Daily Bible Devotionals

“Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.’” 1 Kings 17:8-9 (HCSB)

The judge who presided over landlord-tenant cases in Fairfax County, Virginia, had a rather boring, business-as-usual job. But one Friday, something made him pause. A middle-aged deaf couple before him faced eviction for falling $250 behind in their rent. The landlord was insisting on a judgment against the couple. At that demand for justice, the judge abruptly left the courtroom, returning momentarily with two crisp $100 bills and a $50 bill in his hands. “Consider it paid,” he said as he leaned over the bench and handed his own money to the landlord’s shocked attorney. Who could have guessed that help would have come from, of all people, the judge?

Careful Bible readers should not be so surprised. We have seen that what is exceptional for a human judge can be typical for the Lord. He is not above using widows, ravens, and other unlikely agents to sustain His people, according to His Word.

In today’s passage, we see Elijah being sent by God to a widow. What is fascinating is her mailing address: “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon…” (v.9). Zarephath sat about 8 miles south of Sidon and thirteen miles north of Tyre. It was in the home of Jezebel’s father, Ethbaal.

Do you see the big picture? Elijah is headed for “Baalsville,” capital of “Gentileland”! Here, one of Baal’s subjects will learn to trust in the Lord’s Word, and she will find that the Lord will sustain her, even though Baal has left her hopeless and on the verge of death. The Lord will press her into service for the benefit of His prophet, yet in the process, He will give her far more than He demands of her.

Here is a Gentile woman basking in God’s mercy; here is grace that moves beyond the boundaries of the Jewish people and embraces one of Baal’s most hopeless pawns. This came at a time when Israel was rejecting God’s Word (along with the benefits of following it).

Jesus provoked the crowd of His hometown synagogue to want to kill Him by bringing today’s passage of Scripture up one Shabbat morning in Nazareth:

“But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land.” Luke 4:25-26 (HCSB)

The people wanted to stone Jesus, but we rejoice in His message. Why? He told the world that salvation is for ALL who, by faith, leave their pagan ways and follow Him. The exclusivity of the Messiah’s salvation is offered liberally to all who will take hold of it.

“And also the word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed them.” 1 Kings 16:7 (NKJV)

“Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, for all the sins of Elah his son, by which they had sinned and by which they had made Israel sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols.” 1 Kings 16:12-13 (NKJV)

“And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house down upon himself with fire, and died, because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin.” 1 Kings 16:18-19 (NKJV)

“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.” 1 Kings 16:25-26 (NKJV)

“Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.” 1 Kings 16:30

Instability. It is the sign of a nation without a moral compass. If we focus too much on the narrative of each king’s reign, we will conclude that their instability is caused by 1) Choosing the wrong Cabinet Members, 2) Drunken Diversions, 3) Short-Sightedness, 4) the Folly of Trivial Pursuits, 5) the Downside of Diplomatic Alliances.

But the message that God is blaring through His prophetic megaphone is that instability is caused by IDOLATRY. And Idolatry, by the way, is simply stepping away from God’s Word and trusting in another source to provide guidance and establish stability.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Any nation who trusts in the Word of the Lord will find stability, but even nations founded on the Word of the Lord will lose their stability if they depart. So, let’s break it down to the pedestrian level because a nation is the sum of its individual citizens. If we want to see our nation return to stability, we must personally return to the Lord, praying and seeking His Word. And we must plead with others to join us! Revival will not be leveraged from a stage or platform. Revival begins with you and me pursuing the written Word and sharing the Living Word, Jesus. (John 1:1-14)

“In the eighteenth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam, son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah and reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. Abijam walked in all the sins his father before him had committed, and he was not completely devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been.” 1 Kings 15:1-3 (HCSB)

Nothing good is said about Abijam. In fact, hardly anything is said about him. People hardly consider Abijam in Israel’s history, but when they do, they generally view him through one of two lenses: Rehoboam or David. That is, they either consider him no worse than Rehoboam or much worse than David. How you consider Abijam may reveal how you view and weigh the severity of your own sin.

Today, we will focus on Abijam’s “heart condition.” Abijam’s heart was aligned with the sins of his father. Now, to avoid confusion, it is important to point out that Abijam had TWO fathers, for both Rehoboam and David are technically his “father.” One is his immediate father, and the other is his forefather. These respective “fathers” constitute two models; sadly, Abijam chose Rehoboam as his pattern rather than David.

Big Question: If Abijam holds to the half-heartedness of Solomon and maintains the perversions of Rehoboam, why is there still a kingdom in Judah? Why doesn’t God say, “Enough!” to the line of David?

“But because of David, the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem. For David did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, and he did not turn aside from anything He had commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” 1 Kings 15:4-5 (HCSB)

So, why is there still a kingdom in Judah? Because of David. Because of his faithfulness, but more than that – because of the LORD’s faithfulness to David. The Lord made a promise, and in that very promise, He seemed to recognize that David’s descendants might well be scoundrels. (2 Samuel 7:14b) But the kingdom remains – not because man obeys, but because God has decided.

Why don’t the kingdom and people of God vanish into the mists of history? Because God will not permit it. He has decided that His kingdom WILL come. Grace is not only greater but also more stubborn than our sins!

Followers of Jesus have a choice as to the extent of their obedience. If you choose to follow in the steps of your human forefathers, then, predictably, you will not fully enjoy the blessings of your salvation. If you choose to follow the pattern set forth by your Heavenly Father, the blessings remain and resound.

“In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took all the gold shields that Solomon had made. King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the royal escorts who guarded the entrance to the king’s palace. Whenever the king entered the Lord’s Temple, the royal escorts would carry the shields, then they would take them back to the royal escorts’ armory.” 1 Kings 14:25-28 (HCSB)

In 1973, a church in North Hollywood, California, became highly concerned about end-times scenarios. The church had 2000 members and a property estimated at around $1.5 million. This church held the “pre-tribulation” opinion of Jesus’ second coming. That is, they believed the first “installment” of the Messiah’s return consists of Jesus taking His people out of this world (aka the rapture) before the prophesied period of “great tribulation” begins. Nothing wrong with that, but then it got weird.

The leadership of the church (pastors, officers) assumed that most/all of their group would be raptured but apparently did not entertain such high hopes for others. They worried about how the remaining members would keep the property going should the rapture occur. Solution: They changed the church bylaws to allow those “left behind” to elect a temporary chairman, who would then call a church council to elect new corporate officers. I know it is bizarre, but it’s also absurd. Keep a church going without any believers? Maintain an empty image while there remains no substantial reality?

That sounds something like a kingdom where soldiers strut around with bronze shields but have abandoned faithful worship. Rehoboam’s reign, then, foreshadows the judgment that will come upon Judah.

The “divided kingdom” is a depressing story from the very start. Verses 22-24 tell it all:

“Judah did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. They provoked Him to jealous anger more than all that their ancestors had done with the sins they committed. They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree; there were even male cult prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the detestable practices of the nations of the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.”

1 Kings 14:22-24

Immediately after these three depressing verses, Shishak, king of Egypt, marched against Jerusalem. It may be that Shishak did not actually assault Jerusalem but that Rehoboam bought him off with all their valuables. In any case, it hurts seeing all the glittery glory of the previous era being carted off to Egypt.

Lesson: You can shun the Lord if you like, but you must remember that no matter how important and powerful you may feel today, God has “Egyptian Pharaohs” – and a whole slew of other subordinates – at His beck and call. The Giver can also take away. (Job 1:21)

“After he (the old prophet) had buried him (the young prophet), he said to his sons, ‘When I die, you must bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones, for the word that he cried out by a revelation from the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines of the high places in the cities of Samaria is certain to happen.’ After all this Jeroboam did not repent of his evil way but again set up priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained whoever so desired it, and they became priests of the high places. This was the sin that caused the house of Jeroboam to be wiped out and annihilated from the face of the earth.” 1 Kings 13:31-34 (HCSB)

Many questions arise in this chapter. All three main characters are richly intriguing, yet there is not much detail as to the motives behind their actions. One thing we can be certain of is that today’s chapter is about the Word of God.

Let’s consider each main character asking ourselves whether we view God’s Word as they did.

Jeroboam: The Word of God was his MERCY – and he despised it. (v.v. 1-10, 33-34) The Lord does not change; therefore, He has not changed since the days of Jeroboam. God does not hesitate to come barging right at you, straight into the middle of your idolatries. He will throw roadblocks in your path. Sometimes He will send reasonably obnoxious servants to you as well. Guys like me, perhaps! But it is good news that He will do almost anything to pry us loose from our “golden calves.” His mercy makes waves before His judgment arrives. What about Jeroboam? He simply repaired the altar and went on worshipping there.

The Man of God from Judah (Young Prophet): The Word of God was his SAFETY – and he abandoned it. (v.v 11-24) Today’s chapter warns us that the ministry of proclaiming the Word does not exempt us from the duty of obeying that Word. That lifeless form alongside the road to Bethel (like Uzzah’s in 2 Samuel 6:6-8) bears silent witness that it is never safe to venture outside the shelter of the Lord’s explicit Word.

The Old Prophet: The Word of God was his PROFESSION – and he abused it. (v.v. 18-32) The Old Prophet sports an alarming combination: he speaks the truth of God and destroys the servant of God. He has orthodoxy without sanctification. Jesus told us there would be folks like the Old Prophet. (Matthew 7:21-23) In fact, He said that “many” will surrender to Him their ministries of pulpit and power on the last day, ones whom He will address as “those working lawlessness.” We should be terrified if we have the truth, yet the truth does not grip, control, and transform us. For the Old Prophet, the truth seemed to be more of a gig (a job) than a love. “I, too, am a prophet.” The Word of God was his profession – and he abused it.

“Jeroboam said to himself, ‘The way things are going now, the kingdom might return to the house of David. If these people regularly go to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, the heart of these people will return to their Lord, Rehoboam, king of Judah. They will murder me and go back to the king of Judah. So the king sought advice. Then he made two gold calves, and he said to the people, ‘Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here is your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 1 Kings 12:26-28 (HCSB)

Whether apostasy offends the masses depends on how it is pitched. In the 1930s, a horse liniment named Absorbine was plummeting in sales. An advertising man named Obie Winters had the liniment lab tested, and they found that it would work on ringworm of the foot. Nobody wanted to admit they had ringworm on their feet, so, with a stroke of genius, Winters made up a whole new name for such ringworm – “athlete’s foot.”

There is such a difference in the way a condition is marketed! Who would want to admit they had ringworm, even if there were a cure? But “athlete’s” foot? One would almost be disappointed if one did suffer from it periodically. It proves we’re athletic!

That was, tragically, Jeroboam’s genius. He was a great advertising man! Linking his new cult with the bull worship at Sinai seems to have cast a mantle of legitimacy over his innovation. Can’t you just hear him now? “The problem with Israel’s past bull worship was not its apostasy; the problem was in its lack of diversity: Now, we have TWO bulls! Plus, bull worship has roots in our nation’s history. It harkens back to our ancient independent, pioneering spirit!” As any politician will tell you, people seldom care about the truth, and political success depends on how you spin the story.

The more successful false religions major in the subtle spin instead of declaring blatant heresy. Cults use terms like redemptive, reconciling, atoning, relevant, etc., to promote positive emotive values without their proper Biblical context. Mormons won’t approach you directly, alleging that Jesus was born from sexual relations between God and Mary, that he is Lucifer’s spirit brother, or that Jesus Himself celebrated His own marriage to both Mary and Martha. No, they will run cute commercials on your local radio station, urging fathers to spend more quality time with their families. False religion always wants to appear both congenial and justifiable.

That is why our daily pursuit of God’s Word (the Bible) is so important. It is hard to dupe the Biblically literate! Mormons and Jehovah’s Witness are pretty easy to spot. But there are even more subtle heresies within the church, all promising to make your worship easier, more culturally relevant, or personally engaging. Remember: the 1st step away from God’s Word is the 1st step toward apostasy. (Psalm 1:1-2)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Kings 11. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, the food at his table, his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away. She said to the king, ‘The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard.’” 1 Kings 10:4-8 (HCSB)

There is a tendency for us to be appalled by all the gold and splendor in today’s chapter. How could God approve of Solomon’s abundance? At the risk of sounding like I subscribe to the “health & wealth” prosperity gospel (which I don’t), I want to put forth that the prosperity of God’s people is always the gift of the Lord’s goodness. It is the definition of “prosperity,” which is debatable. God’s goodness toward His people demands that we are both thankful (lest we idolize gifts in place of the Giver) and joyful (lest we despise prosperity as though it were sinful) rather than scornful.

Why must we default to being indignant over “materialism” rather than acknowledging that the Lord’s blessing makes some folks wealthy (Proverbs 10:22)? We should allow them to be content to enjoy such provision, should God choose to allow it. Actually, today’s chapter is a prophetic foretaste of the splendor of God’s Kingdom on earth. The Queen of Sheba is a sample of the future tribute the nations will bring to Messiah Jesus.

“May he rule from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth. May desert tribes kneel before Him and His enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and the coasts and islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. Let all kings bow down to Him, all nations serve Him.” Psalm 72:8-11 (HCSB)

“May he rule from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth. May desert tribes kneel before Him and His enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and the coasts and islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. Let all kings bow down to Him, all nations serve Him.” Psalm 72:8-11 (HCSB)

“May He live long! May gold from Sheba be given to Him. May prayer be offered for Him continually, and may He be blessed all day long.” Psalm 72:15 (HCSB)

“…because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of all the Gentiles shall come to you. The multitude of camels will cover your land, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.” Isaiah 60:5b-6 (NKJV)

Furthermore, today’s chapter sets up a word of criticism for unbelievers.

“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here!” Matthew 12:42 (NKJV)

Jesus told the religious leaders of His day (those demanding a miracle) that the Queen of Sheba only needed a few Polaroids of Solomon’s riches and religious extravagance to be wooed. We have something GREATER than Solomon! We have Jesus and His Spirit!

“Now, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’” 1 Kings 9:4-6a (NKJV)

Years ago, while I was having lunch with a pastor friend, he casually mentioned the time “when I got shot.” This shocked me because I did not recall having ever met someone who had been shot, much less who lived to tell about it. Actually, the story was tragically comical. My friend was in grade school when he and a buddy found a .22 rifle cartridge in his father’s desk drawer. They decided to go to the garage and hit the cartridge with a hammer. BLAM! Gunshot. After all the instructions about staying away from guns, those boys had no idea the potential of getting shot lay less in the rifle and solely in the bullet!!

Nobody could say Solomon wasn’t warned – because the Lord told him precisely what the price tag of infidelity would be. God is so kind, isn’t He? He spells it all out; He warns clearly so that we will understand the urgent need for faithfulness.

And God hasn’t changed. The New Testament book of Hebrews (beginning in 2:1-3 and continuing throughout the epistle) scares the stew out of us! That is all to praise God’s grace and the safety of His people.

In today’s chapter, the Lord (through Solomon’s dedication prayer) authorizes the temple as a means of grace where Israel can access His sovereign (and caring) presence. Then, He assures Solomon that he will enjoy Davidic-style blessing so long as he lives a Davidic-like life.

But God’s sobering message is implicit: There is a high cost for apostasy. Infidelity will bring the loss of Territory, Temple, and Throne. The first involves the loss of land and further defines the Abrahamic covenant; the second involves the loss of sanctuary and the visible means of grace established under Solomon’s regime; and the third will entail the loss of kingship and affects the Davidic covenant.

Only a fool would flirt with faithlessness—fools like us. Let today’s chapter encourage us to stay humble, always seeking God’s Word with fearful respect, that all we are and have is because of God’s faithfulness. And that should empower us.