2 Kings 11 -- God Still Rules

Satan was doing his utmost to end the Davidic line and prevent the coming of the Savior, my commentary said.

Ahaziah, king of Judah, had been killed by Jehu.  His mother Athaliah (the Queen Mother) was Ahab's daughter, and she seized the throne in Judah for six years.  "As the founder of Baal worship in Judah, she had no desire to see the Davidic dynasty succeed.  She tried to kill all the royal princes (her grandsons!), but one survived.  David's family was rapidly being destroyed.  Jehoram had killed all of his brothers and some of the princes ... Arabian invaders had killed his older sons.  Jehu had killed some of David's descendants, and now Athaliah had ordered the royal seed to be wiped out."

But God used Jehoiada, the high priest, and Jehosheba, his wife (daughter of King Jehoram and sister to King Ahaziah) to steal away 1-year-old prince Joash and they hid him in the Temple for six years.

Finally God directed Jehoiada to reveal Joash to the people and crown him king.  At the same time, his wicked grandmother was executed and the temple of Baal was destroyed.  Also the chief priest of Baal was killed.  "The kingdom of Judah had been infected with idolatry for at least 15 years and now the infection was exposed and removed," my commentary said.  "The people had done the will of God and obeyed His Word, and for the first time in many years, righteousness and peace reigned in the land."

Father, often drastic measures are needed to right wrongs done to Your name and even in Your name.  Help us to do as these brave people did if and when You ever call us to act.  Then bless us with righteousness and peace.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 10 -- Taking Glory When Trying To Give God Glory

This chapter is a bloodbath, and my commentary noted that King Jehu used methods to eliminate Baal worship which were less than stellar:

     Fear & double-talk

     Selfish Ambition

     Deception

     Compromise

"God gave Jehu an important work to do, but the king went beyond the assigned boundaries and carried his mandate too far.  The Lord commended Jehu for what he accomplished, but He also chastened him for his pride and compromise."

Father, I see in this chapter how in Your eyes the ends never justify the means.  Help me to remember that as I find myself in similar situations.  Help me never to do anything that takes glory away from You as I try to give glory to You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 9 -- God Steps On The Gas

God decided it was time to move and the events in this chapter show how quickly those who obey can follow His Word.

Elisha received orders from the Lord and dispatched a young son of a prophet to find Jehu, an army commander for Israel.  He privately met with him, anointed him as the next king of Israel, and gave him God's orders, then quickly ran away.

Jehu confided in his friends, then drove his chariot to Ramoth Gilead, where Ahaziah, the king of Judah, was visiting his uncle, King Joram of Israel, who was recovering from wounds.  The two kings rode out to meet Jehu in his chariot.  Jehu shot and killed Joram with an arrow and wounded Ahaziah, who rode away.  Jehu caught up with him in Megiddo and killed him as well.  

Jehu then traveled to Jezreel where he called out to palace servants to toss Queen Mother Jezebel out the window to her death.  They complied and Jehu ran over her with his chariot.  He later decided to retrieve her body for burial, but Elijah had prophesied that wild dogs would consume her body and no burial would occur, and that's what God did.

Jehu would go on to reign for 28 years in Israel.

Father, it's a messy business when we have to deal with evil people who are not obeying Your Word.  Please enable me to clearly hear Your commands and to follow them when You have a task for me to perform.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 8 -- The Unraveling Begins

My commentary said, "The events that follow reveal the sinfulness of people, but this section gives us a reminder that God is great and will accomplish His purposes in spite of the sinfulness of people, great and small."

God controls nature:  The people were ignoring God's Word, so He spoke through His creation, reminding them of Who was in charge, my commentary said.  He caused a 7-year famine to chastise the people for their willful sin.

God controls life and death:  The Shunnamite woman's son had died, yet the Lord had raised him from the dead.  "God keeps us among the living and 'in His hand is the life of every creature and breath of all mankind,'" my commentary added.

The wickedness of the human heart:  The Syrian king sent word via a messenger, asking Elisha for God's word about whether he would live or die from an illness.  Elisha answered ambiguously.  The king wouldn't die from the illness, but .... The servant ended up smothering the sick king and became king in his place!  "When the human heart is bent on evil, it can invent all kinds of excuses.  The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?"

This wickedness is about to play out in both Judah and Israel, making sweeping changes to the monarchies.  

Father, I am seeing the same thing in the heart of someone I love.  I've been praying for that person and for Your divine intervention in that person's life.  Please change that heart and heal it, Father.  Please give me wisdom today to know what to do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 6 & 7 -- God's Messages To Elisha

My commentary began, "Elisha was like the 'still small voice' that followed the tumult of the wind, the earthquake, and the fire."

God shared incredible amounts of information with him about the Syrian army's movements, and when his own servant was afraid, God answered Elisha's request for his servant to be able to see GOD's army surrounding the city and protecting it.  He then prayed that God would make the Syrian army unable to see, and he led them to Israel's capital city and had the king feed them a feast rather than destroying them!

That same capital city had been surrounded and under siege by the Syrian army at another time for so long that famine was occurring within it, and people were eating their own children!  The king was blaming God rather than admitting his own sins and those of his people and he went to kill Elisha, but Elisha pronounced God's word that the next day everyone would have all the food they wanted at regular prices.  Sure enough, God sent the sound of a large army approaching which caused the Syrians to flee quickly, leaving all of their supplies -- enough to do exactly what God had promised!

My commentary concluded, "The main lesson isn't that God rescued His people when they didn't deserve it, but that God fulfilled the promise He gave through His prophet Elisha ... Jesus has promised to come again ...."

Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness and the way You keep Your promises.  Help me not to doubt that You will keep Your promises to me as well.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 5 -- An Unlikely Series Of Events

God would lead a Gentile general, second-in-command of Aram (Syria), an enemy of Israel, through the words of a kidnapped Jewish girl to become "an ambassador of the true and living God of Israel by healing him of leprosy ... Naaman's experience with Elisha illustrates to us the gracious work of God in saving lost sinners," my commentary said.

Regarding the words of the kidnapped Jewish girl serving in Naaman's home, it said, "Never underestimate the power of a simple witness, for God can take words from the lips of a child and carry them to the ears of a king."

Naaman and his king were thinking in terms of diplomacy and protocol as he prepared for his trip to Israel.  "Unsaved people know nothing about the things of the Lrod and only complicate that which is so simple."

King Joram of Israel had an opportunity to honor the Lord and begin to build peace between Syria and Israel, but he failed to take advantage of it; "instead he panicked, interpreting the introductory letter as a declaration of war!  He didn't understand what the Lord was doing."

Naaman arrived at Elisha's, but Elisha purposefully didn't come out to greet him; instead he relayed through his servant the process for Naaman's healing -- washing in the muddy Jordan River seven times.  Naaman at first resisted.  "The basic cause of his anger was pride ... Before sinners can receive God's grace, they must submit to God's will."

His own servants finally convinced him that he wasn't given a hard task to perform, and their advice reminded me of Nike's motto:  "Doesn't it make more sense to just do it?"  And God produced a miracle that changed a life, "giving Naaman a new purpose in life, a new ministry."

Elisha's servant wasn't so fortunate.  Seeing Naaman's gold, silver, and other gifts riding off into the sunset unclaimed, he became covetous and hurried to catch the caravan, claiming that two prophets from other areas had just arrived and could use the money (a lie).  Upon his return, Gehazhi, the servant, was confronted by Elisha, whom God had notified.  Naaman's leprosy was transferred to Gehazi and his descendants due to his greed and covetousness.  

Father, I want people to see You through me, and I want You to receive the glory.  Help me to be acutely aware of perceptions and to ensure that nothing I say or do takes the glory away from You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 4 -- Grace At Work Again

I love this chapter.  Elisha is humble and trusting in the Lord, never doubting that God will supply whatever he needs!  In the last chapter, "grace defeated an enemy."  My commentary said that in this chapter, 

"Grace pays a debt, grace imparts the life, grace removes the curse, and grace satisfies the hungry."

Regarding paying the debt, it said, "God often begins with what we already have ... All that the poor widow had was a little oil in a vessel, but little is much when God is in it ... The amount of oil she received was limited by the number of vessels she had, and that was controlled by her faith ... The Lord doesn't always perform miracles of this kind to help us pay our debts, but He does meet our needs if we trust and obey.  If we give everything to Him, He can make a little go a long way."

Father, thanks for showing me how You produced miracles both big and small through Elisha, and use me to meet both the big and small needs of others.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 3 -- Grace Shines Through

I couldn't help noticing the way my commentary kept comparing Elijah to John the Baptist and Elisha to Jesus.  The operative word it used with Elisha was grace.  In this chapter, "Grace defeats the enemy."

Ahab had died, as had his son Ahaziah, leaving his second son Joram as king of Israel, while Jehoshaphat still ruled in Judah.  The regime change led Moab to try to rebel, for they were vassals to Israel, paying enormous annual tributes that likely wrecked their economy.

Joram's sister was married to Jehoshaphat's son, so Joram played the family card to get help.  The two armies marched for seven days, picking up the army of Edom on the way, only to find themselves with no water for humans or animals just as they were ready to enter Moab!  Despite the fact that Joram's father Ahab had promoted Baal worship and Baal was the rain god, Joram  blamed God for the lack of water!  Jehoshaphat wisely wanted o consult with a prophet of the Lord, and Elisha just happened to be close by.  Elisha wouldn't speak to Joram, but answered Jehoshaphat, telling him to have the soldiers dig trenches and foxholes in the valley where they were camped, not for battle, but to capture water from mountain rains which would occur overnight and flood the valley the following day!

Not only did God take care of the three armies with the rain, but He also deceived the army of Moab with the sun's early morning reflection off the water, which resembled blood and caused the soldiers of Moab to believe their opponents had massacred each other!  They foolishly hurried to the site to collect the spoils, only to discover their mistake and be routed.  God also directed the three armies to go into Moab and cut down all the trees, stop up all the springs, tear down the rock walls and scatter the rocks in the fields, leaving Moab destitute and unable to recover economically.

Father, keep me near You and in Your will so that I will never face Your wrath and judgment.  Anyone who fights against You is foolish and guaranteed to lose!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Kings 1-2 Several Changings Of The Guard

My commentary said chapter one reminds us that God judges sin, while in chapter two we are told that God wants us to remember, He rewards service, and He honors faith.

Ahab's son Ahaziah became king after Ahab died.  Ahaziah had followed his parents in their idolatry and pride, and he resented Elijah's interference as he tried to determine whether he would survive injuries he'd received in an accident.  102 men died trying to fulfill Ahaziah's orders involving his question about his own upcoming death!

Elijah then received word from God that he would be taken to heaven before the day ended, and he and Elisha, his successor, walked many miles that day together.  My commentary said there were three purposes for the long walk:

"Taking advantage of the present:  Elisha knew that his master was going to leave him, and he wanted to be with him to the very end, listen to his counsel, and learn from him."

"Preparing for the future:  The work of the Lord is always one generation short of extinction and we must be faithful to obey 2 Timothy 2:2."

"Reviewing the past:  Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan River were important places in Hebrew history, each of them carrying a significant message ... The past is not an anchor to hold us back but a rudder to guide us and the Lord can use these tangible memories to strengthen our faith ... Remember is found 14 times in Deuteronomy and forget at least nine times."

Elisha had been selected by God to succeed Elijah, and God gave him the spiritual power to do just that.  "A.W. Tozer said, 'It takes more than a ballot to make a leader.' ... Regardless of how they were trained or chosen, true spiritual leaders assure their followers of their divine calling by demonstrating the power of God in their lives."

Father, I lift up our church as we seek the new leader You have prepared for us.  Help us to listen to Your heart and not our own.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 21-22 The End Of Ahab

My commentary detailed how Ahab and Jezebel broke God's law even when Ahab wanted to trade land with Naboth to secure his vineyard and turn it into a vegetable garden!

Idolatry:  "The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him," A.W. Tozer had said.  "Jezebel brought Baal worship into Israel and Ahab permitted it to spread throughout the land.

Covetousness:  Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard because he wanted a vegetable garden convenient to his palace.  "The first nine commandments focus on forbidden outward conduct ... but this commandment deals primarily with the hidden desires of the heart."

False witness:  Jezebel forged Ahab's name and seal to orders that directed troublemakers to lie about Naboth so he would be stoned by the citizens.

Murder:  "Since the accusation was false, the witnesses were liars, and the judges had been bought off with royal intimidation, "This wasn't capital punishment, but murder."

Stealing:  Naboth and his sons were stoned, leaving no male heirs to inherit the vineyard, so Ahab could claim the land for his vegetable garden.  "But the land didn't belong to Ahab and the law says, 'Thou shalt not steal.'  The vineyard hadn't even belonged to Naboth -- it belonged to the Lord.  Ahab was stealing property from God!" my commentary said.

Since Ahab repented when confronted, God postponed the judgment until the reign of Ahab's son Joram, but the message was clear -- dogs would lick up the blood of the male heirs to the throne and Jezebel would be eaten by them.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah, though godly, allied himself with Ahab, even having his son marry Ahab's daughter.  Ahab then required him to go to war with him against Syria and this made Jehoshaphat a target on the battlefield.  Ahab then ignored God's warning and died in battle.  "God is sovereign in all things and protected Jehoshaphat, while at the same time allowing a random arrow to hit an opening in Ahab's armor and kill him."

Ahab paid the price for fighting against God.

Father, call me out when I go against Your will for my life.  Remind me of Ahab's stupidity and keep me in Your will.  I don't want to disappoint You!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 20 -- Still Enslaved To Sin

In this chapter, Ahab believed God's promise but then disobeyed God's command.  He was still enslaved to sin.

Syria threatened an attack and Ahab agreed to give up his wealth, wives, and children to save his kingdom!  Syria's king decided to try for more and demanded the right to search and seize anything else they wanted from the officers' homes.  Ahab refused that request as being too unreasonable.  God in His grace offered Ahab the victory because He wanted to honor His own name.  God allowed a small group of junior officers and 7,000 soldiers to defeat the Syrians!

The Syrian commanders then tried a face-saving move, convincing their king that the reason for the loss was Jehovah being a "god of the hills" while their god was a "god of the plains" and all they had to do was take advantage of geography.  That didn't work out well for them either.  God caused a wall to collapse in a city, killing 27,000 Syrian soldiers!

Their king, Ben-Hadad, hid inside that city.  His advisers dressed in rags, "pretending to show humble submission to Ahab" and his pride led him to not give glory to God for the victory.  "To hear that Ben-Hadad was his servant made his heart glad, and he was more than willing to spare the man's life," even though God had commanded that Ben-Hadad be killed.  Taking the easy route, Ahab set up a three-year trade agreement with Ben-Hadad instead of killing him!

"The Lord couldn't allow Ahab to disobey and get away with it," my commentary continued.  So He sent a young prophet disguised as a wounded soldier who, like Nathan did with David, told a story which led to Ahab declaring his own sentence.  Ahab fell for it and made the same mistake.  "The man that Ahab judged now became Ahab's judge and announced that one day the Syrians would slay Ahab."  Instead of repenting, Ahab went home and pouted like a child.

Father, You continue to show me the importance of obedience to Your commands and how our pride causes us to disobey and sin against You.  Thank You for the warning and help me to agree with You and to do nothing out of pride.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 19 -- The Restart

Jezebel heard about Elijah killing her prophets and she then threatened to kill him.  After a spiritual triumph, he seemed to forget all God had done for him, heading south through Judah and leaving his servant as he walked through the desert toward Mount Sinai.  "He was walking by sight and not by faith," my commentary said.  "For three years, Elijah had not made a move without hearing and obeying God's instructions, but now he was running ahead of the Lord in order to save his own life ... The safest place for any child of God is the place dictated by the will of God, but Elijah didn't stop to seek God's will ... He prayed a not-so-wise prayer. 'I've had enough!  So take my life.'"  Elijah then fell asleep and the Lord sent an angel to care for his needs, providing bread and water.  The scene repeated itself and Elijah felt his strength return, and he was then able to walk to Mount Sinai.  There he made a cave his home.  "He was so depressed that he was willing to give up his calling and even his life.  God asked him twice, "What are you doing here?' and his answer showed pride and self-pity."

"All Elijah needed to get renewed for service was a fresh vision of the power and glory of God ... When he heard the still small voice, he recognized the voice of God... First, the Lord told Elijah to return to the place of duty.  There he would anoint two rules and his own successor -- Elisha.  Without delay, Elijah retraced his steps and returned to place of duty."

Elijah made mistakes, but God overruled them and accomplished His will.  He walked by sight and not by faith, yet the Lord sustained him, my commentary said.  He looked at himself and his failures instead of at God's greatness and power.  The Lord rebuked him gently and brought him back to active service.  "To glamorize or criticize the past accomplishes little; what's important is that we do our job in the present and equip others to continue it after we're gone."

Thank You, Father.  This is exactly what I needed to hear, right on time as always.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 18 -- God Puts Baal In His Place

I love this Bible story!  The man whom God had hidden and cared for and fed over three years is now taken off the bench and put into the game!  He'd had his meals delivered by what the Jews would claim were unclean birds sent by God and miraculously the widow's supply of flour and olive oil never ran out, and now it was time to humiliate the Jews who actually worshiped a carved idol.

Ahab and 450 prophets of Baal met Elijah at Mount Carmel where Elijah proposed a contest.  All the Baal worshipers had to do was prepare a sacrifice and wait for Baal to light it.  It makes one wonder if those prophets weren't worried from the start of the contest, for they had to know that their god never was able to do anything!  After a full day of pleading and cutting themselves in an effort to get Baal to respond, they were beside themselves.

Elijah then offered them an advantage by thoroughly soaking his sacrifice, the wood under the meat, the stones under that, and even the ground with water.  Remembering how it hadn't rained in 3 years, it must have been quite a chore to make that much water available at the mountain site!

Elijah prayed and God answered!  Even the stones were consumed and the dirt was dried up!  Then Elijah commanded the death sentence for the apostate prophets, required by the law.  He then told Ahab to hurry and eat and head back to his palace, because he might just risk getting stuck in the mud.  The ground was thirsty after three years of drought, but God could cause it to absorb enough to have this problem!  Then Elijah, empowered by God, pulled his robes up and ran ahead of Ahab's chariot in the rain for seventeen miles!

My commentary finished the chapter with a word of caution about the next chapter:  "You would think that Elijah would be at his very best spiritually and able to face anything, but the next chapter records just the opposite.  As great a man as Elijah was, he still failed the Lord and himself."

Father, please help me to have the belief and the strength not to fail You.  Guard my thoughts and direct my actions.  I need discernment, wisdom, and knowledge to represent You well.  Please provide all that I need to be able to do so. 

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 17 -- Ministering To Gentiles And Revealing God's Will To Unrepentant Jews

The environment wasn't the best for a Jewish prophet.  The nation of Israel had split and the northern kingdom of Israel was ruled by wicked King Ahab and his terribly wicked wife Jezebel.  She was doing everything she could to wipe out worship of Jehovah and replace it with worship of the storm God Baal.

It was time for the semiannual rains, but they hadn't begun, so a drought had been going on for 6 months already.  "The blessing of the semiannual rains depended on the people obeying the covenant of the Lord.  God warned the people that their disobedience would turn the heavens to bronze and the earth into iron in Deut. 28:23-24 ... The people were following Baal, not Jehovah, and the Lord could not send the promised rain and still be faithful to His covenant.  God always keeps His covenant, whether to bless the people for their obedience or to discipline them for their sins," my commentary said.

God didn't give Elijah a 3-year-plan to follow, but instead first directed him to Kerith Ravine where He provided water from a brook along with bread and meat delivered by what the Jews considered detestable birds declared unclean.  My commentary said they weren't delivering carrion that they'd normally eat, but meat and bread God provided.

God then moved Elijah to a city close to Jezebel's hometown by drying up the brook.  Elijah was told by God to live with a widow and her son.  Widows were the lowest people on the economic ladder in those days, yet Elijah gratefully accepted the assignment and reassured the woman that God would keep them fed, which He did.  Miraculously, flour and olive oil never failed to materialize the the storage containers she had.  My commentary pointed out that "the will of God will never lead us where the grace of God cannot keep us and care for us, and Elijah knew this from experience."  "We are prone to look at the bucket and forget the fountain.  God has frequently to change His means of supply to keep our eyes fixed on the source," my commentary added.

"This is the first recorded instance in Scripture of the resurrection of a dead person."  The mother felt guilty because of her past sins, perhaps believing they caused her sons death.  "Elijah carried the boy upstairs and cried out to the Lord for the life of the child.  He couldn't believe that the Lord would miraculously provide food for the three of them and then allow the son to die."  This miracle resulted in the woman's public confession of her faith in the God of Israel ... "Elijah proved the power of God in Baal's own home territory, so he was now ready to challenge and defeat Baal in the kingdom of Israel," my commentary said.

"Our Lord's emphasis was on the grace of God.  He wanted the proud Jewish congregation in the synagogue to realize that the God of Israel was also the God of the Gentiles and that both Jews and Gentiles were saved by putting their faith in Him."

Father, thank You for giving me an opportunity to minister to someone today outside of my normal circle of friends.  Use me to lead him closer to You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 16 -- Israel Begins Its Death Spiral

Israel became a slaughterhouse as rivals rose up to steal the kingship.

Jeroboam's son Nadab was assassinated by Baasha after ruling for only two years.  Baasha became king and killed all of Jeroboam's family, just as God had said.  My commentary noted, however, "Though Baasha fulfilled God's will when he killed Nadab and then wiped out the house of Jeroboam, he was still responsible for his motives and his actions.  Baasha didn't enter into his grisly work as a holy servant of God but as an evil assassin who wanted the throne ... A person who fulfills divine prophecy is not innocent of sin."

God sent Jehu to speak against Baasha, saying that his family would also be exterminated.  His son Elah became king, only ruling for two years before being murdered by Zimri, an army officer in charge of half the chariots.  Zimri wiped out all of Baasha's family and friends.  But this deed cost him dearly.  One week later the army of Israel attacked the capital city of Israel after discovering Zimri's involvement in Elah's death.  Knowing he was about to be captured, Zimri burned his palace down around himself.  The army then made Omri king.  (Omri established Samaria as the new capital.)

Each king seemed to try his best to outdo his predecessors in sinning, and God became more and more angry with each succeeding king.  Omri died and his son Ahab became king.  For 22 years, the nation flaunted Ahab's sins and God grew angrier with each passing year.  Building a temple to Baal was the last straw, and God got ready to intervene.

Father, I remember a time when I started a downhill slide, getting farther and farther away from You.  I know what that feels like, and I never want it to happen again.  Keep me ever mindful of my propensity to sin.  Stop me before I step away from You and draw me back with Your love.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 15 -- A Parade Of Losers

The parade of kings for both Judah and Israel started moving faster as sin enveloped both nations.  In Judah, it went from David to Solomon to Rehoboam to Abijah, then Asa and Jehoshaphat.  In Israel, it started with Jeroboam, then Nadal, who was assassinated by Baasha, who assumed kingship.  The kings were constantly compared to David, but none of them could measure up.  There were even some good kings, for a while, but even during their lives they vacillated and God declared them evil.

Father, I don't want to have periods in my own life where You could call me evil.  Help me to continue to be faithful to You, even in the tough times.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 14 -- Jeroboam Didn't Accept God's Help Either

"We don't read in Scripture that Jeroboam sought the Lord's will, prayed for spiritual discernment, or asked the Lord to make him a godly man.  He prayed for healing for his arm, and now he asked the prophet Ahijah to heal his son ... it's obvious that physical blessings were more important to him than spiritual blessings.  Like many nominal believers and careless church members today, the only time Jeroboam wanted help from God's servant was when he was in trouble," my commentary began.

Jeroboam's son died from illness.  "God judged the royal family and the apostate citizens by calling the boy away from the cesspool on iniquity that was called Israel.  'The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; and devout men are taken away, while no one understands.  For the righteous man is taken away from evil (Isaiah 57:1.'  The one son of wicked Jeroboam who could have ruled justly would be taken from them, not because he was wicked, but because he was good and God wanted to spare him the suffering that lay ahead of the kingdom."

"The king's hand had been healed and his altar destroyed, and now his son had died.  His army would be defeated by the king of Judah ... How many times did God have to warm him before he would repent?" my commentary asked.

Father, thank You for the words of Isaiah 57 and the picture of Your grace removing us from evil.  They show Your love and caring, not Your vengeance as some would say.  Please keep my heart near to Yours and give me wisdom to see Your warnings and heed them.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 13 -- Jeroboam's Sins

Jeroboam became the king of Israel -- the ten northern tribes.  My commentary listed three serious mistakes during his reign.  Here are the first two:

He didn't BELIEVE God's promises:  When Ahijah gave Jeroboam God's message that guaranteed him the throne of the kingdom of Israel, the prophet made it clear that political division did not permit religious departure ... The Lord promised to build Jeroboam a continued dynasty if he obeyed the Lord and walked in His ways.  What a promise, yet Jeroboam couldn't believe it."

He didn't HEED God's warnings:  God sent a young prophet from Judah to deliver His message to Jeroboam.  The message was against the altar being used for pagan worship, not against the king, but Jeroboam didn't like it.  He stretched out his arm to point to the young prophet and God paralyzed it!  Then, fulfilling the Word of God, the pagan altar split into pieces.  Jeroboam asked the prophet to pray that God would heal his arm, which God graciously did, but he didn't seem as concerned with his disobedience to God!

The story took a strange twist after Jeroboam tried to tempt the young prophet to stay and eat with him, which would signal acceptance.  God had already told the young prophet not to do anything except return home by a different route.  However, an old prophet went to catch him and found him resting under a tree.  My commentary said, "The young prophet did his work well and got out of town.  Had he kept going and not lingered under the tree he would have escaped the tempting offer of the old prophet.  God's servants often face great temptation after times of great success and excitement."

After dining with the old prophet, the young prophet headed toward home, only to be killed by a lion.  My commentary continued:  "This long chapter is not about young and old prophets; it's about King Jeroboam and his sins.  The young prophet's ministry is very important in this account, for all he said and experienced, including his death, were a part of God's warning to King Jeroboam."  Still Jeroboam didn't repent.

Father, please warn me when I am getting out of Your will.  Then help me to remember this story so I won't be tempted to shrug off Your warnings!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 12 -- Solomon's Son's Short Reign

Wow, my commentary had a lot to say!  "Solomon wrote, ' ... I must leave it to the man who will come after me.  And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?'  His successor was his son Rehoboam who ... for the most part was a foolish ruler."

It noted four characteristics of Rehoboam's short reign:

He was an arrogant king:  "Leaders who try to impress people with their skills, but take no time to seek God only prove that they don't know the most important thing in spiritual leadership:  they are second in command."  It  didn't just happen during Rehoboam's reign.  My commentary said, "I've seen so-called Christian leaders take the Rehoboam approach, do terrible damage to the work of the Lord, and then walk away from the mess, leaving behind poison and debris that will take years to remove."

He was an angry king:  "His choice of mediators was unwise, because Adoram was in charge of the forced labor ... Rehoboam had followed the wrong counsel, used the wrong approach, and chosen the wrong mediator.  What else wrong could he do?  He could declare war!"

He was an astute king:  "He heard and obeyed God's message from Shemaiah, and the Lord began to give him wisdom and bless his life and his work.  Had he stayed on that course, he would have led Judah into godliness and true greatness, but he turned from the Lord and lost the blessings he and his people could have enjoyed."

He was an apostate king:  "Rehoboam walked with the Lord for three years after becoming king, but in the fourth year of his reign, when his throne was secure, he and all Judah turned away from Jehovah to worship idols.  'And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord."

Father God, please help me to listen when You speak and grant me wisdom and discernment.  I want the blessings that obedience to Your will brings.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 11 -- That Wisdom Didn't Do Him Much Good

My commentary traced the steps of Solomon's downward path:

First, he disobeyed God's Word -- He went back to Egypt, multiplied wives and horses and chariots in direct disobedience to God's Word.  All this was due to the fact that "he didn't really believe that Jehovah could protect the land ... Solomon's compromise wasn't a sudden thing, for he gradually descended into his idolatry," permitting his wives to worship their own gods, building shrines for them, and finally participating in idol worship.

Second, he ignored God's warning -- THREE TIMES God spoke to him!

Third, he resisted God's discipline -- God even raised up adversaries against him to try to get His message across.

Fourth, he opposed God's servant -- God raised up Jeroboam, one of his officers, as He had told Solomon he would, to be the future king of the 10 northern tribes, but Solomon attacked him, sending him to Egypt until Solomon died.

"Solomon was handed great opportunities but didn't make the most of them ... He was defective in sharing the knowledge of the Lord with the Gentiles... The grandeur of the kingdom and not the glory of the Lord was what motivated Solomon's life ... the people followed Solomon's bad example and began to worship the gods of their neighbors.  It was this sin more than any other that brought about the downfall of the Jewish nation."

Father, if I'm tempted to stray, discipline me before I stop following Your will.  Make it clearer for me than You even did for Solomon.  Keep me on Your path.  Never let me stray.  After all, You've shown me over the years that it's the thought that counts.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Kings 10 -- Just What Kind Of Wisdom DID Solomon Have?

The whole episode with the Queen of Sheba (an Arab) visiting Solomon (a Jew) seemed to be mainly about swapping possessions.  She did learn about his wisdom and saw how richly God had materially blessed him, and yes, she brought him 4.5 tons of gold, but he also gave her whatever she asked for.  

Solomon's servants lived with this every day, and my commentary said, "Hearing Solomon's words may have excited the dinner guests, but the officers and servants had heard it before.  One of the dangers of living in that kind of situation is that we begin to take things for granted, and before long we don't value them at all.  This can apply to spiritual treasures as well as material wealth."

"The commercial network that Solomon established certainly helped the economy ... but did it help the king and his people draw near to God?  Israel wasn't supposed to be isolated from the community of nations, because she was to be a light to the Gentiles, but she was supposed to be separated from the sins of those nations that didn't know the true and living God.  Along with the influx of foreign merchandise came the influx of foreign ideas, including ideas about religion and worship; and eventually Solomon himself, influenced by his foreign wives, succumbed to idolatry."

"When God promised to give Solomon wisdom, He also promised him riches and honor... It isn't a sin to possess wealth or to inherit wealth ... Earning money honestly isn't a sin, but loving money and living just to acquire riches is a sin."  Solomon covered everything he owned with gold, acquired thousands of horses and chariots from Egypt, and had hundreds of wives and concubines -- all directly against the express orders God had given for kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.  Solomon had been required to write out his own copy of the law, so he knew this, but did it anyway.

"David had prophets and priests who advised him and even warned and rebuked him, but nobody seems to have admonished Solomon to pay more attention to making a life instead of amassing a fortune."

Father, guide me to use the blessings You give me as You would see fit.  I don't want to end up like Solomon, making unwise decisions that pull me away from you.  I need You to guide me and give me eternal wisdom.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford