sold himself to do evil

Gracious LORD

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

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 there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, 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.
1 Kings 20:13 & 28

The LORD God who made the heavens and the earth is gracious, loving, and kind. There is a phrase used in Old Testament in almost every book that tells that God wants us; the people of all the  earth to know. God wants us to know that He is the LORD God. That is that He receives glory from all who believe Him, trust Him, and love Him.

Ahab was a wicked king of Israel who had “sold himself to do evil” (1 Kings 21:20), yet GOD gave him every opportunity to trust Him. Once in verse 13, and once again in verse 28 God tells Ahab that in this battle against Syria He would give him victory over them. So “that you may know that I am the LORD.”

What does Ahab do with that opportunity? He squanders it and shows his hatred for the LORD God, by his disobedience. He refuses to hear the prophets who give him the word of the LORD.

There are many who see the God of the Bible as harsh and cruel, but these people do not know Him because they are their own gods who knows more than the One who created them. We as human beings, or as I like to call us, of Adam’s king, are fallen, sinful, dead, and condemned people apart from a mighty work of God. The prophet Isaiah says that our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Jeremiah another prophet of God, tells us that the heart of man is deceit, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Paul the 13th Apostle tells us that there is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10), and in verse 23 of that same chapter of Romans he says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

God hates sin, but He loves the world, the people in it so much He gave the greatest gift ever given. He gave His only begotten Son to die as the only sinless sacrifice for our sins. He died that we might live, and that is possible because He was buried, and rose again.

If you will believe in Him, you will have eternal life. Your eternal destination depends on it. He is the Gracious LORD.

Speak the Truth

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.” 1 Kings 22:14 (KJB)

The king of Judah, the southern kingdom; and the king of Israel, the northern kingdom were joining together to fight a common enemy who was Syria.  Jehoshaphat the southern king went to visit Ahab.  The characters and hearts of these two kings were completely opposed to the other.  Jehoshaphat was  a king who did what was right in the eyes of the LORD (22:42-43).  Ahab was so wicked he sold himself to do wickedness against the LORD (21:20, 25).

Micaiah, whose name means “Who is like the LORD?” is the same as that of Micah, the name of the prophet Micah of the Minor Prophets of the Bible.  I do not think they are one and the same.  Micaiah was a captive of king Ahab.  Ahab hated Micaiah, because he never spoke favorably to what Ahab desired.  He spoke what God said.

In this cooperative effort Jehoshaphat wants to hear what God says about going to battle against  Syria.  Four hundred prophets; and I would put a question mark around the word “Prophets” in that statement.  They only spoke what this king wanted to hear.  Jehoshaphat realizing that calls for a different prophet.  Micaiah is called, told to speak what the others have spoken, and he says the words of the verse above.

O how we need those who stand in pulpits today to speak the word of God, rather than the words of men.  We are told by Paul the apostle to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:14-15).  Ahab did not care for the truth.  Notice his words when Micaiah uses sarcasm to him what he wants to hear, “How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?” (22:16)

The Christian pastor, preacher, deacon, Bible study teacher, bus driver, etc. needs the resolve, and to resolve to speak the word of God which is truth.  It is the only truth worth speaking.  Do not add to it.  Do not take away from it.

The Truth of God is powerful to change lives.  It is powerful to change your life.  Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son is the Living Truth (J0hn 14:6).  He is alive and well. He loves you so much that He went willingly to an old rugged cross, laid down His life, died, was buried, and He rose again declaring the victory over sin and death.  That is the Truth.

Resolve today to receive the truth, live the truth, and speak the truth in love for Christ.