Timeless Truth: God speaks through His people.
Just when you
thought it couldn’t get any worse, it does.
Israel sunk deeper and deeper into the cesspool of idolatry under the
royal wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel.
They led the people further into idolatry and disregarded the God who
had made them a nation. The people of promise had broken their promises. But YHWH is a jealous God who would not sit
idly on His heavenly throne and allow worthless non-gods and their followers to
go unchecked. So He called prophets who
would speak on His behalf and demonstrate that there is no God but
Himself. Sounding the alarm, these prophets
warned faithless Israel that her unbelief would march her right into captivity.
Elijah warned Ahab
that Israel would experience a 3-year drought because of their worship of the
pagan god, Baal. The shriveled up land
seemed a fitting picture of Israel’s desiccated hearts and shrunken worship. Ahab
had gone so far as to build a temple for Baal in the capital city of
Samaria. Then, atop Mount Carmel, the
supposed sacred dwelling place of Baal, Elijah challenged the idolaters to the
ultimate smackdown—YHWH vs. Baal. Baal
failed to show up but the LORD made a dramatic statement when He consumed the
water-logged sacrifice with fire. Elijah
then put to death the 450 prophets of Baal.
Ahab' wife Jezebel, the Queen of Mean, threatened to kill him so Elijah
fled into the desert. Fatalistic,
fearful and not without some Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he traveled forty
days and forty nights until he reached Mount Horeb. God revealed Himself there to Elijah, much
like He had done nearly 600 years earlier to Moses at Sinai. He told Elijah that he had kings and prophets
to anoint – one of whom was his successor, Elisha. Once again, as with Moses and Joshua, God
was passing the baton to the next generation of leaders who would speak for
Him.
While the two
prophets were traveling together, Elijah parted the Jordan by striking the
water with his cloak – another throwback to Moses. As they continued on, a whirlwind took Elijah
up to heaven in a chariot of fire. The
cloak fell to Elisha whose authority was confirmed when he too divided the
Jordan. Similar to Elijah before him,
Elisha performed many miraculous feats for the benefit of the faithful remnant
in Israel. He promised a barren
Shunammite woman a son. When the boy suddenly died years later, Elisha brought
him back to life. When the Aramean king sent his troops to capture the man of
God, Elisha prayed. He asked God to open
his servant’s eyes so he could see the angels who were standing guard around
them, and to blind the Arameans. The
prophet then led his captives to Samaria where he asked the king of Israel to
prepare a feast of friendship in lieu of execution. This unconventional act of
grace established peace between Israel and Aram.
Even with the
powerful ministries of Elijah and Elisha, the deeply embedded idolaters
remained powerful, numerous and unrepentant in Israel. God sent Amos, a herdsman from the southern
kingdom of Judah, to warn the northern kingdom of Israel that her prosperity,
injustice and sinful ways would soon be judged.
He promised them that if Israel did not repent, they would be taken
captive. God also sent Hosea to Israel as a living object lesson of His
faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness.
Israel refused to hear the pleas of God to return to Him.
God’s holiness
demands judgment against rebellious men, but His redemptive love always provides
a way of escape. Whether it’s a
mountaintop showdown, a boy raised from the dead, a vision of guardian angels,
or a prophet commanded to marry a woman who would become unfaithful, God is
always telling His Upper Story of redemption and compassion through His
messengers.
When you were
growing up how did your parents warn you that you were in trouble? Was there a special word or phrase that they
used?
- What is it about Ahab and Jezebel that provoked unprecedented anger from the LORD? How does this relate to the first two commandments?
- Look up Deut. 13:1-5. Was Elijah correct or too brutal in slaughtering all the prophets of Baal? Why does God take idolatry so seriously?
- Baal worshipers believed their god made rain and storms, and during the dry season he needed to be brought back to life. Mount Carmel was his supposed sacred dwelling place. What was the point in God taking the battle to enemy territory?
- Despite a recent, dramatic victory, Elijah was scared and depressed when he ran from Jezebel. Why do the deepest doubts often come on the heels of great triumphs or strong spiritual advancement?
- Elijah ended up at Mount Horeb, the same mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God (p. 170). What other parallels do you discover between Elijah and Moses?
- Elisha’s spiritual insight allowed him to know the plans of the king of Aram, and to see God’s angelic armies. Are there forces at work in our world today that we cannot see? (p. 174-175). What did this episode teach you about spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:12)?
- What is the role of the prophets in this chapter? Was their role predicting the future or calling the people to repentance? Does God still send prophets today?
- Do you see any similarities between the prophecies of Amos and Hosea and our world today? What do you think they would say to America? Our church?
- Evaluate the prophets’ ministries. On what basis would you judge whether or not they were successful? How should we evaluate success in our work for God? How should we evaluate our own success for the kingdom?
