“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
The sea saw, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.
What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, ye skipped like rams; ye little hills, like lambs?
Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.” Psalm 114:1-8 (KJB)
Hills
The Green Tree, and the Dry
“And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him. But Jesus turning unto them said,
‘Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.’ Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us;’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?’” Luke 23:27-31 (KJB)
This event and Jesus’s words are only spoken here in Luke’s account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has spoken similar words in teaching the disciples in Matthew 24 – 25, and in portions of Mark, and John; but not directly as a warning for those who are following behind Him as He goes to His death.
These “Daughters of Jerusalem” are not of those who love Him, and have spent time with Him for verse 49 of this same chapter says,
“And all His acquaintance, and the women that followed Him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.” v. 49
These were women of the city of Jerusalem who had heard of His mighty works, His authority in God’s words, and His deeds; but had never committed to Him. Jesus warns them of a time coming in the not distant future for them that would cause them to cry for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them, because the judgment was so severe.
If you would read the prophet Isaiah, and chapter 2 you would see some of these same words from the word of God spoken by the prophet.
Just to explain the “green tree” and the “dry”…. Jesus is the green tree and they were killing Him, He is alive. The dry was Israel or Jerusalem; a worse time was coming for them.
Why are these words important for the Christian of 2019? Do they have any importance for the unbelieving of 2019?
To answer the first question for the Christian it should be a wakeup call for us to be diligent in living for Christ, reading the Scriptures [Holy Bible], applying its teachings to our lives, praying for daily filling of the Spirit of God, and being a vibrant witness for Jesus to a lost and dying world. Remember the words of Jesus,
“…Lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.” Luke 21:28
To answer the second, it is important for your life, your eternal soul that you heed the words of Jesus. Those women of Jerusalem had heard of Jesus, maybe even recognized Him as a good man, great teacher and prophet, but were experiencing great emotion about His death; but yet did not believe Him. Maybe one reading this feels badly concerning the illegal, manufactured, lying judgments brought against Jesus, and the sentence given this guiltless Man; yet, you have not called on His name for salvation. Will you do so today?
Jesus went on to the cross, laid Himself down on it, and died for our sins. He was taken down from the cross dead, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. Three days later He came out of that grave alive. You can trust Him. Believe Him. Receive Him.
My Help
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV)
The New King James Bible and newer versions place verse one as a question, and it could be meant that way. “From whence cometh my help?” Where does our help come from?
For the Hebrew when they were away from Jerusalem to look to the “Hills” where Jerusalem was was to look to the LORD because that is where the ark of the covenant was, after David began to reign as their king.
The hills were seen also by many in the era of time as a source of safety, and strength. However, true safety and strength, and help comes from the LORD.
The LORD made the heaven and the earth, and everything within it. All creation is made by Him. Why should the people He has made seek anywhere else but unto Him?
Are you fear and afraid today? Go to the LORD. Our you feeling sickly and weak? God to the One who has made all things, and holds all things together (Colossians 1:16-17).
My help comes from the Lord Jesus Christ who bled and died on the cross for my sins, and the sins of all the world; who was buried, and rose again bodily from the grave; and He is returning to set things right in this world ridding it of all that is evil, unjust and unrighteous. That is the One from whom my help comes.
Ahab’s Unbelief
In 1886 a man was born who would become a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and preached a sermon, which is one of the best known sermons of all time. The sermon is titled “Payday Someday”; and the preacher is Robert Greene Lee.
Payday Someday is a narrative sermon dealing with the event of Naboth’s vineyard, and the wicked, sinful, murderous actions of a king and queen of Israel; and their peril. The sermon is in print, and it would be a good read. I hope those who read this will be motivated to read R. G. Lee’s work.
Ahab has been given ample opportunity to trust the LORD, believe Him and live a life that will glorify the LORD; but instead he has a greedy, murderous heart which brings himself to eternal peril, and the fires of hell.
In 1 Kings 20 we see that Ahab is given a chance by the king of Syria to avoid battle; and that is by surrender to him.
“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. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, ‘Thus saith Benhadad, thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.’ And the king of Israel answered and said, ‘My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.’ And the messengers came again, and said, ‘Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, ‘Although I have sent unto thee, saying, ‘Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.'” 1 Kings 20:1-6 (KJV)
One thing we can perceive from this text is that surrender in the case of evil is never a good thing. When Ahab surrendered to Benhadad this evil king wanted even more. Invasion into their very homes was what came next. Even Ahab sees that this will not work and sends message to Benhadad (v. 9). Then we read of a “prophet” who came to Ahab.
“And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, ‘Thus saith the LORD, ‘Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.’ And Ahab said, ‘By whom?’ And he said, ‘Thus saith the LORD, ‘Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces.’ Then he said, ‘Who shall order the battle?’ And he answered, ‘Thou.'” 1 Kings 20:13-14
Who this prophet is we are not told. It does not have the markings of Elijah. I think that had it been Elijah we would have his name here; but it is not. However, see how the LORD promises Ahab that He will give him the victory over Benhadad. “Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day.” Note the purpose of the victory; “…thou shalt know that I am the LORD”. The LORD would be perfectly just to let the siege continue, and the destruction, but He gives Ahab a chance of restoration.
At least two other times God gives Ahab chances of trust and belief in Him. He sends the prophet once again (v. 22) and tells him that Syria will return, then, He sends another prophet, who tells him;
“Thus saith the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, ‘The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'” 20:28
Ahab is a rebel in the cause of the LORD, and thus his greed and lust for power, land, prestige, and prominence takes control of his heart and life.
There is much warning here for all who will hear that if we refuse the grace and mercies of God when they are presented to us our hearts will grow cold, hard, and our ears will grow dull to the hearing of the words of the LORD. When the LORD speaks; hear Him. When the LORD moves; move with Him. What the LORD does; do along with Him.
Ahab will progress from bad to worse as we look at the next chapter; and we will see the prophet Elijah once again as he confronts the king of Israel; yet again.
The move toward God begins in hearing the message of the cross of Jesus Christ; His death for our sins; His burial, and His bodily resurrection. Hear, repent and believe the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 