Daily Bible Devotionals

“Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord. Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel. He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there, and he burned human bones on the altars.  Then he returned to Jerusalem.  The king commanded all the people, ‘Keep the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant.’  No such Passover had ever been kept from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the Lord in Jerusalem. In addition, Josiah removed the mediums, the spiritists, household idols, images, and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem.  He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the Lord’s temple. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.”  2 Kings 23:19-25 (HCSB)

Let’s recap Josiah’s reign.  He was installed as Judah’s king at age eight, too young to have been negatively affected by his father’s idolatry.  Righteous priests taught Josiah to value worship and believe in God “as a child,” something Jesus exhorts us to do.  (Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:3; Luke 18:17)  At age 26, Josiah begins repairing the temple, worn down by years of idolatrous worship and neglect.  As the workers are repairing the temple, Hilkiah, the priest, finds the Book of the Law.  When God’s Word is read to Josiah, he realizes the seriousness of Israel’s spiritual condition.  The temple didn’t just need a new coat of paint; it needed a coat of armor!  In response, Josiah begins a campaign of tearing down the “high places,” temples, and shrines of idolatry.  More than just demolishing buildings, Josiah puts to death pagan priests in an effort to rid Judah of idolatry completely.  For Josiah’s efforts, the Lord commends him.  No other king has exemplified Deuteronomy 6:1-7 like Josiah.

One problem: You can tear down the pagan “high places” from atop the hills, but you cannot destroy the high places in the heart.  Even though Josiah swept the nation clean and idolatry became a capital offense, the people still chose to be idolatrous in private, in their hearts.  So, despite all the smoke rising from the burning pagan shrines and altars, a fire is being stoked in heaven.  God’s judgment upon Judah is imminent, and their bend towards idolatry snaps back into place when the next king takes the throne.  It is not enough to turn away from our sin; we must turn toward God and pursue Him!  Revival must permeate the hearts of the people, not just their laws.  A nation can’t sustain greatness unless its people choose the Lord’s greatness.

“In spite of all that, the Lord did not turn from the fury of His great burning anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had provoked Him with. For the Lord had said, ‘I will also remove Judah from My sight just as I have removed Israel.  I will reject this city Jerusalem, that I have chosen, and the temple about which I said ‘My name will be there.’”  2 Kings 23:26-27 (HCSB)

“Hilkiah the high priest told Shaphan the court secretary, ‘I have found the book of the law in the Lord’s temple,’ and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.  Then Shaphan the court secretary went to the king and reported, ‘Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the temple and have put it into the hand of those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple.’ Then Shaphan the court secretary told the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book,’ and Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.  When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then he commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah: ‘Go and inquire of the Lord for me, the people, and all Judah about the instruction in this book that has been found.  For great is the Lord’s wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us.’”  2 Kings 22:8-13 (HCSB)

If ever there was a message that pinpointed our generation, this is it!  It is a clarion call for us to return to a comprehensive knowledge of God’s Word and for national reform to begin with the people of God in the house of the Lord, Bibles in hand!  

It is also a perfect example of how God accomplishes His will while mankind retains his freedom to choose.  Remember, just two chapters ago, Hezekiah was pleading for his life, and the Lord gave him fifteen extra years.  But in those fifteen years, his son, Manasseh, was born.  Manasseh is listed as the most evil king in the history of Judah.  Not only did Manasseh practice idolatry, but he also brought it into the Lord’s temple.

“Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king and reigned 55 years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal.  He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them. He built altars in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, ‘Jerusalem is where I will put My name.’ He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards of the Lord’s temple. He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists.  He did a great amount of evil in the Lord’s sight, provoking Him.” 2 Kings 21:1-6 (HCSB)

After Manasseh died, his son Amon ruled for only two years.  As evil as his father, Amon was murdered by his subjects.  By God’s grace, Amon’s son Josiah was only eight years old (too young to be affected by his father’s idolatrous worldview) when he began to reign.  Guided by righteous priests, Josiah received God’s Word as a child, believing it by faith.  As he was clearing out his grandfather’s idols from the temple, his workmen found the Bible again!  Oh, that churches in America would have the same experience and that we would purge worldliness from among us and rediscover God’s Word so that revival would, once again, sweep across our nation!

“Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king and reigned 55 years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Hephzibah.  He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal.  He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them.”  2 Kings 21:1-3 (HCSB)

As we learned in 2 Kings, chapter 20, Manasseh was never God’s plan.  God planned to end Hezekiah’s life three years before Manasseh was born.  But when Isaiah informed Hezekiah of God’s plan, Hezekiah prayed that his life would be prolonged.  

“Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Please Lord, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases You.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears.  Look, I will heal you.  On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple. I will add 15 years to your life.  I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria.  I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”  2 Kings 20:2-6 (HCSB)

Notice how Hezekiah’s plea hinted at the idea that God owed Hezekiah something more than a life cut short, based on Hezekiah’s performance as a religious reformer and his wholehearted personal faithfulness.  We must never forget that we owe EVERYTHING to God, yet He owes us nothing.  It is not as if He has acquired some indebtedness to us per our personal spiritual merit.  We are nothing without Him!    

At the height of his reforms, Hezekiah led a campaign throughout his kingdom to tear down the “high places,” those places of pagan worship that the people of Israel had erected.  It seemed unfathomable to him that God would stop the progress.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (HCSB)

In the words of country singer Garth Brooks, sometimes God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.  In His wisdom, God had chosen to take Hezekiah from the land of the living.  And in His wisdom, God chose to answer Hezekiah’s prayer and leave him on the earth for fifteen more years.  It is not as though Hezekiah’s prayer rendered God powerless to say no.  And only God knows why He decided to respond to Hezekiah’s request, knowing full well what those fifteen years would mean to Judah’s long-term well-being.  But at the very least, we can draw this application as a stern reminder: Always entreat the Lord, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” (Matthew 6:10)

“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: The time will certainly come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord.  Some of your descendants who come from you will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.  Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,’ for he thought: Why not, if there will be peace and security during my lifetime?” 2 Kings 20:16-19 (HCSB)

2 Kings, chapter 20 begins with somber news and heartfelt prayer.  The unhappy information involves Isaiah’s message from God to Hezekiah: Get your affairs in order because you are going to die.  It is the conversation nobody wants to have with their pastor, that as he was praying, God told him to tell you that your life will expire very soon.  Scripture does not mention any sin in Hezekiah’s life.  All we know of him from Scripture so far is that Hezekiah was a great reformer.  So, we feel sad for the king, empathize with him, and root for him, even against God’s Word.

When we hear Hezekiah’s heartfelt prayer, we hope God will grant his plea.  There is something in our expectation that really wants to know that God is kind and that He would reconsider His plans for our lives to be more favorable to us if we would only ask Him.  Indeed, we claim God’s Word with respect to such prayers:

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.  The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” James 5:16 (HCSB)

Could there (at times) be a difference between our sincere, heartfelt urgent requests and God’s will?  As is often the case with God’s leading of His children, God only gives the command (get your affairs in order), and He does not say why He is commanding us.  Our response to God’s lordship should involve our obedience, not questioning His wisdom.

“But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God?  Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Romans 9:20 (HCSB)

When we doubt (or even refuse) God’s choices for our lives, we open ourselves to uncertain (and often tragic) outcomes.  We will never know how the kingdom of Judah would have fared if Hezekiah had not questioned God’s choice to take him from the land of the living.  But Scripture is very clear about two major events that occurred during those 15 extra years (given to Hezekiah) that ultimately led to the destruction of Jerusalem.  1) Manasseh, Israel’s most wickedly idolatrous king, was born during those 15 extra years.  2) Babylonian emissaries went home and told of the great riches stored in Jerusalem.  All that happened because the king would not surrender to the Lord’s plan.  Have you surrendered to God’s Lordship?  Who else might be affected by your refusal to submit to the Lord?

When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the Lord’s temple. Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, who were wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They said to him, ‘This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. Perhaps YHWH your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke him for the words that YHWH your God has heard.  Therefore, offer a prayer for the surviving remnant.’”  2 Kings 19:1-4 (HCSB)

Hezekiah was a man who was focused on reforming the spiritual integrity of God’s people.  We must remember that the events we are reading about today happened in the era of Jewish history when the kingdom was divided.  Ten Northern tribes of the Jewish Kingdom split off, refusing to worship in Jerusalem.  In Scripture, they are referred to as “Israel  .”The remaining two tribes, Judah & Benjamin (plus various individuals who left the other tribes to worship the Lord in Jerusalem), formed what is known as the Southern Kingdom, or “Judah  .”Because the Northern Kingdom went straightway into idolatry, its decline was relatively swift.  Assyria eventually conquered Israel and drove them from the Promised Land.  Only Judah remained in the land, but there was a problem.  Judah had also begun adopting paganism to their daily routine and worship.  Notice Hezekiah’s efforts to ensure Judah did not follow the same judgment as Israel.

“He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.  He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, for the Israelites burned incense to it up to that time.  He called it Nehushtan. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to Yahweh and did not turn from following Him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.  The Lord was with him, and wherever he went he prospered.  He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.  He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.” 2 Kings 18:3-8 (HCSB)

Even after all of Hezekiah’s efforts of reform, Assyria’s army was now poised to attack Jerusalem.  How discouraging, after all that Hezekiah did to drive paganism from Judah, the pagan Assyrians might yet destroy them.  Hezekiah’s response: seek the Lord through Isaiah the prophet.  When our “faith tank” is empty, and we seem entirely out of zeal and strength, it is comforting to know that the zeal of the Lord never fails!  It is His strength we must rely upon to deliver us and to fulfill His Word.

“For a remnant will go out from Jerusalem and survivors, from Mount Zion.  The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.” 2 Kings 19:31. (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Kings 4. Click the links below to watch or listen!

“Then the Rabshakeh said to them, ‘Say now to Hezekiah, “Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: ‘What confidence is this in which you trust? You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words.  And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? Now look!  You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it.  So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”’?  2 Kings 18:19-22 (NKJV)

I sincerely miss those days in my early 20s when I was young in my faith.  I took the Bible at face value and boldly and unashamedly set to live out God’s Word.  I took risks based on faith, and the Lord proved Himself faithful.  As He was faithful to reveal His Word to me, I was faithful to trust His Word by obeying it, and in turn, He would bring to pass the things He led me to accomplish.  So, my faith grew.  I remember one time when car expenses had drained my bank account.  I went to the mailbox to find a letter from a friend in another city who felt the Lord had led them to write me a random bank check that turned out to be exactly what my expenses were for the rest of the month!  

I remember the first time, though, when I really felt I needed provision from the Lord, but it did not come in the time frame in which I expected it.  I got so despondent.  I was depressed, actually.  It was as if I had forgotten all the faithful things the Lord had done.  I began to doubt if any of those earlier situations were truly from the Lord or whether I had just imagined it all along.  That was the beginning of a process where I came to realize that God was building my faith to trust Him in bigger things for longer periods of time.  

Hezekiah must have felt that way, as the army of Assyria was at his gates.  Where had the God of the reforms retreated, the God who allowed Hezekiah to tear down the former high places?  It is hard for us when God seems silent.  And we must learn to trust in the One who says He will never leave of forsake us.  (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Hebrews 13:5)   So, what was the testimony of Hezekiah when the Assyrian army came knocking?  He feared Assyria more than the Lord!  And his fear rose to the point of stripping gold and silver from the house of the Lord to pay the Assyrian king to leave.  (2 Kings 18:14-16)

But what was the testimony that the Lord wanted to hear from Hezekiah?  Notice the question the Assyrian Rabshakeh asked: “But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?” (2 Kings 18:22)   Why would he assume that the God of Israel would be angry with Hezekiah for tearing down idols?  Because of the false testimony of the Israelite priests from Samaria.  (2 Kings 17:24-29)   God allowed the Assyrian army to stand at the gate of Jerusalem so the king of Judah could testify on behalf of the true God of Israel!  How do you respond when He brings opportunities for you to testify?

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“Then King Ahaz cut off the frames of the water carts and removed the bronze basin from each of them.  He took the reservoir from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pavement.  To satisfy the king of Assyria, he removed from the Lord’s temple the Sabbath canopy they had built in the palace, and he closed the outer entrance for the king.”  2 Kings 16:17-18 (HCSB)

What lessons should we learn from this account of Ahaz’s new measures?  First, the king’s innovations imply that he felt there was a deficiency in orthodox worship.  Ahaz apparently thought temple worship could be improved and that an upgrade was in order.  Ahaz wanted to be more than a king.  He wanted to be a priest as well.  Perhaps, he felt some worldly artistic influence should kick off his priestly inauguration.

But whenever we supplement or “enrich” worship, we imply that worship, as God directs, is somehow deficient.  One wonders if our post-modern church culture now runs the same danger.  In principle, our worship is the same as Biblical Judah’s: Prayer and Praise based on Atonement (Jesus’ sacrifice).  That doesn’t mean our worship can’t have a creative variety or that it must be necessarily tedious.  But why do we keep toying with worship, thinking that we have to soup it up with a boundless pursuit of production?  It is evident that many leaders within the Church hold to the idea that Jesus and the Bible are simply no longer enough to captivate people’s attention.

Evil is helped by weakness as much as by wickedness.  Whatever Ahaz commands, Uriah does.  Obviously, Uriah had much to lose should he refuse to go along with Ahaz’s liturgical renovations.  Some of us know what that is like.  Some know what it is to leave a congregation because they could not continue with a pastor (or a denomination) who refuses to be grounded in the foundation of Scripture.

It can feel like your security has been kicked in the solar plexus (for you professional wrestling fans), but the way of peace, “Uriah-style,” never leads to righteousness.  It merely cooperates with wickedness.  Often, God calls leaders to conflict rather than cooperation.  OFTEN TIMES.  Beware of the congregation that advertises “unconditional acceptance” over adherence to God’s Word.  Beware of those who pride themselves in making the congregation a comfortable place at the risk of diluting the confrontational nature of Gospel truth.

Resist the urge to pray for compromised peace when God calls for an uncompromising spiritual battle!  There is no victory without one side completely surrendering to the other.  And we serve the King of Kings, Lord of Lords!  Compromise does not bring peace, only a temporary ceasefire.  In the Middle East, “peace” means “reload.”  We are called to live victoriously.  (1 John 5:4-5)  That should be our attitude – not because we crave conflict, but because we fear spinelessness that concedes to other men’s faithlessness and sin.

“In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, except that the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. Then the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land.” 2 Kings 15:1-5 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter lists various kings in the divided Hebrew kingdom.  (The Divided Kingdom consisted of two sub-kingdoms: Israel and Judah.)  The leaders of both Israel and Judah varied in their devotion to the Lord.  

It is hard not to focus on the kings of Israel.  The man who was mainly responsible for the divided kingdom, Jeroboam, led 10 of the 12 tribes straightway into idolatry, forbidding them to worship the Lord in Jerusalem.  So, idolatry was the norm for Israel.  Because of their idolatry, the rulers of Israel only reigned for a few years each.  (One of them only reigned for a month!)  They seem to be absent of vision and a moral code.  Doesn’t it remind us of the world today, with its driven “dog-eat-dog/every-man-for-himself” attitude?  There is nothing attractive about Israel that makes the onlooker want to emulate them.  We would rather avoid them!

In contrast, Judah’s kings typically reign longer, and their kingdoms are more stable.  Notice that there are five kings of Israel for the two kings of Judah.  Why?  Because Judah sought after the Lord.  At least, their kings did.  Notice how the kings of Judah are listed as having done “right in the eyes of the Lord.”  Lest we beatify Judah’s kings in contrast to Israel’s kings, we have the Lord’s charge against them: “Nevertheless, the high places were not removed.” Hence, while Judah’s kings were more stable, they both suffered difficulty: one from Leprosy and the other from terrorism.

“In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. However, the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.  He built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? In those days the Lord began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.” 2 Kings 15:32-37 (NKJV)

Let today’s passage remind us that we are not measured by how we fare against other men.  We are measured by God’s standard, the Bible.

“In the fifteenth year of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam II son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria and reigned 41 years.  He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.  He did not turn away from all the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.  He restored Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word the Lord, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher.  For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter.  There was no one to help Israel, neither bond nor free.  However, the Lord had not said He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so He delivered them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.”  2 Kings 14:23-27 (HCSB)

Asthma nearly killed Theodore Roosevelt as a small boy.  One night he had a horrible asthma attack and his father made him smoke a cigar.  Apparently, cigars were on the list of proposed “antidotes” back in those days.  Today, we would never consider cigars could cure asthma.  In the same way, we are puzzled over today’s passage.  Jeroboam II did evil in the Lord’s eyes, yet this king restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath all the way to the Sea of the Arabah.

Evil and success are as strange a combination as asthma and cigars.  Why is the Lord allowing this to go on?  Why doesn’t He bring Jeroboam’s reign down in an "iron-rod" style disaster?  Why is it that Israel still worships calves, and times were never better?  There is wickedness in the high places, and at the same time, there is military expansion and a booming economy.  You’re free to your own political opinions, but the whole thing reminds me of the United States under the Bill Clinton presidency: openly godless scandals at the executive level and high approval ratings with a balanced budget.

Why are things this way?  Because of the Word of the Lord.  God had spoken through the prophet Jonah’s prediction of this massive military recovery of Israel.  However, behind this mysterious “Word from the Lord” stands His warm compassion, and this compassion drove His Word.  The Lord is the same Exodus-Era God, Who sees the affliction of His people.  Israel might be on the verge of being wiped out, but (for now) the Lord is still reluctant to take them there.

So we know Jeroboam’s success was not an indicator of the Lord’s favor but only His pity.  This idea is a little unnerving because the text says to us (whether nations or individuals): Do not mistake the Lord’s patience for His pleasure.  

In fact, the Bible values all human achievement and grandeur that does not bow the knee to the Lord as wasted.  Paul called his good works (apart from Jesus) “filthy rags.”  This point, of course, strikes not only at deviant kings but also at those who claim to minister and serve in Jesus’ name but who too easily become engrossed with their performance or career success.

“In the twenty-third year of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned 17 years.  He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.  So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He surrendered them to the power of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad during their reigns.  Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord heard him, for He saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel.  Therefore, the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans.  Then the people of Israel dwelt in their tents as before, but they didn’t turn away from their sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.  Jehoahaz walked in them, and the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria.  Jehoahaz did not have any army left, except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them, making them like dust at threshing.”  2 Kings 13:1-7 (HCSB)

There is a surprise in today’s passage.  Jehoahaz was a devotee of the cult of Jeroboam.  This is no surprise.  We’re used to hearing it by now!  He was so committed to it that despite all the conditions the Lord allowed him to suffer, Jehoahaz “did not turn from it.”

Notice the theological segment placed amidst the usual narrative.  We should not be surprised that the wrath of the Lord ignites against Israel or that He continually gives them over to the power of Hazael and Ben-hadad.  However, we ARE surprised that Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord.

“Those who reject the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law battle against them.”  Proverbs 28:4 (HCSB)

Naturally, we are ready to shoot our Proverbs 28 arrow at Jehoahaz.  Before we launch it, however, we meet a more surprising surprise: The Lord listened to him, to a calf worshipper!  Why on earth would the Lord do that?  Because He saw how the King of Syria oppressed Israel.  God is still the same “Book-of-Exodus” God, the One who notices the afflictions of His people and desires to deliver them in hopes of winning their repentance.  In a few chapters, we will see how He is the same God of judgment and chastisement, even to his children.

How did the Lord answer Jehoahaz?  He gave Israel a “savior.”  But everyone wonders who that “savior” was.  It was certainly not Jehoahaz and was most likely subsequent kings, Jehoash and Jeroboam II.  Actually, it doesn’t matter much.  What matters is that the Lord gave Israel a savior when they needed one.  The tragedy is how Israel was so ungrateful for their deliverance.  They just kept on sinning.  The warmth of God’s pity did not soften the hardness of their infidelity.  There was no memory carryover that claimed and won their gratitude.  

This reminds me of today’s church culture.  Israel wants relief from trouble, not a relationship with God, and she craves therapy, not transformation.  Guard yourself against this mindset!

“In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king and reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, who was from Beer-sheba. Throughout the time Jehoiada the priest instructed him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight. Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.” 2 Kings 12:1-3 (HCSB)

There is a story of a British colonel whose battalion was defending a bridge in World War II.  Ammunition was nearly gone, casualties were high, and the colonel’s men had been fighting for fifty hours without let-up.  During this time, one of the battalion chaplains met the colonel, who was coming out of a toilet.

A smile lit up the colonel’s grimy, stubble-covered face.  “Father,” he said, “the window is shattered, there’s a hole in the wall, and the roof’s gone.  But it has a chain, and it works.” Amid the blasts and ruin, devastation and death, there was a welcome bit of consistency: The toilet still works!

That is the testimony of verses 1-3 of today’s chapter.  Out of the evil of Athaliah’s regime in chapter 11, with royal blood dripping from her hands and tyranny reigning on her throne, there is, nevertheless, a seven-year-old heir of David who begins to reign.

So, what is our practical application of this observation?  What seems only statistical, the rote observations of kingly rule: installation, slight reform, compromise, is, in fact, glorious.  What appears dull is thrilling.  It’s as if the writer says, “The kingdom is divided, and in shambles, people don’t have any money, the Temple is in disrepair, but the covenant still works!

It is of utmost importance that believers grasp all this; otherwise, they become ungrateful for the mundane provision of the Lord.  So often, we become ministry “adrenaline junkies,” miracle-hounds looking for the next big move of God.  Israel and Judah should have been relieved when the boiling-point drama of royal apostasy simmered down to a step-by-step kingdom.

Surely, we recognize that many of God’s gifts come wrapped in plain brown paper packages.  Still, they are gifts of the Lord.  Mundane mercies are mercies nonetheless, and simple provisions are still provisions.  

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (HCSB)

If the Lord has granted us civil order, is that no less a miracle simply because it feels ordinary?  Remember: there is nothing petty about God’s simple provision.  If you’ve ever gone without it for a season, you will praise the day it returns!

“When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.  Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, secretly rescued Joash, son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom.  So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed.  Joash was in hiding with Jehosheba in the Lord’s temple six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.” 2 Kings 11:1-3 (HCSB)

When I was a boy, I was so excited to watch TV at Christmastime!  The reason was that I loved those “claymation” Christmas programs on network TV.  The stories always had some plot, where Christmas was about to be canceled or foiled by some villain.  In the same tradition, you may have never cared about 2 Kings 11, a baby named Joash, or his aunt who saved him…but you may be interested to know that Jehosheba is literally the “Aunt who saved Christmas.”

Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah, was on a murderous campaign to destroy the royal Davidic family line of the house of Judah!  Talk about your anti-Christs...she was one of the worst of them!  Athaliah was just one baby away from eliminating Christmas…and your and my salvation!  You see, by God’s Word, Messiah had to come from the Line of David.

Long before Luke 2, God’s hand was at work protecting and preserving Jesus’ advent.  If Athaliah had had her way, there wouldn’t have been any shepherds and Angels in glorious appearance, swaddling clothes, or good news of great joy.  Yes, today, as we are hauling crumpled-up wrapping paper to the curb, perhaps, we should pause and remember the aunt who saved Christmas.  

We should thank God for using an otherwise forgettable individual in Israel’s history to save the line of the Savior.  We should also reflect on how He chooses to call us…otherwise insignificant humans…to receive salvation and carry His gospel to an otherwise damned people.  As someone was “Jehoshaba” for us, we have the opportunity to be “Jehosheba” for others, sheltering them from the Enemy.

What I like about today’s chapter is how absent and yet completely present God is.  Of course, He is always present and working in our midst, but He doesn’t always announce Himself in “thus sayeth the Lord” terms.  In 2 Kings 11, God is indirect in accomplishing His plan of redemption.  He does not inject a word, and there is no evidence of any explicit activity on His part.

But we know better.  We know how He works in our lives.  He usually goes about His work without attracting our attention.  Sometimes we even feel He has abandoned us because we cannot see the expected trappings of His deity.  Today’s passage is another invitation to enjoy – in Scripture, history, and experience – the refreshing subtlety and mighty silence of our God.  It is the stuff that makes faith worth it…when the Lord’s “slow reveal” is fully realized, and our “Praise God!” is matched with His “Well done.”

“So Jehu got up and went into the house.  The young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “I anoint you king over the Lord’s people, Israel.  You are to strike down the house of your master Ahab so that I may avenge the blood shed by the hand of Jezebel – the blood of My servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord.  The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will eliminate all of Ahab’s males, both slave and free, in Israel.  I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.  The dogs will eat Jezebel in the plot of land at Jezreel – no one will bury her.”’  Then the young prophet opened the door and escaped.”  2 Kings 9:6-10 (HCSB)

I am writing this at a time when my own country is straddled with a “sluggish” economy.  TV News is broadcasting the endless rants of economists and politicians talking about stimulating the economy with various measures, which may make up another “stimulus package.”  I do not believe anything can alter the downward course of our nation, apart from Biblical revival.

Sometimes in Scripture, the Lord seems to “jump-start” or stimulate history’s course with His Word.  We see that in today’s passage.  No sooner does the prophet throw open the door and bolt off, and no sooner does Jehu report his words to his comrades that a revolt is underway.  What stirred that up?  What was the catalyst?  The Word of God.  No doubt, Jehu and his friends were quite happy to rebel; nevertheless, it was the Lord’s Word that emboldened them to do it.

We saw the same thing in 2 Kings 8:7-15.  Elisha itemized the disaster Hazael would inflict on Israel: Blazing fortresses, killing young draftees in war, bashing infants to death, and slicing-open pregnant women.  Elisha wept, and Hazael smiled.  But how could he do this? Elisha informs him that the Lord has shown him that Hazael is to be king of Syria.  It was Hazael’s decision to make, but Elisha’s Word from the Lord was the catalyst behind it.

The Word of God incited Peter to submission instead of rebellion.

“Then Jesus told him (Peter), ‘Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword.  Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions of angels?  How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?’” Matthew 26:52-54 (HCSB)

What does Jesus mean – “this way”?  He means that the Scriptures have said that Messiah’s work will be accomplished through the weakness of the cross, not by the power of the sword.  Although both plans would have removed the disciples from immediate danger, only one would have provided eternal salvation.  What areas of your life are you weighing the options of faithfully following God’s Word and trusting Him to provide deliverance versus formulating your personal escape plan?

“Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, ‘Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.’  Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son was restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land.  And Gehazi said, ‘My lord, oh king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.’”  2 Kings 8:4-5 (NKJV)

It was a conversation in the background that the writer of 2nd Kings places into the foreground, something that Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life.  Elisha gave her a tip that only a prophet could know, something about a coming 7-year famine, along with advice about what to do “Rise, go, you and your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn.”  She follows the prophet’s counsel, apparently to her advantage, and stays in Philistia seven years.

Why does it help us to know this?  Remember back in 2 Kings 4:9-10, when this woman proposed a little house remodeling project to her husband?  She sensed that Elisha was a “holy man of God,” i.e., the Lord’s prophet, and wanted to make this accommodation for him.  Why?  Simply because Elisha was the Lord’s servant.

“Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.  And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward.  And whoever gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple – I assure you: He will never lose his reward!” Matthew 10:41-42 (HCSB)

God doesn’t miss cold cups of water, and He remembered this woman’s kindness to His servant by showing kindness to her.  So, here was God’s kindness in His “famine warning system.”  Consider what that must have meant to her.  Today’s passage is not the main focus of the chapter, but what an encouragement Elisha’s tip must have been, assuring her that the “Keeper of Israel” had by no means forgotten her.  A small kindness carries a massive encouragement.

Now, after seven years, because Elisha’s short-term prophecy (concerning famine) was exactly fulfilled, this woman trusts the Word of the Lord (concerning repatriation) and returns home.  And what does she find?  Gehazi is preparing the king to give favor to her plea (concerning her property) before he even hears it!

Faith is not FACT until it is tested, and this woman received what all who faithfully trust the Lord’s Word receive: Intimate personal knowledge that the Lord can be trusted!  The prophecies concerning Jesus’ advent, crucifixion, and resurrection have been fulfilled. Now it is up to us to faithfully believe His (yet) unfulfilled promise of return and commit to following Him, knowing He’ll be talking to the King when we enter into eternity.  “Oh, just the person we were speaking of….”

“Elisha said, ‘Hear the Word of the Lord!  This is what the Lord says: “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, six quarts of fine meal will sell for a shekel and 12 quarts of fine meal will sell for a shekel.”’  Then the Captain, the king’s right-hand man, responded to the man of God, ‘Look, even if the Lord were to make windows in Heaven, could this really happen?’  Elisha announced, ‘You will in fact see it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat any of it.’” 2 Kings 7:1-2

Today’s chapter is one of Grace and Judgment.  The message of grace was delivered to the king personally by Elisha, the prophet.  Elisha, knowing Jehoram was on his way to oversee his execution, had the men with him bar the door against the king’s executioner. The king had become impatient and figured that waiting on God was pointless.  God always seems irrelevant to those who have no place for Him in their hearts.  

Elijah brought the king’s rage to an abrupt halt with his message of Hope and Grace: The Syrian-induced famine would abruptly end, and the very next day, Samaria would enjoy abundance.  In addition, to short-circuiting his own execution, Elisha’s message of Grace set the stage for additional characters to enter the stage.

First, we have the king’s Captain.  No sooner was the promise of abundance out of Elisha’s mouth than this man offered a negative prediction: “Look, even if the Lord were to make windows in Heaven, could this really happen?”  A sour and shriveled spirit pits us against everyone & everything.  A great evil to be strongly avoided, the sour spirit is never more dangerous than when it manifests itself in rejecting the Gospel.  

In the Gospel of Jesus, we have a message of Grace that makes Elijah’s message pale in comparison.  It tells us that God has, as it were, made windows in Heaven.  But many scoff at God’s plan of salvation and refuse to accept it.  This Captain is a warning for all who harbor a bitter spirit against the Lord and His provision!  Elisha’s word was fulfilled in the most frightful manner - that Captain was trampled the very next day as the people were in a frenzy to collect their portion of God’s abundance.  God’s message of Grace to King Jehoram was a message of Judgment for the king’s Captain.

In a significant role reversal that must have challenged the social paradigms of ancient Israel, the positive response to Elisha’s “message of Grace” came from four lepers.  These men rejoiced in God’s Graceful provision and shared it with others.  The lepers wasted no time enjoying the bounty; then, it occurred to them that their city was starving.

Followers of Jesus cannot help but see themselves in these men who suffered from leprosy.  We, too, have been saved by Grace!  We were suffering in our sin conditions when the Grace of God, through Jesus, intervened.  Still, we identify with them on yet another level. They realized they were doing wrong by keeping God’s Grace to themselves!  Let’s adopt their words as our motto: “…come, let us go, and tell…” (2 Kings 7:9)

“The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, ‘Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us.  Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there.’  ‘Go,’ he said.  Then one said, ‘Please come with your servants.’  ‘I’ll come,’ he answered.  So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.  As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water, and he cried out, ‘Oh my master, it was borrowed!’” 2 Kings 6:1-5 (HCSB)

Idolatry was flourishing in the land of Israel.  We must keep that in mind as we consider today’s passage so that we can appreciate the request of the sons of the prophets.

There have been many times, throughout the generations, in which evil was so strong that it seemed the Lord’s cause would entirely fail.  Elisha’s predecessor, Elijah, had experienced such a time.  After Jezebel threatened his life, he fled (was led by God) to Mount Horeb, the mountain on which Moses received the Torah of God for Israel.  Mt. Horeb was where it all began, and Elijah went back to report that (from his viewpoint) it had all ended.  Elijah believed he was the last faithful Israelite, and his life was hanging on by a thread.  Elijah was in for a surprise: it was NOT over.  The Lord had reserved seven thousand faithful prophets in Israel who had refused to bow a knee to Baal.

The Israelite captives in Babylon (who were the recipients of the books of the Kings and the Prophets) may have very well thought that their nation had reached the end of the line, that Israel would become assimilated into the Babylonian culture and never exist again as a nation.  The fact that the school of the prophets had to build larger quarters in an evil era was a tiny reminder for them that God preserves and expands His cause, even during dark and evil times.

The presence of Elisha with these young prophets also indicates something of his personal interest in them and their endeavors.  The prophet through whom the Lord had worked mighty miracles did not allow himself to be puffed up with pride.  He did not consider himself to be of such importance that he could not associate with these men, these yeshiva students, in such a simple, mundane activity as constructing a new building.

As the Lord’s representative, Elisha’s willingness to be involved with this project is a picture for us of the Lord’s interest in the details of our lives, those details that others would consider small and insignificant.  Jesus, Himself, comforts us in the same manner.

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NKJV)

Even down to such an insignificant thing as a lost ax handle, the Lord is willing to extend His miraculous hand.  He does this to encourage the Kingdom worker and to provide for

the ministry resources needed to complete His objectives through His servants, unto the glory of His Name.

“So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.  Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, ‘Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean.’  But Naaman got angry and left, saying, ‘I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and will wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease.  Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  Could I not wash in them and be clean?’  So he turned and left in a rage.” 2 Kings 5:9-12 (HCSB)

When we first meet Naaman, he seems likable enough.  He was the “commander of the Army of Syria” and is also identified as “a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master.” (v. 1)

But we soon discover that Naaman was a very proud man.  Losing his temper outside Elisha’s house, along with his claim of the superior qualities of the rivers of Syria, put Naaman’s pride on display.  Naaman was filled with nationalistic pride.  Syria meant everything to him. He loved Syria’s military superiority, her religion, and her culture.  He loved his own station in life, and he attributed that to the greatness of Syria.

Before we leave Naaman thinking his story is just a historical account, it is important that we recognize the “Naamans” in our own culture.  We call them “men of the World.”  The man of the World is an interesting (and in many ways admirable) type of man.  He has a zest for life.  He fully enjoys the best of all the World can offer him in culture, amusement, wealth, variety, pomp, and sport. The religion of the Bible (to the Worldly man) is completely unreal compared with his (perceived) reality in the World.

He ponders Jesus and the cross and sees little to glory in compared with all he has in the World.  He feels that the Kingdom of God is distant and very unattractive compared with success in this World.  From his own point of view, the “man of the World” feels quite certain that his life is vastly superior to that of the man who confines most of his life to the sphere of faith-in-Jesus and Christian community.

No, if Naaman were going to measure life’s value and worth by the amount of excitement, amusement, and adventure it offers, then it was not really of any advantage to follow YHWH.  Oh yes, except for that whole “leprosy” thing.  You see, once “Naamans” recognize they are HELPLESS in the World and all of its idolatrous incarnations have proved worthless and cannot be trusted unto salvation, they are left to 1) DESPAIR in their “fate” or 2) HUMBLE themselves and seek God through His Word.

What I like is how Elisha humbly displayed that the Word of the Lord is more important than God’s messenger.  Through his closed front door, Elisha simply preached God’s Word for Naaman and didn’t even walk outside his house!  The power of God, working through Naaman’s obedience to His Word, is what brought about Naaman’s healing, not the prophet’s persona or eloquence or his perceived innate power.

“One of the wives of sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, ‘Your servant, my husband, has died.  You know that your servant feared the Lord.  Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves.’” 2 Kings 4:1 (HCSB)

The widow in this passage is only identified as “One of the wives of the sons of the prophets.”  (4:1)  However, her value to us resides not in how much space she occupies in Scripture…or in the amount of information we have about her…but rather in the single great lesson, she has to teach us.

Here is a woman who demonstrates, for all generations, the way to face surpassing demands when we find ourselves with only meager resources.  She shows us that the abounding resources of the Word of God become ours to the degree that we place our faith in them.  I am not advocating what is known as “prosperity” theology…where God acts as a benevolent “genie” every time one of his children rubs the Bible.  I am simply saying the Bible clearly promises that God’s Grace is sufficient for us, and we have peace in our hearts to the extent that we are willing to trust the Lord as He has revealed Himself in His Word, the Bible.

Today’s passage wastes no time introducing us to the surpassing demands this woman is facing.  Her husband died, leaving her with two sons and substantial debt.  Her creditor, a human iceberg, had decided that her sons would make a highly suitable payment for her debt, and he was soon to come and take them as his slaves.

While some of the terms of today’s story seem foreign, many in our midst are facing similar situations today.  Nobody is probably coming to arrest your family member or friend to put them into slavery, but we all know someone who has incurred financial trauma.  I have known many people on collision courses with bankruptcy and/or a home foreclosure.  These are good, God-fearing people who do all they know to honor the Lord, yet they find themselves in dire straights.  Their main questions are “Why?” and “What now?”

The woman in today’s passage was disillusioned by it all.  The perplexity she felt is evident in her plaintive cry to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, has died.  You know that your servant feared the Lord.” (4:1)  We would like to believe that serving God makes us exempt from the troubles of life, that God spares us such things because of our service; but it is not so.  We want this passage to encourage us that this woman and her husband served the Lord and lived happily ever after, but it does not.

Some would lead us to believe that there is a serious flaw in the faith and service of this woman and/or her husband.  They insist there is no need for the children of God ever to be ill or experience financial reversals.  But today’s passage finds no fault with the faithful service of this family.  Perhaps, her condition is like that of a man Jesus healed.  When the disciples asked whose sin brought about his condition, Jesus replied that the man was as he was “so the Works of God might be displayed.” (John 9:1-7)

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“From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him, chanting, ‘Go up, baldy!  Go up, baldy!’  He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the children. From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel, and then he returned to Samaria.” 2 Kings 2:23-25 (HCSB)

The presence of miracles in the Bible inevitably leads people to one of two extremes.  On the one hand, some deny that the advantages of the Bible ever took place.  As far as they are concerned, God has left the World to operate completely based on natural laws.  Of course, this view attacks the very heart and soul of what it means to follow Jesus.  It denies the testimony of Scripture and the Bible’s message of redemption.  If there is no possibility of miracles, Jesus was not God in the flesh, and He did not arise from the grave.  If these miracles are not true, there is no eternal salvation.

The other extreme is to suggest that miracles should be common for believers, an ongoing experience.  (Just how the miraculous can be commonplace and still be miraculous is a bit of a puzzle!)  Those who hold this position fail to recognize that the miracles of the Bible are not spread evenly throughout Scripture.  

Biblical miracles are separated into clusters: 1) Under Moses when the Lord was delivering Israel from Egypt and establishing her as a nation; 2) During the ministries of Elijah and Elisha; 3) During the Babylonian captivity of the Jews; 4) During the ministry of Messiah Jesus and shortly after His ascension; 5) During the age of the Apostles; 6) The last days.

Each of these clusters occurred at a time of great crisis or transition, always for the good of God’s people as a whole, with the intent of furthering God’s plan of redemption.  Many so-called “miracles” today seem more in the nature of personal luxury from the perspective of making life more comfortable for certain individuals.  God sent Elijah and Elisha to stop the spiritual decline of Israel and draw her back to Him. God publicly confirmed their ministries by allowing them to perform miracles.

Immediately after the Lord took Elijah, He established Elisha’s prophetic office with two miracles: HEALING the waters at Jericho and CURSING a group of rebellious boys.  The first miracle illustrated the nature of true salvation.  Accursed Jericho repented, sought the Lord’s mercy, and obtained it.

The second miracle shows how (formerly blessed) Bethel incurred judgment upon itself by turning away from the Lord to worship idols.  It could be that Elijah had begun his ministry by taking a vow to the Lord, hence shaving his head.  The boys, therefore, were mocking Elijah’s piety, perhaps provoking him so they could see him perform some kind of “sign.”  (Matthew 12:39)  Note: There is no indication that any of the boys were killed, only mauled.  A hard lesson, indeed.

"But the Angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?"'"2 Kings 1:3 (NKJV)

Years ago, I was watching television when an announcer broke into regular programming to announce that Osama Bin Laden had been killed.  I was glad to know that man’s days of terror were over.  In the hours that followed, worldwide news outlets broadcast jubilant celebrations spanning several continents.  An evil man was no longer terrorizing the World.  But after the celebrations quieted, the sobering reality set in: terror itself was not dead.  We were merely one less terrorist out of hundreds of thousands.  Bin Laden’s evil organization was multi-layered and sophisticated.

Second Kings begins on a positive note: Ahab is dead!  “Ahabs” always die – that is good news.  The bad news is that “Ahab Jr.” follows him.  Ahaziah is a chip off the old, dead block.  Welcome to Gangland, 852 BC.  

Who knows exactly how it happened?  Ahaziah fell from the second floor when some screenwork gave way.  Apparently, a serious injury was incurred since his inquiry implies he was uncertain of recovery.  Israel’s king in Samaria believes his hope for years to come resides in a temple forty-five miles away in Philistia.

“But the Angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite….”  God does not nap when apostasy is afoot.  Messiah, Himself (the Angel of the Lord) intervenes.  Elijah’s question to Ahaziah’s messengers is both question and judgment.  Just like that, Ahaziah is confronted with the “intolerant” God of Israel!

Some people get upset at the idea of a God Who, in His wild, untamed holiness, would sentence a man to death simply for exercising his sincere religious preferences in a critical hour of his life.  God is not the tolerant sort of God people crave, Who can co-exist with false religion.  Our post-modern culture would prefer the mythology of the ancient Near East, where gods and goddesses were permissive and casual and never insisted on exclusive loyalty.  None of those deities thought it was a mortal sin, should one of their devotees be ecumenical in his devotion.

But in the Bible, we meet YHWH and keep being reminded of His first commandment.  (Exodus 20:3)  That notion does not change in the New Testament.  Jesus goes around insisting folks must smash idols if they would follow as disciples (Mark 10:21-22).  He is as obnoxious as YHWH!  Who does He think He is…?

People are like tea bags.  You never really know what’s inside until they are in hot water!  Thus, Ahaziah‘s idolatry is revealed.  But what of yourself?  When the water gets hot, do you run to the arms of the World or stand firm on God’s Word?

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“The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, ‘Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king.  So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.’  But Micaiah said, ‘As the Lord lives, I will say whatever the Lord says to me.’” 1 Kings 22:13-14 (HCSB)

Micaiah has just nailed something that neither Ahab nor his messenger understands.  Look back at Ahab’s words in verse 8 and the messengers in verse 13.  What do both assume about God’s Word?  They assume the prophet controls (or can control) the Word of the Lord.  Ahab implies that Micaiah could speak a kinder, gentler Word.  The messenger assumes Micaiah could agree with the company of (false) prophets if he only would.  They do not understand Micaiah’s conviction or his position.  (And they are obviously ignorant of the story of Balaam.) He is bound by the Word of God.  Hence, God’s Word is a constant; it cannot be manipulated by kings, messengers, or slick false prophets.  Sure, people can speak lies and claim the Lord’s inspiration, but they’ll ultimately be weighed by the TRUTH of His Word, and their preaching discovered to be flawed by His true standard.

The true prophet of God is incorruptible.  Whatever Word the Lord gives a prophet is what the prophet must speak.  The prophet is not at liberty to massage, shape, or bend (let alone pervert) that Word.  The Word of the Lord must be passed-on as given.  The true prophet of God is in bondage to the un-coercible Word of God.  The Word of the Lord is free; the servant of the Lord is bound to it - not the other way around.  The “Ahabs” of this World simply cannot comprehend the sovereign nature of God’s Word.

You may say, “So what?  What do the requirements and limitations of a prophet have to do with me?”  Consider the words of Paul:

“Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 (HCSB)

There is a somewhat famous and controversial “celebrity” pastor whose ministry slogan is “Love wins!”  I believe God’s Love wins.  But man’s love must be subservient to prophecy.  Love can only be truly defined through the lens of God’s Word, as revealed by God’s Spirit.  That’s what prophecy is!  And we are ALL to seek prophecy, which means it can be obtained by all of us.  No, I am not talking about predicting the future or writing new books of the Bible.  I am talking about petitioning the Lord to reveal His Scripture to us so that we may know what He requires of us, so we can live in a way that honors Him.  It also carries the intent that He is revealing His truth to us so that we can share it with others, no matter how unpopular His revelation may be.

The pressure to compromise God’s Word in our culture is immense.  That is why we are seeking God’s Word as a community, so we will not be alone in the knowledge of His revelation.  Rather, we should be a people determined to be separate and holy unto Him!

“Then his (Ahab’s) wife Jezebel said to him, ‘Now exercise your royal power over Israel.  Get up, eat some food, and be happy.  For I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’ So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal.  She sent the letters to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.  In the letters, she wrote: Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people.  Then seat two wicked men opposite him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” 1 Kings 21:7-10 (HCSB)

God’s people must expect to suffer injustice in this world.  I am not advocating that we be “doormats” and let people run all over us, but we will be wise to anticipate injustice and defend ourselves against its onset.

Today’s passage is a true picture of what the people of God can expect.  It is as if the writer is saying, “Now, THIS is the sort of treatment believers can expect from the rulers of this World.”

“Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12 (HCSB)

‍It is difficult for believers in Jesus (living in Western culture) to grasp suffering because we are constantly pummeled by other propaganda.  For instance, one televangelist has written: “He promises to heal ALL – everyone, any, and whatsoever, everything – all our diseases!  That means not even a headache, sinus problem, not even a toothache – nothing!  No sickness should come your way.”

If God yearns to pamper us with perfect health, why does a loaded court condemn His servant and stone him to death outside Jezreel?  I am not advocating pessimism, but let’s look at life realistically.  The Bible’s portrayal of believers’ lot in this world is so refreshing precisely because of its sober realism.  It is realism that is missing from much “Christian” telecasting and “pulpiteering” because the suffering of the cross (and the exhortation to take it up and carry it as He commands us to follow Him) has been deleted from their so-called gospel messages.

Yes, there will be injustice on earth, but we serve the Judge of all judges.  So, while we may suffer earthly injustice, God’s justice will prevail!

“Then the man of God approached and said the king of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because the Arameans have said: Yahweh is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys, I will hand over this great army to you.  Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”  1 Kings 20:28 (HCSB)

It is easy to smirk at the pagan Arameans, who think God’s power doesn’t extend to plains and valleys.  But most of us have entertained similar thoughts.  Paganism is not only alive and well in the World; it also lives within the Church!  Our paganism may be more refined (hence, less obvious), yet no different in principle.  Sometimes Syrian theology appears in a “deist” approach to God.

Benjamin Franklin once wrote to George Whitefield: “I rather suspect, from certain circumstances, that though the general government of the universe is well administered, our particular little affairs are perhaps below notice, and left to take the chance of human prudence or imprudence, as either may happen to be uppermost.”

For all intents and purposes, Franklin was an “Aramean.”  What Franklin was saying is that God governs the big show but doesn’t get Himself dirty in the minor details of our lives.  It’s the god-of-the-hills-but-not-of-the-valleys argument all over again.  It says that God operates in the broad strokes of the universe but don’t expect Him to micro-manage.  Have you ever heard “believers” put forth this idea?  It is pagan in that it limits both God’s desire and His jurisdiction.

Sometimes we operate on the reverse heresy: The god-of-the-valleys-and-not-the-mountains.  We have a god of personal need, but not on a global scale.  We become so transfixed on God’s help for our little dilemmas and Aunt Sue’s gall bladder surgery that we lose the God of Psalm 24.

“The Earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; for He laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers.”  Psalm 24:1-2 (HCSB)

Syrian theology simply says there are some areas beyond the reach of the Lord’s arm.  And we can easily slip into this mentality, contrary to our expressed beliefs.  We may catch ourselves assuming that God is at work in religious things but not in routine things.  Or some have a worldly past that has left multiple scars; they are such victims of their experiences that they believe they cannot change or be delivered.  God is the God of the Hills, Valleys - and everywhere else!!  In today’s chapter, He sends messages to (and works His plan through) Ahab, Ben-hadad, Aram, and Israel.  All are undeserving recipients.  All this so that people will recognize that He, alone, is Lord!

No person is so bad that they cannot have God’s grace.  And nobody is so good that they don’t need it.  He is the God of both mountains AND valleys.  The Lord can (and does) work His will through all sorts of people and circumstances.  All that so that we will recognize and worship Him as Lord!

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