Year 8, Day 15: 2 Kings 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In 2 Kings 17 we have the fall of Israel.  Israel falls because they followed other gods and sacrificed to them.  Let’s be clear about that.  Yes, Israel was disobedient.  But honestly, how many among us are not disobedient to God.  Even among those who claim to love Him, how many of us are free from the effects of sin? 

What the people of Israel did that was wrong and that God didn’t forgive was that they worshipped other gods and sacrificed to them.  That isn’t permission to be disobedient, but the reality is that God will forgive our disobedience if we are in relationship with Him and acknowledge our wrong.  What God has an issue with Israel’s actions is that they worshipped foreign gods and sacrificed to them.  That should be a lesson to us all.  Disobedience is forgiven with repentance.  Worship of other things besides God is not.

That leads us around to another neat understanding that I honestly don’t remember reading in years past, although I am sure that I did.  Do you hear that the king of Assyria resettles the land?  That’s not the new part.  Do you hear that God sends lions to devour the people because they don’t know Him?  That’s not the new part, either.

What is new is that the priest of God that the king of Assyria sends among the settlers offers them a deal.  The priest becomes an envoy from God and offers them protection.  He offers to rescue them from dangers if they will worship Him.  He basically gives them the same offer that He has given to the Hebrew people!  Of course, they don’t listen.  But that doesn’t change the point!

What’s neat about this is that it shows us the nature of God’s love.  God is willing to make His offer to anyone.  All we have to do is fear and worship Him and not fear or worship other gods.  As we see in this passage, it doesn’t matter who we are or where we’ve come from.  God is willing to embrace us if we simply choose to fear and worship Him.  It’s really that simple.

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Year 8, Day 14: 2 Kings 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In 2 Kings 16 we meet Ahaz, the next king in the line of Judah.  Unlike the two kings that came before him, Ahaz does not do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.  In fact, he even offers his son as a sacrifice.  He brings back the old religion that was being worshipped by the Canaanites.  The Bible even hints at the fact that such acts were the reason that the Canaanites were kicked out in the first place!

What I find interesting is that Ahaz’s contempt for God is obvious in so many other dynamics.  When Israel and Syria come against Judah, Ahaz turns to Assyria for help instead of God.  Note that he doesn’t turn to his own gods, either.  Ahaz doesn’t have an eye for spirituality; Ahaz has an eye for the natural world and what is best for him.

In fact, when Assyria comes and saves Judah, Ahaz goes to meet the king of Assyria.  Along the way, he sees the altar in Damascus.  These are the altars that initially led to Israel’s fall away from God back when the kingdom split apart.  Ahaz sends the designs back to Jerusalem and orders the priest to duplicate them.  Then, Ahaz goes into the temple of God and begins to repurpose the temple furnishings for his own purposes!

As if this isn’t bad enough, one of the true places of sorrow in this chapter comes here.  The priest goes through with the king’s plan.  Naturally, the priest was probably in a position of listening to the king or losing his position (and perhaps his life).  The priest chooses to keep his position and follow the king’s wishes instead of standing up for the Lord.  It is sad when people choose their own material security instead of spiritual righteousness, but I find it especially troubling when a priest makes that choice.  If anyone should have been able to say no to the king, it should have been Uriah the priest.

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Year 8, Day 13: 2 Kings 15

Theological Commentary: Click Here

2 Kings 15 is more of the same.  We have a pair of kings of Judah who do what is right in the sight of the Lord, even if they do let the high places of Ba’al worship remain.  We have more kings in Israel who do not do what is right in the sight of the Lord.  We have leadership changes in Judah passed on by generation in the line of David.  We have leadership changes passed on by treachery and scheming in Israel.  Not much changes.

We do, however, see the end on the horizon for Israel.  Tiglath-pileser comes onto the scene for Assyria and starts making demands.  He starts by conquering a large chunk of Israel and drags the people in the land he captures back to Assyria.  The Hebrew people start to become enslaved in captivity.  We shouldn’t be surprised by this at all.  None of the kings of Israel have tried to uphold God and His ways.  God has given them time to repent and they haven’t.  Judgment comes.

Even in the midst of judgment, though, I think that it is very interesting to look at the human interaction.  When Pekahiah cannot prevent portions of Israel from being carved up by Tiglath-pileser, his captain conspires against him to take over power.  Even in the midst of its decline, people gather like vultures to take their share of what’s left.  Pekahiah is assassinated and Pekah steps up to don the mantle of king over Israel.

There is another thought that I get out of this.  Not only will people grab at any power – even power of a downward spiraling organization – people will also believe what they want reality to be instead of what actual reality is.  The kingdom of Israel is doomed.  It is to be judged.  It is in selfish rebellion against God.  Nobody seems to step up and acknowledge this.  People grab at power and think that they can hold back the tide of God’s judgment.  Pekah thinks that he can do more against Assyria than Pekahiah could do.  He believes in his own version of reality instead of God’s version of true reality.

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Year 8, Day 12: 2 Kings 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Amaziah reigns after Joash has died.  I find the Biblical account of Amaziah intriguing.  The Bible begins this passage by saying that he was a good king.  He walked in the ways of Joash, whom the Bible also calls a good king.

However, Amaziah has some issues.  First of all, Amaziah, like his father before him, allows the high places to continue to exist.  He doesn’t take on the Ba’al worship at its core.  He doesn’t encourage it to grow, but he doesn’t take it on, either.

Second, Amaziah foolishly challenges Israel to a fight and loses badly.  In fact, it ultimately leads to his death.  He is impulsive in this and doesn’t show much wisdom.  He certainly seems to be following his own desires instead of God.

However, there is a neat lesson here in spite of the fact that after saying Amaziah is a good king the Bible doesn’t have much good to report.  The neat lesson is that it does remind us a bit of David.  Yes, David walked closer to God and his story is laced with faithfulness and momentary lapses of sin.  But the greater point is that God overlooks our sin and our weakness.  Amaziah doesn’t look good on paper after the initial statement.  But that’s not how God remembers him.  God remembers him as a good king.  That’s great news for us.  We don’t need to be perfect.  We simply need to pursue God.  We can have our faults like Amaziah’s impulsiveness and God can still love us and us.

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Year 8, Day 11: 2 Kings 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

2 Kings 13 feels like much the same.  A few kings in Israel die.  A few kings in Israel replace them.  The new kings aren’t any better than the old kings.  The new kings continue in the sins of the old kings and they continue to walk further and further away from God.

What’s neat about this chapter is what we can learn about God.  In spite of the rebellion and in spite of the poor political leadership, God is still merciful.  God delivers the from Syria.  God has every right to abandon them and hold them accountable for their rebellion.  Instead, God gives them yet more time to repent and come back to Him.

God is insanely patient, far more patient than we deserve.  He is forgiving when He doesn’t need to be.  He is gracious when we are undeserving.  It is in His nature to continue to give chance after chance in the hopes that we will repent and return.  He simply wants relationship with us.

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Year 8, Day 10: 2 Kings 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here

2 Kings 12 is a very vanilla chapter after the last 3 or 4 chapters!  Joash takes over the throne and starts a campaign of reform.  I find it absolutely telling that the first comment that is made about the success of Joash’s reign is because he was mentored by a very faithful priest, Jehoiada.  This goes to show us the importance for all people – especially those in positions of power – to be mentored into faithfulness.

What’s interesting about this routine chapter is that although Joash seems to have a very faithful regime, the temple is not repaired as he would like.  In my blog for several years back, to which I link above, I detail some reasons for this.  It could be that the voluntary donations weren’t enough to feed the priests, much less pay for the temple repairs.  It could be that there has been so much Ba’al worship under the prior kings that there either aren’t many worshippers of God or the people are so angry at the removal of Ba’al that they aren’t willing to give.  One way or another, the repairs just don’t get done.

There is a lesson in practicality here.  We can have faithful leadership.  We can have God’s blessing.  But that doesn’t mean we will live a life where everything goes perfectly and we never experience setbacks.  We shouldn’t think that our life won’t have its little hiccoughs.  Here is Joash, who seems to be an upright king.  He is Jehoiada, who seems to be a legitimate priest.  Yet the people don’t respond all that quickly.  The repairs don’t get done as fast as they should.

It isn’t that God’s blessing failed, or the leadership was bad, or that it was time for the Hebrew people to be punished.  The reality is that life conspired against the plans of Joash.  It took more time and more effort than Joash expected.  That’s not anyone’s fault!  It’s just life.  Life has a way of conspiring against even the best of plans.

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Year 8, Day 9: 2 Kings 11

Theological Commentary: Click Here

This is such an interesting chapter.  Athaliah hears about the death of her son at the hands of Jehu.  What makes this chater so interesting is that the Queen Mother then turns and starts to kill all the other children who might become king.  She slaughters child after child while being on a rampage.  If her child won’t reign, then nobody else’s child would reign, either.

There are two really neat things about this chapter.  The first neat concept is that one child, Joash, is smuggled into safety.  News of him is kept silent from Athaliah’s ears for six years.  That alone is an amazing feat.  The lineage of David is saved when all hope appears lost.

The other neat dynamic comes out of this reality.  When we start this chapter, it looks bleak.  This chapter starts with the death of innocent people.  The chapter starts with awful news.  Yet, look at what God does in this chapter.  God brings forth a complete reset of the southern kingdom.  In the salvation of Joash comes a king who is dedicated to the God whose house he quite literally was saved and raised in.  The worship places of Ba’al are removed.  A renewal of the pact between God and His people comes into being.  A chapter that starts out so bleakly ends with a great story of success.

For the record, this is often the modus operandi of God.  The story of Moses begins with the Hebrew people enslaved and the Hebrew children being killed.  When Jesus is born it begins with no room at the inn and the slaughter of innocent children.  Paul’s story begins with the death of Stephen and the absolute persecution of the early church.  So often it is in the darkest moments that we see the light of God most brightly.

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Year 8, Day 8: 2 Kings 10

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Here is another chapter this is hard to take from a perspective that puts God in the “God is love” cliché box.  I do believe that God is love, but He is more than love.  After all, how could a God who only understands love approve of Jehu’s actions?

Jehu continues the slaughter of Ahab’s house.  He makes sure that not only Ahab and Jezreel are dead, but all of Ahab’s children from all of his wives.  Seventy of Ahab’s sons die.  Jehu then kills a delegation from Judah.  Then, he kills of all of the prophets of Ba’al. This is a significant amount of death and destruction going on.

Don’t miss 2 Kings 10:30.  We don’t need to speculate about God’s reaction.  God says, “You have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes and have done according to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons shall sit on the throne to the fourth generation.”  In other words, Jehu is being rewarded.  What has happened to Ahab and to the prophets of Ba’al has pleased the Lord.

If we take the opinion of God that He is only love, then this chapter makes no sense.  Ths is why many people have issues with the Old Testament and they prefer to ignore it and not read it.  It is the Old Testament that forces us to acknowledge that God is bigger than the box we would care to put Him in.

God is a God of righteousness.  He is a God of divine judgment.  Yes, God would prefer that we all choose to act in love and graciousness and follow His ways.  The reality, though, is that we don’t always do so.  When we don’t, there are consequences.  When we don’t live up to His ways and we don’t feel any need to repent about it, the consequences get enforced.  When we do this as a culture, the consequences are even more severe.  When we do this as a culture for generations, the consequences grow still more dire.

God is a God of love.  After all, He sent Jesus to die so that we might be able to remain in relationship with Him.  He paid the cost when we couldn’t.  That’s an act of love.  But God is so much more than a God of love.  He is a God of justice.  He is righteousness. He is authority.  He is power.  He is glory.  He is the creator.  He is the alpha and the omega.  Chapters like this force us to get out of our limited perspective and embrace all that is god. 

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Year 8, Day 7: 2 Kings 9

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today’s passage tells us how the throne passes from the lineage of Ahab to the lineage of Jehu. I find it interesting that in Judah the kings continue to come from the line of David, even when one dies evilly.  Yet in Israel, the title of king is assed around according to who is the strongest and most treacherous.  Here is a very direct result of living under God’s blessing and living under what appears right in the eyes of humans.

Naturally, though, this passage is all about the fulfillment of God’s promise.  As gruesome as the transition is, it is about God’s promise to Ahab and his wife.  God tells Ahab that his lineage will not reign over Israel.  In this passage we see that lineage end.  In fact, we even see Jezebel’s death, forcing that lineage to end quite permanently.  God is a god of His word.

In a gruesome chapter like this, I find that thought strangely comforting – especially after a chapter like yesterday.  God keeps His promises.  God fulfills what He says.  What God mandates happens.

In a world such as we live in, it is nice to know that there is a power that is true to its word.  Human beings are fickle.  Our attitudes change like the tides.  Our loyalties rotate as often as our emotions.  But God stays true to His word.  When He promises to David that his lineage will reign, they do.  When He promises Ahab that his lineage will not escae the sword of Jehu, they don’t.  It is God who is supreme.  It is God who is able to bend existence to His will.

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Year 8, Day 6: 2 Kings 8

Theological Commentary: Click Here

For today’s post, I have an interesting moral quandary.  The issue comes out of the story of Hazael and his trip to see Elisha.  The king of Syria, Ben-hadad, gets sick and sends Hazael to seek Elisha to see if he will recover from the illness.  While Hazael is in Elisha’s company, Elisha begins to weep.  Elisha explains to Hazael that he is weeping because God has shown Elisha all of the things that Hazael will do to the Hebrew people once he becomes king over Syria.  When Hazael returns to Ben-hadad, Hazael kills him so that he can take over as king!

There are two quandaries, actually.  I believe that the first is more readily navigated than the second.  The first one is: would Hazael have had the plan to kill Ben-hadad had Elisha not told him that he would be king?  The reason that this quandary is navigated easily is because I believe the answer to be yes.  Human beings are inherently evil, so the lan to kill Ben-hadad and assume all of his power would have certainly developed in Hazael eventually.  It wasn’t God’s idea, therefore it was Hazael’s.  He would have come to that decision at some point.  In fact, one could make the case that Elisha’s word weren’t actually what spurred Hazael to commit murder but to affirm publicly what was already hidden away in Hazael’s heart.  This is actually what I think is going on in this chapter.  God isn’t inspiring Hazael to become king, God is trying to show Hazael His power by revealing knowledge of the plan that u until now has been privately festering in his heart.  Naturally, this is speculation on my behalf.

The second quandary is far more difficult to navigate.  If God knew about all of the evil that Hazael would do, why didn’t God have Hazael killed by Elisha or eaten by some wild animal on his way back home?  It isn’t like that hasn’t been a plotline in other stories surrounding Elisha, even!

The reason that this is a quandary is because it points us to a truth that we don’t like to talk about when pondering God.  God has the power to utterly destroy evil.  But for the sake of free will, He doesn’t.  God allows Hazael to live, even though he will bring much pain and suffering on other human beings.

That puts us in a tight spot emotionally speaking.  God doesn’t kill Hazael and allows him to become king.  For the record, in the future we’ll see how God brings forth the Assyrians to do bring Israel under judgment.  God brings forth the Babylonians to bring judgment upon Judah.  Both the Assyrians and the Babylonians do horrible things to the Hebrew people.  The reality is that God doesn’t vanquish true evil wherever it exists.

If we are willing to accept that – as difficult as that may be to accept – we can actually see why.  I believe there are many reasons; I’ll outline two here.  First, if God were to have a standing policy to vanquish evil, we should all die right now.  The reality is that evil lies within my heart.  I am sinful and evil.  I fight against it, but I am still evil within my heart.  I should be vanquished.  Second, God uses that evil to try and teach His people about faith.  The end result of the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity is that His people spiritually return to Him.  The end result of the evil of the crucifixion is a spiritual people devoted to the teachings of His Son.  God allows evil to continue to exist because through His greatness He can work through the evil and produce far greater outcomes than would be gained by crushing the evil outright. 

That doesn’t make the evil right, nor does it justify the evil in any way.  What it does is demonstrate to us the power of God to even work true spiritual righteousness out of even the most unspeakable evil.  That’s a learning that can only come through the study of the quandary the arises when we ask why God allows Hazael to live when He knows the evil that is about to ensue.

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Year 8, Day 5: 2 Kings 7

Theological Commentary: Click Here

2 Kings 7 is a miraculously humble chapter to study.  It is miraculous because we see human beings doing things for no rational explanation other than the power of God.  It is humbling because we must be honest about the source of the power and the logical conclusion that we must reach.

First, let’s deal with the miraculous nature of the chapter.  The Syrians had come to surround the capital of Israel and started a siege.  The siege had gone on for so long that food and water was extraordinarily scarce within the town.  However, Elisha tells the king that in a single day the siege will be lifted and there will be an abundance of food.  While the captain of the guard scoffs, it happens!  Even thought there is no physical reason for it to happen, the Syrians run away.  They even cast off some of their more cumbersome goods to help them get away more quickly.  Those goods are taken by the starving Israelites and the city is saved.  For no reason, the besieging Syrians turn tail and run!  That, quite frankly, is a miracle.

Now, it is time to talk about the humbling aspect.  The Bible tells us while the Syrians run.  They hear the sounds of an amassing army in the middle of the night.  They think that the Israelites have paid an army to rescue them.  Not wanting to be caught between two forces – the Israelites and their allies – they run away.  Why is this humbling?  There is no second army!  God allows those Syrians to hear His army, a heavenly host, far greater than any earthly army could ever be.  God saves the Israelites all on His own.  He doesn’t need to work through anyone to save the people of Israel.  He saves them under His own power.

This shows us that God doesn’t need us.  God can do what He desires all on His own.  The real humbling part of all of this is that God chooses to use us.  He wants to work through us and with us.  He wants to include us in His ways.  He doesn’t need to; He wants to!  That is the power of this chapter.  God can and will save us on His own.  God then invites us to participate in what He is doing in the world around us.

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Year 8, Day 4: 2 Kings 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

No good deed goes unpunished.  That’s my main takeaway from this chapter, although certainly there are other lessons to learn.

The king of Syria wants to attack and punish Israel.  He continues to send soldiers against the king of Israel, but God uses Elisha to warn the king.  Israel’s fighting force and its king were saved several times through Elisha’s influence.

Finally, the king of Syria learns that it is Elisha’s influence.  Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, does what any rational leader would do.  Ben-hadad goes after Elisha.  After all, if Elisha is removed from the picture, he might have an easier time disposing of the king of Israel.

He encircles the city in which Elisha is staying.  His forces far outnumber those of the city.  The battle looks doomed with one exception.  Elisha sees what nobody else does.  Elisha can see warriors of the Lord.

When the warriors of Syria attack, Elisha does something surprising.  Elisha asks them to be struck with blindness.  He doesn’t ask for their death; he asks for their blindness!  Furthermore, Elisha leads them into the presence of the king of Israel and then tells the king to spare their lives, feed them, and send them on their way!  This is an insanely generous act from one who was hated by the very people that he seeks to save!  If we learn nothing else, we can learn that God’s generosity and the generosity of His servants knows no boundary.  In fact, it often is surprising!

Now we get to the place where we say that no good deed goes unpunished.  How does the king of Syria respond?  The king of Syria gathers a large force and lays siege to the capitol of Israel.  For all his grace and mercy, Ben-hadad responds with fury, wrath, and treachery.  There is no appreciation for the generosity that Elisha showed him.  He can only think about his own agenda and how much he desires to lay waste to Israel. 

This is another lesson to learn.  There are people who see the grace of God and respond.  There are others who experience the grace of God and continue to focus on their own agenda.  We can’t predict how it will result, which is why we focus on grace.  Elisha is gracious, not because he knows how the king will respond, but because he wants to give Ben-hadad an opportunity to do so.

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Year 8, Day 3: 2 Kings 5

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2 Kings 5 is my absolute favorite story of Elisa, and one of my favorite stories of the Old Testament in general.  There are so many points we can learn from this story.

First, look at what Naaman brings with him when he comes to see Elisha.  How many pounds of silver and gold does he come with?  Yet, how few garments of clothing.  What does this tell us?  In those days, clothing was an incredible commodity.  A good set of clothing was easily worth its weight in gold.  Money was valuable, but it could be mined from the earth.  Clothing had to be grown (or killed) and then worked and sewn and sized and dyed.  In Naaman’s gift we get a subtle lesson in perspective.

Second, we get a great lesson in the work of the Lord.  The people of God like to focus on how God works in and through them.  The reality, though, is that God is everywhere!  His hand is everywhere.  God was working through Naaman even though Naaman didn’t know Him!  God is not limited to His people.  God is not limited to working only where His faithful people are found.  God created this world and He works all throughout it.

Third, we learn about God’s patience.  Gad gives Naaman a simple task and Naaman scoffs.  In fact, Naaman becomes angry.  God had ever reason to revoke the promise and even punish Naaman had He wanted to do so.  Instead, though, God stays true to His promise.  God heals Naaman and still opts to demonstrate His grace and power instead of His absolute justice.  God is patient with sinners, much to all of our relief!

Fourth, we learn about greed.  God’s power should not be an opportunity for us to become wealthy.  God’s hand at work is not an opportunity for us to gain an easier life.  God’s power is not for sale!  When our heart years for things instead of yearning for God, we usually end u getting what we deserve, as happens here with Gehazi.

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Year 8, Day 2: 2 Kings 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Here is another chapter of God’s unique provision.   I am struck by the odd nature of the way that God provides.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that God’s work is odd.  I’ll explain below.

First, there is the case of the widow’s oil.  Don’t get me wrong.  Neither the oil nor God’s ability is strange.  Neither is it strange that God would intervene so that a widow’s sons would be able to avoid the fate of slavery and separation from their mother.  What is unusual is the way that God solves the problem.  God causes the woman’s oil to spontaneously increase so that she can sell it and pay off her debts.  That is such a unique means of solving the woman’s problem!

Then, there is the Shunammite woman.  Elisha tells her that she will have a child after many years at being barren.  She does conceive and have a son.  As the child grows, he is injured and dies in a field.  Yet, Elisha raises him from the dead.  Again, nothing here is beyond God’s power.  God’s raised people from the dead before and He will do it again.  What’s unique is that God chooses to do it in the first place.  The woman doesn’t ask of the favor from God.  But God gives.  He gives lavishly.  He twice gives life in the presence of a woman who didn’t know it was there in the first place!

Then, there is the odd story of the poisonous stew.  Again, this certainly is not surprising as it is well within God’s power to purify food.  What is surprising is that it is done.  Elisha could have simply made different stew.  The people could have just not eaten it – they already discovered that it was bad before there was injury.  Yet, God purifies the stew and the people consume it purely as a display of His power. 

This story is unique in contrast to the others.  In one case, a woman’s sons avoid slavery.  In another case life is restored.  Here is a case where God’s power is put on display in fairly innocuous circumstances!

Yesterday I remarked at how God’s power is surprising in His creativity.  Today I find more of the same.  God’s power is surprising in how it happens, where it happens, and why it happens.

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Year 8, Day 1: 2 Kings 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

There are some days when God’s ability amazes me. It isn’t like God is doing anything that I think He can’t do.  It is more like I am simply amazed as His ability to tie things together in surprisingly ways.

For example, take the demonstration of water.  As these kings march out to do battle, they come across a place that has no water.  This might not seem like a big deal, but if you are managing an army of tens of thousands of people, having no water is a very big deal.  With no water, the soldiers will lose morale as well as combat strength.  It’s a set-up for disaster.

God uses this circumstance as an opportunity to show His power.  God sends Elisha to these kings and tells them that the place will spring forth with water as a sign of His provision.  It does.  Water abounds.  Imagine the surge in morale from the troops as the word spreads that this was at the hand of God!  This seems very rational and straightforward.

Then, God does the really thing.  Here’s the part where God connects two completely different ends to the story.  The king of Moab draws near for battle.  He sees that the water that God brought has turned red.  The king of Moab assumes that it is blood from these kings beating up on each other.  The king of Moab joins the battle, not realizing the trap to which he has just committed himself!

That’s really cool how God can have the creativity to use the water as a sign to the people of Judah and at the same time use it as a means of judgment against Moab.  Again, it isn’t like either of these things are beyond God’s power.  What amazes me is His creativity and foresight in His use of power.  That is one of my favorite aspects of God. 

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Year 7, Day 365: 2 Kings 2

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In this chapter we say goodbye to Elijah and watch as Elisha takes over.  Elijah is considered the chief of the prophets according to the Hebrew scholars, but I personally find that many of Elisha’s stories are more intriguing.  I have to admit, though, that Elijah’s ascent into heaven while escaping death does make for a very cool ending to a very unusual life putting God’s power on display.

Elisha does something really cool when he sees Elijah leave.  Elisha tears his own cloak, picks u the mantle of Elijah, and puts it on.  Symbolically, there is something really neat here.  Elisha tears his own clothing and dons the clothing for Elijah as a symbol that he is becoming the prophet to take Elijah’s place.  He isn’t becoming Elijah, but he is taking Elijah’s place.  By tearing his clothes and putting on Elijah’s he’s making it clear to himself and others who knew what Elijah looked like.

Before we leave this point, lets also look at what this means for Elijah.  I’m not implying that he went to heaven nude (although one might make that inference).  What I am saying is that Elijah gives up all of the trappings of this world when going to be with God.  He doesn’t need clothing, status symbols, or signs of God’s power.  When Elijah goes to be with God, the things of this world stay here – as it should be.

Once Elisha takes over, we see miraculous demonstrations of God’s power come through him as well.  Bad water is turned clean.  People who mock him find themselves in dire circumstances.  God is with Elisha just as much as He was with Elijah.

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Year 7, Day 364: 2 Kings 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In this chapter we get a small perspective of Ahaziah, the son of Ahab.  We don’t hear much about this king other than the story of his death.  That in itself is telling.  Ahaziah was among the evilest of the kings, but he certainly wasn’t among the good ones, either.

Ahaziah falls through a lattice in his garden and injures himself badly enough that he is going to die.  When he does, he sends word to inquire of the prophets of one of the false gods that Israel has chosen to worship.  This offends god, who sends Elijah to him to tell him that he will not recover.

First of all, learn this lesson.  When we are God’s people, He notices when we worship other things.  Even when we have knowledge of God and don’t claim to worship Him, He takes notice.  Ahaziah never claimed to follow God, yet God is still offended when Ahaziah seeks the prophets of his god.  God expects us to follow Him and see that His ways are better than our ways and is offended when we don’t.

Second, we get a bit of a perspective on Ahaziah’s character.  Unlike his father, Ahab, who repented when he was told he was going to die, Ahaziah does no such thing.  Ahaziah receives the message from God and the next thing we know is that he dies.  He may not have been among the evilest of kings, but he certainly has no respect for God, His ways, and His wisdom.

Then we have the story of the captain of the guard.  Two captains mimic Ahaziah’s lack of faith and make demands of Elijah.  Those captains die – their men with them.  Leaders need to be careful how their decisions affect those under them!  Unlike the first two, the third captain comes humbly and asks for mercy.  We aren’t told that this captain was a God-fearer, but at the very least he has respect for God and His power.  His life is spared and God takes notice.  It is amazing what a little humbleness can get a person.

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Year 7, Day 363: 1 Kings 22

Theological Commentary: Click Here

1 Kings 22 is another interesting chapter.  In this chapter we can see the death of Ahab and the plan leading up to it.   As we analyze this chapter, we will come to moral and ethical debate.  We will wonder God and His working.

Israel and Judah make a plan to work together to stand u against their enemies.  Ahab’s prophets all tell Ahab to go about the plan.  However, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, wants to hear from a prophet of God.  When Micaiah is found, Micaiah tells the kings that if they go up to battle that it will end poorly.  The kings go up to battle anyways and Ahab is indeed killed in battle as predicted.

The interesting part of this chapter is in what Micaiah speaks when asked about how the plan came together.  In his vision, Micaiah says that he saw into the throne room of God and heard God ask, “Who will go entice Ahab, that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?”  The spirit who responds to God says that he will be a “lying spirit” in the mouth of his prophets.

Here is an interesting point to ponder.  I have no trouble asserting that Ahab was evil.  His prophets were false.  There is no debating that Ahab and his prophets were no legitimate authorities administering God’s righteous judgment.  All of this aside, this passage tells us that God uses a lying spirit to work through these illegitimate prophets!  Is it right to lie to those who exercise illegitimate authority?  Perhaps more simply stated, is it right to lie?

There is no easy answer to this question.  We can try to dismiss this passage by saying that it isn’t God who lied, but a spirit in His presence.  However, that’s a bit like saying that a person who orders someone to be killed isn’t guilty of the death because they didn’t actually do the act that resulted in death.

For me, I believe that the best answer lies in accepting that we cannot know the scope of God’s ways.  When I come across chapters like this, I like to think back to the advice given by God to Job?  Where was I when God created the world or the great creatures like the Leviathan?  Do I understand how the winds are held back or called forth?  Who am I to sit in judgment?

In the end, the reality is that Ahab’s time had come.  Ahab’s advisors, false prophets of malevolent gods, advise Ahab to go into battle.  God’s prophet, Micaiah, tells Ahab the truth about what was said in the presence of God.  Ahab is given the full perspective in the end, and Ahab chooses to listen to the false prophets anyways.  In the end, this chapter has more to do with humanity’s desire to listen to what it wants to hear regardless of how the message is delivered. 

For me, that’s the real takeaway here.  Once Ahab heard everything, he still went out to battle.  He tried to cheat death by disguising himself and lost anyways.  Human beings will do what we want to do and hear what we want to hear.

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Year 7, Day 362: 1 Kings 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Naboth’s Vineyard is an interesting story.  Here is a clear-cut case of anger, selfishness, manipulation, abuse of power, and ultimately murder.  There are few stories in the Bible so ripe with clearly sinful behavior as this story.

We should make sure that we understand where the power resides in this story.  Ahab does go out and speak to Naboth.  Ahab even makes a legitimate offer for the vineyard.  His logic is even reasonable.  He tells Naboth that he wants the vineyard because it is closer to his home.  Ahab even volunteers to give Naboth a different garden – a better garden, even – so long and Naboth agrees.  Naboth disagrees and the sale falls apart.  Ahab goes home and sulks.

Up until now, Ahab hasn’t done anything wrong.  A person is welcome to make an offer for another’s property.  Naboth has the right to refuse the offer.  Ahab has the right to go home and be disappointed.  There isn’t any sinfulness done here.

Jezebel, however, takes matters into her own hands.  Whether to please her husband, to pay Naboth back for having the gall to refuse the request of a king, or to gain the sheer enjoyment of wielding enough power to have a man killed we’ll never know.  What we do know is that Jezebel sets forth a plan in Ahab’s name to have a man killed.  Jezebel is the source of evil in this story.  It is Jezebel who sets the story on the dark path.

Naboth is invited, set at a place of honor, accused falsely, and killed.  Jezebel’s plan goes off without a hitch.  She remains guilty.

Ahab’s guilt comes into play when we discover his reaction.  There is no grief or mourning when he learns that Naboth has been killed.  Ahab does not question Jezebel’s use of his name or power.  Ahab simply goes out, claims the land for himself, and continues on with his life.

Ahab cannot hide from God.  God sends Elijah and condemns the act.  He tells Ahab that he and his whole household will die.  Those who die in the city will be eaten by dogs; those who die outside the city will be eaten by birds.

Up until now, this sounds like a very straightforward story with straightforward justice.  Then, Ahab does something remarkable.  Ahab repents.  We aren’t told that Ahab relinquishes the land, but he does repent and dress in sackcloth.

This is where the story turns fascinating.  God forgives.  Remember, this is a story with incredibly clear-cut sin.  This is a story where a man is murdered simply because he stands up for what is rightfully his.  This is a story where his passing isn’t mourned.  What is mourned is that Ahab got caught by God!  Yet, God forgives even this.

What makes this story so interesting is that it is a great story to demonstrate the scope of God’s forgiveness.  God is willing to forgive us even after we have been judged by Him and the consequences of our actions are already laid out. It is never too late to come to God.  It is never too late to know God’s compassion.

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Year 7, Day 361: 1 Kings 20

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I’m going to start with a fairly obvious point here in this chapter.  God doesn’t seem to be as bothered by human violence as much as we think He is and make Him out to be.  After all, God twice ordains that the Hebrew people beat back the army that comes upon the Israelites.  Over a hundred thousand people die in a result that God ordains.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that God brings in the enemies so that they would die – although there are stories in the Old Testament like the Assyrian occupation that do teach this lesson.  I am saying that God doesn’t seem to have an issue with allowing human beings who are bent on violence to meet the consequence that they seek.

In fact, this leads us to a deeper lesson.  Do you hear what happens at the end of this chapter?  King Ahab spares Ban-Hadad.  You would think that such an act of grace would find favor, although it is possible to argue that this has more to do with tribute than grace.  Whatever Ahab’s reason, God doesn’t approve.  God is furious that Ahab allowed Ben-Hadad to live!  God ordained Ben-Hadad’s death and Ahab goes against God’s wish.

There are several lessons to learn here.  First, let’s acknowledge that we shouldn’t go against what God ordains.  When God ordains something to happen, we should be obedient.  If we don’t, there will be consequences.

Second, God is bigger than the box we would care to put Him in.  For the vast majority of time, God does appreciate grace, mercy, and compassion.  However, that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have a side that ordains judgment, consequence, or even death.  After all, will not this world end in judgment and destruction before the next world is created and set in motion?  God is larger than our box.  God’s righteousness is larger and has far more dimensions than our understanding of righteousness.

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Year 7, Day 360: 1 Kings 19

Theological Commentary: Click Here

One of my favorite aspects about God’s Word is that it shows us human imperfection in the midst of God’s perfection.  Yesterday we got to see God’s power on display.  This led us to see the greater point of the chapter, which is that we should worship God.  The sacrifice story is all about reminding us that we should worship God.

Yet, what happens in this chapter?  Jezebel, Ahab’s wife and the greater follower of Ba’al, hears about the sacrifice story and the slaughter of the prophets of Ba’al.  She vows to kill Elijah. 

What does Elijah do?  He runs away.  He fears for his life.  He flees and begins to despair.  His fear completely gets the better of him!  He just saw the power of God on display in dramatic fashion, and the very next moment we see him running away from a simple pagan queen.

Further proof to me that yesterday’s chapter isn’t about the power as much as it is about worshipping God.

Elijah goes and meets God in a cave.  Notice that Elijah hasn’t lost his faith, though.  He’s just afraid.  He can recognize God.  God isn’t in the powerful earthquake.  He isn’t in the powerful storm.  He isn’t in powerful fire.  Where is God?  Elijah recognizes God in the peaceful calm.  In the midst of his fear, God gives Elijah exactly what he needs: peace.

This is what I find so inspirational about reading God’s Word.  First, God is perfect and He deserves to be the subject of our worship.  Second, God calls imperfect people.  Elijah doesn’t lose his faith, but he does react imperfectly.  He reacts out of his humanity. Time and time again we see that the people that God chooses are human beings like you and me.

God forgives Elijah because he doesn’t lose his faith.  God isn’t looking for perfection, He is looking for faithfulness.  When we make mistakes, God simple wants us to remain in relationship with Him and seek His ways – even if it means we have to fix a mistake that we make in our humanity.

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Year 7, Day 359: 1 Kings 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Here is another powerful story in the message of Kings.  Israel is in the midst of a drought.  God sends Elijah to Ahab to announce that the drought will be over and He will restore rain to the land.  Don’t miss this point.  Tis chapter is about the preeminence of God far more than it is about the miraculous ability of God to supersede nature.

How can we be sure that this story is more about the preeminence of God than it is about His power?  Look at the challenge that he puts before the people as they get ready tom make the sacrifice.  Elijah challenges the people thusly: “How long will you waver between two options?”  While the power of God is impossibly impressive, the most important dynamic here is that God is the one who should be worshipped.

In this context, Elijah does come to Ahab.  Before the rain comes, though, Elijah has Ahab gather the prophets of Ba’al.  Elijah wants to show them why it is God who should be worshiped instead of Ba’al.  Again, this story is about the preeminence of God.

The prophets of Ba’al send practically all day calling to Ba’al.  They cannot get the sacrifice to light.  They cannot convince Ba’al to consume his sacrifice.  Elijah even sees cause to mock them as they try their various means of calling to Ba’al and have no success.

When Elijah has given the prophets of Ba’al time to rove that Ba’al is an inept god, Elijah prays to God.  Elijah even dumps water all over the sacrifice just to make a point.  Fire comes down from heaven and utterly consumes the sacrifice.  In fact, the fire even burns up the ground and the stones of the altar!  Elijah takes the opportunity to convince the gathered crowd to kill the prophets of Ba’al.

Then, the rains come.  As God said to Elijah, the land receives rain.  God keeps His promises.

God is more powerful than Ba’al.  God is more powerful than nature.  God is certainly more powerful than us.  It is indeed Him who deserves our worship.  We should stop wavering between options and choose to worship Him.

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