Day 27 Bread & Wine

Good morning; and no we are not reading about the bread and wine today; but that is what the bible food is; it's the Word of God, which Jesus called the bread from Heaven and his blood is the wine.

So let's eat.

We begin in second Kings chapter five

There was a man named Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.  He had an Israelite handmaid who told him to go see the prophet in Israel to rid his leprosy.

So Naaman went down there and Elisha was the prophet, yet Elisha did not even come down to the door to see the man.  Instead he sent his servant to tell this captain ("important man") what to do to rid the leprosy.  And just like average people today think, Naaman thought, it took great action like anointing his head, putting Elisha's hand on his head and making him fall down and perhaps catch the 'holy ghost', speak in tongues, and wiggle around until he was healed.

God is much more simple than that: ¹¹But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

He was told to dip in the river.  He resisted at first; then his servant talked him into doing things the simple way.  And he did and his leprosy was recovered.  However, Elisha's greedy servant became leprous because he wanted silver and change of cloths for helping someone believe in the God of Israel.

2 Kings chapter 6

The Lord was really with Elisha; the Lord will tell him many things, he even knew when the Syrian army was coming against him for being a spy against Israel.  They surrounded his place but Elisha was surrounded by angels sitting on horses of fire.  Amazing!

The Lord blinded the army and Elisha lead them to the Israelite army, in disguise he was taking them to the prophet they were looking for.  They fed them and let them go.  Kindness in place of evil.  This chapter ends with a great famine in Samaria, so bad women were eating their own babies.

In 2 Kings chapter 7 - the man of God announces that God will send food and rain; but those who don't believe will not taste of anything.  

2 Kings 8

God called another famine and Elisha told this lady to go live else where because food will be scarce to come by and she did.  When you're gone for 7 years people might hijack your land; but it just so happen, Elisha's servant was speaking with the king and telling him all the wondrous works Elisha had performed, including raising a dead boy, and the mother of that boy came in.  The king then made sure her land was restored to her.

Meanwhile in Syria, Benhadad became ill and sent his servant Hazael to see if he will die or live.  Elisha told him he'd recover from the illness but he'd still die and then Elisha wept because Hazael will take over king of Syria and do horribly to the children of Israel. It is weird how we cannot see ourselves doing vicious evil; but we never know what we are capable of; as Hazael did not know what he was capable of.

Here is what is going on in the government side of Israel during these days (we've been reading a lot of the prophets and their stories in the country):

 ¹⁶And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Je hoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
 ¹⁷Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
 ¹⁸And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

Jehoram, Jehoshaphat's son, since he was evil Edom which was under the bands of Judah revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

²⁴And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
 ²⁵In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.
 ²⁶Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
 ²⁷And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.

After Jehoshaphat, only wickedness came back into power in Judah and nothing but wickedness was in power in Samaria.  However, finally in Samaria we see an anointing of someone to be king, howbeit, the Lord is sending him to rid all of Ahab's house.  Jehu was anointed to be king over Samaria.  The way he was anointed is a wonderful read.

¹³Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

Jehu kills Joram and Ahaziah, king of Judah (it does not pay to have wicked friends because you will go down with them), and he returns to Samaria and has Jezebel killed.  All this fulfilled the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah the prophet.

2 Kings 10

Jehu then has the 70 sons of Ahab beheaded and kills off any remaining alliance to Ahab: ¹⁰Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
Jehu was a killing machine, he was clearing house of anyone who had association or even liked Jehu.

¹⁷And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
 ¹⁸And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

Now he is planning the big punch; he is pretending to throw a big banquet for all the people in the land that go to church of Baal.   

²⁰And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
 ²¹And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
²⁸Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

What a set up to get Baal out of Israel.  Thus far this Jehu appears to be a righteous king in Samaria?   

³⁰And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
 ³¹But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
 ³²In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

The Lord rewarded his zeal and all that he attempted to do to clean up Israel; but the man did not fully serve God.  So the Lord gave him some space to rule because at least he did a little to clean Israel.  Some of us do this today; we serve God partially.  We keep 8 commandments but break 2 horribly.
We give to the poor but don't keep none of the commandments.  You have to do it all the way or none at all.

Jehu later died and was buried in Samaria.  His son Jehoahaz took over after his 28 year reign in Samaria.

2 Kings chapter 11

Athaliah saw her son was killed and she took over dictating the land of Judah.  She killed the sons of the royal seed but one escaped, the little baby.  When the child was 7 they anointed him king and had Athaliah killed, also all the priest of Baal was killed along with her.  

²¹Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.

2 Kings 12

 ¹In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
 ²And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.  

This is what all kings needed; a priest to instruct them on what the Lord wanted.  The main thing Jehoash (Joash) did was gather money to fix the Temple of the Lord.

2 Kings 13

 ¹In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
 ²And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

The LORD was angry with Israel, and delivered them into the hands of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.

 ⁹And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
 ¹⁰In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
 ¹¹And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.

We must look at the lifestyle of our parents and grandparents before us to see how the Lord treated them; if it was good or evil and we should seek the Lord so not to get the evil if they received evil.  These kings just wanted power and money, they cared nothing for the Lord God who set them up.
In this chapter Elisha dies; he dies serving the Lord and prophesying his Word.  

²⁰And Elisha died, and they buried him.

 2 Kings 14

 ¹In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
 ²He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
 ³And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.

We see Judah has two kings in a row that did right in the eyes of the Lord.  It is good to seek the Lord; their trouble was less than those of Samaria.

¹⁶And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
 ¹⁷And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
²¹And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.
 ²⁴And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
Samaria still without a righteous king!
²⁹And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

2 Kings 15

 ¹In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
 ²Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
 ³And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;

We will notice another righteous king in Judah; they are doing better than Samaria.  They are not walking totally like David; but at least their report is not evil as it says for the kings in Samaria.

⁷So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
 ⁸In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

Zachariah did evil in the sight of the LORD, thus Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and killed him before the people, and took over his kingdom.  This does not happen to the kings of Judah.  They may get ill and die; but they don't have uprisings and murdering of their masters because they are not doing evil in God's sight.

When the Lord spoke to Jehu; giving his sons four generations to sit on the throne of Samaria; it came to pass when Shallum killed Zachariah and took over.  However, Shallum only had a month in office before his was killed by Menahem.

¹⁷In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
 ¹⁸And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

He only reigned 10 years full of fighting...

 ²²And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
 ²³In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
 ²⁴And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
²⁶And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
 ²⁷In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
 ²⁸And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

More evil; and conspiracy to kill the current king.  A man named Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.  Just a downward spiral.  If this is how their leadership was; I can't imagine how the people lived.

³²In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
 ³³Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
 ³⁴And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

Judah again gets a favorable report.  When I die; if I can get a report that says I did right in the sight of the Lord; I can live with that because that shows I was trying to keep the ways of the Lord Jesus.

This concludes the reading for today.  Judah up, Samaria down, government, prophets, famine, and murder.  I bet you didn't know about all this drama in the Holy Bible.  So Israel is still in their land and there are wars going on over who shall rule who.  I don't know why they just didn't trade.

See you tomorrow for more food; bible food; bread and wine.

--
Peace & Grace

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26th Day of Bible Food

We've done a lot of reading in the bible and from here we should know two things clearly; the children of Israel had a tough time keeping God's commandments.

So today we are going to begin in 1 Kings chapter 17

Here Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, went to Ahab telling the king, "as the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."  We will soon learn that Elijah was a very powerful prophet of the Lord.

The Lord really took care of Elijah, even during this famine; he had the birds and the raven bring him food twice a day and he drank at the brook.  He had the life... Then he was told to go to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: because God had commanded a widow woman there to care for him.  Trusting in God and doing His will; he will take care of you on every side.

The lady cared for Elijah and the Lord took care of both of them all the days of the famine.  The lady's son fell sick and died; and Elijah prayed to God to revive the child and the child was revived.  Faith in God can do this, even today!

1 Kings 18

Elijah is being sent back to Ahab and Samaria is struggling with this famine.  The Lord sees the wickedness of the 10 tribes and Judah and at this point God is sending very strong prophets to correct the people.  Not prophets that just prophesy; but men who can shut heaven up for 3 years, raise the dead, and challenge false prophets in the face of government leaders.

³And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

They went through the land to find grass so they can feed their animals and not lose them all.  Obadiah was a prophet of the Lord who saved a lot of prophets that Ahab's wife was killing.  

In Obadiah's path, he runs into Elijah, and Elijah tells him to tell Ahab that Elijah is back.  Nevertheless, Obadiah feared that Ahab would kill him for not capturing Elijah.

Ahab had sent for Elijah those 3 years looking for him diligently; so for Obadiah to turn and say I saw Elijah and he is coming to you it would look odd.  Plus Obadiah perhaps had a guilty spirit because he was hiding a lot of prophets already.

¹⁷And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
 ¹⁸And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

Ahab blamed Elijah for the drought and said he was troubling Israel; but he over looked the fact that he wasn't following the Lord's commandments and was serving another god called baalim.  So it was Ahab who was troubling Israel.  So Elijah had the king bring the host of Israel; and challenged his 450 false prophets in an effort to get the people's heart back on the true and living God.

And it came to pass that they were attempting to see whose God will answer them.  The 450 prophets of Baal called on Baal and no response for 6 hours.  Elijah mocked them: ²⁷...and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

When Elijah dressed his sacrifice, and prayed to the Lord to show the people He is God; God answered in a moment and the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, "The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God."  Then Elijah had those prophets of Baal summoned; and didn't let none of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.  I told you real preachers and prophets were pretty rough back then.

The rain finally fell; a great rain to end the famine in Israel.  Isn't that enough to believe and serve God?

1 Kings chapter 19

Ahab report all that Elijah did and how he killed her prophets and she sent a letter to Elijah that as he killed her prophets, he will be killed tomorrow.  Elijah takes off, scared for his life, and goes to the wilderness and professes that working for God is enough, that God should kill him in the wilderness.
All these years how God had preserved him and taken care of him; now he gets one threat on his life, by a woman, and he skips town.  An angel of the Lord wakes him up from sleep and gives him water and a meal.  Elijah eats and is full; then the angel showed up a second time:

⁷And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
 ⁸And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Now the angel is feeding him because God is going to meet with him in Mt. Horeb for 40 days and 40 nights.  When he was there the Lord asked him, what is he doing in the mount?

¹⁰And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
 ¹¹And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
 ¹²And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

So Elijah gives his reason why he's hiding, even though he is a prophet the Lord sent to correct the people; and the Lord shows Elijah his power in a great wind, earthquake, and fire and then asked him again, what are you doing here?

Elijah gave him the same answer.  He should have said; "you're right Lord; I'm tripping, let me get back on my job."  So the Lord retired him, telling him to go anoint a new king in Syria, Samaria, and a new prophet in his office name Elisha.  We thought when our bosses had us train someone who took our job started with them; nope right here in the bible.

And the Lord told Elijah that the person who gets by Hazael sword, Jehu will get, and those who get by Jehu's sword, Elisha will kill.  Then the Lord left a 'by the way'.  The Lord has 7,000 in Israel that have never bowed their knew to Baal, nor have their mouths kissed him.  These are not people who have repented; but who have never served Baal.  

This is message to us today; do not think you are the only one reading the Bible with understanding or serving God diligently.  This earth is vast, many nations and people, and God always has a remnant of people who are doing exactly what He commands and have never bowed a knee to strange gods.
Then Elijah went and picked up Elisha.

1 Kings 20

Here we see Benhadad of Syria going to war with Samaria (ten tribes).  A prophet told Ahab that he will kill the Syrian army; and he did and he trapped the king, Benhadad, but spared his life.  Another prophet then told Ahab that since he did not destroy Benhadad, Benhadad will destroy him and his people.
In 1st kings chapter 20 Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, very close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.  And the king wanted the vineyard for his own.  If this was America, he would have just taken it and the government would have given what they thought the value of the vineyard was... however we are in Israel.


³And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

He couldn't give it to the king because it wasn't his.  When you receive an inheritance from your fathers, which was given by God; you are not in right to give it away.  So he declined the kings offer.  

Now Jezebel, his wife saw this and plotted against Naboth, bearing false witness against him.  This resulted in men stoning Naboth.  The law in Israel was for two or more witnesses is a fact established.  And two sons of the devil said that Naboth blasphemed God and the king.

Ahab hearing that Naboth was dead, went to take over his vineyard.  But as always the Lord sat there in HEAVEN and watched this like a clear day.  And God sent Elijah to Ahab and told the king that his house will be like Jeroboam and all the wicked kings before him.

²⁵But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
Ahab was a pretty bad king; he could not stop from trying to please man instead of pleasing God.  ²⁶And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

When Ahab heard this of Elijah, he humbled himself so the Lord held back killing him and his house till a generation after him; but the Lord still had the hit out for Jezebel.

1 Kings 22

Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel to deal with Ahab.  Ahab wanted Judah to go to war with him against Syria.  Jehoshaphat was a man after David's heart in that he would inquire from the Lord before he did anything and he asked Ahab to ask the Lord if it is meat to go to war.

⁶Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

These were false prophets; and I'm sure Jehoshaphat knew this or he would not have asked for another prophet.  Maybe these prophets called the name of Baalim or you knew clearly that they were not of the Lord's prophets; because for the king to ask for another prophet after 400 already made clear their prophesy it just doesn't make sense.

Jehoshaphat ended up going despite the prophesy of Micaiah, who was from the Lord, that Israel will be scattered and Ahab their king killed.  The Lord used a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahab's prophets to entice him to go to war and be killed.

⁵⁰And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
 ⁵¹Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.

Jehoram took over after his father Jehoshaphat, and Ahaziah Ahab's son took over after his father passed.

2 Kings chapter 1

 ¹Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.  But Ahaziah got sick and was ill on his bed and called for the prophets of the gods of Ekron to see if he would survive this illness.

³But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
 ⁴Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.

Imagine that for bad news!  The king sent for Elijah and before a few miracles from the Lord consuming the captains and their 50 men; the third came humbly and the angel of the Lord consented to let Elijah go see the king.
And the king died because he did not trust the God of Israel; but trusted Baalzebub.  Ahaziah had no son; so Jehoshaphat, king of Judah's son, Jehoram took over the kingdom of Samaria, even though he was from Judah.

2 Kings 2

 ¹And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.  You read that right, the Lord was to take Elijah away in a whirlwind; so he had to pass the torch to Elisha.

⁵And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

It's funny, all of the Lord's servants know exactly what's going on around them.  They all knew the day when the Lord would take Elijah away.  The Lord reveals things to His servants.  So today you should know what's going on if you read the bible carefully and with understanding as we are.

This is the chapter where Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind and departs Elisha, who asked for double portion of Elijah's spirit.  That was a lot to ask and it was granted.

2 Kings chapter 3

Moab use to be cool with Samaria under Ahab; but when Ahab died they had bad relations and went to war.  So the king of Samaria called Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and called the king of Edom and they three went against Moab.
They went to enquire the Word of the Lord from Elisha; and his response is harsh; but it pays to be friends with someone with credibility.

¹³And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
 ¹⁴And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

The Lord helped the kings slaughter Moab with the words from Elisha.

2 Kings 4

 ¹Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

This chapter deals with the faith of this woman and the miracle performed by the Lord through Elisha and helped the woman not have to go in bondage that her husband left on her.

Then Elisha met another woman who would do nice things for him, eventually the woman and her husband made a room for Elisha to stay in whenever he was around.  So Elisha returned the favor to her by telling her she would have son (because she was childless).  She was very happy; and had a son.  When the son was grown he got ill and died.

³³He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
 ³⁴And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
 ³⁵Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

Elisha was working for God with the same power that Jesus worked in His days in the flesh in raising the dead, and feeding many with few food.
This concludes todays reading; thank you for joining me and let us praise God in Jesus name.
-- 

Peace & Grace

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Bible Food 1 Kings - Day 25

Good day; it is sort of a mile stone; but we'll wait five more days before we call it that.

We will begin our reading today in 1 Kings chapter 8!

Since Solomon is building a Temple; all the Holy vessels and Ark of the Covenant had to be moved into the Temple and Solomon had the elders of the tribes and the priest come up to perform this.

¹⁰And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
 ¹¹So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
 ¹²Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

As they put the Ark in the Most Holy place; the Lord come there in a thick cloud that practically runs the priest out.  The Lord keeps His Word all the time that He would dwell with them there.  Remember, they are doing this in the 7th month where there are important feast, feast of In-gathering or Tabernacles in which the Lord will return.

²²And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: Solomon is setting a prayer before the Lord now and it is an important prayer...

³⁰And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.  When you see people praying towards Jerusalem; this is what they are doing.  

They are attempting to get their prayer heard.  Solomon prayed for the Israelite home born and for the stranger, who will hear of the Lord's name and want to serve the Lord too.  If they pray towards Jerusalem; Solomon asked for the Lord to hear them too.

1 Kings 9

²That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.

The Lord let Solomon know that He has heard Solomon's prayer and He has hallowed this house, which Solomon hast built, to put the name of the Lord there for ever; and His eyes and His heart shall be there perpetually. However, if they do not keep the Lord's way then He will cut off Israel and make them a proverb and a byword among all people: as written in Deuteronomy 28.

1 Kings 10

 ¹And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.  The queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian queen heard of Solomon's wisdom concerning the name of the Lord, and she came up to ask his hard questions regarding God.  A lot of people think they had a romantic thing going on as well, however we haven't read that in the bible yet.

⁷Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

All that she heard about Solomon was true; and even more was left off in his knowledge of the Lord.  If the children of Israel had kept the Lord's way, every man was to have this knowledge of God and people would be coming up to ask how to be like them just as the kings and queens of the world were coming up to ask inquire of Solomon. 

You get gifts for being wise and knowledgeable.  The Lord added this to Solomon because he asked for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  Great riches came with great understanding.  

¹⁰And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
¹⁴Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, - that is a lot of money.  

Israel was rolling in Solomon's day.  He exceeded all the kings of the earth in wisdom and riches.  

²³So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

1 Kings chapter 11

Many times with great riches and wealth, we tend to do things we shouldn't.  We tend to think we can handle things we really cannot.  Solomon loved many strange women.  David had many wives but he had Israelite wives.  

Solomon had more wives than David and took them of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.  The Lord commanded that the kings should not do this because these women will turn your heart from him.

You have to believe the creator; I'm sure He knows His creation.  Nevertheless, Solomon loved these women; as he had 700 wives, 300 hundred concubines.  Over women, Solomon turned from the Lord.  ⁴For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

 ⁵For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
 ⁶And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

The Lord appeared to Solomon twice, so God was extra displeased and angry with Solomon for his horrible acts in turned him from the Lord.  The wisest man in the world turned unwise and lacked understanding in his old age.  This is actually breaking the very first commandment.

⁹And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
 ¹⁰And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

The Lord is now going to rip the kingdom from Solomon's son but because David kept the Lord's way, God will not rip the entire kingdom; He will leave the tribe of Judah.  Also, God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, and Hadad of Edom, and Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant to come against Solomon.  All because he wanted strange wives.

Solomon reigned in Jerusalem 40 years.  The Lord had mercy on him and hopefully he repented before he died; but he was certainly punished.

⁴³And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. Rehoboam became the 4th king over Israel but not for long, and not even to call him the 4th king over Israel, but the 4th king over Judah because the kingdom was torn from him.

1 Kings 12

Now when Rehoboam took over, Jeroboam heard and came up out of Egypt and demanded Rehoboam lessen the taxes and the work that Solomon put on the people.  Rehoboam took three days to consult with his counselors.  
This is a lesson to young men in power, consult wisdom as well as youth and instincts.  The old men told him to listen to the people and rule forever, the young men told him to rule with an iron fist.  

He listened to the young men. And this is what the people had to say in response to that: ¹⁶So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

When Rehoboam saw this; he wanted to fight against the tribes that left to follow Jeroboam; but the Lord sent a prophet to tell him not to; that this was from the Lord.  

²²But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
 ²³Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
 ²⁴Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD. 

The only smart thing is that Rehoboam listened to that prophet.  Jeroboam thought that during the feast days the people would go down to Jerusalem and return to the house of David.  Instead of consulting God; he made his own altar for people to keep the feast in Northern Israel.

²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
 ²⁹And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
 ³⁰And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

Jeroboam is causing the people to sin because of the lack of understanding he has in the Word of God.  He never consulted a Levite or a prophet of the Lord on what he should do.  In fact he hired anyone to be priest in place of the Levite; sin on sin, folly on top of folly.  He also changed the Lord's feast from the 7th month to the 8th month.

In first Kings chapter 13; a man of God came up and spoke against the altar that Jeroboam made.  Jeroboam tried to seize the man; but his hand dried up and he had to beg the man of God to have God restore his hand.  Now the man of God was given instructions to go prophesy, eat no food, drink no water, and leave.

He did that with the king; but when another prophet heard a man of God was in town and lied and had him stay, eat, and drink.  Then the Lord spoke to the false prophet to tell the man of God that he will be destroyed for not obeying.  When he left; a lion met him on the way and killed him and the lion did not eat him nor his donkey, it just set next to him.
  
²⁶And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.


Because of disobedience to the Lord destruction happens to men.

1st Kings 14

Jeroboam's son Abijah fell sick and Jeroboam knowing that he is wicked still wanted to inquire at the Lord so he sent his wife disguised as another woman to the prophet Ahijah.  The Lord prepped Ahijah of her and told him what to tell her.  

He told her that Jeroboam's kingdom is going to fall; and no man will be buried properly in graves of the house of Jeroboam.  Also that the sick child will die, and will be the only to be buried properly because the Lord has found some good in him.

But good is he to the Lord if he is dead.  Why wouldn't the Lord kidnap him and send him to another family?  He is no good dead.  If he will be of some good to the Lord; that means he has to live, that is what we call the resurrection.  All this calamity on Jeroboam's house because of his sin that he brought into Israel.  

¹⁶And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
²⁰And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.


Jeroboam was the first king over Samaria or the 10 tribes; and Nadab his son took over after him.  On the south side of the kingdom, Judah, Rehoboam is doing evil, the people are serving paganism and in chaos.  Just a years after David and the good portion of Solomon, now the kingdom is going down into the dumps.

 ²⁴And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Pagan worship was being done, even sodomites were being permitted in the land, all those things the Lord threw the Philistines and Canaanites out for.  Egypt came in there and took gold out of the temple, and he had war with Jeroboam all their days.

³¹And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

This does not sound peaceful at all.  Abijam, Rehoboam's son took over as the second king over Judah after the split.

1 Kings 15

Eighteen years into the reign of Jeroboam in Samaria, Abijam, Rehoboam's son began his reign in Judah, and he only reigned three years.  He did not do what was good in the sight of God.  ⁸And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
⁸And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

Then in the 20th year of Jeroboam's reign, Asa took over reigning in Judah.  He reigned 41 years in Jerusalem doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  Some example of what was right in the eyes of God included:  ¹²And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

If it is good to take way homosexuality out of the land and to remove paganism in that day, and God does not change; then it speaks for itself in this day.  Asa even removed his mom from being queen because she made a idol god to worship.  Who has the gall to do that today?

²⁴And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.  Asa died and Jehoshaphat took over being the 4th king to reign over Judah after the split of Israel.

Nadab, Jeroboam's son, took over in the second year of Asa's reign, only reigning two years.  Usually when it's that brief, they were doing evil in the Lord's sight as was his case.  He reigned briefly because Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and killed him.  Thus, Baasha became the 3rd king over Samaria or the ten tribes.

Baasha did this according the Word of the Lord: 

²⁹And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
 ³⁰Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. ³³In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
 ³⁴And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

Thus far, no king in Samaria have done any good in the sight of God.

1 Kings 16

Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, because he wasn't obeying the ways of the Lord.  The Lord would keep sending men to knock off disobedient kings.  ⁶So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.  Elah became the 4th king over Samaria after the split of the nation.

⁸In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.  In the 26th year of Asa's reign did Elah take over and his reign on top was short lived.  His worker Zimri plotted against him and kill him while he was drinking himself drunk; and Zimri took over in the 27th year of Asa's reign in Judah.

This was what prophesied by the Lord through Jehu: ¹¹And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.

 ¹²Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet. ¹³For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

The Lord destroyed them because of their vanities... reading about the kings in Samaria and some in Judah is like a TV show with all the drama.  TNT's "we know drama" don't know it like the old Israelites did.  When Zimri killed Baasha and took over, he did so for about seven days, then the people heard they about it and revolted against Zimri and they went and made Omri king over them.

So Omri and the people came up to Tirzah where Zimri was to kill him and when Zimri saw it he set the house on fire with him in it and he died.  We have just had Zimri the 5th king over Samaria and now Omri the 6th. 

Notice none of these men are being anointed by priest from God?  I noticed it; that is why they are having no peace.  A man wants to raise up, he raises up and takes over.  This is what Moses had to fight off when he was leading the people.

²³In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.  But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD, even did worse than all that were before him.  When Omri died, Ahab took over in the 38th year of Asa's reign.  Asa has seen at least 4 kings in Samaria reign and die while he stayed constant because he did the works of the Lord.

Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years; doing evil in the sight of the Lord (when we do evil, the Lord sees it too) more than before him.  With each king, it just gets worse and worse.

On top of all this, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.
We see how Israel began this slippery slope downward from the great days of David and Solomon.  It really starts with Solomon going after strange women that made the Lord split the nation in two; but the sin came in with Jeroboam and his setting up of false gods, replacing the Levite priest, and all other abominations.

Jesus said once that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.  A little sin corrupts the entire nation; and we see that clearly in todays reading; but we'll see more tomorrow.  Thanks for reading see you then.


-- Peace & Grace

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