced the Arameans and Ben-Hadad.
But insurmountable is not a word in God’s vocabulary. Because in the end, He and the plans He has for our lives will prevail…if we just take the time to trust in Him.
This Lord…the Lord of Israel…the Lord of all…assured us by His words that with Him, nothing is impossible. Israel believed it and it led to victory for them…not just once but twice. And He is ready to lead us to victory as well…all we need to do is seek Him and trust Him.
So where are you today? Are you going through difficulties that leave you feeling like there is no way you can win? Are you feeling hopeless…despaired…depressed…lost?
If so, know the Lord has never left your side. He promised He would never leave us nor forsake us. He has a perfect plan for each of His children…if His children would only exercise the patience and faith to allow that perfect plan to be carried out.
So trust in the Lord…believe He has a perfect plan for you…and know His plans always prevail…no matter how hard Satan might try to plot and scheme otherwise.
That was good news for Israel in the days of Ahab.
And it’s still good news for us today.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
Monday, July 27, 2009
GIVE AN INCH...SATAN TAKES A MILE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.' "
The king of Israel answered, "Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours."
The messengers came again and said, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.' "
1 Kings 20:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 19 closed, we saw Elijah finding Elisha as commanded by God with the two of them setting out for an unknown destination together.
Chapter 20 opens in a new scene. In it, we find Ahab, king of Israel, and the land of Samaria under siege by Ben Hadad, king of Aram who had assembled a formidable force, “accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots”.
Now this wasn’t the first time the Arameans had caused Israel trouble. You’ll recall that David and his army commander, Joab, were engaged in conflict with them in 2nd Samuel, Chapters 8 and 10. But David was a man after God’s own heart…and Ahab was far from in God’s favor, having been described in scripture as having “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30).
So it would be interesting to see how God would deal with Ahab now that he faced the massive army assembled by Ben-Hadad.
And how would Ahab deal with God in his time of trouble?
We’ll look at that first in today’s lesson and look into the latter tomorrow.
For after Ben-Hadad attacked Samaria, he “sent messengers into the city to Ahab”, bringing the following message:
“This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.' "
Wow! Silver and gold. Maybe you might reluctantly part with these but the best of Ahab’s wives and children. Could Ahab so easily dispense of them?
Unfortunately, he could.
For as we see, Ahab doesn’t turn to the Lord and ask for rescue. He doesn’t come before God and ask for guidance. He doesn’t do any of that.
Instead, he buckles over and gives in to his attacker saying, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours."
So you would think that this was it…right?
Ben-Hadad asked for silver, gold, wives and children and Ahab obliged his request.
But look at what happens next.
For Ben-Hadad sends his messengers back to Ahab with another message. This time they share this message:
“This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.' "
Once Ahab gave an inch, Ben-Hadad came back to take a mile.
And so it is in our lives when we stop turning to God and start trying to deal with Satan and the sin in our life.
For Satan will start small and get us to surrender a little bit of ourselves to him as we are drawn toward the world’s ways and desires…the ways and desires that take us away from the Lord.
And as we begin to give an inch, failing to turn to God when Satan starts to attack and besiege us, then Satan comes back…just as Ben-Hadad did…and seek to take everything from us…to take us away from the Lord completely.
Know and trust that this is Satan’s sole goal. To destroy every good and perfect thing God has created and this includes you and I. We simply cannot allow ourselves to be drawn away from the protection and strength of our Lord…the One who Satan can never stand against…the One who has already gained the victory over him…the One who has promised eternal life to all who believe and trust in Him…Jesus who conquered the grave and paved the way for us to do likewise as we find our way to the Father through Him. His word tells us that’s the only way (John 14:6).
Friends, are you allowing Satan to have you…one inch at a time. If so, it’s time to turn away from him and run back into the arms of the Lord…like the returning prodigal son Jesus spoke of who allowed Satan to lead him into complete demise before he woke up.
The prodigal gave an inch…and Satan took a mile.
Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past. God’s word is speaking to us and trying to prevent just that. And that’s why we love the Word so very much. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.' "
The king of Israel answered, "Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours."
The messengers came again and said, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.' "
1 Kings 20:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 19 closed, we saw Elijah finding Elisha as commanded by God with the two of them setting out for an unknown destination together.
Chapter 20 opens in a new scene. In it, we find Ahab, king of Israel, and the land of Samaria under siege by Ben Hadad, king of Aram who had assembled a formidable force, “accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots”.
Now this wasn’t the first time the Arameans had caused Israel trouble. You’ll recall that David and his army commander, Joab, were engaged in conflict with them in 2nd Samuel, Chapters 8 and 10. But David was a man after God’s own heart…and Ahab was far from in God’s favor, having been described in scripture as having “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30).
So it would be interesting to see how God would deal with Ahab now that he faced the massive army assembled by Ben-Hadad.
And how would Ahab deal with God in his time of trouble?
We’ll look at that first in today’s lesson and look into the latter tomorrow.
For after Ben-Hadad attacked Samaria, he “sent messengers into the city to Ahab”, bringing the following message:
“This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.' "
Wow! Silver and gold. Maybe you might reluctantly part with these but the best of Ahab’s wives and children. Could Ahab so easily dispense of them?
Unfortunately, he could.
For as we see, Ahab doesn’t turn to the Lord and ask for rescue. He doesn’t come before God and ask for guidance. He doesn’t do any of that.
Instead, he buckles over and gives in to his attacker saying, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours."
So you would think that this was it…right?
Ben-Hadad asked for silver, gold, wives and children and Ahab obliged his request.
But look at what happens next.
For Ben-Hadad sends his messengers back to Ahab with another message. This time they share this message:
“This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.' "
Once Ahab gave an inch, Ben-Hadad came back to take a mile.
And so it is in our lives when we stop turning to God and start trying to deal with Satan and the sin in our life.
For Satan will start small and get us to surrender a little bit of ourselves to him as we are drawn toward the world’s ways and desires…the ways and desires that take us away from the Lord.
And as we begin to give an inch, failing to turn to God when Satan starts to attack and besiege us, then Satan comes back…just as Ben-Hadad did…and seek to take everything from us…to take us away from the Lord completely.
Know and trust that this is Satan’s sole goal. To destroy every good and perfect thing God has created and this includes you and I. We simply cannot allow ourselves to be drawn away from the protection and strength of our Lord…the One who Satan can never stand against…the One who has already gained the victory over him…the One who has promised eternal life to all who believe and trust in Him…Jesus who conquered the grave and paved the way for us to do likewise as we find our way to the Father through Him. His word tells us that’s the only way (John 14:6).
Friends, are you allowing Satan to have you…one inch at a time. If so, it’s time to turn away from him and run back into the arms of the Lord…like the returning prodigal son Jesus spoke of who allowed Satan to lead him into complete demise before he woke up.
The prodigal gave an inch…and Satan took a mile.
Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past. God’s word is speaking to us and trying to prevent just that. And that’s why we love the Word so very much. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, July 26, 2009
BEING FOUND…RESPONDING…PREPARING…LEAVING BEHIND
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
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. 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?"
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.
1 Kings 19:19-21
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Would you be willing to leave everything behind to go where the Lord commanded?
I have often wondered if I could but then I looked at my years in the Navy and the Lord spoke to me saying, “You never had any problem leaving your family to serve your Navy and nation. Why would you have a problem surrendering everything for Me?” And my only appropriate reply was, as it always is, “You’re absolutely right Lord.”
Well, in today’s passage we are introduced to Elisha, a man who was settled into a comfortable and secure lifestyle as a farmer. We read where he had “twelve yoke of oxen” and was plowing…what must have been an ordinary day in his life…in the field and tending his crops. He had no reason to believe this day would carry with it anything different when he awoke…but as we can see, this day was far from ordinary.
For as Elisha was plowing, Elijah, God’s faithful prophet and servant who had been tasked with seeking him out and finding him, “went up to him (Elisha) and “threw his cloak around him” before walking off. Imagine yourself as Elisha at that moment. What would have been running through your mind? Maybe you would be thinking…”Who is this man and what is he doing?”…”Why would he want me to follow him and be his successor…and what duties does he carry that I am expected to assume?”
Yes…there had to be many questions as Elisha had been found by Elijah. And I couldn’t help but wonder about the number of questions that raced through my mind when the Lord found me in my life. “Why does the Lord want me of all people?”…”What is He choosing me for?”…”What does He expect me to do?” Maybe you can relate to these and more.
So how did Elisha respond to being found by Elijah?
Well, we read where he “left his oxen” and “ran after Elijah”. In other words, Elijah chose to respond.
And what was interesting about that response is that Elisha never questioned why he had been chosen by Elijah. I think I would have been asking. But there had to be some sense of purpose already placed In Elisha’s heart by God…a sense of purpose that made him know that leaving everything behind and following Elijah to wherever he was going was somehow the right thing to do.
We know Elisha knew he was to leave everything behind because he asked Elijah, “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by…and then I will come with you” with Elijah’s reply basically saying, “Go and do what you need to do, why are you asking me?”…a statement that further revealed Elijah knowing that God was in control of what was happening, not him.
So Elijah had been found by God through Elijah and he responded to the call.
How well do we do that? How well do we respond to God when He finds us with a specific purpose in mind…a specific purpose which always encompasses His will being carried out through us? These are points this passage asks us to ponder.
So Elisha was responding to God’s call and was ready to follow Elijah but he had a few loose ends to tie up first, In other words, he had to prepare to leave everything behind in order to carry out what the Lord had in store.
Scripture tells us Elisha “went back,…took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them” before burning all his plowing equipment to use it to cook the oxen meat to serve the people who ate it. Already, we sense Elisha feeling an obligation to serve. It’s interesting that nothing went to waste as he closed his worldly chapter in life to pursue the chapters God was getting set to write. He used the plowing equipment to cook the slaughtered oxen and then fed his people with the cooked meat. And with everything now wrapped up…with the past left behind…Elisha was now ready to “set out to follow Elijah” to become his attendant, without distraction from anything he may have left behind.
That was the last step in the process Elisha went through…he left what he had…what he was behind…to go and be the man God wanted him to be.
What an awesome lesson for us all today!
For God seeks and finds those He wishes to fulfill His will and purpose. And as we are found, we can only hope that we could be just like Elisha…ready to respond, prepare and then leave behind what we have…boldly willing to step out of our comfort zone in trust and faith, knowing that God would never leave us anywhere that He wouldn’t use us for His glory to make a difference in His kingdom here on earth.
Friends, truly we serve an awesome God!
Alleluia! Amen!
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
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. 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?"
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.
1 Kings 19:19-21
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Would you be willing to leave everything behind to go where the Lord commanded?
I have often wondered if I could but then I looked at my years in the Navy and the Lord spoke to me saying, “You never had any problem leaving your family to serve your Navy and nation. Why would you have a problem surrendering everything for Me?” And my only appropriate reply was, as it always is, “You’re absolutely right Lord.”
Well, in today’s passage we are introduced to Elisha, a man who was settled into a comfortable and secure lifestyle as a farmer. We read where he had “twelve yoke of oxen” and was plowing…what must have been an ordinary day in his life…in the field and tending his crops. He had no reason to believe this day would carry with it anything different when he awoke…but as we can see, this day was far from ordinary.
For as Elisha was plowing, Elijah, God’s faithful prophet and servant who had been tasked with seeking him out and finding him, “went up to him (Elisha) and “threw his cloak around him” before walking off. Imagine yourself as Elisha at that moment. What would have been running through your mind? Maybe you would be thinking…”Who is this man and what is he doing?”…”Why would he want me to follow him and be his successor…and what duties does he carry that I am expected to assume?”
Yes…there had to be many questions as Elisha had been found by Elijah. And I couldn’t help but wonder about the number of questions that raced through my mind when the Lord found me in my life. “Why does the Lord want me of all people?”…”What is He choosing me for?”…”What does He expect me to do?” Maybe you can relate to these and more.
So how did Elisha respond to being found by Elijah?
Well, we read where he “left his oxen” and “ran after Elijah”. In other words, Elijah chose to respond.
And what was interesting about that response is that Elisha never questioned why he had been chosen by Elijah. I think I would have been asking. But there had to be some sense of purpose already placed In Elisha’s heart by God…a sense of purpose that made him know that leaving everything behind and following Elijah to wherever he was going was somehow the right thing to do.
We know Elisha knew he was to leave everything behind because he asked Elijah, “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by…and then I will come with you” with Elijah’s reply basically saying, “Go and do what you need to do, why are you asking me?”…a statement that further revealed Elijah knowing that God was in control of what was happening, not him.
So Elijah had been found by God through Elijah and he responded to the call.
How well do we do that? How well do we respond to God when He finds us with a specific purpose in mind…a specific purpose which always encompasses His will being carried out through us? These are points this passage asks us to ponder.
So Elisha was responding to God’s call and was ready to follow Elijah but he had a few loose ends to tie up first, In other words, he had to prepare to leave everything behind in order to carry out what the Lord had in store.
Scripture tells us Elisha “went back,…took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them” before burning all his plowing equipment to use it to cook the oxen meat to serve the people who ate it. Already, we sense Elisha feeling an obligation to serve. It’s interesting that nothing went to waste as he closed his worldly chapter in life to pursue the chapters God was getting set to write. He used the plowing equipment to cook the slaughtered oxen and then fed his people with the cooked meat. And with everything now wrapped up…with the past left behind…Elisha was now ready to “set out to follow Elijah” to become his attendant, without distraction from anything he may have left behind.
That was the last step in the process Elisha went through…he left what he had…what he was behind…to go and be the man God wanted him to be.
What an awesome lesson for us all today!
For God seeks and finds those He wishes to fulfill His will and purpose. And as we are found, we can only hope that we could be just like Elisha…ready to respond, prepare and then leave behind what we have…boldly willing to step out of our comfort zone in trust and faith, knowing that God would never leave us anywhere that He wouldn’t use us for His glory to make a difference in His kingdom here on earth.
Friends, truly we serve an awesome God!
Alleluia! Amen!
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)