Hiel

According to the Word of the LORD

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.  And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.  And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.  And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.
1 Kings 16:29-34

Since the beginning of the kings of the northern kingdom of historical Israel the kings have it said of them “… did evil in the sight of the LORD.”  Ahab was the worst.  He had even married a woman who was just as wicked as he was; or worse.

I find that it is with great purpose this event with Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho being ignorant of Joshua’s curse (Joshua 6:26), or did not believe it.  He lost His sons to death; which could mean he no other sons.  His eldest son died during the building of its foundation; and the youngest died in the raising of the gates.

What purpose does this serve here?  There is a very wicked king who hates the LORD, Ignores the word of the LORD, and commits acts of murder in the worship of idols (demons) because of child sacrifice, and so many other things.

We who read this today ought to lift up our eyes to the truth of God’s word, and stand in awe of how amazingly wonderful it is.  God fulfills every word He has spoken, even the words of judgment.

That would definitely include the words He spoke through the Lord Jesus Christ.  All the words Jesus spoke are the word of God.  Jesus is the Living Word of God.  Believe Him when He says, “My Father and I are One,” and when He says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the end.” Believe Him and trust His work and great gift of the cross (death), burial, and resurrection, turning from your sin to Him.

You Can Build on the Word of God

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.” 1 Kings 16:34 (KJV)

The above verse takes place during the reign of Ahab over the northern kingdom of Israel. There is much evil. Ahab “did evil above all that were before him” (v. 30). Sacrifices of children were welcomed under his reign, and his marriage to Jezebel was in outright defiance to Jehovah, and His word.

Joshua had put a curse on the rebuilding of Jericho; that is the setting up of a fortress such as it was when the walls came down by the power of God. The Word of God declare…

“And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.” Joshua 6:26

Some have said that Hiel sacrificed his sons because that was an evil time for accepting such things. Yet, whether it was an intentional sacrifice or just out and out defiance of Joshua’s curse Hiel’s sons died in the rebuilding of Jericho.

The point of the verse, and what I want you to see is that God fulfills His word. Not one word will be diminished. Not one word will fail. You can trust the word of God.

Jesus said,

“Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” Luke 6:47-48

and the apostle Paul wrote,

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11

There is only one sure foundation, and that is Christ Jesus.  All the others lead to death, and destruction.  Believe Jesus and live.  You can build with assurance on the Word of God.