And the king of Israel went to his house vexed and sullen and came to Samaria. (1 Kings 20:43, ESV)
And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. (1 Kings 21:4, ESV)
I woke up whining.... and when it was pointed out, I became like Ahab...vexed and sullen....still whiny and now mad at the “person” who pointed out to me my sin. When King Ahab didn’t get what he wanted he pouted like a child. Me too, sometimes.
After Naboth and sons(heirs)(2 Kings 9:26)had been stoned the word of the Lord came to him through Elijah the prophet. When Ahab heard the words of Elijah he humbled himself, tore his clothes and repented.
I have to admit that as I read these next words from Elijah that I felt a little like Jonah might have when the people of Nineveh repented and the Lord relented from His anger.
"Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house." (1 Kings 21:29, ESV)
I went to the BLB and read what some of the commentators had written about Arabs repentance. I liked these two.
ii. “The penitent heart ever meets the merciful eye of God; repentance is highly esteemed by the Father of compassion, even where it is comparatively shallow and short-lived.” (Clarke)
iii. This shows us the character of God’s mercy: it is given to the undeserving. By nature, the innocent do not need mercy. Ahab was a great sinner, but he won great mercy (in this life) through humble repentance. The worst sinner should not disqualify himself from receiving God’s mercy, if that sinner should only approach God in humble repentance.
I am glad our God is a God of mercy...a God of 2nd chances. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, or will He keep His anger forever.He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
Sadly, we will see in the very next chapter that King Ahab’s repentance was pretty shallow and short-lived. Here is a preview:
So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”—1 Kings 22:8
King Ahab’s reprieve, in my view, highlights God’s grace. It also reminded me that, like Ahab, I can become angry when my sin is pointed out...I want to shoot the messenger so to speak. In reality though my problem lies in my own selfish heart that wants what it wants. My battle is with God...not with the people around me. When I am at peace with God...when I surrender the throne of my heart to Him, I am also at peace with those around me. Praying that in the midst of my “me” battles I can remember King Ahab and do an about-face.
Isaiah 66:2 (KJV)
For all those [things] My hand has made, And all those [things] exist," Says the LORD. "But on this [one] will I look: On [him who is] poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
The LORD [is] near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
I Alone Am Left...
1 Kings 19 overwhelmed my heart...there is so much in it. So many applications! The one that spoke to my heart among them all was the Lord’s tender care and encouraging response to Elijah’s discouragement and despondency.
Elijah felt alone, hopeless...he probably expected Jezebel to surrender, but instead she breathed threats and violence against his life. He had done his best, but Jezebel had not acknowledged the Lord as God and her hold over Israel remained despite the overwhelming display of God’s power on Mt Carmel. Elijah runs from Jezebel’s threats to Beersheba...and then goes a day’s journey into the wilderness and prays:
And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (Vs 4)
(Interesting to note that Elijah never died...he was caught up into heaven when the Lord said he was finished)
The Lord cares for Elijah’s physical needs first...He ministered to him with food and drink and gives him rest. Afterward He sends Elijah on a 200 mile journey to Mt Horeb where He gives Elijah time to turn his heart upside down before Him.
And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”—1 Kings 19:9-10
God then reveals Himself to Elijah in a still small voice...in the silence after the great wind, the earthquake and the fire....and speaks words of encouragement.
Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. “Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”—1 Kings 19:15-18
Elijah felt alone...
—God assured him that he was not alone...that He Himself had reserved 7000 in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal. I am sure Elijah’s heart was encouraged knowing that by God’s grace his ministry over the years had borne fruit. 7000 strong...
—God gave him an assistant in Elisha and in giving him that assistant he gave him a friend and companion in ministry and hope that his ministry would continue after he (Elijah) had departed from this earth
Elijah felt like a failure...
—God gives him work to do that would get his eyes off of himself and at the same time show him that his ministry would succeed. God tells him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as King over Israel and Elisha as prophet in his place. By the time the last of these three men died, the worship of Baal would be banned from Israel.
God cares about our hearts and our lives, He cares about our ministries, He knows how to accomplish His plans in both the micro of our lives and in the macro of this world. He wants us to cry out to Him, to trust Him completely and to depend on His power to accomplish it all. Be encouraged...God will give You what you need to accomplish His work in Your life. May our God supply all our need according to his riches in glory and by His power increase the fruits of our righteousness. May He satisfy our mouths with good things, minister His tender mercies to each of us today and execute His righteousness and justice for those who are oppressed.It
Elijah felt alone, hopeless...he probably expected Jezebel to surrender, but instead she breathed threats and violence against his life. He had done his best, but Jezebel had not acknowledged the Lord as God and her hold over Israel remained despite the overwhelming display of God’s power on Mt Carmel. Elijah runs from Jezebel’s threats to Beersheba...and then goes a day’s journey into the wilderness and prays:
And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (Vs 4)
(Interesting to note that Elijah never died...he was caught up into heaven when the Lord said he was finished)
The Lord cares for Elijah’s physical needs first...He ministered to him with food and drink and gives him rest. Afterward He sends Elijah on a 200 mile journey to Mt Horeb where He gives Elijah time to turn his heart upside down before Him.
And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”—1 Kings 19:9-10
God then reveals Himself to Elijah in a still small voice...in the silence after the great wind, the earthquake and the fire....and speaks words of encouragement.
Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. “Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”—1 Kings 19:15-18
Elijah felt alone...
—God assured him that he was not alone...that He Himself had reserved 7000 in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal. I am sure Elijah’s heart was encouraged knowing that by God’s grace his ministry over the years had borne fruit. 7000 strong...
—God gave him an assistant in Elisha and in giving him that assistant he gave him a friend and companion in ministry and hope that his ministry would continue after he (Elijah) had departed from this earth
Elijah felt like a failure...
—God gives him work to do that would get his eyes off of himself and at the same time show him that his ministry would succeed. God tells him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as King over Israel and Elisha as prophet in his place. By the time the last of these three men died, the worship of Baal would be banned from Israel.
God cares about our hearts and our lives, He cares about our ministries, He knows how to accomplish His plans in both the micro of our lives and in the macro of this world. He wants us to cry out to Him, to trust Him completely and to depend on His power to accomplish it all. Be encouraged...God will give You what you need to accomplish His work in Your life. May our God supply all our need according to his riches in glory and by His power increase the fruits of our righteousness. May He satisfy our mouths with good things, minister His tender mercies to each of us today and execute His righteousness and justice for those who are oppressed.It
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