Lasso of Truth

Believe Him

In reading back over my notes from I Kings, as I like to do after finishing a study on any book of the Bible, I noticed that there was one phrase I had used over and over.

Believe God.

Not believe "in" God.

Believe God.

This book is full of examples of people who either chose to believe Him or not, and what the outcome of that was.  Those who believed Him acted on their faith and obeyed, even when it didn't make sense.  But God proved Himself to them over and over through their obedience.  He kept his promise to use Solomon to build His temple.  He provided never-ending oil to the widow.  He made a soaking wet alter burst into flames.

Those who chose not to believe God, even when He spoke to them directly out of the mouth of a prophet, acted on their non-faith and disobeyed.  And God proved Himself to them anyway through their disobedience. He handed over the richest kingdom of all time to an adversary. He destroyed whole family lines. He caused a random arrow to pierce a joint in the armor of an evil king.

You'll notice that whether we chose to obey or disobey, to believe or disbelieve, God is going to prove Himself.  He cannot help but make Himself known.  He's the Famous One. 

So believe Him!  Believe God.  Believe that He keeps his promises.  Believe that He is Lord, and His will WILL be done, and that we can't do anything to change that.  Believe that He loves you.  And that He works out all things for the good of those who love Him. 

And if you're not sure what it is you believe about Him, join me on this study, and we can figure some of that out together.

Next time:

II KINGS 1-2

I Kings 20-22

Chapter 20

v3 The neighboring king makes a demand on Ahab for his silver, gold, and most beautiful wives and children.

v4 Ahab concedes.  Ick.

v6 He didn't even want them--his goal was always to bring trouble to Ahab.

v10 The threats get bigger.  Ben-hadad (the other guy) says he's going to turn Samaria to dust.  And Ahab says that's easy for him to say at the beginning of a war, but let's see how you talk when this is all over.

(I find the Message paraphrased Bible helpful with passages like this.  I didn't read these threats exactly like they did, but it helped me figure out what I think they were saying to each other.)

v13 Then you will know.

v15 Only 7000!

v20 They killed each his own man.

v23 Aram doesn't know who he's dealing with.

v27 Wonderful word picture: camped before them like two little flocks of goats.  The Arameans filled the country.

photo credit

v28 "And you shall know that I am the Lord"  This is not the first time God said this to Ahab.  It seems that God is giving him every chance to turn back his heart.

v29 One hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.

v30 The wall fell on 27,000.

v34 Ahab doesn't finish the job.

v42 And because of this, Ahab will be punished.  Ahab seemed more intimidated by this foreign king than by God.

v43 Sullen and vexed.

Chapter 21

v3 The land cannot legally be transferred between tribes, according to God's law.  Even so, this Nadab was brave to stand up for what he knew was right.  Against a king!

v4 Sullen and vexed...and he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.

Obsessed with something he can't have.

v5 Jezebel, the infamous and cunning temptress.  She has this down to a science.  First, she massages his sore ego.  "Poor Baby."  Then she pumps up his pride.  "Doesn't he realize who he's dealing with?" v7  And lastly she takes matters into her own hands. v8

v7, v13 She makes good on her wicked promise.

v16 He seems to have no concern with the man's life or how it all came about.

v19 Ahab will pay for allowing Jezebel to act in his place.

v23 Jezebel will pay her own price.

v27 Ahab responds differently than we saw him do before.  He's not "sullen and vexed".  He's not throwing a fit.  He is finally realizing the gravity of his situation. (He finally believes God.)

v29 And God shows His mercy and grace to even the most despicable man.

Chapter 22

v4 Jehoshaphat made peace between his people (Judah) and Israel.

v5 But he encouraged Ahab to seek the Lord's will first.

v6-7 Four hundred prophets, and not one of them is willing to speak the truth. Be careful the kind of people you surround you with.  Are these your real friends?  Will they tell you that you're wrong to save you from danger?  Or are they just there to tell you what you want to hear?  Ahab was the kind of man who pushed the truth-tellers out of his life.

v13-15 I see Micaiah saying, "OK, which do you want? Do you want me to speak favorably, or do you want the truth?"

v19 Now Micaiah is on a roll.  He calls out all of the other prophets.

v22-23 It's a bad day when you find out the Lord has set you up for failure.  The Living God was only one of the many "spirits" these prophets went to for information.  They didn't respect the Lord, and He didn't protect them.

v30 Some friend.

v31 The enemy is seeking only to kill Ahab.

v34 If it's your time, no disguise or precaution will be able to keep you from it.

v38 The Lord's word is fulfilled.

v52 Not surprisingly, Ahab's son and successor is an evil king.

Next time: A look back at the theme of I Kings.

I Kings 18-19

Chapter 18

v3 Obadiah - a little background.

Be careful not to judge a man's character by his association with godless people.

v7 Elijah finds Obadiah and asks him to get him a meeting with Ahab.

v9-14 Obadiah is afraid of working with Elijah.  He knows the Lord could hide the prophet, and then Ahab would blame him.

v17-18 Ahab calls Elijah a trouble maker.  Political blame shifting.

v19 There's going to be a showdown at Mt Carmel.

v21 "How long will you hesitate between two opinions?"  Choose a side.  Live for it.

v22-24 The terms of the contest. 

v26 For hours the pagan prophets called, leaped, cut themselves, cried out, and raved to their gods, but "no on paid attention." (v29)

v30 Elijah wants the people close.  They can watch that he doesn't pull any tricks.

v31 He might have used the stones as an opportunity to teach them, or remind them, of the history of the Lord's covenant.

v34-35 The people will have no room to doubt this miracle.  Remember there had been a long drought.  These 12 pitchers of water were a commodity.

v38 the Lord's consuming fire.  Everything is "whooshed" up.  Everything is gone--meat, wood, stones, dust, and water.

v39 The people are convinced. And probably terrified.  Rightly so.

v40 The pagan prophets pay.

v41 A storm is coming.

v45-46 Elijah outran Ahab's chariot to Jezreel.  (We are all subject to the laws of nature, but God isn't!)

Wondering what "girded up his loins" looks like?  Here's a bad illustration:

Even Esther's laughing at my doodle.  But it still helps my visual mind.

Chapter 19

v2 Jezebel is furious upon hearing what happened to her prophets.  She threatens Elijah's life.

v3 Elijah runs for his life.  Even prophets have moments of fear.

v4 Tells God he's prepared to die for Him.

v8 The Lord's food provision sustains him for 40 days and nights.

v9,13 When the Lord asks questions like this, it assures me that what He's after is relationship and conversation.  He knows what is going on in my life, but He still wants me to tell Him about it.

v11 "Go stand over there and let me show you something."

v12 Sometimes the Lord makes himself known in unexpected ways.

v15 Elijah may be prepared for death, but his work on earth is not yet finished.

v20 This question is very similar to one asked of Jesus...Matt 8:21 Luke 9:61

v21 The sacrifice of these working animals seems symbolic.  The time for plowing and working the fields is over.  By offering the animals to the Lord, he seems to be saying, "There's no turning back.  I'm willing to let you change my life so that it will never be the same."

Is there something keeping you from making Jesus your life's work?  What offering can you make to the Lord that makes this kind of statement? There's no turning back.

Next time: I Kings 20-22 (It's three chapters!  And the end of this book!)

I Kings 17

Chapter 17

Elijah and the Widow

v1 Enter Elijah

v4,6 If you have read or heard this many times before, please don't just pass over it because it is familiar.  God commanded the ravens to provide for him.  Sometimes we forget how willing God is to reach into our lives and make stuff happen.  Stuff that isn't even possible normally.

v9 He commanded a widow to provide for him. Again, a simple statement on the surface, but when we actually meet this widow, it almost seems outrageous that the Lord would ask such a thing of her.

She is a widow.  She has no husband, no job, and she's got a son to feed.  She barely has enough flour and oil to make a last meal for herself and her son.  A last meal!  Before they die!  And God wants her to take care of some guy off the street.

Imagine how she must have felt when He commanded her to take care of Elijah.  It must have sounded like a death sentence.

v13 Elijah asks that she serve him first, on faith that God would provide.

v14 "So she went and did..." Why, with everything that I've been given, with all the excess in my life, do I still struggle with giving?  I love to give, even take pride in giving to those who need it, but I've never given like this.

This woman was dirt poor. She was looking starvation in the face.  Surely there was someone else, someone with an income who could feed this man! She couldn't put this man before her own son, could she?  How could a widow be expected to feed someone outside her family?  Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

But when it came down to it, this widow obeyed.  She went and did.  She believed God.

v16 And God was faithful to her for it.

v17 But then something changed--another test for her faith.

Her son was so sick that he was not breathing.  Whether he was moments from death or already dead is unclear to me, but that doesn't really matter.   The point is, her faith was shaken by this.  She turns to Elijah.

v18 Is it wrong to ask this question?  I don't think so.  God is bigger than our doubt and insecurity.

v20,21 I don't think Elijah knew the answer.  I don't think he know how this would play out.  He prays for a specific miracle.

v22-23 The Lord answers his prayer by bringing the boy back to life.

v24 The widow is reassured.

How do your feel about the widow after reading this?  Did you find yourself looking down on her when her faith wavered?  I admit that I did.  I mean, all she has to do is look at her jars of flour and oil to know that God is watching out for her.

But her son has dying.  Her reason for living.  The only person she had left in the world.  What will rock a person's faith like the death of a child?  Nothing.

And then I looked objectively at her words and actions.  She didn't lose her faith; she just wanted to understand.  It seemed to her that Elijah's presence might have been connected, but she didn't throw him out.  She didn't plot to kill him.  She went to him and asked him to help her understand.

Sometimes faith doesn't look like we think it will. Sometimes faith isn't "everything will be okay."  Because sometimes it won't be.  And what does faith look like then?

The widow went to someone who knew the Lord and asked him for council.   Sometimes faith is, "I don't know what's going to happen.  It looks like something really bad.  And I'm scared and freaked out and not at all calm and optimistic. But I trust God. I trust God, and I'll love him no matter what happens." 

And that is the kind of faith that I think the widow had in her time of insecurity.

Faith is not the same thing as optimism.  Faith is so much more powerful than that.

Next time: I Kings 18-19

I Kings 14-16

Chapter 14

The End of Jeroboam

v2 Can a mere disguise fool the prophet who foretold your reign as king?

v6 How do you think she felt at this moment? He's going blind, so the costume didn't matter at all. Plus, he calls her out before she even enters the room.  Any hope she had is gone.

v9 You have cast me behind your back.  I've been guilty of this very thing.

v11 God is not going to deal with them subtly or discreetly.  This will be shameful and public.

v12,17 Imagine the torment of this moment.  Knowing her baby was going to die.  Knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop it, or even hold him again.  Knowing it was her husband that caused it.  Knowing her life was only going to get worse.

The End of Rehoboam

v21 His mother's name is mentioned several times.  She was an Ammonitess--one of Solomon's non-Jewish wives that led him away from the Lord.  Probably part of the ungodly influence on her son's kingdom.

v24 "They did according to...the nations which the Lord dispossessed."

God goes to the trouble of saving a nation out of darkness, out of the muddy pit of godlessness, and they go back to it and wallow in it.  As if they had never heard of Him.

v27-28 We can get some wealth and riches on our own merit.  But what we can get for ourselves does not compare to the richness offered by God.  The king is making a big show by parading these bronze shields around.  But their wealth is paltry compared to what the Lord had given him--to what he squandered through his disobedience.

Chapter 15

v4 For David's sake.  David was long dead, but the Lord was still blessing his descendants for his sake.

Our actions now may affect future generations in a profound way.  This is not just for your own self that you should be living.  Think about how your choices and actions may affect your children and grandchildren.

A List of the Kings of Judah, after Rehoboam:

v1 King Abijam (3 years)

v8 King Asa *note - v2 and v10 Is this the same woman? How wicked was Asa's father?!*

v13 Asa put the Lord above his own mother.

v14 Wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.

v18 Made a wise ally for his people.

v24 King Jehoshaphat

A List of the Kings of Israel, after Jeroboam:

v25 King Nadab (2 years)

v28 King Baasha (24 years) - destroys all remnant of Jeroboam's line, just as the Lord had foretold.

Chapter 16

v3 Baasha was no better a king, so his family will meet the same fate.

v6 King Elah takes his place (2 years).

v10 Struck down by his servant, Zimri.

v11 King Zimri (7 days).

v23 King Omri (6 years).

v29 King Ahab (22 years).

v31 Walking in sin was a trivial thing for this king.  Married Jezebel and set to work profaning the name of the Lord.

v34 What is this saying? Did he sacrifice his children and bury them in the foundations? I was curious, so I looked up a commentary on the verse:

"The foundation sacrifice, revealed by modern archaeology, is probably what was involved. The children named were probably infants, dead or alive, placed in jars and inserted into the masonry, propitiating the gods and warding off evil."194

It seems that is exactly what was going on.  It makes my stomach turn. Joshua predicted the rebuilding of Jericho in this way, as well as the curse that would go with it.

Next time: I Kings 17

 

I Kings 13

Chapter 13 - I decided to keep this study to just one chapter. This is one of those freaky Old Testament stories that you may have heard about.  They tend to leave you going, "What the WHAT?!?  Remember in Chapter 12 when the king set up some golden calves for his people to worship?  He's about to get a wake up call.

v2 Am unnamed prophet comes from Judah to warn Jeroboam of terrible things in store for him and his people.

v3 He predicts that the evil alter will be split apart.

v4 Jeroboam won't hear it--he stretches his hand out to point at the prophet and yells "SEIZE HIM!" And his hand dries up!  He can't pull it back.  Is it frozen, or turned to stone, or mummified?  Who knows?  But it's stuck in that "seize him" position.

v5-6 When the king sees the alter split apart and his hand jutting out like that, he begs the man to pray for it to be put right. (This prophet was nice.  I might have left him like that.)

v7-10 The king offers to reward him, but he had strict guidelines from the Lord.  And he follows them...for now.

v14 On the prophet's way back home, and old prophet meets up with him.

v16-17 He starts out strong.  He knows what God told him, and he's doesn't want to stray from that.

v18 But then the old prophet lies to him, and tells him he has a new word from the Lord. (Why would he do that?) Suddenly what seemed so clear to the young prophet seems altered and a little fuzzy.  He's tired, probably starving, and this guys says he's from the Lord, right?  He goes back to the old guy's house.

v20-22 And then, the true words of the Lord start yelling at him from the lying prophet's mouth.  He is in serious trouble!

v24 A lion!?

v28  When the old guy gets to the body, there are the lion and the donkey just standing around.  The donkey is unharmed, which means the lion must have just snatched the young man from his back and mauled him to death.  He didn't even eat him.

v30-31 He buries the young man in his own grave.  

My guess about the old guy is that he didn't know what he was doing.  He wanted to meet this man who had shaken up the kingdom.  When the young prophet wouldn't come back to his house, he threw around the fact that he was a prophet...added a couple white lies, and he made it happen.  Maybe he took the role of prophet lightly.  We have to be so, so careful what we say in the Lord's name.  We could lead others astray, and possibly risk their lives.

To be honest, I don't know exactly what this story is all about.  But here's the lesson I've learned.

The young prophet was absolutely sure what his direction was from the Lord. Until something threw him off a little.  Why did he let this man--who he'd only just met--lead him into sin?  He had no proof that he was a prophet, or that his message was from the Lord.  And it went against what he knew to be true! So here's the lesson.  Satan is not above using a man of God to tempt us to our demise.  Satan is not above anything. His lies are something so close to the Truth that it may be hard to tell what's what.  You MUST KNOW what God's Word says.  You MUST KNOW the voice of your Heavenly Father.  If you don't, you might get eaten by a lion.

Next time: I Kings 14-15

I Kings 11-12

Chapter 11

Solomon's weakness

v2 The power of a woman.

This is why it is so important for our sons to find godly, trustworthy wives.

This is why it is so important to raise godly, trustworthy daughters!

A wayward or headstrong woman can destroy the testimony and integrity of the most successful godly man.  Girls need to be taught that this power--this allure--is only to be used to please and serve their husbands and the Lord.  NEVER to turn him away. Satan knows all about the power of allure.  That's why his target was Eve, not Adam.  He still targets wives every day.  Don't fall for it!

v3 over 1000 women.  gross.

v6 David was also made weak by women, but he kept his vices within the Israelite people.  But as the habit of sin passes from father to son, it grows and changes.

v7 Do you think Solomon believed in these false gods?  Was he worshipping them earnestly, or was this just the popular thing to do?  A new god every season.

v9 Whether these gods were real to him or not, hee put the desires of his wives before his covenant promise to God, "WHO HAD APPEARED TO HIM TWICE."

It is startling and sad to watch Solomon's rise in popularity and then his fall from grace.  It seams unreal--impossible.  But in our modern culture, how many times have we seen the pressure of fame and fortune become overwhelming to a celebrity?  The power is too much.  More and more admirers must be appeased.  Each stunt must be more extravagant than the last.  I bet from inside the palace, the shift was more subtle than it seems here.

v14-39  God raises up adversaries:

1>Hadad

2>Rezon

3>Jeroboam

Ahijah prophesies the division of the kingdom.  In verse 38 he offers God's covenant to Jeroboam.  God just wants someone faithful to lead his people and share in His glory.  Doesn't that seem like a good thing?  It does to me!

v40 Solomon tries to keep Jeroboam from the throne by killing him.  He has lost touch with the Lord to the extent that he thinks he can outsmart Him?  Out-maneuver Him?  Why would anyone seek out fame and fortune, when it is too much to handle for the wisest man in history?  If it was ever given to me (fame and fortune) I pray that I would cling to the Lord with all my soul to keep it from making an idiot of me.

v42 Solomon dies after being king 40 years.

Chapter 12

v1 Rehoboam decides to claim the throne since Jeroboam is still in Egypt.

v4 The people speak.  They want to know what this king has to offer.

v6 Seeks the advice of the elders, who tell him to be a servant king.

v8 Seeks the advice of his buddies, who tell him to put the people in their place.

v13 The king takes the advice of the young men and answers them harshly.  Dumb move.

An important lesson here:  Be careful whose advice you seek--and even more careful whose advice you TAKE.  Rehoboam was arrogant, prideful, stupid, and lazy.  Don't be like him.

v18 The people revolt. (Shocker!)

v21 An army is assembled against the people.

v24 God sends Shemaiah to stop them, but this ultimately serves to divide the nation--just as predicted by the prophet.

v26-27 Jeroboam did not believe God.

v28 Someone should have remembered his history lesson.  Golden calves?  Really!?!

v30-33  Not only has he turned away, but he has led all of these people into sin as well, making a mockery of the Lord's alter and feasts.

Next time: I Kings 13-14

I Kings 9-10

Chapter 9

v1 He finished building his house, the Lord's house, and all he desired to do.  What's next when you've accomplished all of your goals?  Will I ever know what that's like?  Do I want to? 

v2-9 God answers Solomon's prayer.  In person.  The covenant is reaffirmed.

v10 Hiram is paid for his services, but he is not satisfied.

Cabul means "as good as nothing."  Something tells me we have not heard the end of this.

v14-26 Solomon's nation is building strength, wealth, and power.

Chapter 10

v2 The Queen of Sheba's meeting with Solomon.  There was nothing on her mind that he couldn't explain. (v3)  How much do you think Solomon knew?  Do you think God let him in on secrets that science wouldn't discover for thousands of years?  Germs?  DNA?  Planets? This might go way beyond "why is the sky blue."

v5-7 It seems that she had set out to stump him.  No one could be as magnificent as the rumors of Solomon.  But she was the one proved wrong.

v9 We should not hide our God-given gifts and talents behind false modesty.  They should be used to point others to the Lord.

And that reminds me of this.  I was recently at this blog.  And saw this post, that mentioned this quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - from Marianne Williamson's book, A Return To Love

"Your playing small does not serve the world."

God didn't give you those gifts so that you could keep them to yourself.  He gave them to you so you could serve the world.  And in doing so serve Him.  And make Him known to the world.  So take a cue from Solomon and "let your light shine!"

v13 Solomon has gained an ally in the Queen of Sheba.

v18-20 Solomon's throne.

v22 The ships of Tarshish brought a steady stream of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

By importing all of these riches, including spices from Sheba and the horses and chariots from Egypt, Israel is suddenly elevated to the top of ancient civilization.

Next time: I Kings 11-12

I Kings 7-8

Chapter 7

v2 Solomon's house was over 11,000 square feet.  Pretty big.

v15 Hiram will do the bronze work himself.

v21 These massive pillars make a statement on the front porch.  Each is over 35 feet tall!

v47 Although the items made by Hiram are recorded, there was no way to measure the weight of the items.

v51 The end of construction is signified by moving in David's store of treasure.

Chapter 8

v6 The ark fits right under and between the cherubim wings.

v10-11 The presence of the Lord fills the house like smoke.  How wonderful and spooky and terrible and beautiful.

v15-21 It is important to share with others the work you've seen the Lord accomplish in your life.  The Enemy is constantly trying to discredit Him, but our testimonies are a strong defense against despair and disillusion.

v31-53  Solomon, knowing that his people will not always be faithful, asks God for mercy and grace when they turn back to Him.

v46 "...there is no man who does not sin."

v54 Look at the humble posture of the greatest king in history.  "On his knees with his hands spread toward heaven."

v61 This would be a great one to memorize:

I Kings 8:61

"Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day."

v64 Solomon's offering to the Lord was so big, they had to consecrate a special area in the court to hold it all.  It was too much for the brand new bronze alter (that they'd just built!) to hold.

Give to the Lord so abundantly and freely that the offering plate can't hold it all!

v66 Solomon's grateful attitude and love for the Lord was contagious and spread through the kingdom.  This also works in churches, families, and the workplace.

Next time: I Kings 9-10

 

I Kings 5-6

Chapter 5

v5 Solomon believed God.  I have noticed as I get older, there are fewer people (Christians) who believe Him.  They believe IN Him.  They know what they believe ABOUT Him.  But they don't seem to actually believe Him.  That He keeps His promises.  That He loves us.  That He answers prayer. That He wants to provide His BEST for us. (And that He'll make this happen without any conniving on our part...)  Solomon believed God.  He believed that what He told David was true.

v6 Solomon wants wood from Lebanon for the temple. "no one knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians."

I find it interesting that when the tabernacle was being built, God used artists and craftsmen from within the Israelite nation to bring Himself glory.  Now He is using Solomon to bring talent from outside their nation to construct His permanent dwelling.  Is this symbolism for the way God will open up salvation to the non-Jew through Christ? I love to see hints and patterns in the Old Testament that point to the coming Messiah.

v18 Work on the temple is under way.

Chapter 6

v2 a basic floor-plan

I find that drawing a picture sometimes helps me understand, even if it is a crude and imperfect sketch.

v4 windows with artistic frames.

v7 Solomon is adhering to guidelines the Lord put in place hundreds of years ago. (Ex 20:25)

v12-13 God repeats His promise to David's son.

v16 The Holy of Holies

v20-22 This is a LOT of gold!!

v23-27 These angels are HUGE.  Fifteen feet tall with a 15-ft wingspan.

v37-38 Solomon completed the house of the Lord in seven years.

Next time: I Kings 7-8