It is 930 B.C. King Solomon has died. His son takes over Solomon’s reign, but rules with an iron fist. There is a rebellion, and Israel fragments into two kingdoms – just as God had prophesied to King Solomon for his transgressions… (see Is Your Life Meaningful?) This is the beginning of the death throes of God’s children in ancient Israel.
Ten of the original tribes form the northern part, now called Israel. The remaining two tribes form the southern part, where Jerusalem was located, now called Judah. Both turn to paganism.
In response, God allowed Egypt to plunder the Temple in Jerusalem.
Solomon’s grandson wrests the kingship from his father and declares war upon Israel, leading to 500,000 deaths. The city of Samaria is established as the capital of Israel, which suffers a succession of seven corrupt and pagan kings.
The third king of Judah, Asa, reigns for 41 years, bringing the people back to Jehovah. So, God covered the people with His favor. A good thing, because Judah was on the verge of being invaded by a million-man army of Ethiopians. Asa did the right thing; he sought his Creator:
Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, “O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!” 2 Chr. 14:11 NLT
Mighty Jehovah routed the vast army and they promptly fled. Unfortunately, later, Judah was invaded by Israel, and Asa panicked. Instead of waiting on God, he hired the Syrian army to help him. His kingdom went downhill after that.
Meanwhile, in 874 B.C., the northern kingdom of Israel, gets another corrupt, pagan king, Ahab, the worst ruler yet. He married a Phoenician princess, Jezebel, who worshiped the pagan god Baal.
God is not happy. He sends His prophet Elijah to speak for Him to Ahab. Elijah says:
“As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives – the God I serve – there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” 1 Kin. 17:1 NLT
Jehovah God is throwing down the gauntlet, because these pagan Hebrews worshiped Baal, who was supposed to be in control of rain. He is saying that it will not rain again until He says so through the mouth of Elijah.
Elijah flees town to camp out along a brook fed by the Jordan River, because God told him that Ahab and Jezebel sought to kill him. While there, Jehovah had ravens bring him food.
Because of the lack of rain, the brook dries up and God directs Elijah to a widow’s house to find sustenance. When he arrives, he asks the widow for bread and water. She responds by saying that she and her son were down to their last meal, assuming death would soon consume them.
Elijah tells the widow that if she brings him some bread, she will never want for flour and oil because God would supply it until the rains come.
Sometime later, the widow’s son gets sick and dies. She blames Elijah, but he calls on God and springs into action:
And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! 1 Kin. 17:21, 22. NLT
The drought was almost into the third year when Jehovah sent Elijah back to face King Ahab, whereupon he tells the king to meet him on Mount Carmel, along with his 850 pagan prophets. It would be there that the lone prophet of God would take his stand.
Elijah had the pagans set out two bull sacrifices, saying that the real God would consume the bulls with fire.
Jezebel’s prophets cried out to Baal for six hours. Nothing happened. They cut themselves and cried out for three more hours. Nada.
Elijah had both his sacrificial bull and the wood under, it doused with water three times. Then, he cried out to God, fire fell from the sky and consumed his sacrifice. Game over. Moreover, Elijah went to the hilltop and prayed seven times, and the rains returned…
Ahab fled in his chariot to see Jezebel. Simultaneously, Jehovah empowers Elijah with the speed to run faster than Ahab’s chariot for a distance of 25 miles. Elijah left town before Jezebel could kill him.
He became despondent because no one was converted by the miracle and he was feeling all alone as a spiritual man. Elijah prays for death. Instead, God sends him an angel to strengthen him for a forty-day journey to have an encounter with Him:
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1 Kin. 19:11, 12. NLT
God is Master of the universe, effectively demonstrating His unlimited powers, while also showing how He can channel all of that power into a whisper. Jehovah assured Elijah that he was not alone, for God had preserved 7000 Hebrews who were loyal to Him.
There was only one task that Elijah had left to complete his ministry, and that was to pass it on to his sidekick, Elisha. After he did so, God sent a flaming chariot with horses to transport Elijah directly to heaven.
Elisha served in the time of King Jehoshaphat, who succeeded King Asa in Judah. He was supernaturally empowered, similarly to Elijah. He makes water appear for Jehoshaphat’s army, gave and ever-flowing jar of olive oil to a widow and her two sons to sell the overflow and raise them out of poverty. Elisha bestowed fertility on an aged couple. Their new son died but the prophet resurrected him. He fed 100 men with 20 loaves of bread, blinded the Syrian army, cured a man of leprosy and made poison food edible.
The evil King Ahab of Israel was killed battling the Syrians.
King Jehoshaphat also brought the people closer to God so that Judah prospered once more. In 852 B.C., Judah was on the verge of being invaded by a conglomeration of Arabic forces. This godly king leaned on Jehovah:
Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help. 2 Chr. 20:3, 4. NLT
The King called for a ‘fast,’ which means to abstain from all or some food and or drink for a proscribed period of time, so as to allow our spirit to have its proper dominion over our flesh – to hone in better as we seek God’s will.
God responds to the corporate prayer and fasting:
He said, “Listen all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s…But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow for the LORD is with you!” 2 Chr. 20:15 & 17. NLT
Delivered again!
In spite of the people and their sin, God waits for their return. Things grow dark, but now God begins to bring light in the form of speaking / teaching/ prophets, where we will encounter an amazing amount of Him – up close and personal! Next time.
Goodnight and God bless.