At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. 1 Kings 18 27-29

It’s rare to see a prophet of God in the Bible having fun. He had challenged them, and they were failing miserably. You have to know that there were a lot of prophets of Baal who were getting more and more frustrated as the daylight hours faded. They were now bleeding for their god. More than anything, I like Elijah’s confidence in his ability to call on the name of the Lord. It was quickly becoming Show Time for Elijah. In the vernacular, he would have to “put up or shut up.”

I find that confidence, in general, comes and goes. In the next chapter, Elijah cowers and runs for his life. We’re not supposed to compare ourselves to these men of God, but we do. Many times you’ll hear about the boldness that Elijah had when he called down fire, but that’s not the full story. Elijah, like us, experienced peaks and valleys, times when the world was for him and the world was against him. We wish we were more consistent, but we’re not. Actually, that’s comforting to me because if these great men of God had their ups and downs, it’s a pretty safe bet that we’ll also have those ups and downs too. Does that mean we shouldn’t “go for God” with everything we have? Absolutely, we should. But if we fail, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over it and let that be the hallmark of our faith. We should, however, repent if needed, get back up and do it all over again.

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 1 Kings 18:25-26

Again, we see that Elijah seems to be having a blast at giving these so-called prophets of Baal and Asherah directions. In the verses following, we’ll see him mocking them. There were 850 of them all doing this. What a sight it might have been. At any time, though, these men could have turned on Elijah and torn him apart with their bare hands, but they chose the way they knew: to pray to a god who wasn’t there, begging him to ignite their altar.

All around us is an enemy who wants to destroy us. If we knew how many times God has protected us, we would be rejoicing daily. If you are doing the work of God, you will be severely tested and tried. You will be mocked and laughed at. Your beliefs and faith will be tested, and often at the hands of fellow Christians.

But, I’m happy to tell you that “He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We don’t see the unseen world. We would probably be astounded if we did. Even though we don’t see the invisible spirit world, it exists. Battles are raging even as you read this. The battles are won daily, hourly, and minute by minute. But the battles can be won.

Continue to seek more of God. Continue to seek His face.

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”  Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” 1 Kings 18:22-24

Sunday School teachers young and old love this passage of Scripture. Elijah is displaying the boldness that we all feel at times (but rarely act upon). In fact, as we can see, Elijah does not lack in confidence. He is ready to take on the world quite literally. If he had been wrong, then he would be humiliated and laughed at. Think of the challenge: call on your god. Whichever God answers by fire wins. Thousands of years removed from Elijah, we can speculate about what we would do. Why most certainly, we would have done the same as Elijah. We would have been as bold.

Or would we?

Opportunities come our way every single day. Many are small and insignificant; a few are large. Someone is blaspheming the Lord, what do you do? Someone is telling you that the Bible is mythical, what will you say? You are being watched and tested whether you know it or not.

There are times when you will be compelled to speak up. But if you don’t, it certainly doesn’t make you a lesser Believer. You will know when the time comes. You will know very clearly. And when you do, the Holy Spirit will be there prompting you with the very words you need to say.

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. 1 Kings 18:20-21

Onlookers. Gapers. Rubberneckers. The masses. We’ve all been them, seen them, and silently scolded them. They are the people passing a roadside wreck and slow down to see the carnage and the condition of the “other guy.” We’ve done it too.

In today’s devotional, Elijah has just challenged the people of Israel to follow God or Baal, but they said nothing. Ahab had summoned them all to come and observe. They weren’t sure what to expect since the prophets of Baal and Asherah were also called to Mount Carmel. We know that they’re able to speak because a few verses later they said, “what you say is good.” But now when they had a choice, the people said nothing. Perhaps these people wanted to see the carnage and wreckage that would take place. Nobody spoke up. In a crowd of many many people, there was bound to be someone who would speak up. Nothing.

Sometimes when you speak to people about spiritual things, they will remain silent. Don’t misinterpet the silence because the people could just be onlookers, observers, confused, troubled. Their silence is often misinterpreted as approval or disapproval (because they didn’t speak up), but that could be far from the case. People need time to process what they are seeing and hearing.

Often silence just means silence.

“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 1 Kings 18:18-19

Elijah confronted Ahab about some of his sins, and then commands the King to bring all of Israel plus the prophets of Baal and Asherah to Mount Carmel. This is a classic showdown: good guy meets bad guy and issues a challenge. At this point we don’t know what precisely Elijah is challenging but we can easily surmise it has something to do with the 800 prophets.

We all face challenges in life. Very few of them are as dramatic and “in your face” as Elijah’s, but they are nonetheless real. When was the last time you were challenged (not badgered or nagged or scolded) to go deeper spiritually? When was the last time a friend challenged you regarding something you said or did? Or when was the last time you lovingly challenged a fellow Brother or Sister in something he/she had done or said?

Initially we don’t like these challenges because it exposes weaknesses (even as a challenger, it exposes a weakness of not loving the person enough to tell the truth). And yet, what does Scripture teach: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

These opportunities come along almost daily. Pray that you’ll have the courage to do the right thing when the time comes.

Elijah said, “As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.” 1 Kings 18:15

Obadiah was very concerned about going to Ahab on Elijah’s behalf. He feared that Elijah would abandon him. But Elijah said that if the King would come to meet him, he would be there. It’s a fairly simple statement but don’t miss the significant point in its simplicity. Eliah was giving Obadiah his word that he would present himself to the King if the King, in fact, came to meet him.

We would say today that his ‘word was as good as gold.’ Is your word good as gold? If you say you’ll pray for someone, do you? If you say you’ll be some place at a certain time, do you make the other party wait? If you say the project will be done by a certain date, do you make excuses as to why it is still in process?

We all stumble and I’m afraid this is an area we can all improve upon. Ask the Lord to help you to do what you say you are going to do (or not make the promise in the first place).

I don’t know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD ? I hid a hundred of the LORD’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!” 1 Kings 18:12-14

How is that the man that Scripture calls a “devout Believer in the Lord” in 1 Kings 18:3, can cower when Elijah asks him to get Ahab for him. In his own defense, he told Elijah about how he had helped 100 prophets, an action that would have meant certain death if he had been caught. Hiding and feeding 100 men in two caves is risky business to say the least. Now another prophet wanted to actually inform Ahab of his existence?

Before we’re too hard on Obadiah, think of the many times you were bold for God and all of a sudden you were fearful. All the ‘what if’ questions arose: what if they don’t believe? What if I make a fool of myself? What if they DO believe? What if? What if? What if?

Pray for boldness in your own life. Pray that you will be strengthened with God’s grace and knowledge and that you will go with God’s favor. Then open your eyes to the many opportunities that face each of us.

(Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. While Jezebel was killing off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) 1 Kings 18:3-4

Obadiah was in charge of Ahab’s palace but he also knew what Jezebel was doing with the prophets of the Lord: she was killing them. At his own risk, he hid 100 prophets and supplied them with food and water. Jezebel would have surely put Obadiah to death if she had found out what he was doing.

Fortunately we don’t read about the Obadiahs doing the same thing in our world. If we did, they would cease to exist. But there are men, women, and children risking their lives for the sake of the Gospel. People continue to smuggle Bibles into closed lands, hold secret house church meetings, and even print Bibles in the cloak of darkness. There are others who risk it all too so that those in the closed lands can function. We don’t know their names but God does. And He understands their plight.

Pray for these nameless risk takers. Pray that they will continue to have strength and boldness. Pray that they will continue to fight on behalf of those who don’t have a loud voice in the West. Ask God what YOU should do to help them.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. While Jezebel was killing off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) 1 Kings 18:2-4

Obadiah was in charge of Ahab’s palace. Ahab and his wife Jezebel did many evil things, and yet, they had placed Obadiah in charge of the entire palace. Time and time again throughout Scripture, we see that rulers put devout Believers (Joseph and Daniel immediately come to mind) in positions of high authority. Kings and other rulers need people they can depend upon.

Even today we hear stories of many of the Muslim leaders who put Christians in positions of authority. Why? Even though Muslims in general are opposed to many Christian beliefs, the leaders realize that Christians in their administrations won’t lie when asked a direct question. They are honest and dependable. What an incredibly unique opportunity.

Pray for leaders around the world who might have Christians in their midst. The Believers may not have the status of an Obadiah, but as they cook and clean and iron clothes for these leaders, they have opportunities that you and I will never have. And yet, they are often in grave danger at the hands of these rulers.

Pray for boldness. Pray for them to reap a ripe harvest. Pray that they will continue to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ our Lord.

I’ve invited Maria Morgan to share a second day. I will return to the Book of Kings following this.

Maria I. Morgan is a freelance writer specializing in Christian devotionals and articles. Her devotionals are posted on her Life Lessons blog at www.mariaimorgan.blogspot.com. She resides in Georgia with her husband, daughter, cat and two retrievers. She can be reached at morgan.maria.i@gmail.com.

To say he’s athletic is an understatement. Our dog, Mighty Joe, sure does live up to his name. I would definitely say he shows great power, skill, strength or force; the words my dictionary uses to define ‘mighty.’

This past Saturday, my husband and I were out working in the yard. Our daughter will have her senior pictures taken this week and we wanted to have some of them taken on the bridge overlooking the pond. Weeds needed to be pulled, rocks needed to be placed around the waterfall and pinestraw had to be laid to provide the right background we had envisioned. We let Mighty Joe join us while we worked.

When we first got Mighty Joe, he didn’t understand that he was a retriever. After spending a day teaching him how to fetch a ball and consistently telling him, “You are a retriever,” he caught on quickly and now is rarely seen without a ball. He literally spends hours dragging his ball from one end of his ‘bark park’ to the other. Sometimes he amuses himself by tucking his ball into a stack of firewood and going after it with all he’s worth.

On Saturday, with tennis ball in mouth, Joe came over to me and dropped his gooey prize at my feet. I threw his ball and returned to pulling weeds. It seemed I could only pull a weed or two before my fine Chesapeake was back, waiting for me to throw his ball again. I could tell it was a bit irritating to my husband, who was also outside working; after all, technically, Mighty Joe is his dog. Not to be deterred, however, Mighty Joe resisted my husband’s whistling and coaxing and continued to bring his ball to me.

As he continued to streak after his ball and leap into the air to nab it before returning to me, I thought about his intense focus. No matter where I threw his ball, he knew enough to keep his eyes on the ball, retrieve it and return it to me for the next throw. Although it was uncomfortably warm, his mind was bent on retrieving. He didn’t let anything dissuade him from what he viewed as his ‘purpose.’ I thought about Ecclesiastes 9:10a “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;” (KJV) God used our dog to provide the perfect visual example of this verse for me.

When God has something for me to do, can He count on me to focus on the task, never taking my eyes off of Him, until the task is completed. Or am I distracted when others would have me get involved in another area? Do I let the inconveniences I encounter, become excuses for me to quit, or am I willing to persevere in spite of uncomfortable circumstances?

I love the way God uses the simple things in life to teach us profound truths. My desire is to complete those things God has asked me to do in order to cultivate the characteristic of the person in I Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (KJV) What is your ‘purpose’? Will you choose to be a faithful steward today?

For the next two days, I have invited Maria, another devotional writer, to share a couple of her devotionals.

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” 1 Kings 17:17-18

If you’ve been around any length of time you’ll undoubtedly know that people like to blame others for things that go wrong. Such was the case with the poor widow that Elijah had been staying with. Her son became ill and as he grew worse, and started to blame Elijah. Elijah took the problem into his own hands and went to heal the boy. Later the woman acknowledged that Elijah must have been a man of God to perform such a miraculous deed.

If you’re like me, you get blamed for things you don’t do. As a teen I was regularly blamed for things I never did (I never got caught in many of things I did so it all evened out). But often we can get irritable and nasty when we’re accused of things we’ve not done. Sometimes the accusation is not worth fighting, but many times it is. Still, our reaction to being falsely accused speaks volumes about our inner character. Do we immediately go on the attack? Do we crumble inside and not do anything? Do we seek to solve the problem?

Christians throughout history have been accused and blamed for atrocities they’ve never committed. And yet, Scripture warns us that this will be the case. What does it say? “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12

There’s our answer.

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’ ” 1 Kings 17:13-14

After the brook had dried up, the Lord had told Elijah to go to a small town where a widow would feed him. Elijah found the widow and told her to get him some water and some bread. First the Lord had fed Elijah from the mouths of ravens. Now he is telling Elijah to get food from a poor widow. That couldn’t have been an easy task for Elijah because widows then were not well cared for (hence the many commands in the Old and New Testaments to care for the poor). Now the Lord wants the poor widow to care for His prophet. What a change it must have been.

But Elijah walked in boldness. He knew that God had told him to do something and spoke accordingly. He promised the widow that she would have enough food until it rained again. And it’s no surprise to us that God, in fact, did provide.

Once again God provided, this time through another unlikely source: a poor widow. It probably would have been the last place we would have sought food and drink, but not God. Continue to praise God for his blessings in your life. As the hymn says, “count your blessings, name them one by one.” List out your blessings then praise God for them.

So [Elijah] did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 1 Kings 17:5-6

I’m pausing in the study of kings to talk a bit about a very intriguing character in the Old and New Testament, Elijah. In this passage -in the midst of all the kings – the ravens are feeding Elijah. Think about that for a second. Ravens. What kind of meat would they bring him, the kind we get in our stores, all wrapped in plastic? Probably not. The meat in and of itself is miraculous. ‘Where’d the ravens get the bread? Bread doesn’t grow on trees. And he received this food from the ravens twice a day!

Would you be grateful if that were your food. It would be difficult, wouldn’t it? We’d find a dozen reasons alone why we shouldn’t eat the meat. So, either Elijah was extremely grateful for any food to eat or he didn’t think about where his food came from, because ultimately he knew it came from God.

I think all of us in the West take our basic necessities for granted. It’s only when we must endure a day or two without food and water during a hurricane or major power outage that we realize just how blessed we really are.

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. 1 Kings 16:29-33

There seemed to be a period of time in Judah and Israel’s history that the leaders had a reverse “oneupmanship” going. Each had to outdo the previous king in terms of evil and wickedness. Then we come to Ahab. Ahab is famous not because he was king, but because of his wife Jezebel. Jezebel is synonymous with evil. In fact, the priestess who welcomes blasphemous practices in the Book of Revelations is Jezebel (Rev. 2:20). Elijah even ran for his life (1 Kings 19:3).

Undoubtedly we will come across those who are 100% opposed to you and what you stand for in life. These people will loudly mock you and slander you because, for whatever reason, they have been hurt deeply. Don’t write them off for a lost cause (after all, aren’t you glad people didn’t give up on you)? Don’t pity them. Instead, pray for them. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal Himself to them in a fantastic way. Pray that they will realize their need of a Saviour. Pray that other Believers around them will plant seeds for a fruitful harvest.

Many years ago I was walking up a mountain late at night with no flashlight with my Boy Scout troop. I was the loudest in the bunch as we walked. I became silent when one of the leaders noted that “usually the loudest is the most afraid.” Bingo. He was right. I was terrified. So, too, in life, those who are the most vocal are often fearful of what lies ahead for them.

As soon as [Nadab] began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the LORD given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite- because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. 1 Kings 15:29-30

God gets angry. In this text we see that God got angry because Jeroboam had originally caused Israel to sin. In the New Testament there is a similar passage “”And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” God gets angry over that too. I suspect He still does.

So, here are a few question we would all do well to answer: what causes you to get angry? Do little things upset you and cause you to “fly off the handle?” Does sin anger you? Does being disobedient to the Word of God anger you? Do you get angry at a slow waitress? Do you seethe when you think of an injustice that was done to you? Do you get angry at injustices in other countries. Do you get angry at corrupt politicans.

What angers you? As followers of Christ we need our anger in check because what angers God may not anger us and vice versa.

In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 1 Kings 15:23

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. 2 Chronicles 16:12

Did you ever imagine that you’d find so much detail about a king in Judah? Severely diseased feet. In both places in the Old Testament, the authors pointed out Asa’s feet. Only the 2 Chronicles passage expounds upon the significance: Asa only sought doctors for help.

Doctors need our prayers. Most do their best but they are continually hounded by threats of frivolous and expensive lawsuits. Pray that when you receive care, it’s the best possible care. Pray that the doctors will use every resource at their disposal to help you. Know, though, that our healing comes from the Lord, but it often shows up via a doctor’s care. Why God chooses to use people like you and me (and doctors) baffles me.

And yet, that’s part of the great mystery of our God.

Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the LORD’s temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.” 1 Kings 15:18-19

From the text it appears that Asa was a politician. Certainly Asa was king but not all kings are or want to be politicians. Asa saw wisdom in befriending Ben-Hadad (probably before Baasha got to him). Asa felt that he couldn’t control or conquer Baasha without his help.

Thousands of years have passed and politicians really haven’t changed much. Negotiations, back room deals, bribes, pitting one side against the other, teaming up against another nation (or person) are all part of the political landscape. And yet, we don’t think highly of the crop of politicians in power today (in general). The elements are all there for good relations. The elements are also there for corruption and greed.

Pray for your politicians. They are often under tremendous pressure to compromise and to do what is in the interests of a handful of people rather than the masses. Pray that when the chips are down, many will recognize their need for a Savior.

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 1 Kings 15:9-13

I have always like reading about King Asa. I’m not sure exactly what I liked about him except that he was considered a good king. He was King of Judah for 41 years. He enjoyed a long life as King. In his lineage, Maacah is mentioned. That’s his grandmother. So far, so good. I was almost ready to extol the virtues of the Book of Kings writer for honoring grandmothers in such a way until I read further. You see, Asa deposed his grandmother as the queen mother because she was continuing to sin by making an Asherah pole (a cult that worshiped the goddess Asherah, and quite possibly involved prostitution). In short, he booted her off the throne.

It’s merely a reminder that we all sin. Grandmothers, grandfathers, sons, daughters, children, parents, in-laws, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, neighbors. We all sin. I’m not introducing anything new but it certainly doesn’t hurt for us to acknowledge that fact. We read the story above and think that Asa removing his grandmother from a place of honor must have hurt him. But truth be told, sin destroys. Sin by anyone at any time hurts destroys.

But fortunately, we have a Savior. We may not know how fortunate we really are.

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 1 Kings 15:1-3

Abijah reigned over Judah for only three years. He was a wicked king and was not fully devoted to the Lord. He was a leader but obviously not an aspiring one. He didn’t reign long and we can only surmise that wild living cut his life short. His only claim to being was that he was not like King David. That fact certainly wouldn’t be gratifying to me.

Three years isn’t a long time to reign as king. You are still learning how to rule and what to wear and how to talk. How different life would be if we operated under the three-year plan.

If you knew your life would end in three years, what if anything would you do differently? Would you laugh more? Would you cry more? Would you give of yourself more? Would you pray more or witness more or watch the sun set more? Or perhaps you would change nothing about how you act. What if it were only two years or one year, or God forbid, what if you only had three months to live, how would you then live?

Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done. 1 Kings 14:22

You may recall that Rehoboam, son of Solomon, was king over Judah. He had asked his elders what he should do, then asked his younger counselors what he should do. He took the advice of his peers rather than the wisdom of his elders. Then he fled for his life because the people were very displeased. Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took the gold shields that were in the temple. Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields and had them placed under guard.

Once again, the LORD states that the entire nation did evil in His eyes. He is a jealous God and stirred up his wrath. What were Judah’s sins? High places, sacred stones, asherah poles, and male prostitution. All of this points to pagan worship with a significant sexual element involved (for more information, search the first three phrase on Google or Bing). Judah had strayed. As the leader of Judah, Rehoboam had also strayed. His kingdom was quickly winding down.

Throughout Scripture, we see that God is jealous about his people, us. I don’t think we quite comprehend the depth of that love and jealousy. In prayer today, ask God to help you understand that love and jealousy. Be very specific about it.

By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD : “O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’ ” That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the LORD has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”

Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth. 1 Kings 13:1-3, 33-34

The prophet had prophesied exactly what Jeroboam was now doing. Jeroboam heard the prophesy because he was standing right there, but continued to appoint priests for the high places. Jeroboam’s hand shriveled up and he asked the prophet to intercede for him (which the Lord did), yet still it didn’t dissuade him from appointing high priest for the high places. What Jeroboam was doing was utterly detestable in God’s sight.

Often when people are in positions of power, it does something strange to them. Jeroboam knew what was right and had the power to change it. Throughout the first 19 verses of the next chapter, God reveals to Jeroboam’s wife how he will destroy Jeroboam’s line. It’s brutal.

Jeroboam and his family suffered greatly for his sin, that’s obvious. And yet God allowed him to rule for 22 years over the house of Israel.

We don’t need to go far in the world to see evil. Leaders who have no consciences and who think nothing of eliminating an entire race of people are evil. Selling young girls into prostitution is evil. Enslaving children into forced labor is evil. So why are the people who commit these evil acts allowed to exist? Why was Jeroboam allowed to reign over Israel for more time after the Lord had declared him to be evil? I don’t know. One day we’ll know (or we may never know fully). Until then, we can continue to pray against the evils of our society. Choose one of the three evils I’ve listed and ask God how you can help with that fight.

While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the old prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.’ ” 1 Kings 13:20-22

This is a fascinating little story buried within the Book of 1 Kings. A prophet came to Jereboam, king of the 10 tribes of Israel. The king had cried out against the altar and the prophet told King Jereboam that the altar would be split that day. Jereboam stretched out a hand to seize the prophet and the hand shriveled up. Jereboam then asked the prophet to pray for his hand to heal, and he did. Next Jereboam offered for the prophet to stay but the prophet refused by saying, “For I was commanded by the word of the LORD : ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.”

Next while the prophet was on the way, someone else informed an older prophet about the first prophet’s actions with the King. The older prophet immediately sought out the prophet and convinced him (through a lie) to come home with him. The first prophet did. After they arrived at the older prophet’s home, the word of the Lord came upon the older prophet and rebuked him for not obeying the Lord’s original words.

Whew!

So, on the one hand the older prophet had lied to the other prophet in order to get him to go the older prophet’s home. Then the Lord rebuked the prophet for disobeying the Lord. So the older prophet lied but then he became God’s instrument for rebuking a fellow prophet. One of the morals to this story is this: don’t doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light. In other words, if you are absolutely sure that God has told you something, when doubts and fears come don’t forget what he originally told you. Obviously we need to be sure that God was actually impressing something on our hearts (verified through Scripture and others). but once we know that, let nothing stop us.

“So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.” 1 Kings 12:15.

God was ruling from His throne and letting Rehoboam be himself all at the same time. It was a part of his plan. Even though Rehoboam ended up fleeing for his life, God was in control of it all.

I know that many reading this get upset by the politics of the day. We need to be reminded daily that God is in control. Certainly we do what we can to change things through “the system,” but ultimately, God is in charge. Leaders come and go, but God remains the same.

And that, my friends, is something to rejoice in.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 1 Kings 12:8

I’ve always found this passage of Scripture to be intriguing. On the one hand, the elders gave solid advice: don’t change a lot and go with the flow. In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

But Rehoboam didn’t like that advice so he turned to his friends. His friends. We have the advantage of being able to read a few chapters ahead and see the results of his actions: total bedlam. Rehoboam ended up fleeing for his life.

I’ve found in my brief life that the wisdom and counsel of those older than me generally carries more weight than a peer, especially as it pertains to spiritual guidance. I tend to go with those who have been around longer. I think that those older than us have our best interests at heart; whereas our peers may (but certainly not always) have other motives resting on the counsel they give.

Praise the Lord for those who have gone before us and have led the way. Encourage one of those older individuals today by sending a quick thank you letter.

As for the other events of Solomon’s reign-all he did and the wisdom he displayed-are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon? 1 Kings 11:41

Kings and prominent leaders have the benefit of having most their actions recorded for history’s sake. A hundred years from now, people want to know how such and such leader fared given the conditions he governed under. More than three thousand years after Solomon reigned as king, we see what he did and how he acted. We also know that he wrote down many of the Proverbs that we now gain wisdom from. Annals and journals (and history books) are like that.

When I lived in Mongolia I kept a running diary of what I was going through while in the country. I kept notes on exchange rates, how the church was growing and what I was experiencing as a foreigner. I didn’t record every little thing I did but enough. A couple months ago, I broke out the diary and skimmed through it. That was eye opening for me because I didn’t remember some of the emotions and feelings I had about living in stressful conditions. Fifteen years later, I am able to recall not only what was written but what I felt when we were there. Our memories fail us and we tend to drift towards the good memories. Journals synch our current views with the realities of the times they are written.

I would encourage each reading this devotional to keep a semi-regular journal of events and activities in your life. What are you feeling? What are you thinking? What are your dreams? What do you hope to do? What are you praying for? How has God continued to bless you? Years later you’ll be able to look back on these times and recall what you were going through. You may not think it much now but you’ll begin to see patterns. Writing and journaling is a discipline, but it’s worth the effort.

Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. 1 Kings 11:26

This is the third reference in this chapter to enemies that the Lord raised up against Solomon because of his sin. Solomon’s sin against the Lord was his own. His wives led him down the wrong path but it still was Solomon who was engaging in idol worship. He rebelled. You could probably make a case that this was all a result of David sinning against Bathsheba and then Uriah (ultimately sinning against God), but that’s not entirely fair.

Yes, David paid a high price for his sin. We see the dysfunction in his family. However, sin is a choice. It was a choice for Saul, for David, for Absalom, for Solomon. And it’s a choice for us. You can argue all day long about “the sins of the fathers visiting x number of generations down the line,” but the point remains, we choose to sin. The sin is on our shoulders, not our parents, not our grandparents or our great grandparents. We own our sins.

Now, having said that, Christ forgives when we ask Him. His blood and His alone can cleanse us from our sin.

We sin; Jesus forgives, our lives are changed. Hallelujah!

Meditate on that simple truth throughout the day.

Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. 1 Kings 11:14

In a previous verse, the LORD had specifically forbidden Solomon to follow after other Gods. Solomon made no mistake about what he was doing. He was explicitly rebelling against God. So God’s response was to rip the kingdom out of his hands and given over to one of Solomon’s underlings. Solomon’s actions are blatant rebellion. Evidently he was so enmeshed in worshipping other gods that pleasing God no longer mattered to him.

I think many of us can relate to Solomon to varying degrees. Normally we come to our senses but not always. We want our way and we want it now. But as in previous verses, the change away from God can be subtle and in increments. We’ve got to guard our hearts against mini-rebellions against God (Proverbs 4:23). What do I mean by mini-rebellions? It’s when we refuse to obey God’s word when we know what is right, when we dishonor him throughout the day, when we are more concerned about what others think than what God thinks. When we say in our hearts, “I want to control my life,” that’s a mini-rebellion (that can outright turn into a full rebellion).

As the Scripture says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. 1 Kings 11:9-10

God is a jealous God. I’m not sure that we can fully comprehend that statement. Not only had Solomon turned away from the LORD God Almighty, but he followed after other gods. Or perhaps because he followed other gods, he turned away from the LORD. Either way, the Lord was displeased with Solomon. He strayed. Solomon’s foreign wives turned his heart.

The point with the foreign wives is that they served other gods. They didn’t know the Lord Jehovah. It’s what the New Testament refers to as being “unequally yoked.”

We would do well to find out what makes our hearts stray from the Lord. Often it’s life situations that cause us to stray. We become discouraged, and neglect our time with the Lord. And before you know it, weeks and months have passed before we realize what has happened. No matter what you’re doing that is moving away from God, you can always always stop and turn towards Him. Always.

Even if you feel you’ve strayed to the point of no return, turn back.

Turn back. He’ll be there.

When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.
How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.” 1 Kings 10:1, 8-9

One of the major patterns that we see throughout Scripture is the concept of “being blessed by God to be a blessing to others.” The phrase sounds like a sugary sweet twenty first century cliche, but Scripture teaches time and again the idea that God blesses a people so that they may bless others. In fact, you could rightly argue that it was why Jesus came to earth. He blessed his disciples and they in turn blessed others who blessed others, and so on. Of course the highest blessing is salvation but the principle of blessing still remains. The queen of Sheba seems to have understood this and praised Solomon’s God because of it!

We have been blessed with many material things, much like Solomon was. We have money, land, houses, gold, silver, bank accounts, savings, investments. We also have families, friends, Salvation, wisdom, talents, skills, and a God who loves us unconditionally. So the very same question I ask myself, I’ll ask you: what are you doing with your “blessings?” Are you hoarding them or are you richly blessing others? Take a look at both of those lists again. What one thing can you bless others with this week? Just one.

King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. And Hiram sent his men—sailors who knew the sea—to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s men. They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon. 1 Kings 9:26-28
King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.1 Kings 10:23
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 1 Kings 11:1

Without a doubt, King Solomon was an extremely wealthy man, perhaps the Bill Gates or Warren Buffett of his day. Verse 23 seems to indicate that he was the wealthiest. He was a builder. It took him 20 years to build his palace and the LORD’s temple, his surrounding terraces, and numerous cities. To say that he was an important man is an understatement. And he was wise.

In the end, though, he loved his women, and lots of them. On top of that they were foreign women at that. What’s the significance of foreign women? They worshipped other gods, and Solomon followed after them.

We see some of his yearnings and boredom in the Book of Ecclesiastes. He had everything but he wanted more. Think about that. He had everything the known world had to offer him, but he wasn’t satisfied with it, to the point that he turned away from God. I don’t think I can underscore this point enough, even in my own life.

Billy Graham once said, “if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul, was it worth it?”

We are bombarded with ads that tell us should be dissatisfied with our looks, our teeth, our weight, our hair color, our hair loss, our popularity, our old cars and old furniture, and even our boring monogamous family. Lies, all lies. None of those things draw us closer to God. None.

Today when you’re tempted to go after the “temporary,” remember Solomon’s demise: he was ultimately a dissatisfied man when he turned from God.