Introduction to 1 and 2 Kings – These Books cover from the end of David’s reign through the good years of Solomon, ending with the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. The author is unknown. Many of the recorded events are also found in the two Books of Chronicles. The spiritual theme is similar to the one in Judges, that is, God causes safety and prosperity to nations who believe and obey Him while He brings down nations that do not.
1 Kings 1 – David was now old and would not live much longer and he knew it. Sensing his impending death, a handsome though rather arrogant man named Adonijah proclaimed himself to be the next king and gathered a following, including Joab. Nathan the prophet told Bathsheba about Adonijah’s proclamation. Both of them went right to David because they knew that Bathsheba’s son Solomon was to be the next king. So David quickly organized a ceremony that anointed Solomon as king. As many people gathered and were excited over Solomon, Adonijah’s support quickly faded and he feared for his life. When he came before Solomon, Solomon showed him mercy and did not kill him.
Application for Today: Lust for power or position can turn a human ugly. We see a lot of this in the Old Testament within the Jewish people who were supposed to be different from the other nations. Now in fairness to Adonijah, he was David’s son by Haggith, and his three older brothers were no longer alive. Therefore he would be the next in line to take over power. But he most likely knew about Solomon being appointed by God to rule next. It appears to me that he was proud, ambitious, and a schemer. For example, he was careful not to invite people who favored Solomon to his meetings. Any time I study candidates for public office, I try to determine whether or not they have this love of power or do they really want to serve the people. Too many politicians today feel they are above the law or at least think they can get away with wrong doings. Sooner or later, they are abased.
1 Kings 2 – Solomon Secures the Throne
1-12: Just before dying, David gives Solomon a charge to obey God completely. He also wanted Solomon to take revenge out on Joab for his murders, and Shimei for his cursing and mocking at David. Solomon was told to show kindness to Barzillai’s sons because he had helped David when he was fleeing from Absalom. David ruled 40 years and died. Now Solomon took over and needed to establish his authority (eliminate rebels and contenders for the crown).
13-25: Adonijah asks Bathsheba to ask King Solomon if he could marry Abishag, David’s former wife. This was the woman given to David when he was cold and could not warm up. They did not have sex. Bathsheba agrees, not realizing what was behind the request. Solomon, however, recognized what Adonijah was trying to do. When a king dies, his wives are passed on to the next king. If Adonijah married a former wife of David, people might begin to think that he had a legitimate claim to the throne, especially considering that he was the oldest surviving son of David. Solomon also perceived that Joab and Abiathar the priest would take over command under Adonijah. Needless to say, Adonijah’s life did not last long after his request was obviously denied.
26-27: Solomon, however, allowed Abiathar the priest to live because he carried the Ark of God and went through all the same sufferings as David experienced. He was dismissed as a priest though, thus fulfilling God’s word over Eli that proclaimed that the strength of his father’s house would not continue and that there would be no old man in his house. Eli, you may recall, allowed his two evil sons Hophni and Phinehas to desecrate the sacrifice continually which finally caused the people to complain.
28-35: When Joab heard what happened to Adonijah, he knew he would be executed too, so he ran into the tent of the Lord and would not come out. He was killed by Benaiah, Solomon’s future army commander, and buried near his house in the wilderness. The blood of innocent Abner and Amasa would be upon Joab because he murdered them behind David’s back. Solomon also appointed Zadok as priest to replace Abiathar.
36-46: Now it was Shimei’s turn to face the new King. Solomon made a deal with him commanding him to live and stay within the walls of Jerusalem and never come out. If he came out, he would be executed and his death would be upon his own head. Shimei agreed but after 3 years he left to look for some of his servants. Solomon found out and had him killed. Now, all potential enemies of Solomon were eradicated and his rule was firmly established.
Application for Today: God is aware of all that is done under the heavens and we reap what we sow. People do not get away with as much as people think. We all need to walk soberly and fearfully with our God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
1 Kings 3 – Solomon got off to a great start as king except for one thing — he took a Pharaoh’s daughter as a wife, and this practice would cost him dearly later. Pagan/Hebrew marriages in those days were not good for the Hebrews. Solomon loved God, however. God appeared to him in a dream and asked him what He could do for him. Solomon asked for wisdom to judge and guide the people. Because he did not ask for wealth, long life, or the death of all his enemies, God further gave him riches and honor, and long life if he kept God’s statutes. Shortly after this, two harlots came to him both claiming to own the same baby. So Solomon brought in a sword and told his servant to cut the baby in two and give each half to the women. He knew the real mom would object the most and she did, and she received back her child. This display of wisdom has made Solomon famous even to this day.
1 Kings 4 – God raises up and blesses Solomon. Solomon listed his officials and deputies. The population of Israel and Judah was increasing rapidly. The Philistines never attacked, in fact they paid Solomon tribute all his days. There was peace on all sides of his land as the people were secure. His wisdom surpassed many famous people of his day and he wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. People came from all over to hear him.
1 Kings 5 – Solomon makes arrangements to build the Temple for God in Jerusalem. The King of Tyre, Hiram, loved David so it was easy for these two men to make an agreement for materials. Tyre had very skilled men who knew how to cut timber and they had an abundance of cedar trees. So Solomon organized thousands of men and transports to bring cut timber and hewn stones for the foundation.
Application for Today: Before we ask God for things, we should ask what He would like us to pray for. God is not a genie in the sky with a Santa Claus mentality. He is always concerned about our motives. If we ask for the right things coupled with the right attitude, He will give us beyond what we ask for.
1 Kings 6 – After 480 years from when the Hebrews left Egypt, Solomon built the Temple. It consisted of specific measurements, gold, cedar, olive wood, stone, and cypress. This chapter describes the building in great detail. The builders were so skilled and anointed that no one heard a hammer, axe, or any iron tool while it was being built. The Ark of the Covenant was placed in the inner most room with two carved cherubs. This is where the Spirit of God Himself would dwell and where no human could enter and live except the priest, sprinkled in lamb’s blood, once a year. After 7 years, the temple was finished.
1 Kings 7 – Solomon has his own house built and this chapter describes it in great detail. It was full of splendor and value.
1 Kings 8 – After the Temple was completed, they properly transported the Ark of the Covenant and placed it into the innermost sanctuary. There was nothing inside except the two tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. Hollywood’s rendition of this Ark in the Indiana Jones movie made its contents a bit of a stretch. In reality, there was no radio transmitter, electrical charge, or any other tangible scientific power source within it, not even some alien device! While dedicating the Temple to God, Solomon proclaims that the purpose of this extraordinary work was to reveal the One and only true God to people beyond the Hebrews. Solomon also adds that all of God could not be contained within this Temple, but certainly His Spirit would be there in the Holy of Holies (innermost room). Solomon prays a long prayer in front of the people and then sacrificed to the Lord. All returned to their homes with a good and secure feeling.
Now God had a focal point to work from in order to try to get Israel to devote themselves wholly to Him so He could bless them and the surrounding nations of non-Jews. The Temple would also serve to be a constant reminder of His presence in Israel’s land. Archaeologists have never been able to pinpoint the exact location of Solomon’s Temple. It is generally believed that it must have been somewhere on the foundation on which the Dome of the Rock (Mosque of Omar) now stands. Modern Jews pray at the wailing (western) wall because they believe it is the closest site to the Holy of Holies that is accessible for them.
1 Kings 9 – God spoke to Solomon a second time and said He had heard his prayers and that He had consecrated the Temple, and that His Spirit would be there perpetually. If, however, Solomon did not follow God totally, they would be cut off from the land and the Temple would be destroyed. Solomon continued doing business with Hiram, although Hiram was not pleased with the 20 cities that was given him. Solomon continued his policy of making slaves from non-Hebrews left over from battles and gave important positions to his people. He even had the first Israeli navy built, but these ships were used for trading merchandise rather than war.
1 Kings 10 – The Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth but was skeptical, so she traveled all the way from a southern land (probably Yemen) to see and hear for herself. Solomon stunned her. After he answered wisely all of her difficult questions and seeing his riches, she concluded that he was more wise and rich than the rumors had claimed. Jesus referred to her as the “queen from the south” who traveled a very long way just to see and hear Solomon. The context of His comment was dealing with judgment against the people who happened to be right in front of Someone much greater than Solomon, and they couldn’t have cared less. Jesus said that queen will rise up against these people on Judgment Day because of what she did to see and recognize the anointing of the true God. Solomon grew more wealthy and became the central figure for others to find answers to their questions. The number of horses and stables that the Scriptures claim he had was doubted for many years by scholars and critics until confirming evidence was uncovered by archaeologists some time ago.
Application for Today: We all need to have the same spirit of determination to find Truth as the Queen of Sheba did. Unlike those people of Jesus’ day, we don’t see Him face-to-face. We have the Holy Spirit and the complete Scriptures, however. We also have technology and knowledge to tap into from literally all over the world at our fingertips via the Internet. No generation has enjoyed so much ability to find truth…just like the people of Jesus’ day, we are without excuse.
1 Kings 11 – Solomon’s Glory Fades
King Solomon could not stay away from pagan women. He blatantly went against God’s strict instructions to not marry foreign women because they would turn his heart away from following Him. Solomon ended up with 700 wives and 300 concubines and they all turned his heart away from God. As a result, he went after idols named Ashtoreth (sex), Milcom, Chemosh (sun god), Molech. God described all of these as “detestable.” They usually involved such practices and fornication (walking after own lusts), males having sex with priests, bestiality, and child sacrifice. The Bible does not say that Solomon did all these specific things. He did, however, “go after these false gods” and he built them for his women.
Our nation is doing this exact same thing under the name of “tolerance.” Too many Americans do not seek or know God’s Word, more are doing whatever they feel is okay, many feel that homosexual behavior is okay, and we are legally aborting babies (child sacrifice in the name of convenience) since 1973. I fear that God may have removed His hand of protection and prosperity from America because too many hearts have turned away from Him, and many are downright hostile to Christianity. As the German philosopher Hegel once said, “One thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.” God spoke to Solomon and told him that his kingdom would be torn away from him and split up between one of his servants and one of his sons, but He would not do this during Solomon’s life in order to honor David. Solomon’s son would have only one tribe.
So God began to raise up adversaries against Solomon’s kingdom (like today’s Muslim terrorists against America?). Hadad was one. When David destroyed Hadad’s people, Hadad (as a boy) and some servants had escaped to the pharaoh in Egypt. Another enemy was Rezon and he hated Israel. Then Solomon’s servant Jeroboam rebelled against the king. Ahijah, the prophet had told him he would be given 10 tribes. Solomon tried to kill him but he fled to Egypt until Solomon died. Finally Solomon died and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. Thus the beginning of a long split in Israel began which is exactly what God said would happen.
Feedback:
AY – May be not. If all Christians will pray for the president (really pray), his heart may be softened and perhaps he will turn to Jesus. Amen.
Dave to AY – Yes, this is always possible even if God is judging our nation – sometimes He delays it due to prayer and repentance. Nineveh is a good example. However, our country’s spiritual problems go far deeper than whoever is the President.
NK – Thank you David. We started receiving your daily writings about a year ago when our son Ryan, came back from New York. Thank you for sharing truth so practically. Thank you for not compromising. We are certainly in a very interesting time and we need God’s grace more than ever here in this country (at least in my lifetime I have not seen times like this) – such Godlessness. We as believers need to turn our faces back toward Him, as judgement starts in the house of God’s people. Believers have been apathetic in so many ways. There is a way to love, to not be judgmental and still adhere to biblical teachings. Unfortunately, many in the church have not been good examples of Jesus and this has hurt the faith deeply. May we be found humble and on our knees asking for God’s healing in our country. God is a God of hope and therefore I am choosing to have hope. But in order for their to be change people have to be desperate enough to search for truth. Maybe this next 4 years will prove that. Maybe not. We will have to wait and see. Praying for God’s grace – Blessings on you and your family.
Dave to NK – You, my dear friend in Christ, have it down pat! I love the spirit within you. I am honored to be part of your life to whatever extent. My only two regrets are that I miss your great son and that we are not neighbors.
NF – Yes I agree we are heading for the downfall of the US and soon I believe the return of Jesus–Hallelujah! Now it’s important to being doing all we can to shake up folks and get as many souls to heaven as we can for the glory of God!
1 Kings 12 – Jeroboam (Solomon’s servant) vs. Rehoboam (Solomon’s son, David’s line). Initially, Jeroboam and his followers (the 10 tribes of Israel) appealed to Rehoboam for mercy. If he treated them less harshly than Solomon, then they would agree to serve him. Older men counseled Rehoboam to agree and treat them well, but younger men counseled him to be harsher. Because the Lord was orchestrating so that His Word would come true, He made Rehoboam take the advice of the young men which, of course, did not sit well with Jeroboam and his men. As a result, Rehoboam reigned over Judah and Benjamin while Jeroboam ruled the other 10 tribes. Sometime later when Rehoboam was on the verge of attacking them, God stopped him and he listened and retreated. Jeroboam, however, worried that he would lose power and lose his life, so he made two golden calves (of all things!) and instituted unholy sacrifices among his people. He persuaded his people to do this by appealing to convenience. They did not need to go all the way into Jerusalem but could sacrifice locally. He even made priests from sons not from Levi. So this became a great sin among the people of Israel.
1 Kings 13 – A prophet from Judah confronts Jeroboam while he was burning incense at one of his corrupt altars. He proclaimed that a descendant of David named Josiah will utterly destroy him and his false priests. He gave a sign so that people would know that it was of God – the altar would split in two. When Jeroboam stretched out his hand while commanding the prophet to be seized, his arm became paralyzed and then the altar split apart. He then pleaded with the prophet to pray for the arm to be normal and it became well again. He then offered the prophet some food and water at his house and a reward, but it was refused because God had told him not to do such a thing. He also had to go home a different way than the way he came. So off he went. Another prophet advanced in years heard about what happened and sought him out. Upon finding him, he invited the prophet home for a meal, but, again, it was refused for the same reason. Then the older prophet said that an angel spoke to him that it was okay for him to eat with him. This was a lie. So he went back and ate. Then God spoke through the liar to the prophet who disobeyed and said he would not be buried with his fathers. A bit later on his way home, a lion attacked and killed him. The lion, however, did not eat him nor his donkey, but rather just sat there for a long time. The prophet who lied found out about it and found the body and buried it in the deceased own grave, but he told his sons to bury him with him when he died. Then he mourned for him like a brother mourns for his own brother. In the meantime, Jeroboam was not phased by this earlier event and continued in his evil way which resulted in the destruction of his kingdom and all his family. Ouch.
Applications for Today:
1) Walking with God does not lend itself to be like water — taking the path of least resistance. It did not take much persuading among Jeroboam’s people to sacrifice locally in the high places with false idols rather than trekking all the way to Jerusalem to do it according to the Word of the Lord. Today, we may easily compromise what we do in the name of convenience. People think they get closer to God on a golf course on Sunday mornings. When they slice that drive they may speak the name of the Lord but I don’t think they are actually meditating on how great He is. Sometimes people stay home from a prayer meeting or a church service due to a lame excuse, even though His Word tells us to “present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice” (Romans 12:2). The times when they feel too tired to attend but made themselves go, they usually hear something they needed at that time. Let us not be like water in this sense.
2) We have the Word of God, the Bible. If someone gives us advice that goes contrary to that Word, it is a lie. God cannot go against His Word. Psalms 138:2 says, “For Thou has magnified Thy word above all Thy name.”
1 Kings 14 – An aging Ahijah who could not see well (probably cataracts) prophesied the destruction of Jeroboam, his kingdom, and his family. He had done more evil than those before him. Israel would be scattered beyond the Euphrates River because of their idol worship. He reigned 22 years and died. His son Nadab took over. Meanwhile, Rehoboam reigned in Judah for 17 years and was 41 when he started. Judah also did evil, to the point of allowing male prostitutes to do wicked deeds that were prominent in the land before the Hebrew take over via Joshua and Caleb. So God raised up the king of Egypt named Shishak, and he came and took all of Solomon’s treasures and Temple valuables. Rehoboam died and his son Abijam took over.
1 Kings 15 – Abijam also did evil and lasted only 3 years as king, but because of God’s promise to David, He raised up a son from Abijam named Asa. Asa was the first of 8 kings that did right. He got rid of all male prostitutes and removed all idols which his fathers made. He even removed his *grandmother from her role as the queen mother because of the “horrid image” she had made. In brief, he really cleaned house, except for the “high places” where some idol worship continued by some people. He followed the Lord, however. There was still war but he preserved Judah for the 41 years that he reigned. He died and his son Jehoshaphat took over.
*Despite the text saying it was his mother, all commentaries say it was actually his grandmother. This does not mean the text is in error, but rather merely reflects the manner of speaking in that day.
In the meantime, Nadab, the son of Jeroboam did evil and lasted only 2 years, He was killed by Baasha. As soon as Baasha became king of Israel, he had every family member of Jeroboam killed. This fulfilled God’s earlier spoken word. Baasha ruled for 24 years but continued evil ways. So the war between the 10 tribes that comprised Israel waged continually against Judah and Benjamin. At least, however, there came a glimmer of hope in Asa and Jehoshaphat. With God, there is always hope for something better.
1 Kings 16 – While good King Asa ruled over Judah for many years, the kingdom of Israel had much turmoil and shorter reigns for their kings:
1) Baasha – reigned 24 years; was evil; killed by God.
2) Elah, Baasha’s son – reigned 2 years; was evil; killed by Zimri.
3) Zimri – reigned 7 days; was evil; killed himself in a house fire he started.
4) Temporary split rule: Omri – reigned 12 years; God killed him; his rival Tibni died earlier.
5) Ahab, son of Omri – the most wicked king ever! Married Jezebel, a very wicked woman. Ahab set up Baals and the Asherah idols.
In the days of Ahab, a man named Hiel rebuilt Jericho, but he lost his two first born sons as a result. God’s prophecy from Joshua 6:26 came true.
1 Kings 17 – Enter Elijah. This guy was something! God’s anointing on him was the antidote for all the wickedness spewing out of Ahab and Jezebel. God sent Elijah to prophesy to Ahab saying there would be no rain until he said so, not even any dew. Then God told Elijah to get away from there to a certain brook where he could drink water and then be fed by ravens that God would send to him. In time, the brook dried up because there was no rain. So God sent him to a certain widow with one young son so he could eat food. But she had only a little flour and oil and was about to starve to death. Moving under the power of God’s Spirit, Elijah caused her food supplies to multiply so they had plenty to eat for many days. Afterward, her son was on the verge of death, but God, through Elijah, raised him up healthy. These miracles done by Elijah were a foretaste of what the Messiah would do years later. This is establishing the credibility of Elijah and is leading to a major showdown fight between spirits of wickedness and the One True God, and Mount Carmel will be the arena.
1 Kings 18 – Showdown on Mt. Carmel
By this time Elijah had gained quite a reputation throughout all of Israel. The people who feared God liked and feared him while evil people, such as King Ahab, hated him. God had not allowed rain for about 3 years and the land was in trouble with famine. King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, had murdered some of God’s prophets, but Obadiah, who revered Elijah, hid 100 of them in caves and supplied bread and water for them. Elijah sent Obadiah to Ahab to arrange a meeting between the two of them. After agreeing to meet Elijah, Ahab accused him of causing trouble for Israel. Elijah quickly set the record straight by saying it was Ahab and his father’s house that brought the trouble due to their wickedness. Elijah then challenged Ahab to a contest in order to prove what God is real and true. He gathered 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah and brought the people of Israel to Mt. Carmel. He then challenged the people to either believe in God or Baal, but they were all silent.
It appeared that the “Baal-Asherah” lifestyle had dulled the people’s spiritual senses. In any event, there would be two sacrifice sites prepared, one for Baal, and one for God. Both would pray to their god/God and whoever is the true God, fire would light up their sacrifice. Elijah had the Baal prophets set up an animal sacrifice but with no fire under it. They began to call upon Baal to light the fire but nothing happened. Then they started to limp and dance around thinking it would evoke a response. Still nothing. At this point, Elijah began mocking them and their god. Finally, in a desperate move, they began to cut themselves with knives until blood gushed out to no avail.
Then Elijah told the people to come near and he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down. A trench was dug around it and everything was drenched with water three times until the trench filled. Then Elijah called on the name of the Lord and fire fell from the sky and toasted everything, it even evaporated the water. All the people fell on their faces and confessed that the LORD was God. Elijah had all the prophets of Baal and Asherah to be seized and he executed them all. He turned to Ahab and told him to go home because a heavy rain was coming, even though there was no hint of it yet in the sky. A little later a small cloud appeared and Elijah knew it meant that a heavy rain was coming, and it did.
Applications for Today:
1) Evil people often project their wrong doings onto others. This is what Ahab did to Elijah, shallow as it was. I see this in science today. Evolutionists accuse creationist of having blind faith while the concrete proof for evolution is mere smoke and mirrors. When one fails to see a designer in complex design, it takes more faith to believe evolution than creation. Another example of this projection is when Judas accused Jesus and his disciples of not caring for the poor when costly perfume was “wasted” on Jesus. The fact is that Judas was stealing money from the group’s money box. Somehow I don’t think Judas cared for the poor either.
2) Self-mutilation will be forever linked to evil spirits, even today. Teens have been targeted by God’s enemy. They need to hear about God’s love for them. My family has prayed for my daughter’s friend who cuts herself. She needs to know that God loves her and she has purpose.
3) I liked the fact that instead of doing something entirely new, Elijah repaired the Lord’s altar and used it. No matter what problem or adversity we face, we must all return to the Lord’s Word for counsel and remedy. We must build on His foundation not our own.
4) It was easy for these people to bow once again to the real God after seeing and hearing the fiery blast on Mt. Carmel. People today want similar things to happen so they too can believe in this God of the Bible. Keep in mind that God did many big miracles for the OT Jews but the effect did not last long. Big and powerful miracles wrought by God did little to keep the Jewish nation holy for a prolonged period of time. Skepticism tends to creep in soon after one generation and worsens thereafter. Big miracles, however, did make God’s existence known to the nations.
1 Kings 19 – USE IT!
Elation from the fire at Mt. Carmel was short-lived. Jezebel found out from Ahab what Elijah had done, including the slaying of all those prophets that were on her side. Rather than murdering Elijah utilizing stealth, she ranted and promised to kill him. Elijah fled for his life. This indicated how fearsome and powerful this evil woman was. Eventually God led Elijah to Mount Horeb where He gave the Commandments to Moses. It took him 40 days and 40 nights to get there. Perhaps standing on the very spot where God passed by Moses, God asked him what he was doing there. Elijah responded with a good report about his life’s actions coupled with a dash of self-pity followed by an erroneous belief that he alone was the only believer remaining in Israel. For all this, his life was in danger. So God demonstrated His sovereignty by mighty signs to Elijah (strong wind, earthquake, fire) but He Himself was not in those things. Finally, Elijah heard a “still small voice.” God asks him again the same question and he gives the same response. Then God gave him instructions to crown Hazael king over Syria and Jehu over Israel, and Elisha would take his place as prophet of Israel. God also noted that He still had 7,000 true believers in Israel that had not bowed to Baal. So much for Elijah’s self-pity. Elijah later met Elisha and passed on the mantle (anointing) to him.
Applications for Today:
1) God tends to speak volumes to us through that “still small voice” rather than big, demonstrative signs and wonders. We walk by faith, and the more we recognize that method God uses with us, the more we can grow in faith following His lead.
2) When we allow self-pity into our minds (souls), we have added blinders that give us tunnel vision. We cease to believe and trust God for the bigger picture. We cease to quote God’s Word against that spirit and we wallow in it for a while. It somehow feels good to us, although temporarily. Other thoughts (voices) try to piggyback onto the spirit of self-pity, so if we do not nip it in the bud so to speak, we’ll have to chase out more lying thoughts than at first. What thoughts?
“No one understands me.”
“No one has this bad.”
“This always happens to me.”
“My life stinks.”
“Things will never get better.”
“To heck with those friends of mine.”
The self-pitier often thinks that his/her friends have rejected them, but the truth is that the pitier has rejected them. If we allow these thoughts (voices) access to our souls, the extreme end result is suicidal desires. This is what the demonic scheme is (2 Corinthians 2:11). All these “voices” have a spiritual root. Humans just do not make these up. They come from the powers and principalities of the air — namely, demons. And these demons need to be forcefully told to get out of our minds in the name of Jesus! They MUST and will obey that authority if you have a believing relationship with Him. It works, SO USE IT on a regular basis.
1 Kings 20 – Despite all of Ahab’s wicked history as King of Israel, God was still willing use him to reveal Himself to the nations. God told Ahab how to fight against King Ben-Hadad of Syria and his multitude of other kings. Although outnumbered, Israel won decisively in the first battle. The enemies thought that the Hebrew god was a god of mountains, therefore they could defeat the Israelis if they fought the next battle in the valley. Again despite being far outnumbered, the Hebrews won. Ahab, however, did not kill King Ben-Hadad as God wanted. Consequently, Ahab and his people would die rather than the people of Syria.
1 Kings 21 – We Can’t, But God Can
Ahab wanted a man’s vineyard because it was close to him, but Naboth, the owner, refused to let the him have it because it was an important inheritance for his family. Ahab offered more than it was worth, but Naboth still declined. So Ahab went home vexed and laid down to sulk. When Jezebel perceived his attitude, she appealed to his authority then told him (she did not ask him) that she would have Naboth killed. She arranged to have two worthless men speak lies against Naboth at a dinner, then have him executed. After his death, she told Ahab to take the vineyard. God then sent Elijah to Ahab and gave him a prophetic death sentence for his murdering of Naboth and all the evil practices he instituted in Israel as well as cutting off all male offspring so that they could never rule as king. God also prophesied through Elijah concerning the wicked Jezebel and gave her a prophetic death sentence as well (dogs would eat her). Ahab was the most wicked king Israel ever saw and much of it was because Jezebel incited him. Quite miraculously, Ahab humbled himself before God after his prophecy. He wore sackcloth (not comfortable clothing) and fasted. God took note and deferred sending all the evil Israel’s way during Ahab’s lifetime, but Ahab would still die and his sons would reap the bad times.
Applications for Today:
1) Skepticism runs deep in many people, especially concerning the existence of the God of the Bible. If God does a miracle, they find reasons other than divine intervention to explain it. The same occurred in Ahab’s day. When the Hebrews were far outnumbered but still won, their enemies reasoned that it was just because their god was limited to the mountains. But when the Hebrews won in the plain, the skeptics still did not repent and follow the true God. Many today have this same disposition against God. Remember that God has to be drawing them to His Son in order that they can respond to the Truth that you tell them. Pray, then, for God’s Spirit to draw people you know.
2) You may have heard the phrase “Jezebel Spirit.” It comes from 1 Kings 21. Not only was she wicked and rebellious to man’s authority, she gave lip service to Ahab’s authority by appealing to the fact that he was the king therefore he cannot allow a nobody like Naboth make him frustrated and sullen. She always took matters into her own hands. She conspired to murder Naboth. She had others murder many prophets of God, and she incited Ahab to do evil as king. In reality, Ahab was not the authority, she was, and she did many of her deeds behind the scenes using Ahab as a front. Interesting note: It was Ahab that had the authority given by God, not Jezebel. Therefore, God held Ahab responsible for Naboth’s death (not that Jezebel would escape judgment).
How does all this relate to today? Just like men are vulnerable to certain evil powers, so too are women. A Jezebel spirit is one that takes charge in the home (or a church) via the woman, not the man. She rules the roost. She controls everything via intimidation and fear. She will support authority with her lips but her heart is far from those in authority. She constantly prods the husband to do things (because, after all, HE is the MAN of the house). This spirit is very strong and strips the man of his dignity. Dignity is not all bad. It is not the same as pride, which is sin. Animals do not have this. Only humans do. It is just one of many things that separate us from the animal kingdom. Dignity is respect gained from doing right and being a trustworthy person. A man living with a “Jezebel wife” will have no dignity. Jezebel spirits have invaded and destroyed churches. They are difficult to perceive at first and this is why they are so successful. For more information, you can Google “Signs of a Jezebel Spirit” on-line.
Feedback Dialogue: The following exchange between myself and a friend came about from my comments from 1 Kings 21.
Dave’s Friend: This is an excellent analysis. I have been commenting to you for over a year now from time to time about this “Jezebel Spirit.” I encounter this albeit not very often from women in our church. I encountered it this week with my brother’s wife. They visited for 2 days, and after 2 hours I was ready for her to leave. An unconscionable domineering dingbat. In any event, my problem is, these women in business. It is pervasive, degrading and because they are the customer I cannot do a thing about their abhorrent Jezebel behavior. These women LOVE their position and use it against men. Finally, have you ever tried dealing with a lesbian…….Good luck.
Dave: Avowed gays (entrenched and unrepentant) most likely will never change unless God grants them repentance. But the average Christian is probably ill-prepared to deal with most gay people. We can, however, always do something. We can pray for their salvation and we can pray that God would bind up that spirit so it cannot operate. There is a ministry in NYC called L.I.F.E. Ministries headed by former gays who are now saved and not gay any more. Liberal activists call them liars, of course. But the truth is, they have been the best place for gays who are open to be changed. There is a deeper understanding into the sin of homosexuality than most people have. Moreover, they also have a deep love for the gay person that many Christians do not have, unfortunately.
I love you a lot, and because of that, I believe I should share this with you. When you talk about people who bother you because of their sin or sinful lifestyles, you tend to be condemning in your choice of words. For example, when you say, “domineering dingbat” you not only identify their sin, but also use a condemning word such as “dingbat.” Concluding (judging) that being domineering is wrong is fine for us to do. God expects that of us because He wants us to judge right from wrong, but He does not want us to condemn people. Only He is in a position to do such a thing. You have also mentioned the “Femi-Nazis” (a Rush Limbaugh term of “endearment”). I cringe when Christians label people like this. It simply is nasty name-calling and does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:20). If non-believers hear us talk like that, it will turn them away from Christ not toward Him. They can’t help but to label us as being self-righteous bigots. Jesus even warned us not to call anyone even a “fool” because it puts us in danger of God’s judgment. Just think of all what God could call us! But He doesn’t. We, being born of Him, must reflect Him, not us. Now, I’ll be honest and say that I have been guilty from time to time using condemning descriptions too, so this little “chat” helps restrain myself from doing it. May the Holy Spirit grab our tongues and grant us a “holy pause” when we are about to say such things. Amen?
Dave’s Friend: Thanks for your wisdom and rebuke. If I am going to use names, I guess “fool” will be the most appropriate and accurate biblically. Frankly, a Femi Nazi is a fool. I agree with everything you said, and will work hard to be a better testimony. Being in business, and I will quote my Pastor, “makes me want to check my Christianity at the door.” Most women I deal with in business are DEFINITELY not Christians, and being a Bible-believer, I find this very difficult to deal with and my anger frequently gets the best of me. I am working on this as my success for the most part, is being able to deal with these foolish people. It is very hard for me to watch my brother’s wife emasculate him publicly. He has no clue what to do about it. It’s disturbing thing to see.
Dave: I am always impressed with how open you are to what the Word says to us. I can fully relate to and understand your frustration with unsaved people, especially your sister-in-law. All we can do is ask God to give us HIS love for them and begin show it. We cannot strive within our own self to try to love them, which it sounds like you are going to try to do. It will not work. It’ll take some kneel time. It did with me to love my dad. I never thought I could love him. I tried for a year but failed. Then I did some kneel time and asked God to give it to me and He did (and a lot sooner than I thought possible). God is the greatest storehouse of love and He loves to distribute it.
Dave’s Friend: Amen.
1 Kings 22 – True to His word to Ahab, God allowed peace for 3 years. Then Ahab wanted to drive out people from the city of Ramoth-Gilead and Jehoshaphat joined him. This is the first time that Judah and Israel came together for one cause. But Jehoshaphat (being more right with God than Ahab) wanted to seek the Lord first. So Ahab called in his prophets and they all said go and fight guaranteeing success for Ahab. But Jehoshaphat wanted to ask a true prophet of God, not Ahab’s phonies. So Micaiah was called in. Ahab hated him because he never said good things to him (duh). So after the phony prophets got done with their false prophecy, Micaiah spoke up. At first he predicted success for Ahab and Jehoshaphat, but I think he was doing this with an attitude of “yeah, okay, sure…I’ll just tell you what you want to hear.” Ahab picked up on it right away and demanded Micaiah to speak the Lord’s words to him. So he did — again, not good for Ahab. Furthermore, Micaiah saw something in the heavens that was amazing, and he told this to the ones around him — God was asking for a volunteer angel to go to Ahab’s prophets as a deceiving spirit and He finally got one to go. This explained why all of Ahab’s prophets were speaking wrong outcomes to Ahab. One of Ahab’s prophets smacked Micaiah because he was so insulted. Nonetheless, Micaiah bravely stood his ground and predicted disaster and death for Ahab. As a result, Ahab had Micaiah thrown into prison on few rations until Ahab returned from battle alive (long wait?).
Ahab seemed so determined to prove God wrong. How he thought he could trick or prevail against God is a mystery to me after all he had seen. My guess is that he really did not think there was a God, or at least an all-Powerful God. Now the King of Syria had commanded all his captains to go after the King of Israel only (Ahab). I’m not sure if Ahab got wind of this, but if he did, it would more logically explain what he did during the battle. Or perhaps he suspected it because he had broken his treaty with Ben-Hadad of Syria. In any case, he told Jehoshaphat that he would disguise himself and enter the battle, and he told him to put on robes. This left only Jehoshaphat standing there looking like a king. So when the enemies approached and saw Jehoshaphat, they started to pursue him only to discover that he was not Ahab, so they left him alone. Then one soldier shot a “random” arrow into the air and it struck Ahab between the joint of his armor. Coincidence? I don’t think so. He bled badly in his chariot and later died. When they washed out his blood from the chariot in a public pool in Samaria where prostitutes bathed, the dogs licked it up. This fulfilled what God had said would happen to Ahab in 1 kings 21:19. His son Ahaziah took over but he was evil too. Jehoshaphat finally died after serving for 25 years and his son Jehoram took over, but he would do evil immediately.
Controversy: Did God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), initiate a lie via a spirit? Scholars can only speculate. The information leading to this dilemma came from a heavenly vision that the prophet Micaiah saw. Anytime a human sees into the heavenly realm, much can be symbolic and not as literal as we may think at first glance. The entire Book of Revelation is like this. Since God cannot lie, I think the Bible merely expresses what God allows, not what He forces to happen. For example, when Judas was about to betray Jesus, Jesus told him to do it quickly. Jesus did not make or suggest that Judas betray Him, He merely knew what was in his heart just as God knew what was in Ahab and his prophets. Some speculate that the volunteer spirit was Satan or a demon, but we don’t know for sure. We do learn from the Book of Job that Satan can present himself before the angels and God (at least before Christ’s victory on earth), so fallen angels may have been allowed to be in the mix for this vision of Micaiah.