THE DIVIDED KINGDOM - THE PROPHETS ELISHA & OBADIAH

"And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.  And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof! And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him."

II Kings 2:9-13

GIANTS OF THE FAITH:  ELISHA (II KINGS 2-13)

Elisha meaning "God saves" was a good prophet of God for fifty years.  He lived during the reigns of Israel's kings:  Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz and Jehoash.  He was accompanied during his ministry by another servant of God named Gehazi as Elisha had accompanied Elijah before.  Elisha lived in Samaria when he was not traveling.

I.   Elijah Is Taken Up To Heaven (II Kings 2:1-18)

When the time arrives for Elijah to ascend to heaven, he presents Elisha three chances to turn away the ministry that he was going to inherit.  In each occasion, Elisha affirms he is not turning away.  When they reach the Jordan River, Elijah parts the waters and the two of them cross on dry land.  II Kings 1:8.  Then Elijah asks Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha answers, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." He said, "You have asked a hard thing."  This request made by Elisha reflects the double portion that was given to the firstborn as his inheritance.  It means that Elisha wants to continue the LORD'S work, taking Elijah's place.  This was precisely what the firstborn son was to continue for the father.  Elijah then tells Elisha that his request might be granted if he saw Elijah taken up to heaven.  As they were walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them.  Afterward, Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind.  II Kings 2:9-14, and although Elisha knew that Elijah was not dead but had ascended to heaven, he still mourned.   Elisha cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!' And he saw Elijah no more.'"  II Kings 2:12.  Then he took Elijah's mantle (a symbol of his duty as God's prophet) and returned to the Jordan River.  There he parted the waters, crossing over dry land, just as with Elijah's miracle.  Notice that Elijah's many miracles are reflected in many of Elisha's miracles.  Some were even more impressive.  He performed at least 17 miracles in his lifetime.  They would range from supernatural feeding to complete healing.  He was indeed magnificent!

The Bible is filled with many parallels where God uses similar stories to make His point.  In the case of Elijah and Elisha, we find a parallel relationship to John the Baptist and, of course, our Lord and Savior.  You see, Elijah like John the Baptist dedicated a major portion of his time away from the crowds.  They both lived off the land.  They spoke boldly on behalf of God.  Notice that Elijah was fed by ravens in the wilderness.  And so was John the Baptist who also spent a lot of time preaching of repentance and preparing the Way of the Lord.  He ate wild locusts.  Elisha spent more time with Israelites performing life-giving miracles as Jesus did.  The purpose of miracles back then was to declare the glory and greatness of God, leading many to believe in Him.  Let us consider Elisha's miracles.

II.  Elisha's Miracles:

• II Kings 2:19-22:  Elisha heals the waters of Jericho using salt.

• II Kings 2:23-25:  Elisha curses a group of boys from Bethel that were mocking him because of his "bald head."  Daring to mock God's prophet was the same as mocking God Himself.  It was an act of profanity and blasphemy.  Notice that he curses the boys in the name of the LORD.  After he curses them, two bears show up, tearing them apart.  There were forty-two of those young men.  What a shocking story!

• II Kings 3:  The Moabites who were living in modern day Jordan rebelled against the Israelites.  Remember David had defeated them and made them his servants.  He also made them pay a yearly tribute to him, II Samuel 8.  Now they no longer wanted to pay that tribute since the nation of Israel was in decline.  Jehoram (Joram), king of Israel, made an alliance with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and with the king of Edom in order to fight the Moabites.  As they were marching south through Judah in the direction of the Desert of Edom after seven days, they ran out of water and called for Elisha.   This great prophet told them to dig ditches in order for the valley to hold all the water that God was about to send for them and their cattle. The miracle served two purposes:  it watered the armies, and it confused the Moabites.  Not only did the Moabites see the water as blood but they also believed that the blood came from the kings who had fought each other.  Then the Israelites arose to attack the Moabites defeating them all.  Elisha had prophesied victory for the Israelites.

• II Kings 4:1-7:  A widow begs Elisha for help since she owed so much money.  He tells her to collect empty jars.  Then he miraculously fills them with oil.  This widow had enough oil to pay all of her debts and provide for her family. This story is very similar to that of Elijah's with another widow.

• II Kings 4:8-37:  Elisha meets a Shunamite woman who gives him food and shelter every time he came to her town in Northern Israel.  This woman had no son, and her husband was old.  In return for her hospitality, Elisha promised her she would have a son.  And she did.  Later, this same boy was very ill and died in his mother's arms.  This was a woman of great faith who believed that Elisha could bring him back to life.  Miraculously Elisha did.

• II Kings 4:38-41:  Elisha cleanses poisonous food that had accidentally been placed in the stew.

• II Kings 4:42-46:  Elisha multiples food to feed 100 people with 20 loaves.

• II Kings 5:  Elisha heals Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram.  He was a leper.  His wife's servant girl tells Naaman that God's great prophet Elisha could heal him.  This servant girl had no reason to tell Naaman how to be cured of his leprosy.  Remember that she was a captive in a foreign land.  Moreover, she was separated from her family and of no importance to anybody.  She is still an Israelite, God's chosen people.  Besides that her faith in her God was evident.  By sending Naaman to see Elisha, she is risking everything.  

Naaman then went to the Aramean king with the news that Elisha, a prophet of God, had the power  to heal him.  The king sends gifts and letters to the king of Israel.  This king fears that Elisha might fail to heal Naaman.  You see, he does not have the same faith that the poor servant girl had.  When word came to Elisha that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.'  So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, 'Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.'  But Naaman was furious and went away and said, 'Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.'  Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?'  So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, 'My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you,'‘Wash, and be clean?'  So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean."'  2 Kings 5:8-14.

As an action of gratitude, Naaman tries to give Elisha gifts but he refuses them.  Then Naaman swears allegiance to Jehovah God, taking a load of earth so he can build an altar to God in his homeland.  Finally, he asks forgiveness since he knew he would have to escort his king into the temple of Rimmon (another name for Baal).  He would have to bow down to Rimmon as the king bows.  He wants Elisha to know this and that he would have to do it out of duty to the king, not belief.  Elisha gives him his blessing and Naaman walks out.  Now Gehazi, Elisha's servant could not believe that Elisha had refused the gifts that Naaman offered him. He then pursued Naaman and  told him that his master had reconsidered.    Naaman stops the chariot and came down from it and gladly yielded the gifts that were two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes.  When Elisha confronts Gehazi, he lies.  As a punishment Gehazi is afflicted with the leprosy of Naaman and so were his descendants forever.  He was white as snow as a leper when he left Elisha.  Isn’t it something that this story began with a faithful servant who had no leprosy and ends up as a faithless servant with leprosy?  The harm that greed can cause!

• II Kings 6:1-7:  Elisha causes an axe-head to swim.

• II Kings 6:1-23:  When the Aramean army comes to attack Israel and capture Elisha, his servant is afraid.  Elisha prays that God would open the servant's eyes.  Suddenly he is able to see an angelic army with horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.  Elisha then blinds the enemy and escorts them into Samaria.  Elisha did not kill them but rather fed them and let them go home.

Not only did Elisha performed many miracles, but he also predicted or prophesied future events.  Consider them:

• II Kings 3:24-27:  Elisha prophesies victory for Israel.
• II Kings 6:8-12:  He reveals the location of the Syrian camp.
• II Kings 7:  Elisha prophesies the end of the famine caused by the siege.  The prophecy was fulfilled when the Syrian host fled.
• II Kings 8:1-2 :  Elisha prophesies seven years of famine.
• II Kings 8:7-15:  He predicted the death of Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria.
• II Kings 8:13:  Elisha  predicted that Hazael would be the next king of Syria who would do evil to the sons of Israel.  He did!  Hazael threatened the kings of Judah and Israel for 43 years.  He forced king Joash to pay him tribute.  He also wounded king Jehoram in battle. And he seized lands east of the Jordan from king Jehu.
• II Kins 13:14-19:  Elisha prophesies deliverance from Syria.
• II Kings 13:20:  Elisha dies and the Moabites invade Israel.
• II Kings 13:20-21: When Elisha was buried, another dead man was buried in Elisha's grave and when the man touched the bones of Elisha, he was revived.  Isn't it amazing!
• II Kings 13:23-25:  Jehoash defeats Benhadad, king of Syria and his son Hazael , three times recovering the cities of Israel as prophesied by Elisha. 

III.   Fascinating Fact:  Leprosy:

Leprosy is a skin disorder or disease distinguished by skin sores, nerve atrophy, and progressive debilitation.  The disease numbs the nerves especially in the feet and hands.  That is why the leper has a hard time distinguishing pain when he is injured since he has no feeling at all.  Often the leper is more prone to infection and gangrene.  Indications of leprosy include skin lesions that do not heal after a long period.  There is prolonged numbness of the feet and hands.  If the infections go untreated, there is the danger of developing gangrene and forcing amputations of toes, fingers, feet, legs and arms.  Blindness is caused by infection in the eyes.  This is common.  There was no cure for leprosy back in those days and even today there is no cure.  Although there are treatments that can help alleviate the infection and keep it under control, limiting nerve damage.  A modern leper can live for many years with enough care and caution.

In the Bible "leprosy" covered a wide range of skin diseases.  Anyone who suffered from leprosy was forced out of towns and into leper colonies.  Lepers were required to wear torn clothes, let the hair grow long without caring for it.  They were also required to cover the lower part of their faces and to warn everyone who came near them saying:  "Leper!  "Outcast!  Unclean!"   Leprosy was sometimes considered a curse of God's judgment or punishment, as was the case with Elisha's servant.

A HIGHLIGHT ON SCRIPTURE:  OBADIAH

Obadiah is one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament.  That is not because of his rank in history but because it is a short book.  And although he is called a minor prophet, it does not mean he is less important than the major prophets.  Major is given to the longer books of prophecy such as Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Isaiah.  Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.  It has only one chapter and 21 verses.  The exact date of this prophet is uncertain.  It may date to the reign of king Jehoram of Israel or it may date to the time of Judah's fall when the Babylonians took Jerusalem captive and destroyed the city.

The message of Obadiah was to the Edomites and the Israelites.  He spoke to the Edomites somewhere around 587 B.C.  Do you remember Jacob and Esau?  Esau was the rough hairy brother who sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils.  Edom means "red" and was used to describe red headed Esau, his descendants and the territory they occupied.  They settled in the mountain region and were rough people.  A deep bitterness persisted between the Edomites and the Israelites.  They became long term enemies.  When the Israelites were taken into captivity by the Babylonians, circa 599-588 B.C., the Edomites mocked them during this time of distress.  Then they plundered what was left of Judah.  This made the LORD furious, Ezekiel 25:12-14.

Thus says the Lord God, “Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,”  therefore thus says the Lord God, “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; thus they will know My vengeance,” declares the Lord God.'"

God spoke to the Edomites through the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Obadiah.  Obadiah wrote the most.  Obadiah preached to them warning them of God's judgment over them; about His vengeance and the destruction to come upon them.  The Edomites were arrogant and did not care to worship the One True God.  Obadiah's words to them were, "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you are greatly despised.  'The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’ Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,' declares the Lord.  'If thieves came to you, If robbers by night— O how you will be ruined!— Would they not steal only until they had enough?  If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave some gleanings?  'O how Esau will be ransacked, And his hidden treasures searched out!  'All the men allied with you Will send you forth to the border, And the men at peace with you will deceive you and overpower you.... will I not on that day,” declares the Lord, 'Destroy wise men from Edom and understanding from the mountain of Esau?  Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman, so that everyone may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.'" Obadiah 1:2-9.

The LORD was angry and serious!  In fact, the Edomites were banished from the face of the earth.  They don't exist anymore. This short book ends with these Messianic words, "The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s."  Obadiah 1:21.

In my next studies, I hope to cover the remaining kings of Israel as well as the kings of Judah and their prophets.  We will be also studying Assyrian History.

Luci

MAY MY STEPS BE WORSHIP

"He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?"  

Micah 6:8

I was recently touched by a sacred song, "Father, God, Just For Today." As I consider the sentiments of this poem, I realize again how important it is to me, to be pleasing to my God, that I might hear Him say to me "Well done! Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master."

Father, God, Just For Today

Father God just for today

Help me walk the narrow way

Help me stand when I might fall

Lend me the strength to hear your call

Refrain

May my steps be worship,

May my thoughts be praise,

May my words bring honor to Your name,

May my steps be worship,

May my thoughts be praise,

May my words bring honor to Your name.

Here I am just for today

Live in me, have Your way

For my desire when this race is run

Is only to hear You say. "Well done!

I have been thinking and meditating a lot on this song lately.  And as I sing each stanza, I keep being reminded of a text in the Bible which is found in Ephesians, concerning our walk with the Lord; a walk that must be worthy of His calling. 

"Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.... For ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.  But all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light: for everything that is made manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee. Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil."  Ephesians 5:1-17

So, I would like to take advantage of the words of this song and use them to talk about how our steps can be worship to Him.  Let us consider the worship part of our walk with Him:

My first question would be:  What is worship and what is its purpose?

Why don't we go to the Sacred Text to find out what worship to our God involves?

1.  Sacrifice and obedience:  Genesis 22:1-12

2.  Offering and service:  I Chronicles 16:29

3.  Bowing down and kneeling:  Psalm 95:6

4.  Fear and reverence:  Psalm 96:9

5.  Bowing down and prostrating:  Psalm 38:6

6.  Sacrifice and offering:  Isaiah 19:21

7.  Service:  Matthew 4:8-10

8.  Sacrifice:  Romans 12:1

In reading these texts about worship, we can evidently see that there are two crucial aspects:  

1.  Bowing down, kneeling, prostrating

2.  Sacrifice, service

The line "May my steps be worship," is expressing a genuine appeal to God to help us walk in a way that is reverent as a sacrifice and as our service to Him.  Those two aspects are crucial to our worship of God:  Bowing down, kneeling, prostrating, sacrifice and service.

With these in mind, let us consider the implications of bowing down as an act of worship.

I want to start by asking, what is the importance of bowing down, kneeling or prostrating oneself before the throne of God?  And what does this have to do with the act of worshipping God?  Why don't we go to the source of Truth and read what the Text has to say about this?

"He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?"  Micah 6:8.  This is one of my all-time favorite texts of the Bible.

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."  James 4:10

"Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you."'  I Peter 5:5-6

Sacrifice and Service as an act of worship:

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."  Romans 12:1

What does it mean to offer a sacrifice that is acceptable worship to God?  And what does it mean to be a living sacrifice?  And finally, what does that involve?

Consider the steps we must follow:

1. Our song indicates those great and wise choices we must make, that we may walk His narrow Way.  It is important that we realize that every choice or decision that we make in life is going to carry us toward righteousness or failure.  Our steps or actions can indicate a life of praise, worship, service and honor to our Creator.
2. Our steps must be worthy of our calling:  "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called."  Ephesians 4:1
3. Every choice, decision, step or walk must shine our light before men.  Our steps show our good works and glorify God. "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16
4. Our steps must prove our transformation, the renewing of our mind:  what is good, acceptable and perfect will of God.  

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  Romans 12:2

All of these steps are worship to our God.  Let us apply each one of them in our daily walk with our God.  Let us also show diligent service of worship to Him as living sacrifices.  I would leave you with this question: 

• What steps of service and sacrifice are you willing to make to render worship to our Father in heaven?
• Are you willing to die to self and allow His Way live in you?  
• Whose child are you? Are you God’s child or Satan’s?
• Do you want to run your race, exercising self-discipline so that you may end well? 
• Do you want to win and be qualified to receive your prize, the crown of life?
• Are you willing to be a faithful and a good slave bearing good fruit, that you may hear your Father in heaven say to you "well done! Enter into the joy of your Master?  
• I don't know about you, but I want to hear my Master say those words to me on that final day.  Perish the thought, that He might say to me "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels."  Matthew 25:41.

May we walk the Narrow Way in a manner worthy of our calling.  May we humbly ask Him to give us strength whenever we should fall short, that we not forsake His Way of righteousness.  May each step we walk be a step of worship, praise, and honor to His name.

Luci

THE ALTAR OF SELF

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor." 

Proverbs 18:12

We live in the "me" generation.  The pursuit of  "self-realization" has elevated selfishness to new heights of "vain glory."  "Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion" (Proverbs 11:22). Few things are more grotesque than the god that is self.  That is beauty without discretion. I invite you to think with me briefly about the "altar of self."

Today's culture is loud and proud.  Social media absorb us (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Blogger, etc.).  We are slaves, constantly posting about what we see, hear, think, and do as if we were trying to impress someone. We have lost our sense of privacy. Our opinions, thoughts, feelings, or emotions are all posted on social media and everywhere. We sound off without a second thought. We serve only our selfish and fleshly "interests."

We strive for worldly perfection and the approval and praise of men.  Our social media compel us to seek the flattery of others with the sole purpose of serving our vanity. We play the "comparison game" to see who is better and more significant. We gauge our worth according to our popularity. Shameless bragging comes as naturally as breathing. Without realizing it, we fall into the snare of building an altar to self.  We forget to live for God in heaven. Instead, we live for self, serving our vanity, pride, and selfishness. We fall to all of Satan's snares, feeding and nurturing our vain little god through all these fleshly things.

Serving ourselves feels good. It feels easy, safe, quick, and painless.  We buy quickly into the world's biggest lie of what real happiness is.  We try to find it ourselves.  We become easy prey to our culture's propaganda of "self-love" and "discovering one's true self." We set off on our journey to "find ourselves."  And although we may find out many helpful or valuable things through these self-help techniques and discover a talent here and there, we still need help, and something still needs to be added. Our hearts still yearn for that definition of who we are and whom we are serving.  Our heart still misses the restoration that can only come by turning away from self and the sins of self and moving on toward Christ.  The altar of self we have created is vain, conceited, and sinful!

We keep forgetting that Christ never focused on His vanity but on serving and loving others. The prudent Christian does not seek "self" but Christ.  He is content to be the invisible servant known only to his Savior and Lord and approved of Him. The Lord's servant does not seek opportunities to serve at the altar of self, his flesh.  He turns away from conceit and vanity.  This is not his principal goal, nor does he seek it out.

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."  Galatians 5:13

The "altar of self" is loud, corrupt, and uncontrolled.  The tongue cannot hold back because the "altar of self" will not allow it.  It expresses itself without control, doing what it wants and desires.  It does not care about the consequences for others.  The danger of the "altar of self" is that it does not encourage discretion.  The tongue leaves thoughtfulness behind.  Vain talk is valued over silence and wisdom.  Sadly, it renders us weak so that we do not restrain ourselves from our foolish thinking, so we make unwise choices.

Let us keep in mind that Christ was our best example of self-control.  He never made a fool of Himself. He was wise and thoughtful with His words. He was tactful.  The Word of God places a high value on being thoughtful.  It values silence more highly than talk.  The prudent person uses discretion as his norm for living.  He knows what to say or express without losing his temper or self-control.  He is considered wise.  He knows when to be silent.

"Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent."  Proverbs 17:28

"A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back."  Proverbs 29:11

"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise."  Proverbs 10:19

The primary goal of the "altar of self" is the perfect earthly life.  His only affection is the earthly life with little focus on the inner life, the heart, the inner man, the man that yearns to be like Christ.  He who builds the "altar of self" wastes his life chasing worldly perfection and satisfaction.  Contentment is ambiguous and difficult to find. Unfortunately, this is the American idea of success and satisfaction.

Let us not forget that Christ’s primary focus was to live for others for us.  His primary focus was not on pursuing the praise and approval of men, material possessions, or living the good life.  His goal was to be faithful and lay down Himself and His life for us so that we might live.  His affection was in heaven rather than on earth. We deceive ourselves when we think living a "perfect life" means chasing after the altar of self, our selfish interests.  Christ is our best example of living and focusing on heavenly kingdom goals.  Christ focused on His heavenly kingdom and nothing else.  He focused on being at the right hand of His Father.  His goals were for the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Are we mainly focusing on ourselves or the kingdom of God, our Father?  We are in danger when we aim our goals at ourselves, the "altar of self," rather than at Christ and His kingdom, His rule.  It is in seeking the kingdom of God that we are going to find absolute joy and freedom.  Lest we forget, the self is a prison, and Christ is our freedom.

"Then He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.'"  Luke 12:15

"But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction."  I Timothy 6:9

The "altar of self" is mainly rooted in pride.  We run our lives masking and covering up our sins.  We cannot see the need for repentance or godly sorrow, nor do we seek salvation.  All this serves only one purpose: to fuel our pride, our temporary fleshly feelings of satisfaction and achievement. That pride leads us to believe we are "good enough on our own" and "good people."  Sadly, the need to surrender to God's will and follow God is never acknowledged.

Christ is our best example of humility.  There was no selfish pride in Him at all.  He was humble, lowly, meek, and a servant.  He focused on God and His ministry.  His character is our example to follow.  He was focused on the love of others since there was no pride or selfishness in Him.  There was no "altar of self" in Him.  A true follower of Christ is not proud or selfish.  He knows that pride and selfishness cannot peacefully coexist with the self-denial of a true follower of Christ.  If we do not pursue Christ and His righteousness, forsaking the altar of self, we cannot bear good fruit nor be saved.  It renders us weak and fruitless, making us lose our souls eternally.

"When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom."  Proverbs 11:2

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips."  Proverbs 27:2

"But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."'  James 4:6

May all of our goals be more Christ-like and less of the world.  May our primary focus be on God alone and His kingdom of righteousness.  May we enjoy the fruits of our labor and God's blessings. May they never take our primary focus from Christ and His kingdom.  May we never make idols out of them.  May we always focus on and store up our treasures in heaven and not on earthly ones since they will eventually pass away.  May we always let God lead us, leaving behind the "altar of self." May we be more humble and obedient to God so that we may be wiser and at peace with Him and one day be in heaven with Him forever.

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."  I John 2:16  

Luci

On Bended Knee

On bended knee, I come,

With a humble heart, I come

Bowing down before Your holy throne

Lifting holy hands to You,

As I pledge my love anew

I worship You in spirit,

I worship You in truth

Make my life a holy praise unto You.

On bended knee, I come,

With a broken heart, I come

Bowing down before Your holy throne

As I look upon Your face,

Show Your mercy and Your grace.

Change my life, O Holy Spirit

Make me fresh and ever new;

Make my life a holy

Sacrifice to You.

THE KINGDOM DIVIDES, ELIJAH THE PROPHET

"Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."'

I Kings 11:9-13

THE KINGDOM DIVIDES  (I KINGS 11-16)

Solomon turned away from the LORD in his later years, worshiping the gods that his many wives had brought with them into the kingdom.  The kingdom of Israel divided in 975 B.C. because Solomon began to serve idols toward the end of his reign.  Rehoboam, his son, likewise made many mistakes that provoked the division.  Considering how much God had blessed him, it is sad that Solomon failed to remain faithful to his beloved Jehovah.  God had made him famously wise and wealthy, yet he strayed from the One he once said he loved.  Because of his unfaithfulness, God was angry with him.  He promised Solomon that after his death, his kingdom was going to be divided, torn in two because of his disobedience.  God kept His promise!  Israel remained a split nation, split because of the king's apostasy.  Do you remember the warning that God gave Israel through the Prophet Samuel about having a king?  God said that an earthly king would bring hardship.  And indeed, this was happening.  Indeed, very few of Israel's later kings honored the LORD as David and Solomon had done in the early years of their reigns.  Because of this unfaithfulness and disobedience to God, Israel paid a terrible price: they lost God's protection and eventually lost their kingdom.

I.   I Kings 11:26-43

As God had promised, He raised up a subordinate against Solomon.  His name was Jeroboam, an Ephraimite, who was the son of Solomon's servant Nebat.  He was chosen to be the leader, and head of Solomon's northern tribes referred to as the Northern Kingdom because of their geographical location in the northern end of Israel.  Jeroboam was approached by a prophet named Ahijah the Shilonite, who told him that he would become king of the ten tribes of Israel since Solomon had sinned.  Moreover, he also learned that his kingdom would be equal to David's, giving all of Israel to him.  But there was one condition.  He was to obey God's commands, walking in His ways and doing what was right in His sight.  When Solomon heard this, he sought to put Jeroboam to death, but Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt for safety where he was welcomed.  He remained in Egypt until Solomon died.  Solomon reigned a total of forty years and was buried with his fathers.  His son Rehoboam then ascended the throne.  Soon Jeroboam returned to Israel to claim his place as king of the northern tribes.

II.   Egyptian King Shishak or Sheshong (935-914 BC)

Sheshong was a Lybian warrior who most likely was the pharaoh who befriended Jeroboam when he fled to Egypt for security.  Remember, Solomon wanted to kill him. Sheshong married one of the old pharaoh's daughters.  Then claimed the throne when the pharaoh died.  This was the beginning of Egypt's 22nd Dynasty.  Sheshong is well known for his military campaigns against the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.  He attacked Jerusalem stripping the Temple of its treasures.  He even took the beautiful golden shields that Solomon had made.  Later he went north attacking Jeroboam's forces at Megiddo.  There he built a stele with his name on it to commemorate his victory.

KINGS OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM, ISRAEL 

The following dates were taken from A History of Israel by John Bright.  There are several possible sets of dates.  The dates will vary according to the scholars, but most of them mark the date of the divided kingdom as 931 BC.

KINGS OF ISRAEL

Jeroboam  922-901 BC	Bad Chosen by God.   Reigned for 22 years.   I Kings 14:19-20	When Solomon died, the kingdom's support was divided between Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor, and Jeroboam, whom the LORD had chosen as king.  Rehoboam increased the burdens of forced labor and high taxes, which had already grown heavy under Solomon's reign.  The northern tribes rebelled.  When they complained to Rehoboam seeking more lenient treatment, he took it as an insult to kingship.  Moreover, he threatened to impose twice the burden that his father had.   They revolted.  The ten northern tribes left the kingdom and followed Jeroboam, forming a new nation with the same name as the old one, Israel.  Only two tribes remained faithful to the house of David:  Judah and Benjamin along with some Levites.  The southern kingdom became known as Judah.  They were all that was left to Rehoboam.  It is sad that the great kingdom that had taken David and Solomon 80 years to build was diminished in such a short time after Solomon's death.  Without a doubt, this division of the kingdom made it more vulnerable, making it easier for their foreign enemies to attack both kingdoms.  Jeroboam made a disastrous mistake at the beginning of his reign.  In attempting to resolve a place to worship, Jeroboam created two places of worship since Israel did not include Jerusalem where the LORD'S Temple was located.  In these new places of worship, he put two golden calf idols:   one in Dan on the northern border and another one in Bethel on the southern border.  His second mistake was to appoint non-Levite priests.  Moreover, he also changed the holidays that God had ordained.  To make things worse, Jeroboam refused to receive the counsel of the prophet sent by God.  As a consequence of this, Jeroboam lost favor with God.  God cut off his line, his dynasty.   When Jeroboam died, his son also did evil before God.  From then on, none of the kings of Israel obeyed or followed God, I Kings 12-14.
Nadab 901-900 BC	Bad He reigned For two years. He was assassinated.   I Kings 15:25	Nadab was the son of Jeroboam.  He did evil before the LORD.  Judah captured the Southernmost part of Israel’s region after he took the throne.  This left the kingdom weak allowing the Philistines to take advantage of Nadab’s weaknesses.  Baasha killed him and his entire family at Gibbethon, taking the throne.  I Kings 15:25-31
Baasha  900-877 BC	Bad Reigned for 24 years.   I Kings 15:33	He did not follow the LORD and did evil in His sight.  He smote all the house of Jeroboam, fulfilling Ahijah’s prophecy, I Kings 5:29-30.  He surely had a brutal beginning.  Military losses marked his reign.  He fought with Asa, king of Judah.   I Kings 15:29-16:5-6
Elah  877-876 BC	Bad Reigned seven years. Assassinated.   I Kings 16:8	One of his army officers named Zimri killed him when was drunk.  Zimri then proceeded to kill everyone in Elah’s line to claim the throne.   I Kings 16:8-14
Zimri 876 BC	Bad. Reigned seven days. Assassinated.   I Kings 6:15	His savage brutality did not help him at all.  He only reigned for seven days.  The Israelites refused to validate his kingship, and instead, they claimed Omri, the second commander of the army as king.  When Zimri realized that he had lost all support, he set fire to the palace and died in the same fire.   I Kings 16:11-20
Omri  876 – 869 BC	Very Bad. Chosen by army. He reigned 12 years.   I Kings 16:23	He did not follow the LORD but did evil.  He was considered to be more evil than the other kings.  He obtained Samaria, this being one of his biggest accomplishments.  He also built its capital there.   I Kings 16:23-28
Ahab  869-850 BC	The Worst Inherited throne. He reigned in Samaria for 22 years.   I Kings 16:29	He did evil.  He is considered the worst of all of Israel’s kings.  He married Jezebel, a Phoenician woman, to make an alliance with the king of Tyre.  Jezebel was a devoted Baal worshiper who brought with her hundreds of Baal prophets.  Ahab tolerated and worshiped them.  He also took part in their ceremonies.   In the days of Ahab, Hiel built Jericho with the loss of his first born as well as his youngest son, fulfilling the prophecy of Joshua, Joshua 6:26. The LORD raised up a great prophet named Elijah, who confronted the king, Ahab.  I Kings 16:29-17:24

GIANTS OF THE FAITH:  ELIJAH, THE FIERY PROPHET (I KINGS 17-22 & 
II KINGS 1)

The Bible is full of extraordinary people, and the prophet Elijah is certainly one of them.  He is called the "fiery prophet." He lived during the reigns of Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram, kings of the Northern tribes of Israel.  Elijah (meaning "my God is Jehovah") is one of the Old Testament’s greatest prophets.  He performed many miracles from God such as:

• He defeated the prophets of Baal. (Called fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice)
• He raised a boy from the dead.
• He predicted the fates of Ahab and Jezebel.
• Finally, he ascended to heaven in a chariot when his time came. 

Because of Ahab’s sin, Elijah proclaimed under God’s instructions that it would not rain until Elijah said so.  When he announced this prophecy, Ahab and his wife Jezebel sought to kill him.  He fled for his life.  For three years, God took care of Elijah hiding him in the wilderness.  Elijah camped beside a brook where ravens fed him with bread and meat every day.  Notice that Elijah hid even in Jezebel’s former country, a Baal worshipping country.  Perhaps, God protected him there to demonstrate that He was LORD of Baal’s territory as well as Israel.  When the drought dried up the brook, God sent Elijah to the house of a widow in Sidon, a Phoenician city.  That widow sustained him.

Elijah’s first miracle:  When the Prophet met this poor widow she was down to her last portions of food.  She planned to feed herself and her son one last time and then wait to die.  When Elijah first met her, he asked her to share her last meal with him.  He even asked her to feed him first but reassured her that God was going to provide.  In return, trusting Elijah, God provided her with enough to make what they needed.  Isn't it amazing that our God has such power over the forces of nature?

Elijah’s second miracle:  The widow’s son suddenly became ill and died.  She cried out to Elijah believing that this was happening because of her past sins, Elijah took her son and cried to the LORD.  He stretched himself upon the child three times.  He asked the LORD each time to restore the life of the child.  Miraculously, the boy’s life returned to his body and Elijah carried him back to his mother.  After seeing this, the widow placed her faith in the God of Elijah.  Again, isn’t it something that God had power over life and death even in Baal’s territory?

Elijah’s third miracle:  After three years of drought, the LORD spoke to Elijah again telling him to return to Ahab.  When Elijah saw Ahab, he challenged him to a duel of deities.  Elijah proposed to Ahab that he bring all of the 450 prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel to represent their god.  Elijah, on the other hand, would represent the LORD all by himself.  Once there, Elijah told the prophets of Baal to lay out a bull as a sacrifice to their god.  He told them to call on their god to ignite the fire.  After their altar had been built, they began to call on the name of their false gods.  When nothing happened, they began to dance.  Elijah mocked them asking if perhaps Baal might be sleeping or traveling or perhaps too busy.   They began to cry out with a loud voice and cut themselves, offering their blood in an effort to attract Baal’s attention.  To their surprise, nothing happened.  By evening, it was evident that their altar would remain unlit.    When it was Elijah’s turn, he used twelve stones, one for each tribe of the 12 tribes of Israel and rebuilt the altar on Mt. Carmel that was torn down by their false prophets.  Although there were only ten tribes after the kingdom was divided, all twelve tribes were still God’s people.  Do you remember other times when God’s people built 12 stone altars or monuments?  How about Moses in Exodus 24 and Joshua in Joshua 4?  There on Mt. Carmel, Elijah asked the people to drench the sacrifice three times with water and to fill a trench all the way around the altar with more water.  They did as he requested.  When it was the usual time for the evening sacrificial offering, Elijah prayed for God to make Himself known.  He prayed, and the LORD answered decisively:

"At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.' Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.'"  I Kings 18:36-39.

Elijah’s encounter with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel accentuates a beautiful contrast between false gods like Baal and the only True God.  Consider this contrast:

• The only True God provides what His people need without the need for rituals such as dancing and bloodletting such as is done in many forms of idolatry and false religions.
• The only True God does not demand that His people cut and hurt themselves that God might hear them.
• The only True God does not sleep or need rest and is never far away.  God is always present, and He is never too busy for those who love Him, unlike the false gods who seem to be sleeping when their prophets call on them.
• Unlike the false gods, the one True God is Master of all creation.  Everything is under His control.
• The one True God cares graciously for His people providing what they need even when they fall short.   The false gods cannot do this.
• Unlike false gods, God has all power to withhold the rain, as in this drought or to send the rain as He did when Elijah prayed on Mt. Carmel.  He does all this whenever He chooses to do so.

Elijah killed all of the prophets of Baal.  As Elijah ran back to Ahab’s capital, it began to rain.  The drought was over!  Elijah had proven once again that God alone has power over all the natural forces such as fire and rain.

When Ahab returned to his wife Jezebel and told her all that had happened, she immediately plotted to kill Elijah.  She sent a message to let him know that she was going to kill him.  Elijah fled for his life.  He was so disturbed by Jezebel’s evil plan that he pleaded with God to take his life.  The LORD, however, had other plans for him.  God sent an angel to nourish Elijah with a jar of water and cake, baked over hot coals.  He sent an angel twice to provide nourishment to prepare him for a 40-day journey to Mt. Horeb/Sinai, with no food at all.  Can you imagine that?   Nourished but deeply depressed, Elijah walked to Mt. Horeb.  He felt that he was completely alone and that no one else served God in all of Israel.

Notice Elijah’s encounter with God on Mt. Horeb after the events of Mt. Carmel:

Alone in his cave, he waited to hear from the LORD. And while he was waiting, a windy storm arose, but God was not in the storm.  An earthquake shook the cave, but God was not in the earthquake. A fire passed by, but God was not in the fire.  Finally, Elijah heard a still small voice, and he went out of the cave to hear God speak.  What is the lesson here?  That God is not Baal. That God is the Creator of all the earth along with the elements that are in it.  But He is not the elements themselves.  He is a personal God, who desires a relationship with His creation.  This still small voice comes with encouraging words and a reminder that He alone is Sovereign.

So important was Elijah as a prophet of God, that the Messianic prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6, invokes his name to foresee the work of John the Baptist.

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.  He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."

Fascinating Facts:  Baal Worship

The Israelites learned Baal worship from the Canaanites as well as from the Phoenicians like Jezebel.  Baal worship focused mainly on fertility and the cycles of nature:  growing crops, raising livestock and having children.  Baal worshipers also believed that their storm god Baal caused life-giving rain since rain happened only during the rainy season, once a year.  The story developed that Baal had to struggle each year with Mot, the god of death, to break the drought and cause the rains to come. Moreover, the rituals performed by the Baal worshipers such as body cutting, frenzied dancing, human sacrifice and acts of prostitution in the temple encouraged fertility and gave Baal the energy he needed to defeat Mot.

The Israelites were continually drawn into Baal worship.  Their failure was that they wanted to serve two gods:  the God of their fathers who brought them out of slavery in Egypt and Baal who according to what they believed and assumed brought life to their crops and livestock.

Elisha’s Call (I Kings 19:19-21)

When Elijah left Mount Horeb, he found Elisha, who was plowing the fields with his oxen.  Elijah passed by and threw his cloak over him.  In this symbolic act, Elijah indicated that Elisha was chosen to take up Elijah’s ministry.  In an agrarian society, oxen are a crucial possession.  When Elisha took his pair of oxen and sacrificed them and gave it to the people to eat, it indicated a full break from his past.  Now Elisha was ready and willing to leave everything to follow Elijah and minister to him.

Naboth’s Vineyard (I Kings 21)

Ahab had fallen in love with Naboth’s vineyard that happened to be located next to his palace.  Ahab offered to buy that land from Naboth, but he refused.  When Jezebel heard of this and saw how gloomy her husband was and that he was not eating, she immediately began to plot against Naboth.  She wanted him dead!   When her wicked plan worked, she told her husband Ahab to take possession of the land he had coveted so badly.  Now it was time for Elijah to have one last encounter with Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel.   When Elijah confronted Ahab with this horrendous crime, he answered, "Have you found me, O my enemy?'  Elijah answered, 'I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel;  and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have made Israel sin.  Of Jezebel also has the Lord spoken, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.' The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat.'"

Indeed, Jezebel was a wicked woman.  Because of all this evil, God decreed that dogs would eat her body.  God was going to destroy his line.  And when Ahab heard these words of judgment, he tore his clothes, putting on sackcloth and fasted.  When the LORD saw that Ahab had humbled himself before Him, He decided to postpone the evil He promised until after Ahab’s death.  What a merciful God that He would be moved even by such a wicked man when he humbled himself before His mighty throne!

Ahab is Attacked by the Aramean King (I Kings 20 & 22)

Ben-Hadad, king of Aram (Damascus, in modern day Syria) got together his forces and left to attack Ahab in Samaria.  Ahab had defeated Ben-Hadad’s army twice with the LORD’S help.  Afterward, the two nations had made a treaty.   After three years, Ahab and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah joined forces to defeat Ben-Hadad's army.  Ahab, being a Baal worshiper sought counsel from his false prophets who all told him what he wanted to hear.  They predicted a victory.   Jehoshaphat insisted that they also seek the counsel of a prophet of the LORD.  When Micaiah arrived, he anticipated defeat for both Israel and Judah.   He also predicted the death of Ahab.  Ahab refused to believe this prophecy.

Now Ahab and Jehoshaphat waged war at Ramoth-Gilead, against the king of Syria.  Ahab worried about the prophecy, so he disguised himself before he went into battle.  Unfortunately, his disguise did not protect him.  He died in combat and was brought to Samaria where they buried him.  Ahaziah, his son, became king over Israel in his place.

Ahaziah  850-849 BC	Bad Inherited the throne. He reigned two years II Kings 1:17-18	Ahaziah worshiped Baal and did evil before the LORD.  He walked in the way of his father.  This angered the LORD.  When Ahaziah injured himself by falling through the lattice of an upstairs room, he sent messengers to the shrine of Baal to find out if he would live or die. Elijah intercepted the messengers and told them to tell Ahaziah that he would not leave his bed but would die. In anger, he sent fifty soldiers to capture Elijah. The prophet said to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.  A second group of soldiers met the same fate. When the third group arrived, the captain begged Elijah to spare their lives. Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king. Then he said to him, "Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'" Ahaziah died as the LORD had prophesied.  Since he had no heir, Jehoram, his brother became king in his place.  II Kings 1
Jehoram 949-843 BC	Bad Inherited the throne. He Reigned 12 years. Assassinated.  II Kings 3:2-3	Jehoram (Joram) did evil; however, he did put away Baal and discouraged its worship.  His reign coincided with the ministry of Elisha, the prophet. The two had many encounters.  Elisha warned him each time the king of Aram tried to move against Israel.  When Elisha provided water in the desert, he witnessed the miracle.  On one occasion, Elisha delivered the Arameans into Jehoram’s hands but did not allow him to kill them.  On another occasion, Elisha also predicted the day when the Aramean siege was going to be broken.  The Aramean soldiers fled because they thought they had heard the sound of mercenary chariots. When Jehoram was in the midst of the battle against the Arameans, Elisha anointed his army commander Jehu king of Israel.  He gave Jehu the charge of eliminating Jehoram and his family since Jehoram came from the line of Ahab.  When Jehoram was wounded in battle, he returned to his palace.  Jehu then chased him in a chariot.  He killed him on the same property or land that Ahab coveted and stole from Naboth.  Notice that this is what Elijah had prophesied before.  Afterward, Jehu hunted down and killed everyone in Ahab’s line, all of his seventy children.  Jezebel’s eunuchs threw her down from an upper story window of her palace.  There she died, and her broken body was eaten by dogs as prophesied by Elijah.  Jehu also killed all of the prophets of Baal.   II Kings 2-3:3

CONCLUSION:  It has been a joy for me to learn more about the division of the kingdom and the great work of the prophet Elijah.  Our next study will acquaint us with the great work of the prophet Elisha and the Kings that he worked with.

Luci