Today we continue to see through the lives of Naaman, Elisha, and the Shunammite woman, how the Lord works on behalf of those who trust in Him.

Naaman –  Naaman is a successful commander over the Syrian army and he is “a mighty man of valor, but a leper.” Naaman’s wife has a servant who was abducted from Israel during a raid on her home by the Syrians. This servant girl knows the Lord, and she apparently has laid down any bitterness and anger for being taken from her home and forced to serve in the home of Naaman. We see that she is a girl who desires healing and restoration for others as she says to Naaman’s wife, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” The girl is speaking of the Lord’s prophet Elisha. So Naaman goes to see the prophet, and Elisha sends a messenger, who says to Naaman – “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”  

However, Naaman’s pride rears its ugly head as he is outraged that Elisha didn’t come personally to heal him of his leprosy. In addition, Naaman is insulted that he was asked to dip in what he considers inferior water. But then another servant steps forward and says, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” So Naaman humbles himself, follows Elisha’s instructions, and is healed — not just physically but spiritually. Once healed, Naaman declares, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” Therefore, Naaman switches allegiance from the false gods to the Lord because he encountered the God who acts for those who trust in Him.

Elisha against the band of Syrian raiders – A servant of the king of Syria informs the king that Elisha has been revealing his plans to the king of Israel. The servant says that Elisha “tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” Therefore, the king of Syria sends raiders to go and get Elisha. When the raiders surround the city, Elisha tells his servant not to fear, for Elisha knows that the Lord acts on behalf of those who trust Him. So Elisha prays for the Lord to open the spiritual eyes of his servant so he too could see that the Lord is behind the scenes protecting them. Then the servant saw that “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Then Elisha prays again, and the Lord strikes the enemies with a type of blindness. Elisha leads the enemy raiders out of the city, once again proving that the Lord acts on behalf of those who trust in Him.

Famine in Israel – During the Syrians’ siege on Samaria, no trade is allowed to go in or out of the city in an effort to starve the population. The situation inside Samaria, the capital of Northern Israel, is so dire that women are eating their own children. However, during the Exodus Era when the Lord was giving the blessings for obedience and the cursings for disobedience, He said it would come to this if they continued in their rebellion against the Lord. The Lord would turn them over to their enemies and themselves— “They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the Lord your God has given you. You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you” (Deuteronomy 28:52-53). 

Instead of repenting and turning to the Lord, the king of Israel blames the Lord’s prophet Elisha for their distress saying, “God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.” The wicked always blame the righteous. However, the Lord sees all, and He responds His way and in His timing. So Elisha says to the king of Israel, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” And since God always does what He says He is going to do, that is exactly what happens. The Lord works behind the scenes, scattering the Syrian army and sending four leprous men to the Syrian camp, where they discover all of their spoils which provide for Samaria. 

The Shunammite woman – The Lord spares the Shunammite woman that we met in yesterday’s reading (2 Kings 4:8-37) and her household from the famine in Israel. Elisha told the woman, “‘Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.’ So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years.” And when the Lord brings her home, she encounters the king at the exact time he is hearing about what Elisha did for her, how he restored the life of her son. “So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, ‘Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.’” So once again, we see the Lord acting on behalf of those who trust Him.

The Lord is the same now as He was then. He always acts on behalf of those who trust Him – “You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them— those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘fear not, I will help you’” (Isaiah 41:9-13).

Tomorrow, evil Jezebel re-enters the scene, and the Lord is going to move against her. It will be just as Elijah said — they will go to find her and there will be nothing there. Keep reading. (2 Kings 5:1-8:15)

The Lord is about to take Elijah up to be with Him in heaven. Elijah’s successor, Elisha, faithfully follows after him saying, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So Elijah strikes the Jordan and the water parts, letting him and Elisha cross on dry ground, much like in the Exodus Era with Moses and the Red Sea and in the Conquest Era with Joshua and the Jordan.

Before Elijah is taken up, he asks Elisha what he can do for him. Elisha responds, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” Double portion is a common concept in the Old Testament. We read about it in the Book of Law regarding the firstborn getting a double portion (Deuteronomy 21:17). We also saw that Hannah’s husband gave her a double portion because of his love for her (1 Samuel 1:5). And we see that the Lord honors Elisha’s request. After Elijah is taken up in a chariot of fire by a whirlwind into heaven, Elisha parts the Jordan just as Elijah had done — “Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, ‘The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.’”

Elisha performs more miracles — he heals the water of Jericho, pronounces a curse on mockers, provides oil for a poor widow and her sons, and gives a Shunammite woman and her husband a child and brings that child back to life when he dies. As a matter of fact, there are twenty-eight miracles performed by Elisha that are recorded in the Bible compared to Elijah’s fourteen recorded miracles, which is exactly double!

Tomorrow, the Lord heals Naaman, a commander of the Syrian army, from leprosy and He spares the Shunammite woman that we read about today during a dire famine in Israel. Keep reading. (2 Kings 2:1-25, 2 Kings 4:1-44)

Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, is now king of Israel, and he is wicked like his dad. When Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper room, he sends messengers to inquire of the false god Baal-Zebub about his injuries. The Lord sends Elijah to intercede by telling his messengers that because Ahaziah sent them to inquire of Baal-Zebub and not the Lord, he will die from his injury.

So Ahaziah sends fifty men to bring Elijah to him. Elijah says to the captain of the fifty men, “‘If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.’ Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” Then Ahaziah sends another fifty men, and they too are consumed by fire. Then Ahaziah sends a third group of fifty, but this captain pleads for mercy. 

The Lord tells Elijah to go with this captain and not to fear. So Elijah appears before Ahaziah and says, “Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.” After the death of Ahaziah, Jehoram (Joram), Ahab’s son and Ahaziah’s brother, becomes the next king of Northern Israel, since Ahaziah had no sons. Jehoram “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, though not like his father and mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless, he clung to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.”

When Moab attacks Israel, Jehoram aligns himself with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and with the king of Edom, descendants of Esau, to fight with him against Moab. Jehoshaphat encourages them to inquire of the Lord regarding the battle, so they find the prophet Elisha. Elisha responds to Jehoram, king of Israel – “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” Jehoram responds saying that the Lord has brought these three kings together. Therefore Elisha says – “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you.”

Since Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah who fears the Lord, is present, Elisha gives them the Lord’s battle plan for their attack. Elisha instructs them to dig ditches. Then he says, “For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.’ This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand.” But first they have to dig the ditches in faith to receive the blessing of the divine water and the victory over their enemies.

When the Moabites see the sun hit the water in the ditches, they assume it is blood and that their enemies must have turned on each other. When the Moabites go to take the spoils of the Israelite camp, the Israelites attack them and their cities. Out of desperation, the king of Moab “took his oldest son who was to reign in his place and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.”

Jehoshaphat dies after reigning over Judah for twenty five years and his son, Jehoram, becomes king of Judah. Jehoram is married to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. “Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.”

Jehoram had a godly father, Jehoshaphat, but instead of trusting the Lord and obeying His word like his father, Jehoram allowed the wicked house of Ahab to influence him, leading Judah into idolatry. Although Judah deserves to be destroyed due to their disobedience, the Lord gives them mercy for the sake of David. Because despite the failures of man, the Lord is still faithfully working His plan to bring the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through this bloodline.

Tomorrow Elijah is taken into heaven, and Elisha succeeds Elijah as God’s prophet. Keep reading. (2 Kings 1:1-18, 2 Kings 3:1-27, 1 Kings 22:41-49, 2 Chronicles 20:31-37, 1 Kings 22:50, 2 Chronicles 21:1-4, 2 Kings 8:16-22, 2 Chronicles 21:5-7)

Today we see a clear difference in the outcome of someone who is not trusting the Lord, Ahab the king of Israel, versus someone who is trusting in Him, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah.

After Ahab inquires of his false prophets who tell him what he wants to hear, he inquires of a prophet of the Lord, Micaiah, per the request of Jehoshaphat. Micaiah says that he saw Israel scattered on the mountains without a master. He tells Ahab that the Lord allowed a lying spirit to speak through the four hundred prophets saying that he would have victory over Syria because the Lord is bringing disaster against Ahab. Since Ahab is not interested in the truth but only in what someone says in his favor, Ahab has Micaiah thrown in prison. However, just in case Micaiah is correct, Ahab disguises himself when he goes into battle against Syria, but tells Jehoshaphat to wear his royal robes. When the captains of the chariots see Jehoshaphat, they assume it is Ahab and go after him. However, Jehoshaphat calls out to the Lord trusting that He would save him, and He does. On the other hand, Ahab, who is trusting in his plan and not in the Lord, meets a different fate. A random (or not so random) arrow hits Ahab right between the joints of his armor, killing him as prophesied – “So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken.”

In contrast to surrounding himself with men who tell him what he wants to hear, Jehoshaphat surrounds himself with men who fear the Lord. In Judah, Jehoshaphat establishes a judicial system in Jerusalem, and he says to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

When the people of Moab and Ammon, descendants of Lot by his daughters, and others come against Judah, Jehoshaphat trusts in the Lord as he cries out to Him – “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” That is a good place to be when the multitudes are against you and you don’t know what to do. Keep your eyes on the Lord, pour your heart out to Him, and wait on Him to act on your behalf. He will not let you down!

The Lord responds to Jehoshaphat because God acts for those who trust in Him, not themselves – “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s… You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

“So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.’ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: ‘Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.’”

“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated…Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies… And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.”

So we see that the Lord destroyed the wicked Ahab, the one not trusting in Him, and He saved the righteous Jehoshaphat, the one trusting in Him to act on his behalf. Our help is always in the Lord:

“Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless” (Psalm 60:11).

“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8).

Tomorrow, the Lord calls Elijah to confront the new king of Israel, Ahaziah, the son of Ahab. Keep reading. (1 Kings 22:10-28, 2 Chronicles 18:9-27, 1 Kings 22:29-35, 2 Chronicles 18:28-34, 1 Kings 22:36-40, 51-53, 2 Chronicles 19:1-20:30)

From today’s reading in Tyndale’s One Year Chronological Bible dated 6/12:

After Israel’s defeat over the Syrians during the last battle, the servants of the king say to Ben-Hadad – “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.” However they are wrong. The Lord says, “Because the Syrians have said, ‘The Lord is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,’ therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” The Lord once again provides victory for Israel, proving that He is the God of the hills and the valleys! 

Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, surrenders to Ahab, and Ahab makes a treaty with him. The Lord rebukes Ahab for not destroying Ben-Hadad – “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’” And this is exactly what will happen. Ahab will be killed in a battle against Syria (1 Kings 22:29-35), and the people will suffer at the hand of King Hazael, who will reign in Syria after he murders Ben-Hadad (2 Kings 8:7-15). “So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.”

“And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.” Ahab sees the vineyard and he craves what his eyes behold. However, Naboth refuses to hand over his inheritance to Ahab in accordance with the word of God – “You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess” (Deuteronomy 19:14). So once again, “Ahab went to his house sullen and displeased.”

When Jezebel sees her husband pouting, she says to him – “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” Then Jezebel takes matters into her own hands. She wickedly schemes and falsely accuses Naboth of speaking against the Lord and the king, which results in him being stoned to death. The news of Naboth’s death cheers Ahab right up, so he leaves to go and enjoy his newly acquired vineyard.

Now the Lord is displeased. So God sends Elijah to pronounce judgment against the house of Ahab and Jezebel for their murder of Naboth and their idolatry. Elijah says the Lord is going to cut off the house of Ahab and dogs will eat Jezebel –  “But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols.” Soon in the story, the Lord will use the future king of Israel, Jehu, to accomplish all that he said regarding the destruction of the house of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Kings 9:14-37). 

The reading ends with an alliance between Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Ahab, king of Israel, through marriage. Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, marries Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah. When Ahab asks Jehoshaphat to unite with him in battle against Syria, Jehoshaphat says they will go to battle with Israel. However, Jehoshaphat requests that Ahab inquire of a prophet of the Lord instead of his four hundred false prophets who just tell Ahab what he wants to hear. Ahab responds, “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.”

Ahab hates Micaiah because he speaks truth from the word of God. Therefore, Ahab’s real problem isn’t with Micaiah — it is with the Lord. As Christ followers, we are called to speak truth in love no matter the cost to ourselves, as we will see Micaiah do tomorrow, so keep reading. (1 Kings 20:23-22:9, 2 Chronicles 18:1-8)

Since the brook is now dry, the Lord sends Elijah to a Gentile widow in Zarephath. The Lord tells Elijah that He has commanded her to provide for him. And we see the widow shows great faith in the Lord as she feeds Elijah first from her last meal she was preparing for herself and her son before they die of starvation. The Lord rewards her faith by keeping her flour bin and oil jar full until the drought is over.

However, the widow’s faith waivers when her son dies. She blames his death on her own sin and asks Elijah if he came to kill her son. The Lord, who is always faithful, brings her child back to life when Elijah prays over the boy. Then the widow says to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”

Later in the story, when Jesus is being rejected by His own people just as Elijah was rejected by the Israelites, He will use the story of Elijah going to a Gentile widow to rebuke the unbelieving Jews, and to illustrate that when they don’t believe, the Lord sends His prophets out to others, even to Gentiles – “But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow” (Luke 4:25-26). 

After three years and six months of drought, the Lord sends Elijah back to Ahab to tell him the drought is coming to an end. When Ahab sees Elijah he says, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” Ahab blames Elijah for their troubles instead of repenting of his wickedness and turning to the Lord for healing and restoration. Remember Solomon’s prayer after the temple was complete? Solomon specifically said, “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance” (1 Kings 8:35-36).  

Ahab and the people never repent, so the Lord throws down a challenge against Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah asks the people whom they are going to serve, Baal or the Lord. The people do not respond. So the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and Elijah each build an altar on Mount Carmel. Elijah says, “the God who answers by fire, He is God!” The prophets of Baal go first, and they begin to call on their god to bring fire upon the offering, but Baal does not answer. In an attempt to get Baal to respond, they begin cutting themselves and shedding their own blood, but still nothing happens. Why does nothing happen? Because they are calling upon a god that has no power. Nothing happens because the prophets of Baal do not know the God who doesn’t require them to shed their own blood. They don’t know the God who is sending His own Son to shed His blood in order to provide salvation for anyone who has faith in Him. No, they don’t know that God, but Elijah does. So Elijah steps forward and prays, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 

Then the Lord rains down fire and consumes the offering, and the people fall to the ground shouting “The Lord, He is God!” However, the people calling upon the name of the Lord is temporary, as they soon will turn back to idolatry. However, after the Lord responds, Elijah kills the prophets of Baal and then prays seven times for the Lord to send the rain. When Elijah sees a cloud as small as a man’s fist, he tells Ahab he better head home because Elijah knows the Lord is sending a powerful rain from that small cloud.

When Jezebel hears about the showdown on Mount Carmel, she seeks to kill Elijah. So Elijah flees into the wilderness, lies under a tree and says, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life.” Elijah went from a spiritual high on Mount Carmel to a spiritual low in the wilderness. He is so low that he wants the Lord to take his life. Remember when Moses felt the same way in the wilderness. Moses cried out to the Lord to kill him when he was overwhelmed and discouraged (Numbers 11:15). However, Elijah isn’t qualified to say when it is enough in his own life, just like Moses wasn’t. Only the Lord, our God and Creator, is qualified to know when it is enough — and He will take us home in His own timing after He has fulfilled all He has purposed for us. We saw that David believed this was true when he was on the run from Saul. David wrote – “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2).

Since the Lord still has plans for Elijah, the Lord refreshes him and sends him on a forty day journey to Mount Horeb where He gives Elijah exactly what he needs — an encounter with Him. On that mount, Elijah pours out his heart to the Lord saying, “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.” Then the Lord shows Elijah His power by passing by him in a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but He speaks to him in a gentle voice. The Lord ensures Elijah that He is raising up men, Hazael and Jehu, to use as tools in His hand to take down the wicked, which we will read about soon. Then He tells Elijah that he isn’t alone because there are seven thousand others who did not bow down to Baal. In addition, the Lord gives Elijah a friend in ministry, Elisha, who will succeed Elijah when it finally is enough and the Lord takes Elijah home to be with Him for eternity.

We end the reading with the Lord giving Israel victory over the Syrians, but the Syrians attack again tomorrow, so reading. (1 Kings 17:8-20:22)

There is war between Baasha, king of Israel, and Asa, king of Judah. Instead of trusting the Lord, Asa makes a treaty with the king of Syria, and the Lord rebukes him saying that the Lord works on behalf of those who rely upon Him – “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

The Lord says against Baasha, because he walks in the ways of Jeroboam, “I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Baasha and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the fields.” And since the Lord always does what He says, when Zimri becomes the king of Northern Israel he kills the entire household of Baasha. However, Zimri only lasts seven days as king, and Omri becomes the next king of Israel – “Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all who were before him. For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols.” 

After Omari’s death, his son Ahab becomes king of Israel and he “did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.”  

Jezebel brings her false prophets of Baal and Asherah to Northern Israel by the hundreds. Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, isn’t interested in a blended religion like Jeroboam created — she is trying to completely kill off all of the Lord’s prophets. So the Lord sends the prophet Elijah to Ahab to declare His judgment upon him and Israel because of their wickedness. Elijah tells Ahab there will be a drought, no dew nor rain, which is a direct challenge to their false god Baal since Baal is their god of fertility, whom they believed made the earth produce crops. The judgment of no rain is also one of the consequences that the Lord told his people would happen when He was giving them the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience in the wilderness. The Lord said if they turned from Him – “The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed” (Deuteronomy 28:24). We learn later in the story that it is through Elijah’s prayer that the Lord stops the rains and brings the rains – “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:17-18). 

Then the Lord sends Elijah to live in isolation by the Brook Cherith, where God will feed him by ravens. The Hebrew root meaning for Cherith is “cut off”. Elijah is cut off from society, having to fully trust in the Lord to miraculously provide for him through the ravens by the brook which is about to dry up. Elijah is cut off from being able to provide for himself or from being able to improve his situation. Elijah must rest in the Lord and wait on Him to act on his behalf. We end the reading with the brook drying up; however, the Lord will continue to care for Elijah. Tomorrow the Lord will send Elijah to a Gentile woman where once again He will provide in a miraculous way for those who have faith in Him.

Over in Judah, King Asa, who began well, did not end his life seeking the Lord – “Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.” After Asa dies, his son Jehoshaphat becomes the next king of Judah. Jehoshaphat walks in the ways of the Lord, leads the people in Bible literacy by sending the Levites all throughout Judah with the Book of the Law to teach the people, and fortifies the cities in Judah. 

At this point in the story, Judah has returned to the Lord, but Israel is steeped in idolatry. Tomorrow the Lord sends Elijah back to Northern Israel to confront Ahab and the false prophets. There is about to be an exciting showdown between Baal and the Lord on Mount Carmel, so keep reading! (1 Kings 15:16-22, 2 Chronicles 16:1-10, 1 Kings 16:1-34, 1 Kings 15:23-24, 2 Chronicles 16:11-17:19, 1 Kings 17:1-7)

Today the Lord has two prophets tell Jeroboam of his coming demise and the future destruction of his kingdom because Jeroboam sinned and made all of Israel sin against the Lord. 

1) The first man of God says to Jeroboam – “Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.” About three hundred years later, we will meet a king of Judah, a descendant of David, named Josiah who will come and destroy Jeroboam’s altars just as the Lord said (2 Chronicles 34).

2) Jeroboam sends his wife to the prophet Ahijah to inquire about his sick son, Abijah. Ahijah gives a message from the Lord to Jeroboam’s wife for Jeroboam – “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart… but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods… therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone.” However, God has “found something good toward the Lord” in the sick child. Therefore, the Lord says that Jeroboam’s child will mercifully die and be spared the judgment coming upon the wicked. As Isaiah will later say—“Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come” (Isaiah 57:1).

When Jeroboam dies, his son Nadab becomes king of Israel, “And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.” Then a man named Baasha conspires against Nadab, kills him and becomes the next king of Israel. Baasha kills all in the house of Jeroboam, just as Ahijah prophesied. Baasha too does evil and walks in the ways of Jeroboam, as will all the following kings of Israel which will lead to Northern Israel’s downfall.

Over in Judah, the people are also doing evil in the sight of the Lord under the leadership of Rehoboam —“For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” So the Lord allows the king of Egypt to come against Rehoboam and take away the treasures of the house of the Lord. When Rehoboam humbles himself before the Lord, the Lord relents from destroying him at that time.

After Rehoboam dies, his son Abijam becomes king of Judah and “he walked in all the sins of his father… his heart was not loyal to the Lord… Nevertheless for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem.” 

Abijam’s son, Asa, is the next king of Judah, and he does what is good and right in the sight of the Lord. Asa leads a revival, turning the hearts of the people back to the Lord and clearing the land of idolatry. When Zeruah the Ethiopian comes against Asa and Judah, Asa responds by crying out to the Lord—“Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude.”

When we as Christians go through times of trouble, we are to call upon the name of the Lord, wait on God to act on our behalf, and trust that He will lead and guide us through the storm. No problem is too big for the Lord, as we see here with the battle against Egypt. The Lord hears the cry of Asa, He strikes the enemy and saves the oppressed, He leads Judah into victory, and He provides them with rest because God gives rest to those who rest in Him:

• “And He said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’” (Exodus 33:14)
• “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses” (1 Kings 8:56).
• “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm” (Psalm 37:5-8).
• “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).
• “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (Hebrews 4:1-2).

Those who enter the rest are those who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Unfortunately there are so many who do not enter into the rest that only Christ can provide because they put their trust in themselves, in a system, in a movement, in an organization, in a religion, in a government, or in anything else apart from the Lord. The only way to enter this rest is through Christ – “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Tomorrow we meet more kings and the prophet Elijah arrives on the scene, so keep reading. (1 Kings 13:1-14:24, 2 Chronicles 12:13-14, 2 Chronicles 11:18-23, 2 Chronicles 12:1-12, 1 Kings 14:25-28, 2 Chronicles 12:15-16, 1 Kings 14:29-15:5, 2 Chronicles 13:1-22, 1 Kings 15:6-8, 2 Chronicles 14:1-8, 1 Kings 15:9-15, 1 Kings 14:19-20, 1 Kings 15:25-34, 2 Chronicles 14:9-15:19)