The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 20:40-43,
"Then the prophet [an unknown prophet] quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel [King Ahab] recognized him as one of the prophets. He said to the king, 'This is what the Lord says: "You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people."' Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria."
The Lord had provided King Ahab of Israel a victory over the king of Aram, Ben-Hadad. When Ben-Hadad lost the military conflict, suffering huge losses (a hundred thousand KIAs), he pleaded with Ahab for his life. As we see in the above passage, the Lord intended Ahab put Ben-Hadad to death, but instead entered into a treaty with him and let him free, verse 34.
How well do you know God? How well do you think you know God? King Ahab obviously did not know or understand the Lord well - and it cost him dearly.
Here is an example of this today: we live in a day where it is simply assumed that God wants peace among all nations. He wants us to "all get along together." Really? Is that true? Where has the Lord ever expressed that for the nations of this age? On the contrary, he who never changes has revealed himself to have a specific agenda in this lost and fallen world. A part of that agenda includes his use of nations against one another.
The fairy tale of misunderstood Christmas cards, "On earth peace among men" is a reference to Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." This is what the company of the heavenly host said to the shepherds on Christmas day. What the heavenly host was saying was that there could now be, because of the coming of the Son of God to earth, peace between God and man, not man and man. In this life, peace was now available to sinful mankind with God because of the payment for sins the Savior would make.
On the contrary, Jesus said, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." God has his agenda and is not tolerant of any perversion of it. The Lord "is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8.
If King Ahab thought he knew the Lord, he learned the hard way he really did not. Fortunately, we do not have to make the same mistake... as long as we exchange our fairy tales about God for the revelation of himself in the pages of Scripture.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"Then the prophet [an unknown prophet] quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel [King Ahab] recognized him as one of the prophets. He said to the king, 'This is what the Lord says: "You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people."' Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria."
The Lord had provided King Ahab of Israel a victory over the king of Aram, Ben-Hadad. When Ben-Hadad lost the military conflict, suffering huge losses (a hundred thousand KIAs), he pleaded with Ahab for his life. As we see in the above passage, the Lord intended Ahab put Ben-Hadad to death, but instead entered into a treaty with him and let him free, verse 34.
How well do you know God? How well do you think you know God? King Ahab obviously did not know or understand the Lord well - and it cost him dearly.
Here is an example of this today: we live in a day where it is simply assumed that God wants peace among all nations. He wants us to "all get along together." Really? Is that true? Where has the Lord ever expressed that for the nations of this age? On the contrary, he who never changes has revealed himself to have a specific agenda in this lost and fallen world. A part of that agenda includes his use of nations against one another.
The fairy tale of misunderstood Christmas cards, "On earth peace among men" is a reference to Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." This is what the company of the heavenly host said to the shepherds on Christmas day. What the heavenly host was saying was that there could now be, because of the coming of the Son of God to earth, peace between God and man, not man and man. In this life, peace was now available to sinful mankind with God because of the payment for sins the Savior would make.
On the contrary, Jesus said, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." God has his agenda and is not tolerant of any perversion of it. The Lord "is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8.
If King Ahab thought he knew the Lord, he learned the hard way he really did not. Fortunately, we do not have to make the same mistake... as long as we exchange our fairy tales about God for the revelation of himself in the pages of Scripture.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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