Introduction

Kings gives us a panorama of how Hebrew kings lived and died, and the effects of their rule on the people of God – some good and some bad. Matthew Henry the commentator says that the division between good and bad kings is about 50-50.

The rise of Hebrew kings, from the first, Saul, to the last, proved to be of little benefit to the people. The insertion of an human king between God and Man gave instability and loss of freedom. Today, we see the same situation in churches that uphold clerics and hierarchies. Once we place men between us and God, we diminish our blessings and experience error and sin. Even the great Solomon degenerated and entered into wickedness.

Jesus Christ demolished the clerical structure so that we could experience freedom. But, like dogs returning to their vomit, many Christians prefer to be ruled by other men (from local pastors to lofty archbishops), so they do not have to think for themselves or listen to the Holy Spirit. Even heretical charismatics, who claim freedom, actually submit to other men who pretend to be their leaders and authorities on God’s thoughts and actions!

This book is a lesson to us all. Whether a few thousand years ago or now, men love sin and prefer their own rule to the rule of God. This is why the world is now rife with evil: homosexuals, Islamists, violence, ISIS, erroneous churches and ‘leaders’... it all stems from sin and the desire of men to kick God’s face. But, God kicks back! His will is supreme and WILL turn on the wicked. But, before that, we must obey God, repent, and live holy lives.

“And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years” (2 Chronicles 9:30), the same number of years his father, David, reigned. Though best known for his wisdom, Solomon was also hard-headed, knowing that the affairs of men need both wisdom and a sword. Like David, he did not flinch from tough decisions and saw wicked men for what they were. He did not allow them to live, and administered death when it was required. Today, this is not done: wicked men live, murderers go free, and genocide is hushed-up. How God must have a face of anger when He looks upon what vain and evil rulers do with the people of the earth!

In this chapter we see Solomon’s tough side. He knows that to let a schemer live is to ask for future trouble.

Here, we are shown the righteousness of Solomon, and the fact that God gave him a special gift of wisdom, far above that of every other man alive. His wisdom affected all of Israel and lives on to this day. The very first test of his God-given wisdom came in the form of a very complicated legal case... could YOU have decided the outcome? I can only say that Solomon’s decision was brilliant and extremely clever. It was, however, primarily, God’s wisdom. Which is why it spread all around Israel like wildfire!

We must all strive to think clearly with the wisdom we have been allotted. God helps us in this by giving us discernment. Do you use your discernment, or are you too afraid to speak in holy manner?

In this chapter we see Solomon setting up the infrastructure of his reign, and the size of his basic armed force, which was formidable. We also see how his godliness led to the admiration of kings in surrounding kingdoms for his wisdom, bringing a deep and genuine respect for his rule and person. This is how our own nation should be ruled. Instead we have confusion, paganism and godlessness, together with persecution of those who wish to live by God’s laws. The lesson is self-evident.

Verses 1-6

1. So king Solomon was king over all Israel.

2. And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

3. Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.

4. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

5. And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend:

6. And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.

After removing very real threats to his rule, Solomon chooses a number of ‘princes’, sar, over Israel and Judah. As tribal chiefs already existed, ‘princes’ in this context is really about the administration of the nation, and includes military governance. Perhaps ‘governor’ is a close analogy. At any rate these would have been high-level courtiers and officials. Whether such a ‘prince’ is military, civil, or both, depends on the context. Even Jesus Christ is titled ‘Sar-Shalom’ – Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5).

Interesting facts arise from this chapter, showing that God’s people, ruled by a new and godly king, Solomon, were great in number. We see a non-Hebrew king making an alliance with Israel and acknowledging their God, here named Jehovah. Solomon added 30,000 Hebrew men to the ‘tribute’ workers (called here the ‘levy’), plus many thousands as carriers and stone workers. The cost of this was phenomenal, but it was for the first Temple. The money came from Solomon’s incalculable wealth, promised to him by God as a reward for his faithfulness and godly rule… a wealth that kept accruing all his life.

We note that it is possible for godly men to live beside men who were not God’s nation. For centuries even the pagan Muslims lived in peace alongside Jews, until Islamists rose up in the 20^th century to destroy the social harmony. Satan is and was the person who did this, and he continues to encourages violence and murderous intent in the Middle East. No longer do the non-Hebrews of the region acknowledge the God of Israel – they despise Him and them, wishing to bring to naught the very name of Jehovah, in favour of their pagan moon-god. Christians must ever be careful not to believe there is peace when there is no peace! It is the nature of all unbelievers, of whatever religion, to eventually hate Christians and God.

Verses 1-5

1. And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.

2. And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

3. Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.

4. But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.

5. And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.

The building of the Temple is an indication of Solomon’s character. While other kings amassed wealth for themselves, Solomon used it for God, not keeping anything back nor cutting corners. The incredibly detailed Temple plans were interpreted by architects and executed by builders, the finished article being skillfully crafted with artwork, and the whole building covered in solid gold plates. It was his lack of personal desires that led God to give Solomon greater wealth than any other king had ever known. This should be a good lesson for all today who would want anything from this world!

Everything belongs to God, Who graciously allows us to use His resources. When we try to accrue for ourselves God does not bestow gifts upon us. It is only when we view everything in this world as God’s possessions that He gives us what we need, and more. By giving enormous amounts of gold back to God, God gave Solomon even greater amounts for himself. Solomon did not just use the gold on the Temple because he knew God would thereby give him more... he did it because he loved God and wanted to give Him only the very best, at whatever cost.

Today’s Christians are not like this. They gather wealth for themselves. They even gather well-paying pensions, even though some are in grave need. They gather expensive homes, with no thought for what God wants of them. They have all manner of goods for themselves... all the antithesis of how Solomon lived. There are lessons for us in this chapter. I pray we apply them to our hearts.

Verses 1-3

1. But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

2. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

3. And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.

Solomon built his own palace at the same time as he saw to the building of the Temple. It took him almost twice as long to complete his palace. The reason is simple – God gave him exact details to follow for the Temple, but Solomon relied on his own wishes to build his own residence. As with the Temple, he bought and used Lebanese cedar and fir. The relevant size is given, and we see that both the Temple and the palace were built upon solid stone, the palace, however, seems to have made more use of cedar pillars and joists, without gold covering.

Verses 4-7

4. And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.

5. And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.

6. And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.

7. Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

Windows were built into the walls, three rows of them, giving much light. Like the windows, all doors were square. A porch was built using a large number of cedar pillars, topped by ‘thick’ beams. A separate porch, with cedar floor, was made to house his throne, used when he judged legal and religious cases.

In this chapter we see reference to the “glory of the Lord” coming in a thick dark cloud. Readers should not equate this with the modern ‘glory cloud’ claimed by charismatics. The cloud of God is dark, as it was on the mountain when He spoke to Moses, and it was accompanied by sobriety and fear. Do not confuse the fakery of trite charismaticism with this holy activity!

The charismatic cloud is very different, and is often accompanied by gold particles, or even feathers falling, or faces and hands being covered in an oily substance. None of these are found in the dark cloud from whence God speaks! Rather, these are the result of satanic deception, causing the people to turn even more to the signs and wonders they wrongfully think comes from God. This prompts them to continue listening to their fraudulent pastors and preachers, who help to deaden truth and promote lies.

 Sadly, pastors think that if this phenomenon occurs it is proof that God is blessing what they say and do. They tend to refer back to Old Testament occurrences of the cloud in support of their claims, even though there is no mention at all of party-tricks such as glitter, gold dust, or oil.

Certain groups within the fake-church of charismaticism, believe it is their right to demand wealth from God, even though their theology and behaviour is far from godly. In this chapter God Himself tells Solomon the demands He makes of His people. If they obeyed Him the land would prosper. And if Solomon (and every subsequent king) was faithful to Him, He would give him earthly peace and be with him. With this came amazing wealth for Solomon, as a reward.

We should not take this to mean Solomon’s wealth is also ours. On the other hand, faithful servants of the Lord can expect God to help them in life, and this can mean wealth for some. Wealth or not depends on God’s mercy and grace, not on anything we might do for God. In itself wealth or a good living is not to be taken as proof of God’s presence with a person, or necessarily of His special favour, but both may occur together in a Christian’s life. God will favour whom He will, not as an automatic result of what we do for God. The most important gift of all is His presence.

Sadly, Christians who are used to having a good living will think they are being punished by God if their wealth, status, goods, etc., are taken away, such is their past dependence on what they have had. But, wealth or not is an illusion when it comes to God’s presence. As with Job, God can remove everything a man has, NOT to punish him, but in order to fan the flames of faith, even if the person is unaware it is dying or static.

Plenty of unbelievers, such as historians, are only too willing to decry the ‘stories’ of men like Solomon. They do it because they hate the idea of God. And they hate the idea of God being true, because a real God challenges their selfish desires and beliefs, showing them their sin. Oddly, men who say they do not believe actually DO believe, but deny it for fear of facing the Lord. Better to decry and deny Him (they think) than to face Him and obey His commands!

But, Solomon existed. His wealth and wisdom were not just legends – they were real historical facts. His wisdom was given by God as a very special sign of holy power from Jehovah, giving Israel worldwide authority and engendering awe. His wealth was greater than any king or queen had ever known, before and since. He was given the riches by God as another sign of His presence with David’s son. One has to ask the question – why does God not give such blessings today on men who rule? The answers should be obvious. Plenty have an easy living - but this is not necessarily a sign of God’s presence… quite the opposite. Solomon did not seek out his own future; he waited for God to give him one. And that was the key to his success.

It is a very sad fact that Satan goes out of his way to destroy the pastors of God. Some years ago six faithful pastors were struck down by their sexual lusts in the same year, and in the same area of Wales! Six! Of further sadness was the fact that they were well-known in evangelical circles. Thus, their infidelities cast a black cloud over the name of God and His people. The incidents almost ruined many churches. Even so, Christians should not place their pastors on a pedestal! They (we) are men with sinful hearts, though saved by grace.

Solomon began his reign as a shining example of God’s chosen man, and did many wondrous things, but, in the end, his love of women overshadowed his best sense and faith, bringing his reign to a dubious end. This must not cause us to say Solomon was therefore cast aside or that his life was worthless. His father committed a foul series of sins in one episode; God punished him for it, and David repented.

Thus, when we see pastors today falling to sin, we should not thereby cast them aside as if their whole lives were worthless. If they repent and change, they will be accepted back by God. They might not be able to return to the pastorate, but they can certainly again begin to teach truth. It all hinges on their repentance (genuine – not just being sorry for being found out). God forgets the sins repented of… so we have no right to continue punishment on this earth. (Obviously, there is more to this kind of situation, but enough has been said for the moment).

The sin of Solomon led directly to the sins of Jeroboam! When a leader fails, so do those who are led. Jeroboam was just a continuation of Solomon’s grave errors. It seems incredible that a man so blessed and given everything by God should fall in such a spectacular way! But, this is human nature… no matter how much God gives us, we are still pushed off-balance by Satan and do what is sinful, or even wicked.

Do not, then, think you are not capable of these sins, or that you cannot fall. If you think you are invincible you WILL fall! It is Christ Who is invincible, not us. It is His love and sinlessness that guarantees we are accepted by the Father, not our own (for we have no such worthiness). Today, we are being ruled by Jeroboam, throughout the world. Only a few leaders resist his reign of evil. And the evil ones do so because the ‘young men’ do not like to be ruled by God, nor His moral demands. We are allowing a Solomon to rule in wickedness.

We became desensitised to sin and so a worse tyrant emerged (the EU, UN, totalitarian leaders, murderous men, etc.). We learned to live with lies and now get what we deserve. If we tolerate sin in our leaders and MPs, then it will grow like a cancer and take over. This is why Jeroboam existed as king. He was a punishment on the people from God. A son of Solomon, he followed his father’s footsteps, bringing havoc to the people.

This text should frighten all the false prophets and those who let their guard down in the world today! It should also make all believers feel uneasy if they claim to be holy and secretly are not. Another issue raises its head in this chapter… do Christians really believe what happened, and if so, that it was a judgment of God? Most are willing to read any part of scripture, but when it comes to divine actions that defy the natural world, they are shy to accept them as real. Some read the text and their minds classify them as fairy stories. The matter is simple – what happened in this text is real. The incidents happened. They are not myths. Not to accept this is to be faithless and even godless.

Verses 1-3

1. And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

2. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

3. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

Jeroboam usurped the place of the High Priest by offering sacrifices (incense) himself, and though he offered them to God, it was before the cultic statue of a golden calf at Bethel. Furthermore, he was never anointed as High Priest. As he was playing at being a priest, a prophet came to him from Judah (which was just across the border).

The prophet, in true Old Testament style, spoke out loudly, a word from God to the king. He told Jeroboam that a male would be born to the house of David, named Josiah (Yo'shiyah). The same would use the altar to burn men’s bones and idolatrous priests. A sign was given – the altar built by Jeroboam would be broken apart and the ashes upon it would be spilled on the ground. This sign occurred immediately, proving the prophet to be telling the truth.

Josiah was the son of Amon and Jedidah, born 300 years after this prophecy. He inherited the throne of Judah and reigned 31 years, bringing the people back to the true worship of Jehovah. Though some judgments of God take time, they will invariably come about. And though some continue to live as if God did not exist, their lives WILL bear the marks of God’s judgment, even before the foretold penalty falls like a sword.

Verses 4-7

4. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

5. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.

6. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.

7. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

Jeroboam, no doubt furious that an ordinary man should shout out a warning to him, the king, pointed to the prophet and called his servants to “Lay hold on him”! As he pointed, the hand used to point immediately withered and could not be put back down again, staying in its accusatory position. No physical illness could have done this. The immediacy of it proved the harm came from God.

At the same time the altar was broken apart and the ashes from sacrifices spilled to the ground. In itself this was a judgment, for ashes on the true altar in Jerusalem had to be carefully scooped up and taken to a holy place dedicated to the purpose outside the city. If it was dumped inside the Temple complex it would make the ground unholy. So, this altar was unholy on two counts – it was built outside Jerusalem, without God’s consent, and, it was used in a ceremony mixing pagan and godly activity. Therefore, the altar itself was condemned, along with its use.

Jeroboam was halted in his paganism by these two signs, and even as his arm and withered hand remained outstretched against the prophet, he begged the prophet to seek God’s forgiveness and to restore his hand. The prophet did this and the hand was immediately healed. The king was grateful and asked the prophet to go back with him to his house, for washing and a meal, together with an ample reward. And this is the start of the prophet’s demise, though he did not take up the offer.

Very often in our lives we can fail to note the beginning of our woes on this earth, thinking they started when we first observed or practiced them. It is sadly a fact that many of our troubles arise not at the time of our sin, but before they arise, usually in a subtle change of our loyalties and faithfulness. This is why, amongst the Hebrews, a man who experienced troubles offered a sacrifice for a sin he did not know he had committed! In this way, the Hebrews were always vigilant about their sins.

Verses 8-10

8. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

9. For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

10. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.

The prophet was told by God not to accept anything from the king or to take reward of any kind. He told the king this – he would not go, nor eat and drink at his house, even if the king gave him half his home. In addition to this command from God, he was told not to return home by the same route. (God is always specific). And so the prophet obeyed God and began his journey back home by a different route. The vital point was that the man should obey the specific commands of God, ‘to the letter’. Thus far he did well – but he was soon to lose his life for disobeying.

Verses 11-17

11. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

12. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

13. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

14. And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

15. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

16. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:

17. For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

An older prophet lived in Bethel. His sons had witnessed what the other prophet had told the king, and what had happened. The older prophet asked which way the now famed prophet had gone: the sons saw which way the prophet went.

The older prophet had his sons to saddle an ass and he went off to find the famed prophet, which he did – the man was sitting under an oak tree in the shade. The older prophet asked if he was indeed the prophet from Judah who spoke to the king. The man acknowledged that he was the same man.

The older prophet asked the man to return with him for some food. The man repeated what God had told him about refusing food and drink or any other reward. Thus far he obeyed the Lord, but dramatic failure was soon to enter his heart. We see this kind of failure today, in pastors and preachers who begin well, but end miserably. Sadly, it is in us all – but it is spiritual teachers who are specially attacked by Satan. Get them out of the way and you weaken the local churches.

Verses 18-22

18. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

19. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

20. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:

21. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

22. But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

The older prophet told the man that he, too, was a prophet, but he then deliberately lied as he again made the offer of refreshments, saying that God gave him a message by an angel. The reason for the lie is not given, but it is a very strange thing to do. We do know that God could not give him a lie.

Whatever the reason for the lie, it certainly put the man to the test – and a severe one at that. Persuaded by the claim that God had changed His command, the famed prophet went to the older prophet’s house and received refreshments. It seems to me that the lesson is that we should not accept a change of God’s word to us from another human being. The prophecy to the king was specific and serious. Therefore, we should expect that if God wanted something different, He would have again approached the famed prophet himself.

But, this poses the question – would God change His mind? The answer is ‘No’, because such a change would have cancelled His previous command to the man. And, such a change would have caused the man to do something denied to him earlier. Also, if God gave a different command, He would have said so in the text. Would YOU be fooled by this subtle deception?

As the hapless famed prophet sat at the table, God spoke genuinely to the older prophet, who was to deliver awful news to the other man: “Thus saith the Lord”... ‘you have disobeyed me by not keeping to my command (not to accept refreshment). Therefore, you will die quickly and not be buried with your forefathers.’ Though God cannot pass on a lie, or cause a man to do so, He certainly used this incident to test the prophet, and, when he failed, God put him to death.

The famed prophet was, then, faithful at first, but then seriously lost God’s blessing. It is a lesson we must all learn, and must be very aware of the need for discernment at all times, for Satan, or our own sins, can lead us astray, sometimes to loss or troubles, or even to death. In the current dark days we cannot for a moment let up our holy intent and observation of God’s commands.

Verses 23-25

23. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

24. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

25. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

The famed prophet was loaned the ass to return home, but he never reached it. A lion attacked him and he died. Strangely – but obviously because God gave the command – the ass stood by the body alongside the lion. Witnesses saw this unusual sight, and told the story when they got to Bethel. No doubt the old prophet felt terrible about what had happened, and that he had been a part of the demise. On the other hand, he was used of God to deliver a vital lesson to all, that no man can deviate from His commands, once given.

In a very similar way, no man can leave the ministry given to him by God, for the hand cannot leave the plough. If, then, you have a ministry from God, do not treat it lightly, but treat it with all holiness and care; do not take your hand off the plough, for the only result will be woes and perils.

Verses 26-32

26. And 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.

27. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.

28. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.

29. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.

30. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!

31. And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:

32. For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

The news reached the older prophet, who immediately knew whose body it was, and why he had died… he disobeyed God and so was killed by the lion. He told his sons to saddle an ass, so that he could go to the scene of death. When he got there he found that the lion and ass were still standing by the body, the ass unharmed and the body uneaten. To further show that this was God’s doing, the older prophet was able to pick up the man’s body and put it over the back of the ass, the lion not attacking him for doing so. Though he was instrumental in the man’s death, the older prophet wanted to mourn and bury the dead prophet.

This is a very different attitude to what is found today… Christians are only too willing to shun fellow Christians they think are unbiblical, even though such men and women have been faithful all their Christian lives. Such critics will even shun fellow believers if they do not conform to what THEY believe or do! They will not allow that God has saved both groups! So, they have no right to dishonour those who are different. (I refer to those Christians who are thought to be unbiblical, but without proof. Such repugnant prejudices are found throughout the supposed ‘Christian’ world).

In stark contrast the older prophet buried the man in his own grave, mourning him as his “brother”. The prophet told his sons that when he himself died, he was to be buried alongside the famed prophet in the same sepulchre. His reasoning was that though disobedient in one matter, the famed prophet told the truth about the altar at Bethel… his prophecy would come about. Therefore, he was to be honoured for the truth he told and not dishonoured for his one error. We can all fall to sin.

Verses 33&34

33. After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.

34. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.

After all that had happened, Jeroboam refused to change his ways and remained wicked. The pagan altars stayed put, as did the uncalled priests. Like men who can nowadays buy fake ‘reverend’ credentials and theological degrees, so these men merely applied to become priests, with no calling from God and no heritage in the tribe of Levi. For this reason the house of Jeroboam was known to God for its sinfulness. The sin would cause God to destroy Jeroboam’s family name and lineage, removing it forever from the earth.

It is evident that though God caused the death of the famed prophet, He did not thereby cut him off from Israel nor from his family name. Nor did He cast him off for what was one sin. Rather, He punished the man severely, and that was the end of the matter… the man would see Heaven for his prior faithfulness. It is my opinion (not proven fact) that the famed prophet repented to the Lord in his heart for his error. Even so, when God speaks and judges, His judgment WILL follow, regardless of repentance. The reason? In this case because God gave no assurance that repentance would stay the execution.

In a similar way, those who commit first-degree murder MUST be put to death, even if they repent before the penalty is brought about. This is because, in the case of first-degree murder God gives no alternative to death. Context matters! Even so, it is far better for believers to obey God faithfully at all times, rather than run the risk of earthly judgment and possibly death.

© October 2105

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When a king lies and works against God, God will not let him rest. God WILL punish on this earth. Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a sewer. It was his deserved place on this earth, and his death was also deserved... hanged by men but judged by God, who worked through the magistrates. Many wicked men and movements are loose on earth today as Satan enjoys his last years of freedom. But, his time is short, as is the time for all who act wickedly. Many will die on this earth as a direct punishment, before they face God at the Judgment seat, to be sent to hell for ever.

Verses 1-4

1. At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

2. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.

3. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.

4. And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.

This chapter is illustrative of what happens to a nation when God is left out of its knowledge, understanding and practices. We see the same kind of evils today in Western countries, where black is made out to be white, and the leaders dismiss God, the same God Who gave their nations great power and mercy in the past. Now, they follow themselves and their finite minds and dead spirits, and the people follow them! In this way once great nations are now cess-pits of depravity and wickedness. God WILL judge.

Verses 1-5

1. Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.

2. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

3. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

4. Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:

5. Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

People never seem to learn! The kings of Israel and Judah saw what God did to previous kings, punishing them for their wickedness... yet they continue to do evil in God’s sight! Money and power appear to warp the minds and hearts of men, including ordinary men of today, and they think their money or power are forever. But, they are not. It is God Who gives both to a man, and it is God Who can easily take them away again. We see it in this chapter, too. The history is not alone – it carries forward to today, into our own lives. NEVER think that what you have is by your own efforts, or that it belongs to you, or that it will remain. God decides who He gives to and who He takes away from. This applies to Christians as well as to evil rulers. God gives and He takes away. Do not become comfortable!

Verses 1-6

1. Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

2. Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;

3. Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

4. Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.

5. Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

6. So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

Many Christians will accept the ‘stories’ of Jesus doing miracles. But, when it comes to passages such as this, they inwardly think of the ‘stories’ as fairytales. Am I wrong? I do not think so… how many Christians - yes, ‘Christians’ - even bother to read the Old Testament (apart from its famous texts)? These are not ‘stories’ – they are reports of actual, historical incidents. They are factual accounts, not ‘stories’, and I urge all Christians to stop referring to ANY part of scripture as ‘stories’. Call them ‘accounts’, and do not let unbelievers demote what the texts tell us. As real historical narratives, then, treat them with interest with something to teach us for today. That even goes for the poetic parts.

In this text we come across the famed prophet, Elijah. What he did in this chapter is real; it actually happened; it is not a fairytale ‘story’ but a factual account. It is as strong an account as that of the crossing of the Red Sea. Believe it.

Concerning God’s direct intervention and the remarkable acts of Elijah – this is the ‘big one’. Do you believe it happened? If not, why not? I see in this chapter the very essence of God and belief, where the acts and words of a prophet proved the very existence and living presence of Almighty God. This kind of faith is missing throughout the churches today. (We cannot rely on charismatic claims because charismaticism is a false movement: they claim miraculous and powerful interventions every single day!!). Today, we live in the midst of filth, squalor, sexual immorality, and godless leadership – no different from when Elijah was alive! If we truly trust God things will happen and the godless will disappear.

Verses 1&2

1. And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

2. 2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

Three years into the devastating drought, which was God’s judgment on His people, Israel, God spoke again to Elijah. There is no evidence that God spoke many times directly to the prophet… but when He did, the message was incredibly awesome. Today, (read ‘Elijah List’ statements as an example) many charismatics boast of how God speaks to them about all kinds of things, and they call it ‘prophecy’! My own view is that God does not give prophecies about stupid things, or minor things, but about big things every church should take notice of and implement. And those big things are only referred to once in a while. And so it was with Elijah. In all true prophecies what has been predicted comes about in detail.

The genuine Christian life is never easy. And if your desire is to increase your number of friends, don’t look to the unbelieving world… it will only ‘love’ you insofar as you do what they do and say! And don’t look to superficial ‘Christians’ within the churches! To put it in modern terms, this chapter shows the ‘nitty-gritty’ of being a believer, one who acts as he should before unbelievers. You end up with death threats, violence and social shunning. I know all about this personally; it can be frightening, but I also know that doing nothing is not an option. Indeed, cowardice infuriates enemies anyway.

Believers who stand up and be counted can expect an opposition that can be vile and frightening. But, we MUST stand firm. It is better to be attacked than to be silent in the face of foul activity by enemies, after you have already attempted to maintain peace. (Do not, like so many superficial believers, think that ‘turn the other cheek’ applies to the current disorder and mayhem in the world!).

In every chapter we can see parallels to the situation today. Can YOU see these links? If not, think a little harder and watch sin being pushed at every opportunity by people who are being slowly propagandised to accept wicked behaviour. Those of us who suffer at the hands of wicked groups know only too well how evil these people are. And some of those groups are ‘Christian’! It is of paramount importance for all believers to gain knowledge of what is going on today, and to defend their minds and hearts against adopting the ways of the day.

Verses 1-4

1. And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

2. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,

3. Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

4. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

Wicked rulers know no bounds. They do what is bad and if not stopped they progress to even worse things. We see this today throughout the world where despots and arrogant totalitarians (including Obama, the foremost example today of a single person, or the UN and EU as examples of corporate wickedness) ignore what is right and good, in favour of what is bad, ugly and sinful. Every so often whole groups of people deliberately choose wickedness – ISIS and other Islamists, homosexuals and fake environmentalists are the main cuplrits today.

What they think and do affects millions throughout the world, causing death and destruction. When God is not considered, evil abounds. And the ordinary people allow it to happen. In the days of Ahab and other wicked kings, the people followed their example, and so despised and disobeyed the God Who gave them everything. Many modern Christians are the same, though they love to think of themselves as being holy! They fool about with doctrine, changing it to suit their personalised ideas, and loathe those who speak the truth. In the beginning of the Revelation, we read of how God views them!

Some groups of churches did not come out of His warnings unscathed: “I have somewhat against thee…” To these similar modern churches I say “Repent!” God does not allow laxity to rule His churches for long. Do not become one of those condemned by God. Today, it seems most of the Church is lax and does not care for truth. God WILL rebuke. The purpose behind all God’s anger against believers is not punishment, but discipline, though He does punish as a stark reminder. Repent, friends, or He will deal with you as He did Ahab.

We all know that chalk and cheese are popularly quoted as opposites. Here, we see two kings as different as chalk and cheese – Ahab, who was one of the most wicked kings of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, one of the most righteous. The two combined forces against the king of Syria, but Ahab’s continued wickedness did not bode well for him. His false prophets gave him bad counsel, and only one godly prophet gave true counsel… which Ahab rejected.

Strangely, the godly king accepted Ahab’s judgment on the matter and went to war with him. Even today, mature believers can be caught in a trap and follow the beliefs and activities of wicked men. Perhaps Jehoshaphat was lax at that time, but it was a very odd decision to make. When we join with unbelievers in any activity we should always be aware of possible dangers and sin. Perhaps the king of Syria was a threat to both kings, but we cannot tell in this chapter.

Today, unfortunate alliances are made between rivals. At least none of them claims to be Christian. So, we can expect a level of sin coming from both factions even if their aims seem to be good. Bear in mind that God does not see anything coming from unbelievers as ‘good’. They are only ‘good’ in the eyes of other unbelievers. True ‘good’ ONLY comes from God and is filled throughout by godly intent.

By following the counsel of his sycophant prophets, Ahab lost his life. We are told that his death was the end result of God’s own prophecy about his life and death. When those who should obey God do not, the overall effect is one of sin and despair, with corrupt believers sinking into a worldly mess. Ahab ruled the very people of God and led them into depravity and godless worship of idols. For this he lost his life and his family was cut short. The same happens today, because God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Note how Jehoshaphat either put to death or drove out the homosexuals in the land, because their presence was like a cancerous sore on the nation, keeping the whole body sick. We need such sound leadership today, but will not find it because of the laxity of Christians, who unwittingly are badly tainted by these wicked people.