The Bread of Life

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. 40 And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.

42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD. – 2 Kings 4:38-44 ESV

Once again, the author presents his readers with two stories intended to convey a message about the spiritual state of apostate Israel and her faithful, all-powerful God. God’s prophet, Elisha, becomes the primary means by which God reveals His power and authority among the people. In this case, Elisha will have to deal with the effects of yet another famine in the land. During the days of Elijah, God brought a devastating famine on the land of Israel because of the sins of King Ahab and his wicked queen, Jezebel. Elijah had been forced to deliver God’s message of judgment against the apostate king and his pagan, idol-worshiping wife.

“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” – 1 Kings 17:1 ESV

That first famine remained on the land until God determined to lift it, and its end came only after Elijah had defeated the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Through His prophet, God delivered a devastating and decisive blow to the false god of Ahab and Jezebel. And only after a demonstrative display of His power and authority did God relent and restore fruitfulness to the land of Israel.

And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. – 1 Kings 18:45 ESV

Yet, despite God’s gracious act of undeserved kindness, the people remained just as committed to their false gods. King Ahab eventually died, but his two sons carried on his legacy of unfaithfulness, continuing to lead the people of Israel in apostasy and idolatry. As a result, God brought another famine on the land. In doing so, He purposefully transformed a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 33:3) into a wasteland. The people of Israel had decided to forsake Yahweh and worship the false gods of Canaan, so He withheld the rain and allowed their physical conditions to mirror the state of their hearts. Fruitfulness would be replaced with drought.

It would appear that the blessing of rain brought upon the land during the days of Elijah had made little impact on the people. They continued to reject Yahweh as the one true God. So, at some point, God cursed the land with yet another famine. This time, it was Elisha who had to deal with the effects of this divine judgment.

The scene described in these verses involves the prophets of God who have gathered at a place called Gilgal. The identity of the characters and the location are essential to understanding the story. Elijah had gathered together with other men who served as the spiritual spokesmen for God among the people of Israel. This was a conclave of committed Yahweh followers who gathered at the sacred site of Gilgal. This location is significant because it was there that Joshua erected a stone memorial to commemorate the Israelites’ crossing of the Jordan River.

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” – Joshua 4:19-24 ESV

We have no way of knowing whether the stones were still standing during the days of Elisha, but all the prophets of God would have been aware of the significance of their surroundings; they were standing on sacred ground.

Elisha ordered his servant, Gehazi, to prepare a stew for the prophets. Keep in mind that there was a famine in the land, and food would have been scarce. Even these men of God would have been experiencing the impact of Yahweh’s judgment on the land. But Elisha, as Yahweh’s primary representative, took it upon himself to care for his fellow prophets. But one of the men made an innocent, yet potentially deadly mistake. In an effort to assist Gehazi, this unidentified prophet gathered some wild gourds and added them to the stew, but the gourds he picked proved to be poisonous. This young man had tried to help but had made things worse. His ignorance proved to be potentially deadly. His inability to recognize a toxic gourd could have ended in a tragedy. But fortunately, his mistake was caught, preventing any of his fellow prophets from dying as a result of his error.

The lesson here is clear. As prophets of God, these men were to know the difference between the true and the false. They were God’s spokesmen, commissioned by Him to deliver His message of repentance to the people of Israel. They were to point the people back to God. But if they failed to recognize and revere Yahweh as the one true God, they would run the risk of bringing judgment upon the nation. In a sense, the wild gourd is intended to represent the worship of false gods. The young prophet had been fooled by the apparent similarities between a good gourd and one that contained deadly poison. He had not been equipped to spot the differences, and his mistake almost cost his friends their lives.

The false gods the people of Israel worshipped were particularly deceptive because they often resembled the real thing. They were promoted as powerful deities who shared traits similar to those of Yahweh. These gods had altars and temples, and were said to possess supernatural powers that the Israelites would attempt to tap into by offering sacrifices. However, the entire point of the story is that these false gods were ultimately deadly and entirely unable to nourish or sustain the people. They were a poison that brought nothing but death and destruction.

Fortunately, the rest of the prophets of God recognized the presence of the poison, warning one another of the invisible danger before any lives were lost. Then Elisha stepped in and remedied the problem. He took flour and mixed it into the poisoned stew. Just as the wild gourd represents that deadly influence of idolatry, the flour stands for the purifying influence of God’s Word. The truth concerning Yahweh and His commands to worship Him as the one true God was the answer to the deadly influence of Baalism. This entire scene was intended to be a powerful reminder to the prophets of God of their indispensable role as God’s messengers. If they didn’t speak the truth, the people were doomed. If they failed to recognize the deceptive and deadly nature of idolatry, the nation had no hope of survival.

However, through the actions of Elisha, God purified the pot of stew, rendering the poisonous contents not only edible but also beneficial. There are obvious similarities between this miracle and one that Elisha performed earlier. Chapter two contains the story of Elisha transforming the brackish waters outside the city of Jericho. He had been told by the residents, “…the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful” (2 Kings 2:19 ESV). The city had a water source, but it was non-potable. As a result, the land was unfruitful. But Elisha quickly resolved the problem, providing yet another decisive demonstration of God’s power and holiness.

“Bring me a new bowl with salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, “This is what the LORD says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility.” And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said. – 2 Kings 2:20-22 NLT

God used Elisha to make the water drinkable and the poisoned stew safe for consumption. The lesson? God’s presence and power were meant to be tangible and beneficial. He wanted to bless the lives of His people, and only He could bring sustenance and salvation. He was the great provider who could meet all their needs if only they would turn to Him.

God gave His prophets one further demonstration of His incomparable power to provide for all their needs. An unidentified man showed up who hailed from the town of Baal-shalishah. The name of the city is significant because it means “thrice great lord.” It was a town named after the false god, Baal, yet a resident of the city was bringing an offering dedicated to Yahweh. He brought 20 loaves of bread as a sacrifice of the first-fruits of his harvest, and he gave them to Elisha. The people of Israel had no access to the Temple in Jerusalem, so the man had no other way to present his offering to God. When Elisha received the gift, he ordered that it be distributed among his fellow prophets. But Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, informed him that the bread was insufficient to feed the 100 prophets.

Once again, God used Elisha to demonstrate His power to provide. Elisha ordered Gehazi to distribute the bread, telling him, “Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the Lord says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!” (2 Kings 4:43 NLT). When Gehazi followed his master’s instructions, a miracle occurred. All 100 prophets had more than enough bread to eat, and there were even leftovers. This story foreshadows another miracle that took place centuries later when Jesus fed the 5000 with nothing but three loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus, the final and consummate prophet of God, also demonstrated Yahweh’s power through a miracle of multiplication. Matthew records that when Jesus had broken the loaves and the fishes, “they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over” ( Matthew 14:20 ESV). 

In the midst of a famine, God miraculously fed His prophets with stew that He had purified and bread that He had multiplied. Hundreds of years later, when the nation of Israel found itself in another season of self-induced spiritual famine, God sent His Son as the Bread of Life to feed all those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness.

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35 NLT

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – Matthew 5:6 BSB

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Always Faithful Jehovah

1 In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twelve years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. 5 But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 And he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to battle against Moab?” And he said, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8 Then he said, “By which way shall we march?” Jehoram answered, “By the way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. 10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 11 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” Then one of the king of Israel's servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” 12 And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the LORD who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14 And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you.” – 2 Kings 3:1-14 ESV

When Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, died just two years into his reign, his brother Jehoram became the next king of the northern kingdom of Israel, and he proved to be just as evil as his father and brother had been. While he did use his royal power to eliminate the worship of Baal in Israel, “he clung to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it” (2 Kings 3:3 ESV). He refused to remove the false gods that Jeroboam had erected in Dan and Bethel, and his failure to do so kept the spirit of idolatry and unfaithfulness alive in the land of Israel. Rather than calling the people to repentance and encouraging a return to Yahweh, Jehoram simply maintained the status quo, allowing the people to continue placing their hope in the golden calves that Jeroboam had created.

But Jehoram soon found himself in need of divine assistance. His father, who had been a wicked and oppressive king, had managed to make many enemies. One of them was the king of Moab. During his reign, Ahab forced the Moabites to pay an annual tribute consisting of “100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams” (2 Kings 3:4 ESV). But the Moabites found this yearly levy to be onerous, and, as soon as the king of Moab heard of Ahab’s death, he refused to make any further payments.

Jehoram viewed this as a blatant act of rebellion against his authority as the king of Israel. His primary concern was not the loss of the annual tribute, but the potential loss of respect he would face if he did not deal decisively with this blatant affront to his royal reputation. So, determined to teach King Mesha of Moab a lesson, Jehoram mustered all the fighting men of Israel and called on Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, to come to their assistance. Jehoram wanted Jehoshaphat to provide troops and access through Judah's land because he planned to attack Moab from the south.

King Jehoshaphat agreed to assist Jehoram, stating, “Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses” ( 2 Kings 3:7 NLT). This was not the first time that Jehoshaphat aligned himself with an Israelite king. Jehoram’s father, Ahab, had also sought the aid of King Jehoshaphat, requesting his help in winning back the Syrian-held city of Ramoth-gilead. The eager-to-please king of Judah had responded to Ahab with the very same words of commitment.

“Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses.” – 1 Kings 22:4 NLT

Jehoshaphat should have learned a lesson from that first ill-fated alliance with the king of Israel. It almost cost him his life and ended with Ahab dying in a pool of his own blood on the floor of his chariot. But the king of Judah proved to be a slow learner. He agreed to Jehoram’s request, providing Israel with military assistance and unhindered access to Moab through the land of Judah. Since the southern approach to Moab would require Jehoram’s forces to pass through the land of Edom, he also successfully coerced the king of Edom to join their expedition.

For seven days, the combined forces of Israel, Judah, and Edom marched around the southern tip of the Dead Sea, an inhospitable region where rain was scarce and fresh water was in short supply. And long before they could reach their final objective, they ran out of water. They found themselves in the middle of a virtual wasteland, with no means of slaking the thirst of their troops, horses, or pack animals. This mighty military force had come to a screeching halt. In a state of panic, Jehoram cried out, “The LORD has brought the three of us here to let the king of Moab defeat us” (2 Kings 3:10 ESV).

It’s interesting to note that in his most significant moment of need, Judah's apostate king uttered the name of yᵊhōvâ – Jehovah, the one true God of Israel. He didn’t call on the golden calves of Jeroboam. He didn’t mention Baal, the god that his wicked parents worshiped. Instead, he interpreted their dire circumstances as a divine judgment from the hand of Jehovah, and concluded that He was out to destroy them.

But King Jehoshaphat provided a voice of reason. Rather than assume the worst, he suggested that they seek the aid of a prophet of God to determine what they should do. Perhaps God was simply trying to get their attention. It appears that Jehoshaphat suddenly realized they had started this entire endeavor without seeking a word from the Lord. So, he strongly suggested that they do so now.

It just so happened that Elisha, the newly appointed prophet of God, had chosen to accompany the expedition. We’re not told why Elisha was there, but it seems reasonable to assume that his presence had been divinely decreed and ordained. He was there because God, in His providence, had planned it. The very man who had purified the brackish spring water outside the city of Jericho was in their midst (2 Kings 2:19-22). In their greatest moment of need, when all seemed lost, God had placed His spokesman among them.

So, Jehoram and Jehoshaphat schedule a meeting with Elisha. But the prophet of God took full advantage of Jehoram’s predicament, chiding the idolatrous king of Israel for his apparent lack of faith in his own false gods.

“Why are you coming to me?” Elisha asked the king of Israel. “Go to the pagan prophets of your father and mother!” – 2 Kings 3:13 NLT

It is evident that Jehoram put no stock in the golden calves of Jeroboam, and he had no faith that Baal or Asherah would come to their aid. But Elisha couldn’t resist the opportunity to rub the king’s nose in the mess he had made of Israel’s spiritual state. Jehoram, like all his predecessors, had stubbornly and arrogantly chosen to reject Jehovah. He had claimed to believe in a new god. But as soon as he found himself in a predicament that called for divine assistance, his faith became as false as his god.

In his desperation, Jehoram ignored the prophet’s stinging rebuke and declared his strong belief that this was all the work of Jehovah.

“No! For it was the LORD who called us three kings here—only to be defeated by the king of Moab!” – 2 Kings 3:13 NLT

Jehoram was convinced that their expedition was doomed to failure. The God of Elisha had it in for them, and there was nothing they could do about it. But while Jehoram seems to recognize God’s hand in their predicament, he displays no sign of repentance or remorse. He does not confess his apostasy or acknowledge any guilt regarding his idolatry. In his mind, Jehovah was just another God who happened to oppose their plans. If Jehoram could get Elisha to appeal to his God, perhaps they could be spared. Was there a sacrifice they could make to appease Elisha’s God? Could they do something to please Jehovah? Was there a way to get Yahweh to change His mind? That was all Jehoram cared about, and the only reason he was willing to consult with Elisha.

The prophet was not moved by Jehoram’s desperate cries for help. He knew that Jehoram’s interest in Jehovah was motivated by fear and not faith. The threat of divine judgment, although real, had failed to draw Jehoram back to God. Elisha also knew that the king of Israel remained unrepentant and unwilling to acknowledge Jehovah as the one true God. Elisha had no respect for Jehoram, but he agreed to intervene out of respect for Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. After all, it had been Jehoshaphat who suggested they call on the name of the Lord.

“As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I wouldn’t even bother with you except for my respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah.” – 2 Kings 3:14 NLT

Here, in the desolate wilderness surrounding the Dead Sea, the God of Israel was about to show up in might and power. As He had done so many times before, He would intervene in the lives of His rebellious people. In the midst of their unfaithfulness, the always faithful Jehovah would reveal Himself and rescue His unrepentant and undeserving people yet again. Despite their years of blatant disregard for His honor and rejection of His sovereign will, they would find themselves the recipients of his unmerited grace and mercy. Neither Jehoram nor Jehoshaphat will utter a word of confession or repentance. Still, Jehovah will graciously and miraculously meet their need for water and provide them with victory over their enemy. The always faithful Jehovah will satisfy their thirst and deliver the Moabites into their hands. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

You Can Run, But You Can't Hide

1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” 3 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? 4 Now therefore thus says the LORD, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.

5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the LORD, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order, ‘Come down quickly!’” 12 But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king 16 and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”

17 So he died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? – 2 Kings 1:1-18 ESV

The Book of 2 Kings continues the chronicle of the kings of Judah and Israel. With Ahab's death, his son Ahaziah ascended to the throne, and he proved to be cut from the same cloth. “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother…” (1 Kings 22:52 ESV). In other words, he was just as immoral and spiritually bankrupt as every other king who had ruled over the northern kingdom. He not only inherited his father’s kingdom but also his predilection for false gods.  “He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done” (1 Kings 22:53 ESV). And, as the opening chapter of 2 Kings reveals, his penchant for idolatry would prove to be his undoing.

But before the author reveals the fate of Ahaziah, he opens the second half of his history of the kings of Israel and Judah with a somewhat parenthetical statement: “After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel” (2 Kings 1:1 ESV). It seems that Ahab had been extracting a sizeable annual tribute from the Moabites, literally fleecing his smaller neighbor to the east. But upon Ahab’s death, King Mesha put an end to these debilitating payments. 

Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. – 2 Kings 3:4-5 ESV

Before the very outset of his reign, Ahaziah would find himself having to deal with the sins of his father. Ahab had been a harsh and uncaring king who made a lot of enemies along the way, and Ahaziah would have his hands full trying to manage the royal mess his father had left him.

But before Ahaziah had a chance to deal with the rebellious Moabites, he suffered a life-threatening fall that left him confined to his bed in the royal palace in Samaria. His injuries were severe enough that he was concerned about whether he would fully recover. So, he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, seeking a divine prediction concerning his fate. It had been Ahaziah’s parents who had introduced Baal worship to Israel, and he proved to be a faithful adherent to their false religion. In his time of suffering, he sought the counsel of Baal rather than Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. While Baal worship was rampant throughout the northern kingdom, Ahaziah sent his messengers to Ekron, which was located on Israel’s eastern border with Philistia. Ekron was a renowned occult center, and it was far enough away from Samaria that the news of the king’s injuries might be kept a secret.

However, Ahaziah’s messengers never reached Ekron. They were met along the way by Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh. Ahab’s old nemesis appears on the scene once again, but this time, he has bad news for Ahab’s son. Elijah had received instructions from Yahweh, commanding him to intercept the king’s messengers and inform them of their master’s fate. Ahaziah was hoping to hear a positive word from Baal, but instead, he would receive bad news from the God of Israel.

“Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? Now, therefore, this is what the LORD says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.” – 2 Kings 1:3-4 NLT

There is a hint of sarcasm in this message. Yahweh is chiding Ahaziah for sending his messengers all the way to Ekron to seek a word from his false god. Baal worship was rampant within the nation of Israel. There were shrines and high places dedicated to Baal and Asherah all over the northern kingdom. In fact, Ahaziah had access to a Baal temple that his father had built in the capital city of Samaria.

He [Ahab] erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. – 1 Kings 15:32 ESV

And there were literally hundreds of priests and prophets who served on behalf of Baal. Yet, Ahaziah had sent his messengers on a field trip all the way to Ekron in hopes of hearing something from his god. Perhaps he had started his search for an answer at the local temple, but had come up empty-handed. This could have led him to his “long-distance call” to Ekron.

When Ahaziah heard the less-than-positive pronouncement his messengers delivered, he grew suspicious. This was not the news he had been expecting. So, he asked for a description of the man who had predicted his pending death. As soon as he heard what the man looked like, his suspicions were confirmed; it was Elijah the Tishbite. As the son of Ahab and Jezebel, Ahaziah would have grown up hearing the stories of Elijah and his defeat of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He would have been very familiar with his mother’s intense hatred for this prophet of Yahweh. The ongoing battle of words and will between his father and Elijah would have taken place right in front of him. So, when he discovered that Elijah had once again interjected himself into Israel's affairs, he sent guards to arrest him. But, just like the messengers he had sent to Ekron, the guards never made it to their destination.

As visible proof of his role as a spokesman for Yahweh, Elijah called down fire from heaven that wiped out all 50 men, including their captain. But this display of power made no impression on the stubborn and unrepentant Ahaziah. He simply sent another 50 guards who suffered the very same fate. The third commander recognized the divine nature of Elijah’s role and wisely chose to beg for mercy.

“O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants. See how the fire from heaven came down and destroyed the first two groups. But now please spare my life!” – 2 Kings 1:13-14 NLT

The angel of God intervened, instructing Elijah to spare the lives of these men and accompany them back to Samaria. When he arrived in the capital city, Elijah reiterated his earlier message, but this time, directly to Ahaziah. He confirmed that the king would not recover from his injuries. Ahaziah’s stubborn refusal to seek God even in his time of greatest need would come with a death sentence. His unjustified yet unwavering allegiance to Baal had sealed his fate. As always, the words of Elijah proved to be true.

So Ahaziah died, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah. – 2 Kings 1:17 NLT

Yet another king of Israel met an untimely but well-deserved end. The legacy of unfaithfulness, begun by Jeroboam, had been passed down from generation to generation, infecting each successive king and bringing the just and righteous judgment of God upon them. And because Ahaziah had no male heir to whom he could leave the throne, his brother Jehoram became king of Israel.

Ahaziah, like his predecessors, failed to recognize Yahweh as the one true God. He acted as if Yahweh no longer existed in Israel. But he had been proven wrong. Yahweh was still alive and well, and His power was undiminished. While Ahaziah refused to seek Yahweh’s face, he could not escape Yahweh’s sovereign will. The God of Israel could be ignored, but He would not go away.

Ahaziah had made the fateful mistake of rejecting the one true God. Like his father, Ahaziah had stubbornly refused to acknowledge the supremacy of Yahweh, choosing instead to act as if the God of Israel was non-existent and powerless. But as King David declared in one of his psalms, only a fool would dare deny Yahweh’s existence. 

Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!

The LORD looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
    not a single one!

Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
Terror will grip them,
    for God is with those who obey him.
The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
    but the LORD will protect his people. – Psalm 14:1-6 NLT

Ahaziah tried to pretend that Yahweh didn’t exist, but he paid for his folly with his life. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I Am the LORD

16 And they went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him. 17 The servants of the governors of the districts went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, “Men are coming out from Samaria.” 18 He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive. Or if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

19 So these went out of the city, the servants of the governors of the districts and the army that followed them. 20 And each struck down his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them, but Ben-hadad king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and struck the Syrians with a great blow.

22 Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you.”

23 And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places, 25 and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so. 

26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 And the people of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went against them. The people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country.

28 And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” – 1 Kings 20:16-28 ESV

King Ahab found himself in a strange predicament. His capital city, Samaria, was under attack by a confederation of 32 kings, led by King Ben-hadad of Syria. But much to Ahab’s surprise, a prophet of Yahweh appeared with a plan for Israel’s deliverance.

“Thus says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” – 1 Kings 20:13 ESV

The very God whom Ahab and Jezebel had attempted to replace with their false gods announced that He was going to rescue His disobedient and unfaithful people. And Yahweh had told Ahab exactly how the victory would take place.

“By the servants of the governors of the districts.” – 1 Kings 20:14 ESV

God was not going to utilize Ahab’s army to fight the Syrians. This is significant because Ahab, like all his predecessors, had assembled a large military force. Evidence of that fact has been found on an ancient Assyrian stone tablet that bears an inscription describing the battle of Qarqar between Ahab and his enemy, King Shalmaneser III of Assyria. The tablet records the size of the army that assembled to do battle that day as consisting of "2,000 chariots and 10,000 men of Ahab king of Israel."

But on this occasion, Yahweh chose to place Ahab’s formidable resources in a secondary position, choosing instead to use “servants” – a group of ordinary people who, when assembled, amounted to only 7,000 in number.

Confident that he would defeat the Israelites, Ben-hadad and his vassal kings were drinking themselves drunk in a pre-victory celebration. So, when scouts arrived with a report that Israelite forces had been seen leaving the city, Beh-hadad assumed they were bringing news of Israel’s surrender or their decision to continue the battle. While he and his military commanders continued to toast their inevitable victory, the 7,000 servants made their way to the Syrian camp, followed by Ahab and his army.

This surprise attack caught the Syrian forces completely unawares and unable to respond. Led by the 7,000 servants, Ahab’s army quickly routed the Syrians, forcing them to abandon camp and run for their lives. Quickly sobered by this unexpected reversal of fortunes, Beh-hadad managed to escape, but the rest of his forces didn’t fare as well.

And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and struck the Syrians with a great blow. – 1 Kings 20:21 ESV

Notice that the author conveniently eliminates any mention of Ahab’s name. He simply refers to him as “the king of Israel.” He repeats this obvious slight in the very next verse, refusing to give Ahab any credit for the victory. He simply warns him that the battle may be done, but the war is far from over.

“Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you.” – 1 Kings 20:22 ESV

Ben-hadad would be back. He had suffered a devastating defeat, but once he had time to assess what had happened that day, the Syrian king would return, more determined than ever to avenge his loss by destroying the Israelites. Ben-hadad’s advisors encouraged his plans by suggesting that his loss had been divinely ordained. In their pagan way of thinking, the only thing that could explain a loss of this magnitude was the intervention of the gods. They rationalized away their defeat by concluding that they had chosen the wrong place to do battle.  They absolved Beh-hadad of any responsibility for the loss by assuring him, “Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they” (1 Kings 20:23 ESV).

Little did they know how right they were. Their defeat had been the result of divine intervention, but geographic location had played no role in it. Yahweh was the God of the hills and the valleys; He was sovereign over all the earth. Unlike their false gods, Yahweh was unbound by time and space. The extent of His power was limitless. To the God of Israel, the battle location and the size of the opposing army made no difference. And so, when Ben-hadad’s advisors counseled him to rebuild his army and restructure his military command, it would prove to be futile advice. They had no idea what they were dealing with, and their ignorance led them to make some hazardous assumptions.

First, they assumed that the God of Israel was similar to their own gods – limited in power and vulnerable to defeat. Their “theology” relegated the gods to various regions or geographic jurisdictions. In their simplistic way of thinking, some gods ruled over the valleys while other gods had dominion over the hills. Their god had failed to deliver them a victory because they had chosen the wrong location for their battle. So, if they could lure the Israelites into the valley, they would expose Yahweh’s weak spot, and the battle would go their way.

Eager to avenge his loss, Ben-hadad took their advice and spent the winter rebuilding his army. He replaced the 32 kings with seasoned military commanders and ordered the construction of new chariots. He also made plans to take the fight to the valley, where the God of Israel would have no power and play no role in the outcome of the battle.

It is fascinating to consider that all of this was according to the sovereign will of God. He had orchestrated all the details concerning the original battle, including Ben-hadad’s escape. God had even told Ahab that the Syrians would return. Ben-hadad’s rebuilding and reconfiguring of his army had been part of God’s plan. The original battle had been intended to restore the Israelites’ belief in God. Prior to their victory, God had told them, “I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD” (1 Kings 20:13 ESV).

But Yahweh knew that little had changed in Israel. Even after their miraculous defeat of the Syrians, the people remained unconvinced of Yahweh’s status as the one true God. When spring rolled around, they found themselves facing their former foe again. This time, Beh-hadad showed up with a much larger and better-equipped army than before, and rather than laying siege to the city, his troops gathered in the Valley of Aphek. Ben-hadad had brought a bigger, better army and had chosen a battleground that was outside the reach of Yahweh’s power. Or so he thought.

The stage was set. The enemy of Israel had returned. And the author paints a rather bleak and foreboding picture of the situation.

Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside! – 1 Kings 20:27 NLT

Here was Israel, outnumbered and underequipped yet again. They were no match for the Syrians. And this time, they would not have the walls of the city to protect them. They would be fighting on open terrain, facing an army equipped with chariots and horses and motivated by revenge.

But God sent another prophet with a promise of His presence and power.

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” – 1 Kings 20:28 ESV

Despite the overwhelming odds, God would provide another victory over their enemy. By the time this day was over, they would know that He was the one true God. But in verse 28, the author leaves out Ahab's name again, simply referring to him as “the king of Israel.” God was going to deliver this victory despite Ahab, not because of him. Not only did Ahab deserve to lose this battle, but he also deserved to die for his idolatry and apostasy. But Yahweh was acting on behalf of His covenant people and protecting the integrity and honor of His name. He had made covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and given His word to Moses and David. And while Ahab had failed to use his position as the shepherd of Israel to lead them in faithful obedience, Yahweh would prove Himself true to His word and committed to His covenant promises.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Mysterious Ways of God

1 Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. 2 And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children also are mine.’” 4 And the king of Israel answered, “As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.” 5 The messengers came again and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘I sent to you, saying, “Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children.” 6 Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.’”

7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, “Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him.” 8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.” 9 So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you first demanded of your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” And the messengers departed and brought him word again. 10 Ben-hadad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” 11 And the king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.’” 12 When Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking with the kings in the booths, he said to his men, “Take your positions.” And they took their positions against the city. 

13 And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” 14 And Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the LORD, By the servants of the governors of the districts.” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.” 15 Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the districts, and they were 232. And after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand. – 1 Kings 20:1-15 ESV

With the opening of chapter 20, both Elijah and Elisha, his newly commissioned replacement, suddenly disappear from the scene. Elijah will not be mentioned again until verse 17 of chapter 21. It would appear that he and his young protégé were busy fulfilling the command of God.

“Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.” – 1 Kings 19:15-16 ESV

After Elijah had cast his cloak on Elisha, the two of them must have spent a significant amount of time searching for Hazael and Jehu. They would have begun their journey in Abel-meholah, Elisha’s hometown, located about 25 miles south of the Sea of Galilee. As they made their way north to Damascus in Syria, the sovereign plan of God continued to unfold in the land of Israel. In his former state of disillusionment and despair, Elijah had thought he was the last living prophet in Israel, but he was about to be proven wrong. While he and Elisha were busy searching for the new kings of Syria and Israel, God would raise up other prophets to act as His spokesmen to King Ahab.

God’s miraculous defeat of Baal on Mount Carmel had left Ahab and Jezebel unfazed and unrepentant. The loss of their 450 prophets had not diminished their enthusiasm for their false god, and they had failed to acknowledge the sudden end of the three-and-a-half-year drought as a gracious act of God. This arrogant and prideful couple remained stubbornly opposed to the God of Israel. But just as the prophets of Baal had been no match for Yahweh, so Ahab and Jezebel would soon discover that their power and prominence would provide them no protection against the judgment of God.

With the end of the drought, the famine that had plagued the land slowly abated. But now, Ahab found himself facing a threat of a different sort. Any sense of relief he felt from the drought’s ending and Elijah’s sudden disappearance quickly faded when the Syrians laid siege to the capital city of Samaria. Surrounded and facing a confederation of forces that greatly outnumbered Israel’s army, Ahab found himself in a difficult situation. And the terms of surrender he received from King Ben-hadad made things far worse.

“Your silver and gold are mine, and so are your wives and the best of your children!” – 1 Kings 20:3 NLT

Operating from a position of weakness, Ahab was forced to agree to Ben-hadad’s terms but stubbornly refused to comply. Perhaps he was trying to buy time. But his delay only aggravated the problem, causing Ben-hadad to up the ante.

“I have already demanded that you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children. But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your officials. They will take away everything you consider valuable!” – 1 Kings 20:5-6 NLT

Ahab had been able to survive the drought, living in luxury as his people suffered and died. But now, he was facing the loss of everything he held near and dear. Ben-hadad was threatening to steal Ahab’s glory, and for a man whose identity was derived from what he possessed, this message got his attention.

Ahab, desperate to preserve his status and prevent the loss of everything he considered of value, consulted his advisors. Threatened with the loss of their own children and personal wealth, these men convinced Ahab to reject  Ben-hadad’s demands and to refuse any further negotiations with the Syrians. They were desperate to prevent the Syrians from accessing the capital so they could plunder all their possessions. Eager to protect his personal domain, Ahab took their counsel and sent word to Ben-hadad. But his message was not well-received. Ben-hadad reacted with anger and issued his final word on the matter in the form of a vow.

“The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” – 1 Kings 20:10 ESV

The words of Ben-hadad are eerily similar to those delivered by Queen Jezebel to Elijah after he had destroyed the 450 prophets of Baal. She, too, had made an oath to her false gods, swearing to kill Elijah or face their judgment.

“So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” – 1 Kings 19:2 ESV

It’s interesting to note that Ben-hadad, a pagan, believed that his gods actually existed and were capable of giving him success in battle. Yet, Ahab, king over the chosen people of Yahweh, makes no mention of any gods whatsoever, including the gods of his wife. He was operating in his own strength and according to the wisdom of men. And he displays his arrogance and overconfidence in his response to Ben-hadad.

“A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.” – 1 Kings 20:11 NLT

As would be expected, Ben-hadad was infuriated by Ahab’s boastful message and ordered an immediate attack on the city. He was done negotiating with this pompous and prideful fool. As those reading this story, we fully expect and even hope that God will allow Ahab to get what he so justly deserves.

But God’s ways are not our ways. While we see the Syrians' attack as the hand of God against wicked King Ahab, the author reveals that God has other plans altogether. As Ahab and the citizens of Samaria brace themselves for the coming attack, God sends a prophet with a message of hope.

“This is what the LORD says: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” – 1 Kings 20:13 NLT

This statement shocks and surprises us because it seems so unexpected and undeserved. Why would God do such a thing for an arrogant and egotistical man like Ahab? He was idolatrous and had led the entire nation of Israel into apostasy. Among all the kings of Israel, he was the epitome of wickedness and immorality. And yet, here was God giving him a message of divine deliverance.

Rather than dropping to his knees in humble repentance and gratitude for God’s gracious intervention, Ahab responds with a series of questions. First, he asks, “By whom?” He demanded details. Ahab wanted to know who would get the credit for the victory, and the prophet replied, “By the servants of the governors of the districts” (1 Kings 20:14 ESV). Much to Ahab’s disappointment, God was not going to use him as the means of delivering the decisive blow to the Syrians. That prompted Ahab to ask, “Who shall begin the battle?” (1 Kings 20:14 ESV). He desperately wanted to know if he would have any part to play in this divine deliverance. And, once again, to our surprise and dismay, God informs Ahab that he will have the privilege of putting God’s plan into play.

With God’s plan clearly articulated, Ahab set about putting the pieces together to make it happen.

Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the districts, and they were 232. And after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand. – 1 Kings 20:15 ESV

This verse should bring to mind the promise God had made just before He sent Elijah on his mission to anoint the future kings of Syria and Israel.

“I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!” – 1 Kings 19:18 NLT

God had promised His reluctant prophet that He would raise up a remnant from among the apostate people of Israel, and He would use these faithful few to accomplish His will. Now God was using Ahab, the apostate king of Israel, to choose the 7,000 faithful whom God would use to defeat the Syrians in battle. Ahab would begin the battle, but he would not secure the victory. That privilege would fall to those who had not bowed down to Baal.

None of this was about Ahab. He was the king, but, in reality, he was nothing more than a bit player in God’s sovereign plan for the redemption and restoration of His people. Ahab may have worn the crown, but God was King over Israel. And while Ben-hadad’s superior numbers appeared to give him the advantage, God had the faithful few. He was going to bring about a great victory, using only those who had refused to bow their knees to Baal.

God was about to reveal His power through weakness, and He would do so through those whose presence was unknown but whose faith had remained unwavering. With God on their side, this faithful remnant would defeat the enemy, and their unexpected victory would bring great glory to Yahweh. In the Song of Moses recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy, we’re given an explanation for the kind of victory God was about to bring.

How could one person chase a thousand of them,
    and two people put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
    unless the LORD had given them up?
But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock… – Deuteronomy 32:30-31 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Yahweh’s Divine Tag Team

15 And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. – 1 Kings 19:15-21 ESV

The last three and a half years had taken their toll on Elijah. He had been living in a God-ordained exile in a remote village in the region of Sidon. While God had miraculously cared for him during that time, he had to live with the knowledge that there was a bounty on his head. King Ahab and his queen, Jezebel, had never forgiven him for the drought he had placed on the land of Israel. Elijah must have woken up every morning wondering if that would be the day God called him to confront Ahab and Jezebel one more time.

When that day finally came, Elijah obeyed God and made his way to Mount Carmel, where he challenged King Ahab to pit his 450 prophets of Baal against Yahweh, the one true God. That battle ended up being a lopsided affair, with Elijah’s God as the clear victor and the false god of Ahab and Jezebel exposed as a fraud and a failure. The dead bodies of his 450 prophets, strewn across the Jezreel Valley, were evidence of his decisive defeat.

But Elijah’s hope for revival in the land was soon replaced by fear for his own life. Jezebel had vowed to kill Elijah for his slaughter of the 450 prophets of Baal. And he responded to this news by running away. The prophet of God seemed to have lost all faith in God. Yet, even in his deep state of depression and despondency, Elijah was ministered to by God. Yahweh met Elijah right where he was, in the midst of his doubt and despair, and graciously provided him with a visual demonstration of His power. However, the wind, earthquake, and fire only frightened Elijah, causing him to take refuge in a cave. But it was the quiet whisper of God that drew him out, and the gentle voice of God asked Elijah to explain his presence there. What was the prophet doing so far from the scene of the recent victory over Baal? Why was he hiding? Elijah’s answer revealed his struggle with a lack of faith and a sense of failure. 

“I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” – 1 Kings 19:14 ESV

Elijah described himself as alone and afraid. He had convinced himself that he was the last man standing, with no one to do battle at his side. In the heat of the moment, he had conveniently forgotten about the 100 prophets that God had used Obadiah to protect and preserve (1 Kings 18:13). Elijah felt alienated and alone, but his feelings were not based on reality. God even informed Elijah that He had preserved a remnant of “7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!” (1 Kings 19:18 NLT). Elijah was far from alone, and God was far from finished with Elijah. But rather than rebuke His wavering prophet, God gave him his next assignment.

“Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.” – 1 Kings 19:15 ESV

Despite his recent display of faithlessness and fear, Elijah would play a significant role in the next phase of God’s plans for Israel. God gave Elijah three assignments: First, he was to anoint a new king over the Syrians or Arameans. Then, he was to anoint a new king over Israel's northern kingdom. Finally, he was to anoint his own successor. God provided Elijah little in the way of details. Other than the names of the men he was to anoint, Elijah had no way of knowing what any of this meant or how it would all turn out. But God was letting Elijah know that there were plans in the works of which he was unaware. Whether Elijah realized it or not, Ahab’s days were numbered, and the Syrians would end up playing a part in his eventual demise. There would be a new king in Israel one day. God had defeated the false god, Baal, and now He was going to mete out final judgment on the man responsible for Baal’s presence in Israel.

As if to further convince Elijah that he was not alone and that his mission was far from over, God revealed that the three men Elijah was to anoint would carry on the work that he had started at Mount Carmel. Elijah had killed the 450 prophets of Baal, but there were far more who needed to face the judgment of God for their apostasy and rebellion.

“Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha!” – 1 Kings 19:17 NLT

Judgment was coming. Yahweh was preparing to purge Israel of all those who had bowed the knee to Baal, and He would start at the top with Ahab and Jezebel. But this divine plan to cleanse Israel would not happen overnight. In fact, it would last long after Elijah was gone. That’s why God informed Elijah that he was to anoint his successor.

“…anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.” – 1 Kings 19:16 NLT

God already had Elijah’s replacement identified and a strategy in place to carry on His divine plan for Ahab’s punishment and Israel’s purification. A big reason for Elijah’s dejection was that the revival that started at Mount Carmel had stalled. When he had heard the people cry out, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God” (1 Kings 18:39 ESV), he genuinely believed that God had turned back the hearts of the people, and he expected to see an amazing renewal take place. He may have even thought that Ahab and Jezebel might repent and accept Yahweh as the one true God. But instead, the ever-defiant queen had threatened him with death.

But while Jezebel remained unwavering in her commitment to Baal, Elijah needed to understand that God was unfazed by her actions. As the sovereign, omniscient God of the universe, He had a plan in place to deal with Jezebel, Ahab, and all those who had bent the knee to Baal. And while Elijah might not live to see the final phase of that plan, he would play a decisive role in its implementation.

Revived and encouraged by Yahweh’s news, Elijah made his way to Abel-meholah, located in the Jordan Valley. While God clearly told Elijah to travel to the wilderness of Damascus and anoint Hazael to be king of Aram (1 Kings 19:15), it would appear that this was meant to be his final destination. On his way from Mount Sinai, he had to pass through the Jordan Valley, so it only made sense to stop there first and find the man who would be his replacement. He found Elisha plowing with 12 pairs of oxen in a field. This agrarian scene is significant for several reasons. First, it conveys an image of hope and expectation. After three-and-a-half years of drought, the rain had come, and now Elisha was preparing his formerly sun-baked fields for planting. He was anticipating a fruitful harvest sometime in the future. But Elisha’s presence in the field also reveals that he was a man of the land. He was not an influential figure with great wealth and prominence. He was a nondescript nobody whose only credentials were his calling by Yahweh.

What happens next appears strange to our modern sensibilities. Elijah walked up to this man, placed his cloak across his shoulders, and then simply walked away. What kind of bizarre ritual did this represent? How could Elisha have taken this unexpected action from this unknown stranger? Amazingly, it seems as if Elisha fully understood the significance of Elijah’s symbolic act. The text states that he “left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, ‘First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!’” (1 Kings 19:20 NLT). Perhaps God had already prepared Elisha for this moment, having revealed His plan through a dream or vision. He could have sent an angelic messenger to prepare Elisha for the prophet’s arrival. But whatever the case, Elisha seems to have been unfazed by what transpired and fully aware of what it meant. He immediately stopped his plowing and followed the man of God. His words and actions reveal that he knew who Elijah was and what he was asking him to do. His only request was that he be allowed to say goodbye to his family.

Elijah’s response to his request comes across as rather flippant.

“Go back again, for what have I done to you?” – 1 Kings 19:20 ESV

In a sense, Elijah was simply emphasizing that this had all been God’s doing, not his. He was merely the messenger. Elisha was free to do as he pleased, and the young farmer-turned-prophet demonstrated his commitment to accept the call of God. He took the plow, the symbol of his former occupation, and used the wood to build an altar. Then, on that altar, he offered up the oxen with which he had been plowing. Elisha burned every bridge to his former life. He bid his parents and his past goodbye and “arose and went after Elijah and assisted him” (1 Kings 19:21 ESV).

As Elijah and Elisha made their way from the Jordan Valley, the first phase of the second half of God’s plan began. The revival Elijah had longed for and given up on was coming. Yahweh was not yet done. Elijah had been a key player in God’s renewal plans for Israel, but his part was coming to an end. The LORD had another man ready to take the baton and finish the race. God would use this divine tag team to accomplish His will concerning Israel and usher in a period of much-needed spiritual renewal among His covenant people. The apostle Paul would later explain his understanding of how God uses a team approach to accomplish His divine will. 

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. – 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 ESV

Elijah had planted; now it was Elisha’s turn to water. But the harvest would be the LORD’s.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The LORD Is God

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there. – 1 Kings 18:22-40 ESV

The battle for the hearts of the people of Israel was about to begin. Having accepted Elijah’s challenge, King Ahab had decreed that the people assemble at nearby Mount Carmel. He also ordered the 450 prophets of Baal to come, ready to prove the power of their god. But as Elijah stood before the gathered assembly, he issued them a stern challenge.

“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” – 1 Kings 18:21 ESV

His words are reminiscent of those spoken by Joshua hundreds of years earlier, as he addressed the nation of Israel near the end of his life. He, too, had called the people to choose who they were going to serve, the one true God or the false gods of Egypt and Canaan.

“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:14-15 ESV

The fickle nature of the Israelites had not changed much over the centuries. They remained prone to chasing after any and every god who came along. They were equal-opportunity idolaters who seemed to have no sense of guilt or shame. Their willingness to accept and affirm any and all gods placed before them had been a problem from the beginning. While they never entirely abandoned their worship of Yahweh, they were constantly trying out new gods in a vain attempt to cover all their bases. Their syncretistic approach to religion and worship was driven by self-interest and greed. In a sense, they seemed to operate on the belief that two gods were better than one. But Elijah was demanding that they make up their minds. He would not allow them to play the field and continue to offend Yahweh with their spiritual adultery.

In an attempt to stress the lopsided nature of the battle that was about to ensue, Elijah claimed that he was the only prophet of Yahweh still standing in Israel. But he was wrong, and he knew it. In his earlier encounter with Obadiah, he had learned that there were at least 100 prophets whom God had spared through Obadiah’s actions. But Elijah chose to ignore this detail so that he could paint as bleak a picture as possible. At that moment, the odds were 450 to one. He was the sole prophet of God, preparing to face the overwhelming numbers of the prophets of Baal.

But Elijah knew that this day was not about a battle between him and the more numerous adversaries on the other side; it would be a divine display of Yahweh’s power and Baal’s impotence. Just as Baal had been unable to stop the ravages of the drought that had devastated the land for three years, he would prove incapable of hearing and answering the desperate cries of his prophets.

Elijah set the rules of the contest. Each side was to select an appropriate sacrifice, then offer it up on an altar before their respective god. Then they were to cry out to their deity of choice, and whichever god responded by consuming the offering with fire would prove to be the true god.

In describing the ensuing scene, the author clearly attempts to lampoon the efforts of the prophets of Baal. Their energetic and somewhat odd behavior displays their desperate hope that their god will show up.

…they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. – 1 Kings 18:26 NLT

The harder they tried to garner the attention of their seemingly distant and disinterested god, the more Elijah taunted their efforts.

“You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” – 1 Kings 18:27 NLT

In desperation and growing frustration, they resort to shedding their own blood, vainly hoping that their self-mutilation might appease and awaken their god to action. But the author summarizes their prolonged and ineffective efforts with the simple statement: “there was no sound, no reply, no response” (1 Kings 18:29 NLT). Their god remained silent and unresponsive.

Broken and bloodied by their hours-long effort to call down fire from their god, they finally gave up. Then it was Elijah’s turn. After rebuilding the altar to Yahweh that Jezebel had ordered destroyed, Elijah had the altar and the sacrifice drenched in water. He purposefully stacked the deck against Yahweh, creating what would appear to be impossible odds. Elijah used 12 stones to build the altar and then drenched the altar and the sacrifice with 12 large jars of water. Even though this event was taking place among the ten tribes of the northern kingdom, Elijah wanted them to realize that Yahweh was the God over the 12 tribes of Israel. They were a divided nation because of idolatry. But in God’s eyes, they were still His chosen people.

Elijah’s simple prayer illustrates his belief that Yahweh longed to restore His covenant people. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still loved His people and greatly desired that they would repent and return to Him.

“O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” – 1 Kings 18:36-37 NLT

No histrionics. No desperate displays of emotional cajoling and pleading. Elijah simply asked God to display His power so that the people might know He was there and that He cared. Elijah was asking God to demonstrate His covenant faithfulness despite their years of unfaithfulness. And, unlike Baal, God heard and responded.

Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! – 1 Kings 18:38 NLT

The impact of this divine demonstration of power was immediate. Blown away by this supernatural display, the people fell on their faces and cried out, “The LORD—he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!” (1 Kings 18:39 NLT). The altar to Baal remained untouched, just as the prophets had left it. But the altar to Yahweh was consumed entirely, rocks and all. God had more than accepted the sacrifice that Elijah had offered. In doing so, He demonstrated His power, reconfirmed His covenant commitment, and validated His prophet. He was the one true God, and Elijah was His chosen messenger.

As a final demonstration of God’s unparalleled greatness and His prophet’s authority to act on His behalf, Elijah ordered the capture of every single prophet of Baal. The people obeyed his command and brought all 450 of these false prophets to the Kishon Valley, where Elijah meted out divine judgment and justice on every one of them. These men had played a significant role in the nation’s spiritual decline. They were the visual representation of their false god, and their lies and deception had caused the people of Israel to abandon Yahweh for a god that was nothing more than a figment of man’s fertile imagination.

Looking on as this unexpected scene unfolded before their eyes, King Ahab and his wife Jezebel had to have been reeling from the shock of it all. Not only had their god not shown up, but the prophets who observed this false deity were destroyed. But, as we will see, rather than repent for their sins against God, the royal couple will respond in anger and resentment, attempting to take out their wrath on God’s messenger. This arrogant and self-consumed pair will continue to reject Yahweh, stubbornly refusing to admit, “The LORD—he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!”

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Power to Revive and Restore

17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.” – 1 Kings 17:17-24 ESV

God used Elijah to deliver His message of judgment against King Ahab and his foreign queen, Jezebel. In marrying this princess from Sidon, Ahab had also adopted her false god, Baal, and built a temple for its worship. He also erected a shrine to honor Asherah, the moon-goddess and supposed mother of this pagan deity. Angered by these blatant acts of rebellion and apostasy, God had sent Elijah to tell the royal couple that their kingdom would suffer under a great drought. Their disrespect and disregard for God had brought His discipline.

But after Elijah successfully delivered his message, God sent him away. He ended up at a cave, where God graciously and miraculously arranged for ravens to provide all the food he needed to survive. But eventually, Elijah became a victim of the very drought he predicted. Soon, the brook dried up, and the daily deliveries of bread and meat no longer appeared. So, God sent Elijah to the Sidonian town of Zarephath, where he took up residence with a poor widow and her son. She, too, was suffering from the effects of the drought. But, once again, Yahweh proved Himself to be the one true God by causing her meager supply of flour and oil to miraculously multiply and never run out.

In the midst of a drought and severe famine, she had more than enough to sustain herself, her son, and God’s prophet. Through it all, Elijah learned to trust God for all His needs. But even more importantly, Elijah discovered that his God was greater than the gods of Ahab and Jezebel. While Baal, the so-called fertility god, was powerless to stop the drought or reverse the effects of the famine, Yahweh turned “a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug” (1 Kings 17:12 ESV) into a never-ending food supply for Elijah and his gracious hostess.

Then suddenly, the story takes a dramatic turn for the worse. The woman’s young son dies unexpectedly. Faced with this devastating change in her circumstances, the woman vented all her anger and frustration on the prophet of God.

“O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?” – 1 Kings 17:18 NLT

It seems that the woman had falsely assumed that her son’s death was a form of divine retribution for a former sin she had committed. Perhaps by this time, Elijah had shared the details of his encounter with Ahab and Jezebel, explaining that he had been the one to predict the drought as a punishment for their sin. So, when her son suddenly died, she would have naturally reasoned that God was using the prophet to deliver yet another judgment for sin – that of her own.

But ignoring her despair-driven accusation, Elijah took the lifeless body of her son and placed it on his own bed. Then Elijah turned his attention to God. But notice the tone of His prayer. He seems to echo the words of the widow, passing the blame up the food chain and questioning the goodness and graciousness of God.

“O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?” – 1 Kings 17:20 NLT

Elijah’s response reveals his firm belief that God is sovereign over all things, but he is perplexed and confused by the seeming injustice of it all. In his frustration, He accuses God of doing something wicked. The Hebrew word is rāʿaʿ, which is most often translated as “evil.” The boy’s death makes no sense to Elijah; it seems unnecessary and completely nonproductive. When Elijah first met the woman, she had been fully expecting her son to die of starvation because of the drought. But God had intervened and provided more than enough food to keep all three of them alive. So, to Elijah, the boy’s death seemed pointless and, if anything, it appeared to be an act of cruelty.

But while Elijah was having a difficult time understanding the ways of God, he remained convinced of the power of God. Three times, he lay across the dead body of the boy and cried out, “O LORD my God, please let this child’s life return to him” (1 Kings 17:21 NLT). And the fact that Elijah repeated this process three separate times demonstrates both his persistence and dependence upon God.

It’s important to consider that Elijah had no precedent on which to base his prayer. He was asking Yahweh to do the impossible – to raise a dead body back to life. There is no indication that Elijah had ever seen or heard of God doing such a thing. Elijah was not basing his request on some past miracle recorded in the Hebrew scriptures. The Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, contains no instance of God raising the dead back to life. So, Elijah was asking God to do something that had never been done before. His request was a tremendous act of faith.

In a classic example of understatement, the author simply records, “The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived!” (1 Kings 17:22 NLT). One can only imagine Elijah’s shock and surprise when the lifeless body of the boy was suddenly reanimated. Two times, nothing had happened. But on the third try, God chose to intervene and answer Elijah’s prayer. We’re not told why God didn’t answer Elijah’s prayer the first time. Perhaps it was a test of Elijah’s faith to see if he would continue to ask and believe even when his request went unanswered. But God had heard, and He ultimately answered, and in a truly remarkable way. Elijah’s unbridled excitement and enthusiasm were on display as he announced the news to the boy’s grieving mother.

“See, your son lives.” – 1 Kings 17:23 ESV

It would be easy to misread this statement and assume that Elijah is saying something like, “See, I told you so!” It almost appears as if he is chastising the woman for her lack of faith. But at no point in the story did Elijah tell the woman that her son would live. He had no way of knowing whether God would answer his prayer or not. At least two times, God failed to do so. But when God had finally provided the miracle for which Elijah was asking, the prophet couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. The New Living Translation provides a much more accurate rendering of Elijah’s response.

“Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!” – 1 Kings 17:23 NLT

No one was as shocked as Elijah, and his joy overflowed in a display of emotional celebration. He most likely walked into the room, carrying the boy in his arms, and then handed him over to the smothering embrace of his overjoyed mother. And, through tears mixed with laughter, the woman managed to express her gratitude to the prophet by declaring her belief in his God.

“Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the LORD truly speaks through you.” – 1 Kings 17:24 NLT

While Yahweh had been keeping the widow and her son alive, she must have had her doubts about Elijah and his God. But now, as she clutched her resurrected son in her arms, she finally recognized and confessed the sovereignty of God and the authority of His prophet. Her son had been dead but was now alive. Her devastating loss had been miraculously reversed with the return of her son. Her sorrow had been turned to joy.

It is easy to overlook the fact that this miracle took place in an obscure village in the region of Sidon. While Jezebel had brought her false god from Sidon to the land of Israel, Elijah had brought the God of Israel to the land of Sidon. The arrival of Baal had been accompanied by drought and famine. But when Yahweh made His appearance in the pagan land of the Sidonians, He had turned a widow’s poverty into plenty and had replaced death with life. In doing so, He had proved Himself to be the one and only God of the universe.

And God intended this powerful lesson to prepare His prophet for all that was about to happen. Elijah didn’t know it yet, but the most significant test of his faith was in his future. After three years of a debilitating and devastating famine, God was going to send Elijah back to the land of Israel to go face-to-face with the king and queen and toe-to-toe with their false god. If Yahweh could revive the dead son of the Sidonian widow, He was powerful enough to restore the stagnant spiritual state of the people of Israel. But would Elijah continue to believe in Yahweh’s power when the odds were stacked against him and the forces of evil threatened his very existence? Only time would tell.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Sovereign Over All

1 And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. 2 And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the LORD spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” 4 And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. 7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel. – 1 Kings 13:1-10 ESV

In an effort to preserve the kingdom given to him by God, Jeroboam made a boneheaded decision that ended up offending God. He knew that the members of the ten northern tribes were religious people and feared that they would continue to travel to Judah to offer sacrifices at the Temple Solomon had built in Jerusalem. This continued spiritual connection to the holy city might influence them to restore their relationship with Rehoboam and the people of Judah. So, to prevent this from happening, Jeroboam made the fateful decision to create an alternate religion for the ten tribes of Israel, complete with priests and golden idols made to look like calves, which he had placed in the cities of Dan and Bethel. Then he convinced the people to turn their backs on Yahweh by offering their sacrifices to the two golden calves.

“It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”

He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there. – 1 Kings 12:28-30 NLT

In following Jeroboam’s lead, the people no longer sought forgiveness, cleansing, and blessing from God Almighty, but placed their hopes in lifeless statues made by human hands. Years later, the prophet Isaiah would describe the futility of worshiping false gods.

How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
    These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
    so they are all put to shame.
Who but a fool would make his own god—
    an idol that cannot help him one bit?
All who worship idols will be disgraced
    along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
    who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
    but they will stand in terror and shame. – Isaiah 44:9-11 NLT

But to Jeroboam, his decision made all the sense in the world. He was a pragmatist who was more interested in preserving his newfound status as king than in promoting the ongoing worship of the one who had made him king. And his decision, while initially successful, was about to prove seriously flawed.

Jeroboam had traveled to Bethel to offer sacrifices to one of his false gods. But while there, he received a visit from a prophet of the one true God. This unnamed man had come from Judah with a message from Yahweh. So, as Jeroboam was about to offer sacrifices to his visible, but lifeless god, he was given a word from the invisible, yet all-powerful God of Israel. And the prophet, seemingly ignoring Jeroboam, directed his message at the altar the king had constructed. In a sense, this was one deity speaking to another. Yahweh was challenging the false god of Jeroboam by delivering a prophecy concerning its coming destruction.

“O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you.” – 1 Kings 13:2 NLT

Jeroboam’s god was going to meet an untimely end. When faced with the power of God Almighty, Jeroboam’s false god proved incapable of defending itself. It remained speechless because it was lifeless. And the warning delivered by the prophet of God carried long-term ramifications. It would be 290 years later before God fulfilled His word, and all during that time, the nation of Israel would continue to worship their false gods. But eventually, God would raise up a king over the southern kingdom of Judah named Josiah, and he would institute a series of religious reforms in both Judah and Israel. In doing so, he would fulfill God’s prophecy against the altar of Jeroboam’s false god.

The king also tore down the altar at Bethel—the pagan shrine that Jeroboam son of Nebat had made when he caused Israel to sin. He burned down the shrine and ground it to dust, and he burned the Asherah pole. Then Josiah turned around and noticed several tombs in the side of the hill. He ordered that the bones be brought out, and he burned them on the altar at Bethel to desecrate it. (This happened just as the LORD had promised through the man of God when Jeroboam stood beside the altar at the festival.) – 2 Kings 23:15-16 NLT

The very fact that this altar was still in existence and in use nearly 300 years later reveals the level of apostasy in Israel. Jeroboam’s decision to replace Yahweh with false gods was going to have long-lasting consequences. In an effort to preserve his kingdom, Jeroboam had been willing to sacrifice the spiritual well-being of his own people.

And to demonstrate that the words he had spoken were true, “the man of God gave a sign to prove his message” (1 Kings 13:3 NLT).

He said, “The LORD has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.” – 1 Kings 13:3 NLT

God was going to validate His word with a powerful sign. There would be an immediate judgment on Jeroboam’s apostasy. His shrine and the golden calf it contained would be destroyed. But, once again, Jeroboam attempted to preserve his kingdom by rejecting the will of God. After the prophet had spoken his word of warning, Jeroboam commanded that he be arrested. He wrongly assumed that he could thwart the will of God by binding the messenger of God. In doing so, Jeroboam would establish a precedent that would carry over for generations. His successors to the throne of Israel would continue to reject the will of God by resisting and refusing the messengers of God. Rather than repent and return in humble submission to Yahweh, they would each cling stubbornly to their false gods, dooming their people to the judgment of God.

But Jeroboam’s attempt to stop God’s prophet proved ineffective and injurious. He still ended up with a shattered altar and a paralyzed hand. Suddenly convinced of the prophet’s position as God’s spokesman, Jeroboam begged him to intercede with Yahweh on his behalf.

“Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” – 1 Kings 13:6 ESV

The prophet prayed and God responded, restoring full mobility to Jeroboam’s paralyzed hand. But Jeroboam’s response to this miracle is revealing. Having just witnessed the miraculous destruction of the altar to his false god and having had his hand paralyzed by God, you would think that Jeroboam would have begged for forgiveness. But instead, he tries to win over the favor of the prophet by inviting him to dinner and offering him a reward. Perhaps Jeroboam feared that the prophet might turn his attention to Dan and destroy the altar there. So, in another attempt to preserve his kingdom, he tried to bribe the prophet of God.

But God, knowing the true nature of Jeroboam’s heart, had warned the prophet not to accept any invitation from this conniving and calculating king.

“Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place. For the Lord gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’” – 1 Kings 13:8-9 NLT

Jeroboam was a man who, for the sake of his kingdom, had been willing to compromise his faith in God. And he assumed that this unnamed prophet would be just as willing to make concessions in exchange for monetary gain. But he was wrong. This unnamed prophet of Yahweh refused to compromise his convictions for personal gain. Even when faced with Jeroboam’s offer of a reward, this faithful servant remained uncompromising in his commitment to the will of God. He recognized Yahweh as the one true God and refused to be tempted by Jeroboam’s thinly veiled offer of monetary gain in exchange for spiritual infidelity. His actions reflect his firm and unwavering belief in his God, and echo the words Yahweh spoke through the prophet Isaiah. 

This is what the LORD says—
    your Redeemer and Creator:
“I am the LORD, who made all things.
    I alone stretched out the heavens.
Who was with me
    when I made the earth?
I expose the false prophets as liars
    and make fools of fortune-tellers.
I cause the wise to give bad advice,
    thus proving them to be fools.
But I carry out the predictions of my prophets!” – Isaiah 44:24-26 NLT

Jeroboam’s reign over the ten northern tribes had been the work of God, not the result of his own ambition and ingenuity. Yahweh had ordained his rise to power as part of a judgment against Solomon for his spiritual infidelity that resulted in the proliferation of false gods in Israel. But rather than honor Yahweh for His providential role in his rise to power, Jeroboam had created his own religion, complete with its own gods, priestly caste, and sacrificial system. In a vain attempt to solidify his kingdom, Jeroboam led the ten northern tribes to abandon Yahweh and place their hope in the golden calves he had made. 

Despite Jeroboam’s actions, the young prophet’s appearance serves as a sign that Yahweh was still in control. Jeroboam could create his own gods and erect shrines in their honor, but he could not escape the sovereign will of Yahweh. According to the word of the prophet, Jeroboam’s altar was destroyed and the ashes poured out. His god proved to be powerless before the one true God, and Jeroboam’s attempt to have the prophet arrested proved futile. As he pointed his finger at the prophet and ordered his arrest, Yahweh intervened, paralyzing Jeroboam’s arm and forcing him to watch as his precious altar was destroyed. Ironically, the rebellious Jeroboam was forced to beg the prophet to call on Yahweh for healing. Rather than appeal to his own self-manufactured god, Jeroboam knew that Yahweh was his only hope. 

The prophet prayed, and the LORD answered. Despite his track record of unfaithfulness, Jeroboam received grace and mercy from Yahweh. The recalcitrant king’s hand was restored, and his kingdom was preserved because Yahweh had a much larger plan in place that Jeroboam or any other king could not oppose.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Divided Allegiance

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. 27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. 31 He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 33 He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings. – 1 Kings 12:25-33 ESV

Because of Solomon’s unfaithfulness, God divided his vast kingdom in half, placing ten of the 12 tribes under the rule of Jeroboam. This left Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, with only the tribe over which to reign, that of Judah. The sprawling domain he had inherited from his father had been greatly diminished, virtually overnight. This judgment against Solomon resulted in the division of one kingdom into two. In the north, the ten tribes would become the nation of Israel. In the south, the tribe of Judah, which was later joined by the tribe of Benjamin, would become known as the nation of Judah.

The 12 tribes of Israel were the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob, whose name God later changed to Israel. These 12 tribes had been set apart by God and bestowed with a great privilege; they were to be His chosen people.

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 7:6 ESV

“And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” – Deuteronomy 26:18-19 ESV

God had miraculously rescued them out of their slavery in Egypt and had led them to the land of Canaan, which He had promised to give them as their inheritance. On their way to this promised land, God graciously provided them with His law, which provided them with detailed instructions regarding their behavior as His chosen people. They were His treasured possession and, as such, they were to reflect their unique status by conducting their lives according to His commands. This would ensure that they remained holy or set apart, living distinctively different lives from all the other nations of the world. And because God knew they would fail to keep all His laws, He provided them with the sacrificial system so they could receive cleansing from and forgiveness for their sins. But the one thing God required from them was faithfulness. The very first law He had given them to obey concerned their unwavering allegiance to Him.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:3 ESV

And because He knew the natural proclivity of man’s heart, God elaborated on His command by adding the following restrictions:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me…” – Exodus 20:4-5 ESV

The book of Exodus goes on to record that the very day Moses came down from the top of Mount Sinai with the commandments of God in hand, he discovered the people of Israel had already violated the first command. While he had been on the mountaintop, the people had begun to have second thoughts about his leadership and the God he claimed to represent.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” – Exodus 32:1 ESV

Aaron, the brother of Moses, obliged the people and ordered the construction of a golden calf, which the people promptly began to worship. When Moses later descended from Mount Sinai, he found the people dancing and singing before their newly crafted god.

And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire… – Exodus 32:19-20 ESV

However, this wasn't a new god; it was a reimagining of the one true God. When the golden calf was finished, the people said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4 ESV). But this declaration by the people concerned Aaron.

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” – Exodus 32:5 ESV

Aaron clarified that this idol was to be seen as a representation of Yahweh, the LORD. He had helped the people create a more approachable and personable Yahweh. Rather than the God of smoke, fire, thunder, and lightning that had appeared on Mount Sinai, they now had a version of Yahweh that reminded them of the false gods they worshiped back in Egypt. 

This proclivity for unfaithfulness did not stop in the wilderness of Sinai. Even after God graciously led them to the land of Canaan and assisted them in conquering and occupying the land He had promised to give them, the people continued their pattern of disobedience, which led to further spiritual adultery. Idolatry became a habit for the people of God. And it was Solomon’s own penchant for false gods that led to the division of his kingdom.

…when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD… – 1 Kings 11:4-6 ESV

But the infidelity of the people of Israel didn’t end with God’s judgment. As this chapter reveals, they seemed to have an endless capacity for unfaithfulness. As soon as Jeroboam was crowned king over the ten northern tribes, he made an executive decision that he hoped would guarantee his reign for years to come. Fearing that the people would feel obligated to worship Yahweh in Jerusalem, where Solomon’s temple was located, Jeroboam came up with a plan to erect his own holy cities with his own gods. This would eliminate the need for any Israelite to journey to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. So, buoyed by the advice of his counselors, Jeroboam built these shrines in the cities of Dan and Bethel. Just like Aaron and Solomon, Jeroboam became personally responsible for leading the people into rebellion against God.

This caused Israel to sin; the people went to Bethel and Dan to worship the calves. – 1 Kings 12:20 ESV

And Jeroboam didn’t stop with the construction of these shrines to his man-made gods. He created his own religious system, complete with priests and a sacrificial system. He attempted to replicate all the details of the system established by Yahweh and, in doing so, provided the people with an alternative means of cleansing and forgiveness. But everything he did was in direct violation of Yahweh’s law.

It’s important to remember that God had given Jeroboam his kingdom and his kingship. He had done nothing to earn his new position or to establish his domain. It had all been handed to him by the sovereign will of God. And yet, fearing that he might lose what he had been given, Jeroboam chose to violate the will of God to protect and preserve his newfound power and prestige. Relying on faulty human reasoning, he determined that the best way to maintain the people’s allegiance was to provide them with their own gods to worship. And like docile sheep, the people willingly followed the lead of their new shepherd.

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen) Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices. – 1 Kings 12: 33 NLT

The many shrines that Solomon had built to honor Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Milcom, the god of the Ammonites; and Chemosh, the god of Moab, were still in the land of Judah. The spirit of idolatry had not ended with the split of the kingdom. Now, Jeroboam had ensured that the ten northern tribes had their own false gods to worship in place of the one true God. 

Centuries later, the apostle Paul described mankind’s tendency to try to replace the one true God with their own versions of Him. 

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.  They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. – Romans 1:18-23 NLT

The Israelites, whom Yahweh had chosen to be His treasured possession, had every reason to know and understand the truth about God. He had redeemed them out of slavery in Egypt. He had led them across the wilderness to Mount Sinai, where He appeared to them in the form of a dark cloud complete with thunder and lightning. From Sinai’s peak, He had given them His law and the plans for the Tabernacle, which would serve as His heavenly dwelling place during their journey to Canaan. 

Yahweh assisted them in their conquest of the land of Canaan and fulfilled His promise to give them the land as their inheritance. But the people of Israel have proved to be far from faithful and prone to spiritual infidelity. Solomon had set the tone, and his successors would follow his lead. The rest of the Book of Kings chronicles the sad story of how the divided nation of Israel failed to give Yahweh their undivided allegiance. Led by their kings, the people of Israel would consistently turn their backs on Yahweh. They would never entirely abandon Him, but they would consistently break their covenant commitment to Him. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Danger of Divided Allegiance

10 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king’s house, 11 and Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he desired, King Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon had given him, they did not please him. 13 Therefore he said, “What kind of cities are these that you have given me, my brother?” So they are called the land of Cabul to this day. 14 Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold.

15 And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the LORD and his own house and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer 16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and had killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife; 17 so Solomon rebuilt Gezer) and Lower Beth-horon 18 and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, 19 and all the store cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20 All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the people of Israel— 21 their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction—these Solomon drafted to be slaves, and so they are to this day. 22 But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves. They were the soldiers, they were his officials, his commanders, his captains, his chariot commanders and his horsemen.

23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work: 550 who had charge of the people who carried on the work.

24 But Pharaoh’s daughter went up from the city of David to her own house that Solomon had built for her. Then he built the Millo.

25 Three times a year Solomon used to offer up burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he built to the LORD, making offerings with it before the LORD. So he finished the house.

26 King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27 And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants, seamen who were familiar with the sea, together with the servants of Solomon. 28 And they went to Ophir and brought from there gold, 420 talents, and they brought it to King Solomon. – 1 Kings 9:10-28 ESV

Solomon doesn’t realize it, but he is at the midway point of his 40-year reign. He has just completed the construction of the Temple, his royal palaces, and all the buildings that will house his administrative offices.

With these projects behind him, Solomon turns his attention to other pressing matters. First, he makes an attempt to compensate King Hiram of Phoenicia for all the material and financial aid he provided over the years. Early in his reign, Solomon made an agreement with Hiram that provided all the lumber he needed for his many construction projects, while Hiram received much-needed grain and olive oil in return.

So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil. – 1 Kings 5:10-11 NLT

This agreement had lasted for 20 years, and during that time, Solomon compensated King Hiram for all the lumber and paid wages to all the Phoenician wood-workers who helped with the various construction projects (1 Kings 5:6). But now that all the work was done, Solomon wanted to make a gesture of goodwill to his friend in Phoenicia. So, he gave Hiram 20 cities located in the land of Galilee along the border between Israel and Phoenicia. This appears to be a gracious act of generosity on Solomon’s part, but it quickly becomes apparent that his gift was a bit disingenuous. When Hiram personally inspected the cities Solomon had given him, his response reveals his deep disappointment.

“What kind of towns are these, my brother?” he asked. So Hiram called that area Cabul (which means “worthless”), as it is still known today. – 1 Kings 9:13 NLT

Evidently, these towns were located in a region of Galilee that was not conducive to agricultural production. Since Phoenicia occupied a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, they were woefully deficient in arable farmland. That’s why Solomon’s compensation for the lumber had taken the form of grain and olive oil. At first glance, it would appear that Solomon had given them what they had always needed: Land on which to grow crops. But Hiram described Solomon’s gift as “Cabul,” a word that means “bound” or “sterile.” And while these 20 towns expanded the range of Hiram’s kingdom, they were essentially worthless. They provided no practical value. What makes Solomon’s gift that much more egregious is that, over the years, Hiram had given Solomon 120 talents of gold. To put that in perspective, that’s nearly 5 tons of gold.

One could almost draw the conclusion that Solomon was somewhat of a Scrooge, a financial tightwad who was more than willing to spend money on himself but was somewhat stingy when it came to others. It is also interesting to note that Solomon had given away land that had been part of the inheritance given by God to the people of Israel.

It’s most likely that the 20 towns were located in territory that belonged to the tribes of Asher, Naphtali, and Zebulun. In awarding these cities to Hiram, Solomon was guilty of giving away land that belonged to the people of God. His willingness to turn over possession of the land, coupled with Hiram’s poor assessment of it, reveals that it held no real value to Solomon.

One of the things that can be learned from studying the history of the Israelites is that every decision they made had long-term ramifications. The Book of Judges reveals that, at one point, the tribes of Asher, Naphtali, and Zebulun were told to conquer and occupy the land allotted to them by God, but they failed.

The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. But the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves for the people of Zebulun.

The tribe of Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob. Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out.

Likewise, the tribe of Naphtali failed to drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. Instead, they moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land. Nevertheless, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were forced to work as slaves for the people of Naphtali. – Judges 1:30-33 NLT

One of the reasons the Phoenicians even existed was because of the failure of these three tribes to do what God had commanded them to do. As a result of their inability to drive out the inhabitants of the land, the Phoenicians occupied territory that was supposed to belong to the people of God. Now, Solomon had just awarded the Phoenicians with even more of Israel’s God-given inheritance.

Solomon’s primary focus was the city of Jerusalem. Having willingly forfeited the towns located in the north, Solomon poured his time and energy into expanding his royal capital. To do so, Solomon enslaved thousands of non-Jews to work as laborers on his various rebuilding and enlargement projects. He conscripted Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who were living in the land of Israel to provide slave labor for his ambitious expansion program. These people were used to extend the walls of Jerusalem, connecting the Old City of David with the newer area surrounding the Temple complex, the royal palaces, and administrative headquarters. They “built towns as supply centers and constructed towns where his chariots and horses could be stationed” (1 Kings 9:19 NLT). Solomon was constructing a virtual theme park dedicated to his greatness, complete with palaces, terraces, stables for his numerous horses, and barracks for his expanding army. 

And it’s essential to recall that God had warned the people of Israel that their kings were not to rule like the kings of other nations.

The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself… – Deuteronomy 17:16 NLT

The king must not take many wives for himself… – Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT

And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself… – Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT

Solomon violated each of these commands. And while at this point, it appears that the daughter of Pharaoh was his only wife, it wouldn’t be long before he expanded his household greatly.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. – 1 Kings 11:1-3 NLT

Whether it was wives and concubines or horses and chariots, Solomon always seemed to be in expansion mode. Enough was never enough. He even built a fleet of boats and initiated an aggressive trading venture that yielded 16 tons of gold. For Solomon, bigger was always better. Yet, late in his life, he would make a sad but telling admission.

I increased my possessions:
I built houses for myself;
I planted vineyards for myself.
I designed royal gardens and parks for myself,
and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
I constructed pools of water for myself,
to irrigate my grove of flourishing trees.
I purchased male and female slaves,
and I owned slaves who were born in my house;
I also possessed more livestock—both herds and flocks—
than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem.
I also amassed silver and gold for myself,
as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces.
I acquired male singers and female singers for myself,
and what gives a man sensual delight—a harem of beautiful concubines.
So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem,
yet I maintained my objectivity.
I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted;
I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure.
So all my accomplishments gave me joy;
this was my reward for all my effort.
Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished
and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it,
I concluded: “All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless—
like chasing the wind!
There is nothing gained from them on earth.” – Ecclesiastes 1:4-11 NLT

They say, “hindsight is 20-20,” and that maxim would prove to be true in Solomon’s life. He would one day discover that his obsession with constant expansion, endless pleasure, and rampant materialism would never satisfy. But at the midway point of his reign, he didn’t know any better. So, he continued to strive to balance his affection for the things of this world with his devotion to God.  He continued to accumulate material goods while simultaneously offering sacrifices to God. Without even realizing it, he was worshiping two gods. Solomon was living out the very thing Jesus would later warn His disciples about.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” – Matthew 6:24 NLT

There was a reason Yahweh forbade His kings from accumulating wealth, wives, and material possessions. They were to place their hope and trust in Him alone. Marital alliances with foreign nations were off-limits for Israel's kings because of the risk of idolatry. Yahweh knew that these pagan women would bring their foreign gods with them, providing a dangerous influence on Israel’s kings. He also prohibited the kings of Israel from establishing fighting forces that used military tactics borrowed from foreign powers. Horses and chariots were off limits because they would give the Israelites a false sense of superiority based on something other than Yahweh. King David had warned about the danger of misplaced hope. 

Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
    but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. – Psalm 20:7 NLT

Solomon’s kingdom was growing along with his reputation, and it would seem that his ego was expanding at an equally rapid rate. His unbridled power and influence led him to make decisions that would have unexpected consequences. His enslavement of the former inhabitants of the land and his forced conscription of Israelite citizens would come back to haunt him (1 Kings 12:1-4). But for now, Solomon was living the dream, unaware that his decisions would have long-term ramifications. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Danger of Misplaced Priorities

1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. – 1 Kings 3:1-4 ESV

Chapter two ended with the words, “So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon” (1 Kings 2:36-46 ESV). He had successfully completed his purging of those who had played a part in the failed coup attempt that would have robbed him of his right to the throne. He had also kept his father’s dying wish and brought to justice a small list of individuals whom David had declared worthy of judgment.

However, the opening verses of Chapter 3 introduce a shift in tone and purpose to the historical narrative. David has died, and the reign of his son has begun. The last vestiges of David’s influence have been removed, and Solomon has the opportunity to start his rule on his own terms. It is interesting to note that the author records Solomon’s first official act as king as an alliance he made with the Egyptians. The Pharaoh of Egypt sealed their agreement by giving Solomon the hand of his daughter in marriage.

The matter-of-fact manner in which this news is conveyed gives the impression that it was nothing more than an official act of business on the part of the royal administration. Making treaties and alliances was a necessary part of being a king, and marital alliances were commonplace among the nations of the world at that time. But there is something ominous and prophetic about the news of Solomon’s first official act as king. Any Jew who read this historical record would have recognized it.

Long before Israel had a king, God provided His chosen people with a list of prohibitions concerning the behavior of any man who would rule over them. He knew that the kingly role would come with all kinds of temptations and snares. The power and prestige that accompanied the crown would prove to be addictive and dangerous. Therefore, God provided His people with non-negotiable rules to govern and regulate the actions of the kings of Israel.

“You are about to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the LORD your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.

“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the LORD has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.” – Deuteronomy 17:14-17 NLT

As a precautionary measure, God commanded that any man who ruled as king over Israel was to have a personal copy of the Mosaic Law, which he was to read from daily.

“This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.” – Deuteronomy 17:21 NLT

Notice that the king was prohibited from accumulating all the usual trappings of kingly success. All Israelite kings were to be different, refusing to model their administration on the nations around them. Stables filled with fine horses, treasuries overflowing with great wealth, and palaces full of wives and concubines were off-limits to the kings of Israel. Yahweh also forbade His kings from doing any business with Egypt, even denying them the right to buy horses from their former enemies. Yet, one of the first decisions Solomon made as king was to broker a deal with the Pharaoh of Egypt that would set a dangerous precedent for his reign.

While the author provides no immediate commentary regarding Solomon’s actions, he later reveals the sinister and infectious nature of this decision.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. – 1 Kings 11:1-3 NLT

Something is foreboding in the statement that Solomon “brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem” (1 Kings 3:1 ESV). One of his very first acts as king was to bring this foreign-born, pagan princess into the city of David, where her presence would have a profound impact not only on him but also on the entire kingdom. Solomon had not even taken the time to build a palace or begun construction on the Temple for Yahweh, for which his father had provided the funding. He had taken no action to expand and protect the city of Jerusalem through the construction of defensive walls.

But the author clearly states that “Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father” (1 Kings 3:3 ESV). Yet, it will become increasingly more apparent that Solomon suffered from divided allegiances. Notice the critical contrast between the following verses. 

Solomon loved the LORD… 1 Kings 3:3

King Solomon loved many foreign wives… – 1 Kings 11:1

God had warned that any king who accumulated many wives for himself would run the risk of having his heart turned away from the LORD. His love for Yahweh would be distracted and diminished. Because Solomon prioritized forming an alliance with Egypt over building a house for God, he ultimately had to make offerings and sacrifices on the high places (1 Kings 3:3). As a result, his worship became diluted and polytheistic. As will become evident, many of these high places were actually the former sites of pagan shrines to false gods. The Israelites had repurposed them for the worship of Yahweh, but God had given Solomon the responsibility and privilege of constructing a permanent Temple where all worship and sacrifices were to be made. David had provided Solomon with everything he needed to build the Temple, from the construction plans to the financial resources to pay for it. And David had warned Solomon to make this task a high priority.

“So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”

Then David gave Solomon the plans for the Temple and its surroundings, including the entry room, the storerooms, the upstairs rooms, the inner rooms, and the inner sanctuary—which was the place of atonement. David also gave Solomon all the plans he had in mind for the courtyards of the LORD’s Temple, the outside rooms, the treasuries, and the rooms for the gifts dedicated to the LORD. The king also gave Solomon the instructions concerning the work of the various divisions of priests and Levites in the Temple of the LORD. And he gave specifications for the items in the Temple that were to be used for worship. – 1 Chronicles 28:10-13 NLT

But Solomon had established other priorities. He chose to align himself with Egypt, making what he believed would be an essential treaty with this once-powerful nation. But in doing so, Solomon placed his hope and trust in something other than God Almighty. At this point in history, Solomon was reigning over one of the most powerful nations in the known world. His father, David, had built Israel into a formidable force in the region, having expanded its boundaries and secured its peace through his victories over the surrounding nations. 

Solomon had inherited this kingdom and was privileged to rule during a time of relative peace and security. David had virtually eliminated any threat from the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Arameans, Ammonites, and Amalekites.

King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, as he did with the silver and gold from the other nations he had defeated—from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek—and from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. – 2 Samuel 8:11-12 NLT

Solomon did not need to make a treaty with Egypt. Their days as a world power were over, and they had nothing to offer Solomon. David had left his son with clear instructions as to the pressing priorities of his reign.

“Realize now that the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do it!”

“Be strong and brave! Do it! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! For the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the LORD’s temple is finished.” – 1 Chronicles 28:10, 20 NLT

But rather than heeding his father's counsel to construct a house for Yahweh, Solomon went about building his kingdom according to his own terms and agenda.

The prophet Isaiah would later warn the people of Israel about their propensity to seek alliances with and assistance from Egypt.

“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,”
    says the LORD.
“You make plans that are contrary to mine.
    You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,
    thus piling up your sins.
For without consulting me,
    you have gone down to Egypt for help.
You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection.
    You have tried to hide in his shade.” – Isaiah 30:1-2 NLT

Without even realizing it, Solomon was stepping outside the protective boundaries of God and pursuing what he believed to be the best strategy for building his kingdom. But through it all, Solomon maintained a love and devotion for God, even offering thousands of sacrifices to Him on the high place in Gibeon. The book of 1 Chronicles provides us with the reason why Solomon chose Gibeon as the place to offer his sacrifices to God.

For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon. – 1 Chronicles 21:29 ESV

This location had been designated by God. Formerly the site of a threshing floor, David had purchased it and transformed it into the nation of Israel's primary worship center. It would be at this critical location that Solomon would receive a gracious and undeserved gift from God. Despite his impulsiveness and blatant disobedience to God’s commands, he would be given the one thing that would set his reign apart from all those who would come after him. It would become the defining characteristic of his life. Solomon didn’t need more horses, wives, wealth, or treaties with his enemies. What he really needed was something only God could provide: Wisdom.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Praise the LORD!

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
7     who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8     the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The LORD will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD! – Psalm 146:1-10 ESV

The last five psalms are anonymous and form the final Hallel (praise) section of the Psalter. Due to the similarity of their content, they were likely written by the same author. Each begins with the same call to action: “Praise the LORD.” This imperative statement is not intended as a suggestion, but as a command to give Yahweh all the dignity, honor, worship, and praise He rightly deserves. The psalmist calls for wholehearted worship on the part of the people of God, and he sets the tone by declaring his sold-out allegiance to the Almighty.

I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. – Psalm 146:2 ESV  

His statement of devotion to Yahweh is reminiscent of the address Joshua gave to the Israelites near the end of his life. Ever since the death of Moses, Joshua had served as the God-appointed leader of the Israelites, helping them cross the Jordan River and begin their conquest of the land of Canaan. Over the years, Joshua led the Israelites in their effort to conquer the inhabitants of the land so they could take possession of the inheritance promised to them by Yahweh. They had fought and won many battles, and successfully occupied a large portion of Canaan, but Yahweh reminded them that He had been behind it all. 

“It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.” – Joshua 24:12-13 NLT

Despite his leadership role, Joshua knew that he had been little more than an instrument in Yahweh’s hands. He had led the people into battle, but the victories had been the LORD’s doing. So, Joshua commanded the Israelites to show their gratitude to Yahweh by treating Him with honor and unadulterated reverence. 

“So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone. But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:14-15 NLT

Like the psalmist, Joshua tried to spur the people’s obedience by using himself as an example. He declared his intention to live out his final days in total submission to and reliance upon Yahweh, and he committed his family to follow his lead. 

Joshua warned the Israelites about the dangers of idolatry because he knew their history of spiritual infidelity. He had been there when Aaron made the golden calf in the wilderness, and he had witnessed the people’s response to this false god they had crafted from the plunder taken from the Egyptians.

The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry. – Exodus 34:6 NLT

Yahweh had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and given them victory over their enemies, but they gave their allegiance to a nonexistent god they had made with their own hands. 

The psalmist stressed a different problem facing his peers. He was less concerned about idolatry and the worship of false gods than their tendency to worship men. 

Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
    there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
    and all their plans die with them. – Psalm 146:3-4 NLT

While idolatry continued to be a problem for the Israelites throughout their existence as a nation, their real struggle was the worship of men. Ever since the day they rejected Samuel's leadership and demanded, “Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5 NLT), the people of Israel had exhibited a preference for human kings over the King of kings. Yahweh would repeatedly warn them about their tendency to replace His authority with that of mere men.

This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
    with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.” – Jeremiah 17:5-6 NLT

The psalmist knew his people well and wanted them to think twice about putting their trust in powerful men who could never measure up to Yahweh’s standards. As far as the psalmist was concerned, there was no comparison between mortal men and the infinite, all-powerful God of the universe.

He made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them.
    He keeps every promise forever.
He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
   The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.
    The LORD loves the godly.
The LORD protects the foreigners among us.
    He cares for the orphans and widows,
    but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. – Psalm 146:6-9 NLT

No man could ever hope to compete with Yahweh. No king who ever lived could claim to hold a candle to Yahweh's glory and greatness. The anonymous author of Psalm 2 exposed the futility of earthly kings trying to oppose the one true King. 

Why are the nations so angry?
    Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
    the rulers plot together
against the LORD
    and against his anointed one.
“Let us break their chains,” they cry,
    “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
    The LORD scoffs at them.
Then in anger he rebukes them,
    terrifying them with his fierce fury. – Psalm 2:1-5 NLT

The prophet Isaiah declared Yahweh’s superiority and supremacy over all mankind.

God sits above the circle of the earth.
    The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
    and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world
    and brings them all to nothing. – Isaiah 40:22-23 NLT

In Isaiah’s estimation, the worship of men was unwarranted and a waste of time. They would always be poor substitutes for Yahweh because they couldn't measure up to His glorious standards. Even Yahweh declared Himself to be incomparable and irreplaceable.

“To whom will you compare me?
    Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. – Isaiah 40:25 NLT

The psalmist understood that Yahweh’s immensity and eternality set Him apart from all false gods and every man with god-like aspirations. He deserved man’s praise because He was praiseworthy. Yahweh wasn’t a figment of man's fertile imagination and had not been formed by human hands. He was the maker of “heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them” (Psalm 146:6 NLT). Yahweh is the uncreated Creator of the universe who has no beginning and end. He is eternal and all-powerful. He is holy and wholly righteous. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV). With those thoughts in mind, the psalmist closes his song in the same way he opened it, with a call to praise the eternal, always-present, forever faithful God.

The LORD will reign forever.
    He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord! – Psalm 146:10 NLT

Father, I must confess that I do not always recognize and honor Your greatness. I say I believe in it but, far too often, my actions and attitudes reflect something altogether different. I don't praise You enough. I fail to trust You fully. I tend to put my hope in men, even in myself, rather than trusting in Your proven track record of greatness and goodness. While I could easily deny any worship of false gods, I know it would be a lie. My idols are far more subtle than those of the Israelites, but they are idols all the same. Anything I turn to instead of You is a false god that will always provide false hope. No man or human institution can replace you. No idealogy, political party, or human leader can replace You or hope to compete with You. Yet, it is so easy to put my trust in those things that will always prove untrustworthy. Help me to heed the psalmist’s call and learn to praise You for who You are and all that You have done. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The LORD Reigns

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
    sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
    bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12     let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13     before the LORD, for he comes,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness. – Psalm 96:1-13 ESV

This psalm is prominently cited in a song ascribed to King David when he brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. As the centerpiece of Israel’s worship, the Ark represented the presence of God. During their days wandering through the wilderness, the Israelites were comforted by the fact that Yahweh's Shekinah glory rested above the mercy seat, which served as the lid for the Ark. So, when David relocated the Ark into his capital city, he wrote a celebratory song that reminded the people of Israel of the goodness and greatness of their God.

In penning the words to his song, David borrowed heavily from Psalm 96, incorporating some of its most memorable lines to encourage the heartfelt worship of Yahweh among his people. God's presence among them was not to be taken lightly or for granted. As the sovereign King of the universe, Yahweh demanded honor, reverence, and unwavering allegiance from His covenant people. Their obedience to His commands was not optional, and their steadfast devotion to Him alone was not up for debate. He had clearly communicated the terms of His relationship with the people of Israel, and He expected wholehearted compliance on their part. 

“I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” – Exodus 20:5 NLT   

If they wanted to experience Yahweh’s presence, power, and provision, they would need to be faithful. By bringing the Ark into Jerusalem, David was relocating God's presence into the heart of his capital and reminding his people of their complete reliance upon Him for all their needs. He alone could protect them from their enemies, provide for all their needs, and pour out forgiveness and redemption for their sins. Without Yahweh, they would be just another nation striving to preserve their existence in a world marked by hostility and mired in sin.

Psalm 96 opens with the words, “Sing to the Lord a new song.” This was a call for the people of Israel to praise Yahweh, not just for His past acts of deliverance but for His present activity in their lives. He was present and moving powerfully in their midst. The God who created the universe and delivered their ancestors from their captivity in Egypt was still moving mightily in their lives. That is why the psalmist states, “Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does” (Psalm 96:2-3 NLT).

As David celebrated the arrival of the Ark into Jerusalem, he used the words of Psalm 96 to encourage faithfulness among his people. He wanted them to understand their need for God and their obligation to declare His glory to the nations around them. Every time Yahweh moved among His people, they were to declare His majesty, power, and sovereignty to the surrounding nations. His glorious deeds among His people were to be a testimony to His greatness and evidence of His role as the one true God. That is why the psalmist addresses the pagan nations and calls on them to reject their false gods and worship Yahweh alone.

O nations of the world, recognize the LORD;
    recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong.
Give to the LORD the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his courts.
Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. – Psalm 96:7-9 NLT

But their acknowledgment of Yahweh depended on the Israelites’ faithfulness and willingness to declare His glory. If God's people don't see Him as active in their lives and refuse to declare His power and presence, the nations will continue to seek help and hope from false gods. God’s people were to declare, “The Lord reigns!” (Psalm 96:10 ESV). But this was to be more than lip service or pious-sounding rhetoric. It was to come from the heart and express their own personal experience. 

This psalm provides a glimpse of what it means to worship God. It is less an activity than an awareness of God's character and attributes. It is a recognition of who He is, what He has done, and what He will do because of His unchanging character. God is loving and kind. He is holy and righteous. He is powerful and completely in control. What He says, He will do. He can be trusted. He is reliable. Even when things do not appear to be going as expected, and God seems nowhere in sight, He is there.

His character is consistent with His behavior, and it is in keeping with His word. If we don’t understand who God is, we will never truly worship Him. The reality of HIS faithfulness allows us to be faithful to Him. If we view Him as untrustworthy, we will doubt and disobey Him. If we don’t believe His promises, we will never rest in them. And we will never be able to say, “The Lord reigns!” and mean it. Our testimony to God's goodness and greatness will become second-hand and lack personal evidence that He is alive and active in our lives. This lack of firsthand experience with Yahweh will weaken our testimony and fail to impress a lost and dying world that our God rules and reigns.

Our worship of God is fickle and feeble at best. It tends to be based on present circumstances. If things are going well, our God is good and worthy of praise. If things are going poorly, we begin to doubt Him and even complain about our lot in life. When we do, we portray Yahweh as a fickle, fairweather God who can’t be trusted or relied upon. 

Even when we worship Him, our efforts can portray a half-hearted commitment that paints God as an add-on to our lives rather than the sole focus of our affection. We turn worship into an activity that we only participate in on Sundays. Our devotion to Him is relegated to a worship hour and a particular music style. The entire endeavor becomes more about us than Him. We judge the effectiveness of our worship based on our personal tastes. If we enjoy our worship service of choice and like the music and the message we hear, we believe we’ve worshiped. But we can go through that process and never acknowledge God's lovingkindness, faithfulness, righteousness, truth, and strength. We can feel good, but leave without having grown closer to God. In essence, the worship service becomes more about us than Him.

This psalm reminds us that God is to be our focus. Not because of what He is currently doing for us, but simply because of who He is. He is God, and there is no one else like Him. He is God, and He is entirely trustworthy and true. He is God, and is all-powerful, and capable of doing whatever He chooses to do. If He is not doing what we THINK He should be doing, He has a very good reason. If He allows difficulty into our lives, He is not asleep, apathetic, or impotent; He has a plan.

Yahweh has made us, and we are His sheep. We belong to Him, and He knows what is best for us. But do we trust Him? Do we believe He is strong enough to meet any and all of our needs? Do we comprehend just how much He loves us? The psalmist reminds us that when God made a promise to David that his kingdom would endure forever, even the people's unfaithfulness and disobedience could not alter that promise's reality and reliability. God's word endures. His faithfulness is unfailing. His lovingkindness is everlasting. His truth never falters. His strength never diminishes.

Tell the nations about his splendor.
Tell all the nations about his amazing deeds.
For the LORD is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods. – Psalms 96:3-4 NET

Father, so often I attempt to worship You in ignorance. I try to sing Your praises but I don't fully understand or appreciate who You are. I tend to sing only when I feel like it. I praise You only when You’ve done something for me. Yet You are worthy of praise all the time. You are loving, kind, righteous, holy, trustworthy, and powerful to save. Help me come to know You better so that I might better worship You rightly. Not just for what You do but just because of who You are. And may I be able to declare to the nations, “The LORD reigns!” and truly mean it because I have experienced it in my own life. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God’s Presence and Protection Require Faithfulness

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
    in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
    is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

4 For behold, the kings assembled;
    they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish as of a woman in labor.
7 By the east wind you shattered
    the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
    which God will establish forever. Selah

9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
10 As your name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11     Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us forever. – Psalm 48:1-14 ESV

This psalm, like the previous one, was written by one of the sons of Korah and was designed to accentuate the supremacy and superiority of Yahweh over every other ĕlōhîm. The title ĕlōhîm, which is commonly rendered as “god” in our English translations, was the generic title for all deities. Yet, it was also used to refer to the one true God, the Creator of the universe.

In the beginning, God [ĕlōhîm] created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God [ĕlōhîm] was hovering over the face of the waters. – Genesis 1:1-2 ESV

To differentiate Himself from all the false gods that mankind manufactured after the fall, the Creator God introduced Himself to Moses with a new name.

Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” God [ĕlōhîm] also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God [ĕlōhîm] of Abraham, the God [ĕlōhîm] of Isaac, and the God [ĕlōhîm] of Jacob—has sent me to you.” – Exodus 3:14-15 NLT

This more intimate and personal name would become the primary way the people of Israel addressed their God. He even told them, “This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations” (Psalm 48:15 NLT).

The psalmist opens his song with a statement of praise for this eternal and highly personal name of God.

How great is the LORD [Yahweh],
    how deserving of praise… – Psalm 48:1 NLT

In a sense, the psalmist is highlighting the unparalleled nature of Israel's ĕlōhîm. Other nations could claim to worship a superior ĕlōhîm, but their god was no match for Yahweh. In ancient times, gods were believed to be regionally based deities who ruled from and over specific locales. That is why the psalmist mentions Jerusalem, “the city of our God!” (Psalm 48:2 ESV). Then, he specifies the exact spot on which the royal city sits.

His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation,
    is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress. – Psalm 48:1-3 ESV

From the psalmist’s perspective, Yahweh dwelt in Jerusalam, which sat on the Mount of Zion. He describes this sacred spot as Yahweh’s citadel or palace, from which He rules as the great King. His presence among the Israelites created a fortress-like environment, protecting them from their enemies and assuring them of safety and security from harm.

God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,
    revealing himself as its defender. – Psalm 48:3 NLT

In a somewhat arrogant fashion, the psalmist brags of Jerusalem’s invincibility, declaring that Yahweh’s presence serves as a kind of “iron dome,” protecting its inhabitants from all threats.

The kings of the earth joined forces
    and advanced against the city.
But when they saw it, they were stunned;
    they were terrified and ran away.
They were gripped with terror
    and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.
You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish
    shattered by a powerful east wind. – Psalm 48:4-7 NLT

With Yahweh serving as their protector and defender, they could sleep peacefully at night, knowing they had nothing to fear. No harm could come their way as long as Yahweh was with them.

Verse 2 contains a subtle yet significant statement intended to set Yahweh apart from the competition. In describing Mount Zion, the psalmist states, “It is lofty and pleasing to look at,  a source of joy to the whole earth. Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon” (Psalm 48:2 NET). He is purposefully differentiating Mount Zion from Mount Zaphon, a range located to the north of Jerusalem. This reference to Mount Zaphon is important because local legends designated this location as the gathering place of the gods.

The prophet Isaiah recorded a divine warning against the king of Babylon, predicting his eventual fall.

“How you are fallen from heaven,
    O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
    you who destroyed the nations of the world.
For you said to yourself,
    ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.
I will preside on the mountain of the gods
    far away in the north [ṣāp̄ôn].
I will climb to the highest heavens
    and be like the Most High…” – Isaiah 14:12-14 NLT

In this prophetic judgment, the king is described as seeking to set up his throne on “the mountain of the gods,” which was located in the north. The Hebrew word translated as “north” is ṣāp̄ôn or Zaphon.

“Mt. Zaphon to the north of Palestine was the mythical residence of the gods (as Mt. Olympus was the mythical residence of the gods to the Greeks; v. 13; cf. Ps. 48:2). Rather than being king of the gods, Babylon’s king proved to be only human having weakened nations through his domination of them. Even though he had exalted himself to near deity status, he would die and go to Sheol like every other proud person.” – Thomas L. Constable, Study Notes on Isaiah

“Zaphon, located north of Israel, was the sacred mountain of the Canaanites from which their high god El supposedly ruled. However, Zion was the real ‘Zaphon,’ for it was here that the Lord God of Israel, the ‘Great King’ of the universe, lived and ruled.” – Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., "A Theology of the Psalms." In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament

Zaphon was not a sacred mountain because the Canaanite god, El, was not a real god. He was the figment of the fertile imaginations of a pagan people who attempted to replace the one true ĕlōhîm with a god of their own making. The apostle Paul describes mankind’s sin-inspired penchant for replacing the one true God with a poor substitute.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. – Romans 1:21-23 NLT

But for the psalmist, no other ĕlōhîm would do.

O God [ĕlōhîm], we meditate on your unfailing love
    as we worship in your Temple.
As your name deserves, O God [ĕlōhîm],
    you will be praised to the ends of the earth.
    Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.
    Let all the towns of Judah be glad
    because of your justice. – Psalm 48:9-11 NLT

There was no competition between Zion and Zaphon because there was no ĕlōhîm living in the north. Yahweh had no rivals, and the people of Israel had nothing to worry about when it came to their enemies and their enemies’ false, non-existent gods. All they had to do was look at the majesty and magnificence of Jerusalem and be reminded that their ĕlōhîm was superior.

Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.
    Walk around and count the many towers.
Take note of the fortified walls,
    and tour all the citadels,
that you may describe them
    to future generations.
For that is what God is like.
    He is our God forever and ever,
    and he will guide us until we die. – Psalm 48:12-14 NLT

The city was impregnable, a fitting reminder of God’s power and protective capacity. The fortifications of Jerusalem were to serve as a symbol of Yahweh’s presence, power, and provision for generations to come. He would not leave them or forsake them. But in his enthusiasm, the psalmist leaves out one small but highly significant point. God expected His people to remain faithful. His presence was predicated on their obedience to His law and faithfulness to the covenant they had made with Him. They would enjoy His protection as long as they remained spiritually faithful and refrained from worshiping other ĕlōhîm. But centuries later, the prophet Isaiah would repeatedly warn of God’s pending wrath for their infidelity and unfaithfulness.

“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you. Don’t you see what they are doing throughout the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods! Am I the one they are hurting?” asks the Lord. “Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame.”

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger.” – Jeremiah 7:16-20 NLT

God’s presence and protection are vital to His people’s survival, but they do not come without a cost. God requires that His people commit wholeheartedly to Him. He is a jealous God who will not tolerate infidelity and unfaithfulness. He will not tolerate spiritual adultery among His chosen people. If the psalmist wanted to continue to enjoy the presence, power, and protection of Yahweh, he would need to call the people of Israel to live up to their covenant commitments.

Father, I revel in the reality of Your presence in my life and I fully appreciate the promise of the care and protection You provide. But I sometimes live as though my actions don't matter. I treat Your love with a flippancy and carelessness that borders on rebellion. I fail to treat You with the honor and reverence You deserve, living my life according to my own will and agenda. I know You are the one true God and I am confident in Your power and fully appreciate Your divine protection over my life. But forgive me for the many times I take Your protection for granted. Help me to live faithfully and obediently, treating You with all the honor You deserve. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Self-Delusions of a Self-Made Man

1 “King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

3 How great are his signs,
    how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.” – Daniel 4:1-9 ESV

The content of this chapter appears to cover events that happened much later in Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, perhaps near its end. Some scholars propose that a significant gap exists between the close of chapter three and the opening of chapter four. If correct, Daniel would be a much older man and Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would have had time to reach the height of its glory. Babylon would have become a formidable world power with its opulent capital city reflecting Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams of unbridled success and significance.

The chapter opens with what appears to be a written testimony from the king himself. He begins by praising the greatness of 'ĕlâʿillay – the God most high. This is clearly a reference to the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar was not declaring his allegiance to the Hebrew God but was simply acknowledging Yahweh’s supremacy over all other gods. The king had ample evidence to reach this conclusion, having witnessed the miraculous salvation of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. He also experienced Yahweh’s power when Daniel interpreted his dream, something none of his magicians, sorcerers, or astrologers could do. Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with the God of the Hebrews and had promoted Him to a premier position among all the gods of the Babylonians.

Nebuchadnezzar was an equal opportunity idolater, choosing to include the gods of the nations he had conquered. Since Yahweh had proved Himself powerful and useful, Nebuchadnezzar was willing to promote His worship. He had even issued an official decree that made it illegal to denigrate or disparage the God of the Hebrews.

“If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” – Daniel 3:29 NLT

Even years later, as the king reflected on his power and prominence, he was willing to give Yahweh some of the credit. Verses 1-3 are intended to set up what Nebuchadnezzar is about to relate. In the verses that follow, the king recalls yet another incident involving a dream, Daniel, and Yahweh. Decades have passed and the prophecy contained in the first dream has not yet been fulfilled. His kingdom remains intact and his power has not diminished. He even begins his testimony with the pride-filled statement, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity” (Daniel 4:4 NLT).

He was enjoying all the perks and benefits that accompanied the crown. He was rich, revered, and greatly feared. He ruled over a kingdom that had conquered much of the known world. But Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t control his unconscious thoughts. As he lay on his richly appointed bed, his mind was filled with nightmares that left him agitated and confused. Unable to sleep and anxious to know the meaning of the dream, Nebuchadnezzar sent for his wise men, a distinguished group of trusted advisors that included “magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers” (Daniel 4:7 NLT). But as before, these self-proclaimed prophets men proved powerless to help the king.

“I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant.” – Daniel 4:7 NLT

This time, Nebuchadnezzar took it easy on them. He didn’t require them to use their powers to determine what he dreamed, he simply asked them to explain its meaning. But they were clueless.

Then Daniel showed up. The text doesn’t explain Daniel’s late arrival but according to chapter two, he was the highest-ranking wise man in the kingdom.

…the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. – Daniel 2:48 NLT

Perhaps Daniel had been occupied with matters of state. But whatever the case, his timing could not have been better. He arrived just in time to hear the king’s dream and provide its interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar recounts Daniel’s entrance into the royal court by using his Hebrew and Babylonian names. It is unclear what Belteshazzar means but the king states that it has ties to one of his gods. He also adds the note that Daniel was filled with “the spirit of the holy gods” (Daniel 4:8 ESV). It seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan polytheist, would have been referring to the Holy Spirit. He was simply acknowledging that Daniel possessed supernatural powers of a divine origin.

Desperate to know what his dream meant, Nebuchadnezzar begged Daniel to use his powers to solve the mystery.

“Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.” – Daniel 4:9 NLT

While Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t mention Yahweh by name, he knows that Daniel is a devout follower of the God of the Hebrews. Throughout this chapter, Yahweh’s superiority will be proclaimed. Even in the opening verses, Nebuchadnezzar declares His greatness.

“How great are his signs,
    how powerful his wonders!
His kingdom will last forever,
    his rule through all generations.” – Daniel 4:3 NLT

But as the chapter unfolds, Yahweh’s supremacy will be repeatedly stated.

“…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.” – Daniel 4:17 ESV

“…this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.” – Daniel 4:24 ESV

“…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” – Daniel 4:25 ESV

“…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” – Daniel 4:32 ESV

“I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    and his kingdom endures from generation to generation…” – Daniel 4:34 ESV

“…he does according to his will among the host of heaven
    and among the inhabitants of the earth…” – Daniel 4:35 ESV

“I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” – Daniel 4:37 ESV

This entire chapter is intended to provide a stark contrast between the powers of this world and the sovereign majesty and might of God Almighty. Nebuchadnezzar is meant to represent human authority in all its prideful arrogance. He is the consummate self-made man who dares to shake his fist in the face of God and declare his autonomy and independent authority. Surrounded by all the trappings of his own success, he dares to see himself as a deity in his own mind. But his dream mocks and rocks his confidence.

Nebuchadnezzar had conquered the world, but he couldn’t win the battle going on inside his head. Things were happening that he could not control or explain. There was a dimension to the world he could not see and over which he was powerless. Despite his posse of prophetic posers, he could not see the future. Regardless of his power, he had no way of controlling his fate. But the King of Heaven was not only aware of Nebuchadnezzar’s future, but He was in control of it.

Nebuchadnezzar was going to learn a powerful and painful lesson about God’s sovereignty and man’s inadequacy. His might was minimal when compared to that of God. His rule was impermanent when compared to that of God. His autonomy was non-existent when compared with the providential power of God Most High.

…all the nations of the world
    are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more
    than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth
    as though it were a grain of sand. – Isaiah 40:17 NLT

God sits above the circle of the earth.
    The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
    and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world
    and brings them all to nothing. – Isaiah 40:22-23 NLT

The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
    he guides it wherever he pleases. – Proverbs 21:1 NLT

Nebuchadnezzar was surrounded by wealth, power, prestige, and a team of worldly wisemen who offered to provide him with insights into the future. But all the pomp and prophetic promises of this world are no match for God Most High.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

There Is a God In Heaven

17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what is in the darkness,
    and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my fathers,
    I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
    and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
    for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. – Daniel 2:17-30 ESV

Upon hearing that he and his companions were facing death because of the king’s recent edict, Daniel responded with deep concern but never panicked. Instead, he appealed for a brief reprieve to seek out the meaning of the king’s dream. Desperate to have his disturbing dream explained, Nebuchadnezzar granted Daniel’s request. No longer under the immediate threat of death, Daniel gathered his three Hebrew friends and encouraged them to take the matter before Yahweh.

Faced with death at the hands of a psychologically disturbed pagan king, Daniel took the matter to the God of heaven. He did what Nebuchadezzar’s magicians, astrologers, and Chaldeans failed to do; he appealed to a higher power. Those men had assured the king that his demand that they interpret his dream was impossible because “no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Daniel 1:11 ESV).

These celebrated soothsayers and fortune-tellers could read the stars and predict the future but were powerless to decipher the king’s dream, let alone its meaning. But faced with an impossible task, they never sought the aid of Marduk, the chief Babylonian god. Even with a death sentence hanging over their heads, the magicians failed to take their dire situation to Enki, the Babylonian god of magic. Either they believed their gods were distant and disinterested in the affairs of mortal men or they had no faith in their existence at all.

But Daniel and his friends believed in Yahweh and took their predicament to the only one who could do anything about it. And though Yahweh’s “dwelling is not with flesh,” He answered their prayers. Sometime during the night, Daniel received a divinely inspired vision that disclosed the content of the king’s dreams. But Yahweh didn’t stop there; He also provided Daniel with the interpretation. This entire sequence of events reveals God’s sovereignty over the affairs of men. He is the one who ordained that Nebuchadnezzar would invade Judah and take its people captive.

“Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem:
    ‘Flee now! Do not delay!’
For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you
    from the north.” – Jeremiah 4:6 ESV

His chariots are like whirlwinds.
His horses are swifter than eagles. – Jeremiah 4:13 ESV

He had sovereignly orchestrated the capture and deportation of Daniel and his three friends. He had planned their meteoric rise to prominence within Nebuchadnezzar’s administration. He is the one who exposed the king’s wise men as frauds but also gave Daniel and his friends wisdom and discernment. sleep with disturbing dreams. He is also the one who endowed Daniel with the ability to interpret dreams and visions. It had all been His doing from start to finish.

And Yahweh could reveal Nebuchadnezzar’s dream because He was its author. He could discern its meaning because He had determined its content. None of this had been a matter of chance or blind fate; it had been part of the sovereign plan of God Almighty. And Daniel recognized it as such and offered Yahweh the praise He justly deserved.

“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
    for he has all wisdom and power.
He controls the course of world events;
    he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the scholars.
He reveals deep and mysterious things
    and knows what lies hidden in darkness,
    though he is surrounded by light.” – Daniel 2:20-22 NLT

Daniel responds in praise and thanksgiving for the wisdom, power, and omniscience of God. While the gods of the Babylonians did "not live here among people," the God of Daniel did, and He heard Daniel's prayer and did the seemingly impossible. Daniel knew what Jesus Himself would later express, "What is impossible for people is possible with God" (Luke 18:27 NLT).

Daniel was living in the most powerful nation in the world and serving in the court of its king. Yet he recognized that Nebuchadnezzar ruled at the behest of God. Yahweh even referred to the Babylonian king as “my servant Nebuchadnezzar” (Jeremiah 43:10 NLT). Daniel was not impressed by Nebuchadnezzar’s power or threatened by his edict because Yahweh “controls the course of human events” (Daniel 2:21 NLT). Daniel’s God was superior and sovereign over all things.

Daniel and his friends had sought God’s help and He had graciously responded. Their prayers had not informed God about the day's events because He was already intimately knowledgeable and completely responsible for all that had happened. But in taking their need to God, they became aware of His plan and His intention to use them in it. There is no indication in the text that Daniel had ever utilized his gift of interpreting visions. It isn’t even clear that he was aware he had the gift. This was all new territory for Daniel, but not for God. Daniel was likely familiar with the story of how God gave Joseph the ability to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh. If Daniel had been aware of his God-given gift, he would have availed himself of it. But instead, he encouraged his friends to join him in praying for God’s intervention and interpretation. And they got what they asked for. In response to God’s gracious answer, Daniel offered praise and thanksgiving.

“I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors,
    for you have given me wisdom and strength.
You have told me what we asked of you
    and revealed to us what the king demanded.” – Daniel 2:23 NLT

Now, with the dream’s interpretation in hand, Daniel’s next assignment was to share it with the king. Arioch, the king’s captain, rushed Daniel to the palace and informed Nebuchadnezzar of the good news.

“I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!” – Daniel 2:25 NLT

Arioch’s announcement comes across as a blatant attempt to score brownie points with the king. He claimed credit for solving the king’s dilemma, but Nebuchadnezzar was reticent to believe the good news, asking Daniel, “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?” (Daniel 2:26 NLT). In a display of humility and reverence for Yahweh, Daniel announced, ““There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future” (Daniel 2:27-28 NLT).

This entire exchange likely took place in front of all the other astrologers, magicians, and Chaldeans who had failed to discern the king’s dream and its meaning. Daniel’s statement must have infuriated them, but it only validated the conclusion they had already reached.

“No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” – Daniel 2:10-11 NLT

In a real sense, their lives were in Daniel’s hands. If his God had revealed the dream and its interpretation, the king’s wrath might be assuaged and his death sentence lifted. But their professional reputations were also at risk. If Daniel succeeded, their value to the king would be greatly diminished. So, they listened with rapt attention as Daniel made his announcement to the king.

“While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.” – Daniel 2:29-30 NLT

Daniel could have used this moment to his own advantage but, instead, he gave full credit to God. He humbly acknowledged that the message he was about to reveal was not the result of his own wisdom; he was just an instrument. The dream was a divinely ordained message from Yahweh and Daniel was simply the messenger. What he was about to share was a word from his God that would reveal the future of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. And with that announcement, he had his audience in the palm of his hand.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

A Nightmare Scenario

1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. – Daniel 2:1-16 ESV

Daniel and his three companions have been elevated to positions of honor and distinction within Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Having excelled at their training and passed their oral exam with flying colors, they are part of the royal retinue and in the king’s employment. Their rise to prominence is part of Yahweh’s strategic plan and positions them perfectly for the next task He has for them to do.

The timing of this chapter is difficult to discern. The text describes it as “the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar” (Daniel 1:1 ESV). History records that he assumed the throne in 605 B.C., the same year his father died. But his official reign did not begin until the following spring on the first of Nisan, 604 B.C. The prior year was credited to his father’s reign. Therefore, the second year of his reign would have begun in 603 B.C. and ended in 602 B.C. This would have allowed Daniel and his friends to complete their training and enter Nebuchadnezzar’s employment as the text suggests.

It is also possible that the four Hebrew young men excelled at their studies and “graduated” early, having caught their instructor's eyes and garnered the king's favor. But regardless of the timing, it would appear that they were officially trusted advisors to the king when the events of this chapter begin.

It is important to recall what the author stated in the opening chapter: “God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17 ESV). This almost comes across as a parenthetical statement that has no context. The reader is forced to question why God would have given Daniel this supernatural ability when no dreams or visions are mentioned in chapter one. But the author knows where the story is going and he is preparing his audience for the events of chapter two.

It just so happens that Nebuchadnezzar becomes plagued by a series of repeated dreams that disturb his sleep and unsettle his mind. These vivid and realistic dreams left him sleep-deprived and anxious to know their meaning, so he sent for his “enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans” (Daniel 2:2 ESV). These are the same men mentioned in chapter 1.

The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. – Daniel 1:19-20 NLT

But chapter two mentions another group of individuals called the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans were a semi-nomadic tribe that lived in the southern part of Babylon. Over the centuries, several Chaldeans served as kings in Babylon, including Nebuchadnezzar and his father. In time, the term Chaldean became interchangeable with Babylon. As a Chaldean himself, Nebuchadnezzar probably filled his administration with members from this elite, well-educated ruling class. It would appear that these men were known for their wisdom, not for their skills in magic, sorcery, or the dark arts. The king included them in all matters of state and commanded them to come to his chambers to help discern the meaning of his dreams.

When these wise men and their occult-practicing companions appeared before the king, they had no idea what awaited them. Exhausted from lack of sleep and the disturbing nature of his dreams, the king commanded that his counselors provide him with an explanation. He was convinced these nightmares were premonitions about the future and was determined to know their meaning.

It seems that the Chaldeans were the first to speak up. These wise men offered to interpret the king’s dream but only on the condition that he divulge the content. The text indicates that the rest of the conversation between the king and his advisors was in Aramaic, the lingua franca of the land. From verse 3 to the end of the chapter, the dialogue is in Aramaic, not Hebrew. This note seems intended to highlight the stark difference between the four Hebrew men and their Babylonian peers. While is it certain that Daniel and his friends learned to read, write, and speak Aramaic as part of their 3-year training program, they were not in the room when these conversations took place. Despite their superior “wisdom and understanding” (Daniel 1:20), they had not been summoned to the king’s presence. The entire exchange was an in-house matter, between the king and his fellow Babylonians.

But these men were caught in a dilemma. They could not tell the king the meaning of the dreams unless he told them the content. This is especially noteworthy considering that these men were renowned for their ability to speak with the dead, read the stars, and predict the future. These self-proclaimed fortune tellers were stumped.

“Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” – Daniel 2:7 NLT

But Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t buying what they were selling. He demanded that they prove their powers of perception by providing the content of the dream and its meaning – under penalty of death.

“I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, ‘If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.’ So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.” – Daniel 2:8-9 NLT

Their reaction? Panic. Despite their illustrious titles, they know they can’t do what the king demands. They couldn't know what the king dreamed unless he told them. But King Nebuchadnezzar stuck to his original plan, threatening to kill them if they failed to do what he said. Under the threat of death, they finally own up and confess the obvious.

“No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” – Daniel 2:10-11 NLT

What a perfect set-up. Faced with the impossible task of discerning the king’s dreams and their meaning, they admit that the request is way above their pay grade. They are out of their league. Fearing for their lives, they tell the king that this is a job for the gods, who don’t inhabit the realm of men. This admission speaks volumes because it reveals the sad reality of their theology. Their gods were distant and disinterested in the affairs of men. They were inaccessible and out of reach. Amazingly, none of these men suggested that their gods be consulted or considered as the logical solution to the dilemma. Instead, they use the gods as an excuse.

But their ploy failed. Instead of releasing these men from their obligation, the king doubled down on his threat and sentenced them all to death. But this is where the story gets interesting. The king’s edict was all-inclusive, condemning every magician, enchanter, astrologer, and Chaldean in his realm. News of this fateful death sentence spread fast and reached the ears of Daniel, who was informed that his name and those of his friends were included on the list of those to die.

When the captain of the king’s guard appeared at Daniel’s door to carry out his execution, Daniel didn’t panic. Instead, he “handled the situation with wisdom and discretion” (Daniel 2:14 NLT). Unaware of what precipitated his death sentence, Daniel asked the captain for an explanation. When he heard the details behind the king’s edict, he immediately requested an audience with the king.

There is no indication that Daniel has used his God-ordained gift of interpreting dreams and visions. Verse 17 of chapter one seems to be a premonition or prediction of things to come. It prepares the reader to expect something to happen in the chapters ahead. Daniel has never interpreted dreams before and, from the gist of the story, it is not even clear that Daniel is aware of his special gift. But he is nonplused by the king’s decree and appears confident that he can decipher the dream’s meaning.

Unlike his Babylonian counterparts, Daniel knows that his God is accessible and fully capable of assisting him in his time of need. He doesn’t panic or fly off the handle in a fit of rage. He reasons wisely and discerningly with his executioner, buying time to seek the will of God. Faced with the threat of death, Daniel will gather his three friends and seek the favor of Yahweh. Daniel and his companions would have been well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures, including the Psalms. So, as they considered the life-threatening nature of their circumstances, they may have turned to the words of the psalmist for encouragement.

In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
    and the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?
Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.
    I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in people.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes. – Psalm 118:5-9 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Kenna

10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. 11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today.…12 Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. 13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.”– Exodus 34:10-14 ESV

In Genesis 22, the story is recorded of Abraham preparing to offer up his own son as a sacrifice on a hastily constructed altar. This disconcerting tale makes for difficult reading, especially when you realize that Abraham was following the commands of Elohim, the God who had miraculously enabled his barren wife Sarah to give birth to Isaac years earlier. Yet, in obeying the command of God and trusting the future of his only son to the faithfulness of God, Abraham was given the privilege of seeing God work a miracle of redemption, delivering his son from certain death. Rather than requiring Abraham to go through with the sacrifice, God provided a ram to serve as Isaac’s substitute. This led Abraham to call the place upon which he built the altar, Jehovah-Jireh, which means something to the effect of “God sees and provides.”

Abraham had experienced this aspect of God’s character for the very first time and it led him to memorialize his newfound awareness of God’s foresight and gracious provision with an appellation worthy of God’s glory. In the Genesis account, Moses adds the note, “To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14 NLT). This indicates that Abraham shared this story and it was passed down from one generation to another. But, even more importantly, Moses’ aside also serves a prophetic role, foreshadowing another day when God the Father would offer up His sinless Son as the substitutionary atonement for the sins of mankind. That fateful event would take place on the very same mountain. God saw the helpless and hopeless state of humanity, enslaved and condemned by sin, and facing divine judgment, and He responded by providing a Savior. He sent His Son to serve as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:9). 

But how did humanity end up in such a sad and desperate state? It was the result of their own disobedience to God; their refusal to recognize Him as the one true God and worship Him alone. The apostle Paul describes humanity’s downward trajectory and its consequences.

…they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! – Romans 1:21-25 NLT

In today’s passage, we have another name of God that describes an aspect of His character that gets often overlooked. It may even come across as an ungodly and unacceptable way to refer to God; yet, the Exodus 34 passage reveals that this is God’s self-revelation; His way of describing His divine nature to fallen mankind.

He is “the LORD, whose name is Jealous…” (Exodus 34:14 ESV). He is YHWH-qannā'. But this is more than just a name; it expresses His character. This self-designation is an extension of the commandment God gave that prohibits the worship of anyone or anything other than Himself.

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” – Exodus 20:4-5 NLT

Yahweh is a jealous God. This thought may sound strange to us and leave us feeling uncomfortable. In part, this is a result of our own love-hate relationship with jealousy. We tend to view jealousy in a negative light, associating it with sin. Even the apostle Paul lumped jealousy in with a list of other egregious behaviors that are the byproducts of man’s sinful nature.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

It’s difficult to associate such an unflattering character quality with our Holy God. Yet, God refers to Himself as being jealous and even designates it as one of His names. It is not a reaction or a temporary trait; it is an expression of His very nature.

We tend to associate jealousy with envy and covetousness. When we read God’s command, “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 17 NLT), we substitute jealousy for coveting. But jealousy and covetousness are two different things. To covet is to wrongly desire that which belongs to someone else. It doesn’t belong to you and you have no right to possess it. It is closely associated with stealing. When King David saw Bathsheba bathing on a nearby rooftop, he lusted after her. When he was informed that she was a married woman, his lust turned to covetousness. He knew she was off-limits but it did not stop him from sending for her so that he might commit adultery with her.

The Hebrew word, qannā', which is translated as “jealous” is only used of God in the Bible, and it almost always associated with His judgment against the worship of false gods.

“Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” – Deuteronomy 4:23-24 ESV

“You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 6:14-15 ESV

These passages are not inferring that God is jealous of us. This does not describe the jealousy of a husband whose wife shows affection to another man. God’s jealousy is not about His need for our affection or adoration; it is about the integrity of His name. The people of Israel were His chosen possession. He had created them and they bore the responsibility of living as the children of God. Their actions and behavior were to reflect their position as His earthly representatives.

When Joshua was nearing the end of his life, he pleaded with the people of Israel to swear allegiance to Yahweh, stating, “as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 NLT). The Israelites, eager to complete their conquest and occupation of the land of Canaan, declared their willingness to serve Yahweh only.

“We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.” – Joshua 24:16-18 NLT

But Joshua wasn’t buying what they were selling. He knew them all too well and voiced doubt in their sincerity. After having served as their leader for years, he was convinced they would continue to rebel against God and face future judgment as a result

“You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.” – Joshua 24:19-20 NLT

When the people assured Joshua of their sincerity, he demanded proof, instructing them to, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel” (Joshua 24:23 NLT). He was not suggesting that God needed their undivided attention and affection. Yahweh is not desperate for our attention. He isn’t jealous that we share our affection with other gods. He is jealous and protective of the holiness of His name.

“Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord…” – Ezekiel 36:22-23 NLT

Our spiritual infidelity is not about unrequited love but about the unacceptable dishonoring of God’s name and character.  In the Exodus 34 passage, Noses reminds the Israelites that Yahweh is “a God who is jealous about his relationship with you” (Exodus 34:14 ESV). That relationship was to reflect their awareness of His glory, holiness, and worthiness of their undivided worship and attention. When they devoted their time and attention to false gods, it did nothing to diminish God’s self-esteem or worthiness; it dishonored His name among the nations.

He had set His name upon the people of Israel. In the Book of Isaiah, He refers to them as His children and promises to “bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created” (Isaiah 43:6-7 ESV). Their identity was based on their identification as children of God who bore the name of God. When they showered their affections on false gods, it was not their lack of love that brought down God’s anger and judgment; it was their lack of respect for His name. That’s why God demands that their affection be accompanied by allegiance to His glory and greatness.

“…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

As the bearers of God’s name, the Israelites bore the responsibility of loving and living in keeping with their status as the sons and daughters of God. And God makes it clear that their obedience and obeisance would demonstrate to the world that they belonged to Him.

“The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord…” – Deuteronomy 28:9-10 ESV

God is YHWH-qannā' – Jehovah-Kanna. He is jealous and protective of His name and, as His name-bearers, we have a non-negotiable responsibility to preserve the integrity of His name as we dedicate the entirety of our lives to His glory alone.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Battle in the Lord's

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. 10 And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” 11 And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. 12 And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

13 And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. 14 And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 15 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 16 And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations. – 1 Chronicles 14:8-17 ESV

Upon hearing word that David had been crowned king of Israel, the Philistines determined to attack him before he could establish his reign and gather strength. During the seven-year span that David ruled over the single tribe of Judah, the Philistines viewed him as no threat. But now that David was king over all 12 tribes of Israel, the Philistines determined to finish what Saul began but failed to finish; they set out to end David’s reign before it could get started.

No timeline is given for this event, but it would appear that the Philistines acted quickly so they could attack David while his new kingdom was in its infancy. At this point in time, Israel was still a loose collective of 12 tribes that operated independently of one another. David had not had time to set up a standing army and had only recently taken possession of Jerusalem from the Jebusites. While David had plans to make Jerusalem his new capital, he had not yet had time to fortify the city.

So, as the Philistine forces gathered in the Valley of Rephaim just west of Jerusalem, David and his men made their way to their stronghold in the land of Judah. We’re not told where this stronghold was but it could have been in the vicinity of the cave of Adullam near Hebron. Some scholars believe David remained in Jerusalem, which is referred to as “the stronghold of Zion” in 1 Chronicles 11:5. While David would eventually make Jerusalem his permanent capital, it is unlikely that it was ready to stand a long and drawn-out siege by the Philistines.

It seems more logical and strategic that David returned to his original stronghold in the wilderness. It would have made sense for him to return to familiar ground and draw the Philistines away from Jerusalem. The Valley of Rephaim was southwest of Jerusalem and closer to Hebron and the border between Israel and the Philistines. But regardless of where David’s stronghold was located, the more pressing matter was his reaction to the Philistine threat. His long-awaited reign over the 12 tribes of Israel had just begun and he was already facing his first test.

The Philistines were a formidable foe and were not to be taken lightly. David was well acquainted with their ways, not only from his previous battles against them but because of the years he and his men had spent living among them. David knew he was in for a fight and was ready to engage the enemy but before a single arrow was shot or a spear was thrown, David sought the counsel of God.

He wanted to know two things: Should he do battle with the Philistines and, if he did, would be successful. David could have easily assumed that war with the Philistines was inevitable and simply marched into battle without seeking any word from God. He could have rationalized that, as the king, doing battle with the enemies of Israel was his duty; it came with the job description. But instead of acting rashly or presumptuously,  David turned to God. He wanted God’s blessing and approval. But more than anything, He wanted God’s help.

David was taking nothing for granted. He knew his ascension to the throne of Israel had been God’s doing, but he had no assurances that a victory over the Philistines was part of the plan. He could have acted presumptuously and assumed that, as king, he had the right to act on God’s behalf without seeking God’s permission. But David was unwilling to take that risk.

This was not a new perspective for David. He had a long-held confidence in the Lord’s ability to provide victory in battle. As a young shepherd boy, David had his very first encounter with the Philistines and declared with confidence that God would give over Goliath, the Philistine champion.

“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.” – 1 Samuel 17:47-47 ESV

It was David who later expressed in one of his psalms his firm confidence in the Lord.

Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. – Psalm 20:6-7 ESV

In the chronicles account, God answers David’s request in the affirmative, providing David with permission to engage the enemy and a guarantee of success. With God’s blessing, David took the battle to the Philistines and won his first major victory as the king of Israel. Having routed the enemy and captured their abandoned idols, David could have reveled in his success but, instead, he gave all the credit to God. He named the place of battle Baal-perazim, which literally means, “the Lord of breaking through.” David explains the meaning of the name when he says, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood” (2 Samuel 5:20 ESV).

David could sense God’s role in the victory because it had been so quick and decisive. The God of Israel had not only defeated the Philistine army but had proven His superiority over their false gods. In the aftermath of the battle, David and his men found the discarded idols littering the battlefield. The Philistines’ gods had been worthless because they were lifeless. So, David and his men gathered them up and burned them (1 Chronicles 14:12).

But while the Philistines lost the battle, they refused to give up the war. They regrouped and regathered in the Valley of Rephaim and when David was informed, he sought the counsel of God again. He was unwilling to assume that God’s first directive was still in effect, and his decision to seek God’s will a second time proved to be timely and well worth the effort. This time, God gave David different instructions.

“You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” – 2 Samuel 5:23-24 ESV

As a well-seasoned commander, David could have viewed this plan with incredulity. He could have questioned God’s wisdom and debated the benefits of such a strategy. After all, God’s plan sounds a bit strange. What did God mean by “the sound of marching of the tops of the balsam tree?” What kind of sign was that? How would David know when to attack? What if the plan failed?

But David never raised those questions. He didn’t balk or bicker with God, instead, he simply obeyed and, once again, he handily defeated the Philistines.

So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. – 2 Samuel 5:25 NLT

These two victories were God’s doing. Yes, David and his men had to fight, but it was God who gave them success. David’s naming of the first battleground, “the Lord of breaking through” provides us with insight into his perception of the events of that day. It had been God who had broken through his enemies like a flood. David didn’t boast in the actions of his “mighty men of valor” or attempt to take personal credit for the victory. He gave God the glory, and this pattern would continue throughout David’s life. He would experience other victories just like this one, and with each win over his enemies, his faith and confidence in God increased. His dependence upon God for aid in his battles is reflected in his psalms.

God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?
God arms me with strength,
    and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
    he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
You have given me your shield of victory.
    Your right hand supports me;
    your help has made me great. – Psalm 18:30-35 NLT

Praise the Lord, who is my rock.
    He trains my hands for war
    and gives my fingers skill for battle.
He is my loving ally and my fortress,
    my tower of safety, my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
    He makes the nations submit to me. – Psalm 144:1-2 NLT

David’s breakthroughs were God’s doing and his victories were the direct results of his reliance upon God. But God didn’t win the battles without David; He won them by using David as His preferred agent, His divinely chosen instrument to accomplish His will.

In the same way, God has chosen us as believers in Jesus Christ to act as His agents of change and His spiritual army to bring about His victories on this earth. As Paul reminds us, we are not fighting against flesh and blood.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. – Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT

God has provided us with spiritual armor and equipped us with spiritual power in the form of the Holy Spirit. He has assured us of victory over our enemy but we must fight and do so according to His terms while utilizing His strategies. We must seek God’s will in the battles we face.

As Paul reminds us, we must “pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT). David was victorious because He sought the will of God. He won because God gave him a breakthrough against his enemy. The same thing can be true for us, as long as we turn to God, rely upon Him, and do what He commands us to do.

Attempting to do battle for God, but without permission from God is doomed to failure, no matter how well-intentioned we might be. Fighting the enemies of God in our own strength and according to our own terms will end in loss and disappointment every time.

Centuries later, another king found himself facing a formidable foe on the battlefield. The odds were against him and the outcome seemed certain. But despite the dire circumstances, King Jehoshaphat received a message that would contradict his worst assumptions and guarantee an unexpected outcome.

“Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” – 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 NLT

And all these lessons from history were meant to encourage the returned exiles as they faced the formidable task of rebuilding and repopulating Judah.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.