Text: 1 Kings 20:1-43 Yahweh graciously spoke through a prophet to the wicked King of Israel, Ahab, promising him victory against the attacking Syrian army. Twice Israel was victorious, but in the second time Ahab spared the life of the Syrian King, Ben- Hadad. We might think it is a kind and merciful thing to[…]
Text: 1 Kings 19:1-21 Wicked Queen Jezebel was kicking up a big storm over the death of the prophets of Baal, and now she seeks to kill Elijah in retaliation. So, Elijah fled to Mount Horeb (Sanai), where Moses received the covenant Laws from Yahweh in the midst of storm, earthquake, and fire. Why was[…]
Text: 1 Kings 18:1-46 Ever since King Jeroboam’s idolatry, the people of God had been led away from Yahweh for about eighty years, even to the point of killing His preachers (v.4). By the hand of Elijah, Yahweh will prove that He is the only true God, that all others are imaginations of men. This[…]
Text: 1 Kings 17:1-24 God is life! The Kings of the two kingdoms were driving their people further away from God, and deeper into spiritual death. Elijah, a prophet, minister of God’s Word and a preacher of life now enters the story. In the passage we just read, Elijah miraculously provides years of life-giving food[…]
Text: 1Kings 16:1-34 Beginning with v.21, we read of a division in the northern kingdom. Omri and Tibni are the two men who were made kings over the two parts of the kingdom. Those following Omri would prove to be stronger and would overpower and defeat Tibni. Though Omri had military strength, spiritually he was[…]
Text: 1 Kings 13:11-34 In yesterday’s meditation we read of God sending a prophet to preach against Jeroboam about his sin of idolatry, a sin into which he led Israel, a sin that would eventually bring destruction to the entire nation (2 Kings17:22). God told the prophet to leave Israel immediately, do not wait. Another[…]
Text: 1 Kings 15:1-34 Abijam, Solomon’s grandson, becomes the second King of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and reigned only three years. But let us note that God will continue the lineage of David, as He promised. Then Abijam’s son, Asa, becomes Judah’s third King, the first good king of Judah.[…]
Text: 1 Kings 14:1-31 King Jeroboam had already set in motion the eventual destruction of Israel. An indicator of this is the death of his son, Abijah. God was pleased with the son (v.13) , and it seems that God was removing him from the downward plunge of the nation. The last thing we read[…]
Text: 1 Kings 12:25 – 13:10 Jeroboam is now King of Israel, but he is afraid that the people, in returning to Judah to worship Yahweh in Jerusalem, will turn their allegiance back to Rehoboam. So he builds two statues, calves of gold, the very sin that almost destroyed Israel when they left Egypt (Ex.32).[…]
Text: 1 Kings 12:1-24 Solomon is dead, and his son, Rehoboam, becomes King of Israel. The old, wise men advised Rehoboam to be gentler than his father, to serve the people, and the people would serve him faithfully. The king then sought out the counsel of his fellow youth and they advised him to be[…]