The Lord On the International Stage Today - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 10:32,

"In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel."

In this snippet we see the Lord's involvement with nations. Not just Israel. Although Israel was the object of the Lord's doings here. He used the nation Aram to reduce Israel's size.

Why did the Lord reduce the size of Israel? In a phrase just two verses earlier, we read of something the Lord had said to Jehu, with whom he replaced the house of Ahab to rule over Israel, "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." Verse 30. It is that phrase "all I had in mind to do" that captures my attention.

We live in a day where it is often thought that God is aloof from the affairs of nations at this time - as if he has nothing in mind to do with nations today. He is uninvolved and it is only us humans these days that chart the direction of the world's countries, the course of events. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just as the Lord was involved in the affairs of nations in Jehu's day, so he still is today. Nothing has changed, there is no Scripture to account for any perceived departure of the Lord from the world's stage, and there certainly is nothing within the terms of the Lord's New Covenant that indicate any change in the Lord's involvement. In fact, it appears to me the Lord's desires revealed in the New Covenant point to the Lord's continued involvement with nations through the end of this age.

In Psalm 22:28 we read, "for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations." This by David, a thousand years before Jesus Christ.

Read what Paul wrote to people in Rome, a millennium later, following Jesus Christ, in the New Testament and tell me what has changed,

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." Romans 13:1-7.

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!

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God: Loving and Wrathful! - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 9:7-10,

"You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord's servants shed by Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her."

This was the word of the Lord to one of the commanders in Israel's army, Jehu. Ahab, an evil king in the eyes of the Lord and his worthless, wicked wife, Jezebel, had earned the Lord's judgement and it was to come in the form of Ahab being replaced as king over Israel, being put to death together with his wife and his entire family.

Such can be the judgement of the Lord - simply horrific!

Yes, this is our God of love that John tells us of in 1 John 4:8 and 16. In his letter, John is careful to point out this aspect of God's nature. In 2 Kings, the author is careful to point out God's justice together with his wrath.

You see, God is both loving as well as just, our God who can bring his wrath. God has never presented himself as an "angry god" in the Old Testament, and "a god of love" in the New. That kind of ignorance is reserved for those who do not care to spend much time in the Scriptures. Listen how he presents himself in Jeremiah 9:24, "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight"

When the Lord revealed himself to Moses, he said, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:6-7. God is both loving and our just judge who brings his wrath.

John says God is love in 1 John 4:8 and 16. The writer of Hebrews also tells us, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

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!

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A Lamp for David - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 8:19,

"Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever."

This observation was made in light of the fact that the sitting king of Judah, Jehoram, had "followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab." Verse 18. The verse goes on to say that Jehoram did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

The northern ten tribes of Israel had a succession of nineteen kings, all of which had done "evil in the eyes of the Lord." As such we read of the demise of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC.

However, unlike the northern ten tribes of Israel, Judah, who eventually fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, returned to the land as a people following a seventy year captivity. We read of no further national identity of the northern kingdom specifically following her defeat at the hands of the Assyrians.

We are told of the Lord's commitment to Judah as something the Lord did for David's sake. As Christians, this is important for us because it was through Judah, David's tribe, that Jesus Christ our King would make his genealogical heritage.

In Isaiah 11:1-5 we read of the "Branch of Jesse" (Jesse was David's father),

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist."

This "Branch", foretold centuries following David, is the Son of God, born from the line of David of the tribe of Judah.

As we are told in 2 Kings 8:19, the Lord would not destroy Judah, as the "lamp" that he would maintain through Judah was Jesus Christ himself. As such, Judah figured prominently in the plans of the Lord.

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!

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The Foolish Officer - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 7:2b,

"'You will see it with your own eyes,' answered Elisha, 'but you will not eat any of it!'"

This was the response from Elisha to the King's officer who expressed his doubt about the Lord's ability to relieve Samaria of the desperate condition of starvation within Samaria as the Arameans laid siege to the city.

The expressed lack of faith in the Lord was this officer's response to the prophetic word given Elisha when he communicated it to the king of Israel.

The prophet said the Lord would deliver the city and this officer didn't believe it. Consequently, Elisha told the officer that in spite of the rescue to come to the city, the officer himself would not share in it - he would be killed. And, that is exactly what had happened. When the deliverance came, he did not share in it but was killed.

I am reminded of those today who do likewise. Doubting the rescue the Lord himself promises, many today reject the words of the prophets as contained in the gospel message. Not only do they reject the notion of the Lord's ability to save, they fail to even recognize their own spiritual starvation that will ultimately lead to their deaths!

Woe to the man who doubts the Lord's ability to save!

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!

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The Source of Very Accurate Intel - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 6:11-12,

"This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, 'Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?' 'None of us, my lord the king,' said one of his officers, 'but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.'"

What had enraged the king of Aram was that the king of Israel was getting all the "intel" he needed on Aram's military movements, making it impossible for the king of Aram to get the upper hand on Israel. The intelligence reports the king of Israel was getting were from God's prophet Elisha. Learning of this, the king of Aram put together a plan to capture Elisha.

Go figure... now that the king of Aram knew that Elisha was aware of everything the king said, what good did it do to devise and attempt a plan to capture Elisha? How successful might that be when Elisha knew all about it as soon as the king of Aram uttered the plan? Doesn't make sense, does it?!

Yet, we live our lives here in much the same way. I suspect most people who do things on the sly are banking on the notion that no one will ever know. Yet... "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13.

There is nothing we are going to say, nothing we are going to do, nothing we are going to think or feel that the Lord will not be completely aware of it. It was the Lord who provided the information to Elisha and then to the king of Israel. Likewise the Lord himself will inform his own act of justice as to what it is we have all said and done - even in secret. Yet, many feel they can get by on the sly. It ain't gonna happen.

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!

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A Tale of Two Men - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 5:17,

"...your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord."

These are the words of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram. He had leprosy and had gone to the prophet Elisha, in Israel, to be healed. Aram and Israel had been fighting one another, but with this turn of events, this military man went in search of a cure for his life.

There is another man in this account, Gehazi, Elisha's servant. When Naaman went to Elisha and was healed, Elisha refused to take anything from Naaman, who had brought significant wealth with him to pay for his healing. Following the healing, Gehazi decided, on the sly, to get some of the wealth that Naaman had brought with him for himself. Gehazi devised a story, putting words in Elisha's mouth, and got himself some loot.

But... Elisha was a prophet!

When Gehazi returned home with his new found wealth he was confronted by Elisha,  "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Verses 26-27a. This is just what happened. "Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow." Verse 27b.

A tale of two men. At the beginning of the tale, there is Naaman, who had a terminal condition and no Lord. Gehazi, who, as Elisha's servant, had the Lord and no terminal condition. At the end of the tale, however, the roles are reversed: Naaman no longer had a terminal condition but had the Lord. Gehazi now had a terminal condition and no Lord. 

Somewhere along the way Gehazi traded all that came with being the servant of one of the most astonishing prophets of the Lord for some silver, employing deceit, dishonesty and prevarication to obtain it. Naaman, along the way in this account, found the Lord.

Which man shall we emulate? 

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!

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Good and Bad Teaching - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 4:1,

"The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, 'Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.'"

I note in Elisha's response to this widow that he did not correct her statement when she said to him "you know that he [the widow's husband] revered the Lord". Elisha only asked how he could help. I have to think the Scriptures are telling us the man that had died was a man who revered the Lord as a prophet.

I have some questions here in light of a lot of the stuff that gets passed around these days as biblical "teaching". Why would the Lord take a godly man, leaving his widow and sons in a financial lurch? We often hear when we revere the Lord, he will keep us from trouble. Why was there a creditor - a creditor on the way to take the sons as slaves? How can a man who reveres the Lord incur a debt? We often hear the Lord will prosper us when we live our lives for him.

The Scriptures don't indicate there was anything amiss with the dead man, the widow or the sons. It doesn't mention any lack of faith on her part, it doesn't mention any sin in her life... why the hardship? Why the trouble? Why the struggle?

The answer, of course, is pretty obvious. The Lord arranged these circumstances such that we might read about the amazing ability of the Lord to provide in a miraculous way. The Lord had this account documented "to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4.

The prevalent assumption and the teaching in many circles in the church today, that when someone in the fellowship encounters hardship, when illness comes calling, when a financial setback occurs, then some hidden sin must be afoot in their lives, some lack of faith, some failure in a spiritual sense.

Jesus' disciples had to be corrected by the Lord on just this erroneous assumption. When encountering a man born blind, they asked Jesus "Who sinned?, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" John 9:2. A great question based on a faulty assumption. Jesus told them no one sinned to cause it. He was born blind so that Jesus would heal him on that day to provide an opportunity for him to establish his credentials and teach us about himself. "this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." John 9:3.

Apparently the assumption that when hardship, illness, trouble, setbacks occur, that it indicates a lack of faith, "hidden sin" or some other spiritual failure is not just unfair to those who are struggling, there is simply no grounds for the assumption at all. The most that can be said is that it might be a possibility. On the other hand, it might be when we are caught in such a difficulty (and all believers have their turn) we are actually in the hands of our loving Lord who is doing something very special in or through us. "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." Revelation 3:19. Isn't it unfortunate that is not the assumption in many circles in the church today?

There is a lot of misguided teaching these days and a lot of faulty assumptions. We all need to keep our noses in the Scriptures to insure what we are hearing really is true.

After all, how do you know what I have said here is true?

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!

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"The Lord Called Me" Really??? - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 3:10,

"'What!' exclaimed the king of Israel. 'Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?'"

What a hoot!

Moab was subject to Israel as long as Ahab was king. But when he died, his son, Joram became king and Moab rebelled. In response, Joram got Jehoshaphat, king of Judah to help him, and together with Edom they set out to fight Moab. En route, they ran out of water and so the advance against Moab sputtered.

Here is the part that I find so entertaining about the account. No where is there any mention that either Joram or Jehoshaphat inquired of the Lord about the advisement of attacking Moab. God's covenanted people were pretending they were anything but God's covenanted people.

What convinces me they had not "checked in" with the Lord was Elisha's response when he was called in for consultation (after the decision was already made and they had already launched!). Elisha, as God's man, responded, "Why do you want to involve me?" A little late to be too concerned about what God thought about it.

Yet... (and here it gets rich), "What!... Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?" Yep... Joram and Jehoshaphat, who didn't seem to care about inquiring of the Lord now appear to be incredulous at their failure as Joram attempts to claim the Lord called them to attack! What a ruse for avoiding responsibility! The Lord gets credit for the failure! As the account continues, we see the Lord does bail out these kings, but certainly not because they had committed their plans to the Lord, Proverbs 16:3.

My entertainment in the passage only wanes as I consider how often I have heard so many in my day claim the Lord had called them to do this or that when they have left me scratching my head... really??? I've heard parents of families claim the Lord called them to do this or buy that or whatever that only revealed an astonishingly irresponsible decision.

You see, when it is claimed the Lord called someone to do something, it is assumed they are the only ones privy to the "calling" and therefore beyond the purview of family and friends to question. I don't know how many times I have seen responsibilities abandoned due to "the Lord called me!"... only to see utter failure in ministry and mission with the accompanying damage done to a family. I have seen spouses leave their marriages, I have seen the most irresponsible purchases made, I have seen parents leave their jobs with no income in sight... all because "the Lord called me to do this!"

I have learned long ago that "being called by the Lord" most always is used as a ploy to cover for an irresponsible and indefensible decision, a ruse to maintain credibility within family and fellowship.

I just don't buy it any more. If someone advances an otherwise indefensible and irresponsible decision with me to gain my support, claiming the Lord "called them" they best be prepared to explain why the Lord is asking them to be irresponsible and to violate so many of the principles of wisdom he has really provided us in the Scriptures to help in our decision-making.

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!

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Bad Water "Healed" - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 2:21-22,

"This is what the Lord says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.' And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken."

As we all know, the purpose of water in God's creation is to provide the hydration necessary for life to flourish. Whether it be man, animal, vegetation, a stand of timber or farming, water is required for life. However, water that has come to a condition where it will not sustain life is worthless water. Such water does not provide for its intended purpose.

As the people of Jericho observed to Elisha, the town was well situated but the water was "bad and the land unproductive." Again, the water at Jericho was worthless, it did not provide its intended purpose. It had become deadly.

From here I am going to make a leap as I view this water at Jericho as a metaphor. Just as the water at Jericho was tainted and not useful for its intended purpose, so mankind has become tainted and no longer fulfills God's intended purpose. God created mankind with the intended purpose for fellowship with him, for a loving relationship with him, for interaction with him. As such God created man with a will of his own to do as mankind pleased. Following God's creative acts, as he viewed his creation, including mankind, God himself was pleased, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31.

Then mankind did the unthinkable. With his volition, he chose to rebel against his Creator! Just as the water at Jericho, mankind now became worthless, unsuited for God's intended purposes for which he created him.

Elisha "healed" the water at Jericho. He threw salt into the water and the Lord made the water pure. I see in Elisha's "healing" of the water in Jericho a metaphor for another who provided "healing" for mankind. Just as Elisha's miracle (actually the Lord through Elisha) of restoring the usefulness, the return to fulfilling the purposefulness of water in Jericho, Jesus Christ came to restore the intended purpose of mankind in God's great creation.

For each of us to enjoy the existential reality of God's intended purposes for mankind, all he asks is that we embrace him in faith and trust!

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!

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Don't Mess With a Man of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2 Kings 1:9-10,

"Then he [King Ahaziah] sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, 'Man of God, the king says, "Come down!"' Elijah answered the captain, 'If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!' Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men."

The Lord had interfered with King Ahaziah's intent to inquire of an idol about his severe injury. When the king dispatched messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the Lord sent Elijah to intercept them, and return them to Ahaziah with the the question, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?" Along with the indicting question, the Lord informed Ahaziah's messengers that he indeed would die from his injury.

At this, Ahaziah sent a detachment of soldiers to bring Elijah to explain himself. Then, what we read above in 2 Kings 1:9-10 took place. As the soldiers approached to take Elijah, Elijah simply said, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men."

Often, when we think of those identified as men or women of God, we picture those marked by meekness, dressed in lightly colored shades of pastel, a heavenly demeanor of peacefulness and tranquility. Hovering somewhere above the fray of this life, its turmoil and conflict, we envision men and women of God as those who turn the other cheek, who promote peace and harmony among mankind. That is exactly what Ahaziah's company of soldiers did not meet when they went to fetch Elijah for the king.

No doubt about it, Elijah was a man of God and the account recognizes that as Elijah predicated his curse upon the soldiers with "If I am a man of God..." Elijah was, and the soldiers were reduced to toast.

Our God promotes his gospel in this age, a gospel with a message of peace: peace between God himself and all those who will embrace him in trust through that gospel message. However, do not misunderstand who exactly our God is. Yes, he is our wonderful God of love, kindness, mercy and patience. A forgiving God who accepts all who will come to him. He is also our God of frightful justice and righteousness, bringing his punishment to bear for all sin. "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," Jeremiah 9:24.

How thankful I am that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all my sins! All of yours as well! All he asks of any of us is to place our trust in him in order to have his payment for our sins credited to our account in God's court.

Coming across a man of God is not always an encounter of peace and tranquility. Just ask Ahaziah's soldiers!

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!

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Fake Prophets With Fake News - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 22:18,

"The king of Israel [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, 'Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?'"

Ahab wanted to go to war against Ramoth Gilead and asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to join with him in the attack. Jehoshaphat agreed as long as they first had a prophet inquire of the Lord to see if they would be victorious.

Ahab brought in the good ole' religious boys, the fake prophets of the fake gods, the idols worshiped in Israel, with fake news. Recognizing the worthlessness of the effort of consulting with these religious impostors, Jehoshaphat wanted a real prophet to inquire of the real God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Reluctantly Ahab called for Micaiah, a true prophet of God.

Ahab's comment to Jehoshaphat is quite revealing here. He knew if he brought in a real prophet, the real prophet would undoubtedly bring a contradictory message from the Lord. Ahab wanted to avoid that so he brought in the counterfeits. He absolutely knew he would have a more favorable "reading" from the fake prophets than he would from the Lord through a real prophet. That is the exact point why he avoided the real prophet, Micaiah in the first place. Jehoshaphat insisted, however, and when Micaiah was done, Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and made the comment in our verse above.

Micaiah told the kings they would not be victorious and that King Ahab would be killed. And, of course, that is exactly what happened.

Ahab's refusal to allow himself to be confronted with the truth appears bizarre at first blush. However, given a little thought, it is a behavior we see all around us today. We have God's truth in our Bibles, yet so many avoid being confronted with the truth. It is fancied that the Scriptures were not written by whom they were claimed to be written by. It is fancied that the Scriptures were not written when they were claimed to be written. It is fancied that the people and events documented in the Scriptures never existed. It is fancied that the truths about our sinful condition, the revelations of God about himself, his justice, his kindness and mercy are unreliable.

From what we hear from so many of these lofty theologians and ecclesiastical leaders who question the veracity of God's word, the Bible, nothing at all has changed since Ahab's day. The voices of those who are unwilling to be confronted with their sinfulness are many and loud.

As Micaiah, we need to go to the Lord to seek truth. 

As Ahab, these theologians and church leaders today who reject the inerrancy, the infallibility of God's word, need to be ignored and left to their own demise, just as Ahab and all of his fake prophets.

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.

Resorting to the Scriptures to Pursue Evil - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 21:9-10,

"Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."

These were the instructions King Ahab's vicious, evil, disgusting and heartless wife, Jezebel, gave to the leaders in Jezreel.

King Ahab wanted a vineyard belonging to a man named Naboth who lived in Jezreel. Ahab wanted it for a garden, offered to pay Naboth for it, but Naboth refused. In the day, land was passed from one generation to the next and was never to leave the family. Naboth's response was, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors." Verse 3.

As Ahab became "sullen and angry" about it, his wife, a glittering jewel of deceit and wickedness, sprung into action and had the leaders of Jezreel murder Naboth. Once accomplished, she told her worthless husband, Ahab, to go take possession of the vineyard. None of it escaped the Lord's attention and they both paid dearly for it.

I note that Jezebel appropriated the Scripture that condemns blasphemy as a tool for accomplishing the murder, "Say to the Israelites: 'Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.'" Leviticus 24:15-16.

How often the things of the Lord are appropriated for the evil intentions of so many today! Resorting to the Scriptures has long been a ploy for deceivers and evil-doers.

I have long ago learned that just because someone quotes the Bible to advance an agenda or anything else does not necessarily mean their intentions are in line with the Lord's desires at all. Particularly when lying, deception and murder are afoot, as Jezebel's actions teach us.

Just ask Naboth. 

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!

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A Ruse From the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

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,

"'That is your sentence,' the king of Israel said. 'You have pronounced it yourself.'"

The King here is Ahab and the verdict he gave was actually to a prophet and was unaware the prophet had approached him with a ruse from the Lord to help him understand his duplicity.

The Lord wanted to replace Ben-Hadad as king of Aram and had provided Ahab a military victory over the Arameans. Rather than having Ben-Hadad put to death, Ahab made a treaty with him and spared him.

Along came a prophet of the Lord to Ahab disguised and with a story that would force him to recognize his failure, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.' While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." Ahab's response was, "That is your sentence... You have pronounced it yourself." Verse 40.

Following this we read, "Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel 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."'" Verses 41-42.

The Lord has used this format in other places to help whomever see the error of their ways. One notable such instance was the prophet Nathan with David in the account of David's adultery with Uriah's wife and then having him murdered.

Why does the Lord employ such a method when bringing his indictment? From my perspective, the guilt of someone is exquisitely illustrated with such precision that the guilty party can only hang their head in agreement. We are told that following this encounter, "Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria." Verse 43.

Often we are all too aware of our sins. However, we are all susceptible to deceiving ourselves such that we fail to recognize possibly even greater failures. When the Lord is done with us in his judgment, that will never be the case. I am quite certain no argument will be advanced by anyone on judgment day. The Lord will have all agreeing with him their rightful place will be in that fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8. Yes, there will be pleading and attempts at bargaining with the Lord, but all will recognize the rightness of God's judgment.

How thankful I am that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for all my sins! Not just the ones I recognize but also those I fail to recognize in my own deceit. In our sinful condition, it is all too easy for us to deceive ourselves. 

All the Lord asked of me was to trust in him. 

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Last Man Standing? - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 19:18,

"I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him."

When Jezebel threatened Elijah's life for putting to death the prophets of Baal, he ran for his life. When asked by the Lord why he was where he fled to, his complaint to the Lord was that he was the last man standing for God. "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 1 Kings 19:14.

The Lord then gave Elijah some assignments and assured him he was not the only one left, he really was not the last man standing - he had seven thousand in Israel who had not embraced the vile idol Baal.

Who were these seven thousand  in Israel the Lord had reserved? Paul gives us insight here. In Romans 11:1-6 Paul makes reference to the account we read of in 1 Kings 19. There, as he quotes 1 Kings 19,  he explains that God had not abandoned Israel, even as the nation rejected her Messiah, Jesus Christ. Paul makes his point in his letter to the Romans that there are always those of faith seeking the kingdom of God - as opposed to works of the law.

Where Israel as a nation in Paul's day had rejected faith in Jesus Christ in deference for their continued adherence to Mosaic law-keeping, Paul used the Lord's words to Elijah to point out that though it seems no one of faith is left, that really is never the case. There are always those the Lord holds as his: those who have embraced him in faith.

Those the Lord reserved for himself in the days of Elijah were all those who remained faithful to the Lord - those who had embraced the Lord in faith and refused to be tempted by the idol worship the pop-culture of the day encouraged.

The chosen of the Lord, the "reserved" of the Lord, are any and all who will embrace him in faith. This is God's election, this is the Lord's choice. All who trust in Jesus Christ, all who embrace the Lord in faith and trust in his sacrificial atonement for their sins are the chosen, the reserved of the Lord.

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The Lord: Our Great Troubler - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 18:17,

"When he [King Ahab] saw Elijah, he said to him, 'Is that you, you troubler of Israel?'"

Elijah was on King Ahab's list as a "troubler of Israel." As God's prophet, Elijah had pronounced a drought on Israel the Lord brought due to the idolatry Israel had adopted from her neighbors. In 1 Kings 17:1 we read, "Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'"

This earned Elijah the title of "troubler of Israel" from the king. Elijah, however, was only pronouncing what the Lord had asked him, and it was the Lord himself who had brought the drought. Elijah was just the messenger. The real "troubler of Israel" was the Lord himself.

The trouble Ahab had was he wanted Israel to prosper and do well in the context of what he thought appropriate and right for his kingdom. However, the Lord was not having any of it. The Lord had his own plans for Israel, as his intentions were to utilize his covenanted people to pursue his redemption of mankind. Idolatry did not fit into the Lord's plans for his roll out of redemption and so he brought pressure to bear against his people to eventuate the fulfillment of his plans.

The reality is that God is the great "troubler" of our lives. He has his agenda and we have ours. God is busy building his kingdom, but we are busy building our own. He wants to bring souls into his kingdom, the souls of all those who will embrace him in faith, but we want to bring peace and prosperity into our own existence here in this life "under the sun". And, we simply want to be left alone.

We live our lives here estranged from the Lord, in rebellion with our own twisted view of reality. The Lord intervenes to aid us in finding him - he draws us to himself by placing our lives in the felt need of a refuge, in the felt need of rescue from difficulty and at times, despair. Sometimes we simply need that difficulty to help us find our way to his salvation. So, he brings things into our lives to get our attention, to get our focus off the day-to-day fixation of the pursuit of health, peace and prosperity and on our need of him. He wants us to find him.

When we do find him, we do so as sinners with a fallen nature in need of spiritual growth and development. He is not content to leave us spiritually stunted. As his representatives here in this life, it is his desire we begin to grow into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. As such, we read passages such as in Jesus' letter to the church in Laodicea, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Revelation 3:19. Again, the Lord is the great troubler of our lives.

How wonderful our "Great Troubler " has seen fit not to allow us to wallow in our sins and separation from him. How wonderful he interrupts our lives that we might find him, and in doing so, find the eternal bliss of the peace, prosperity and health we will all enjoy in his kingdom in the resurrection!

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Thinking Outside the Box on Prayer - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 17:21-22,

"'Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!' The Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived."

The boy Elijah prayed for was a widow's son. The widow was the woman Elijah stayed with during a severe three year famine the Lord brought on Israel during Ahab's reign.

Elijah was a great prophet, one we are all familiar with. He did remarkable things for the Lord and was a faithful prophet carrying the Lord's messages to Israel. It was Elijah's prayer that invoked the Lord's attention and brought his intervention that led to the boy being brought back to life. Again, I note the Scripture could not me more clear that it was Elijah's prayer that led to the Lord raising the boy back to life.

Elijah asked the Lord and the Lord was willing to give the boy's life back to him as a result. Elijah had an audience with the Lord. Elijah's prayer was effective and the Lord was responsive. Was it because Elijah was a prophet that the Lord answered the prayer?

Is prayer only for prophets? Who does the Lord listen to? Whose requests have the opportunity to be granted by the Lord? James tells us believers, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16. In the following verse he points to Elijah as our example of one whose prayers were effective. We, as believers, should look to Elijah as an example of effective prayer.

When James tells us it is the prayer of a righteous person that is powerful and effective, the first question should be "who is righteous?" Paul tells us in Romans 3:22, "righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." All believers in Jesus Christ have a righteous standing with God. All believers have the opportunity of powerful and effective prayer.

As such, Paul tells us to pray! "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Ephesians 6:18.

Here is an incredible opportunity that only believers in Jesus Christ have at their disposal. Think of the possibilities and then pray!

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Who Hacked the :Election: the Russians or the Lord? - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 16:1-3,

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha: 'I lifted you up from the dust and appointed you ruler over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. So I am about to wipe out Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat.'"

In this passage we see the Lord claiming Baasha's throne in Israel was his doing. Baasha had replaced Nadab as king in Israel and we read in 1 Kings 15:27-28, "Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him [Nadab], and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king."

How did that look to everyone back in the day? I'm quite certain it appeared that, very simply, Baasha revolted against King Nadab, and took the throne for himself. Yet... that is not quite the whole story. The Lord himself made it happen! "I appointed you ruler over my people Israel." What appears to be a succession of events entirely within the context of those involved, really turns out to be something ordained and effected by the Lord himself.

We see another example of this when Israel was split into two kingdoms, north and south. Following Solomon's rule, the throne was to go to Rehoboam, however, his rule over the nation was abruptly broken by his own foolish action. In rejecting the wise counsel of his father's (Solomon's) advisers, he followed the counsel of the young fools he grew up with and alienated the northern ten tribes of Israel, losing them to Jeroboam. What appeared to be simply a matter of arrogance and stupidity on Rehoboam's part actually had its origin, again, by the Lord. The Lord effected it himself. We read in 1 Kings 12:13-15, "Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he [Rehoboam] followed the advice of the young men and said, 'My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.' So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite."

What I see in these accounts, is that although political events and intrigues appear to be isolated and confined to the people and their activities on planet earth, the Lord is actually behind what we see. We see what takes place, we assign to it causes we see, and yet, these events actually have their origin, their design, and their accomplishment as directed by the Lord.

In a passage that seems to be foreign to so many today we read, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." Romans 13:1-2. Note that Paul is not writing to those residing in Israel, but those in Rome.

Where we see Democrats and Republicans today, liberals and conservatives, progressives and libertarians bringing about political eventualities, the Scriptures are telling us God is behind the scenes, establishing the authorities within nations for his purposes.

If anyone "hacked" the recent election here in our nation, I don't think it was the Russians, but, ultimately, God himself. If what Paul has to say in Romans 13 is true (and I certainly believe it is!) then all of our elections reflect what the Lord is busy doing to accomplish his purposes in our nation.

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What Is a Real Life of Faith Like? - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 15:5,

"David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."

David was a sinner, as we all are. The account of his adultery with Bathsheba and his murdering her husband, Uriah the Hittite, confirm what we all know to be true of us all: we are all sinners.

Nevertheless, look at the wonderful praise given David regarding his heart for the Lord in this verse! It was given to demonstrate why the Lord blessed David with "raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong", verse 4.

Paul makes an observation of David by quoting God himself, "God testified concerning him [David]: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" David is held up to us in the Scriptures as a great man of faith. As all great men of faith, not a perfect man, not without sin, but a great man of faith in any event. Faith brings righteousness, not perfection. Perfection comes in the resurrection.

What of us today? Do we have great people of faith today? I think so! I think in every age there are many who hold a wonderful standing with the Lord due to their faith. Paul makes the point as he explains that in the face of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ as a nation, there are always those the Lord has as his own: people of faith. "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people,whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 'Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me'? And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace." Romans 11:1-5. Paul makes his point here as he discusses the role faith plays relative to Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ.

People of faith may not have the stature of David, not recognized in the Scriptures as David has been, may not have a position within God's agenda as David did as king of Israel, but yet are great people of faith, blessed by the Lord.

What makes this so fascinating to me is to read of the innermost thoughts and feelings of David as a man of faith in the book of Psalms. In that book, we do not read of the fairy tale preached in so many churches today that when we place our faith in the Lord all our problems go away - disappear as if by magic. Far from it. As a great man of faith David struggled within his own heart. In Psalm 6:3 David complains to the Lord, "My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?" In verses 6 and 7 of that same psalm we read, "I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes." It is not David's sin that he struggles with here, but his foes.

In Psalm 42 David asks of himself three times, "Why, my soul, are you downcast?" Then in other places he expresses things like, "I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul." Psalm 31:7.

As I read of David and his innermost thoughts and feelings, I learn what it is like to be a real person of faith. Not the caricature painted by those who distort what a life of faith is like, but what real life is like for a man declared by God as one who had a heart for him!

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!

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Limitations of the Prophets - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 14:4b,

"Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age."

Ahijah was a prominent prophet during the time of Solomon and beyond. He was the prophet the Lord used to inform Jeroboam that he was going to rip Israel apart into two entities, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel - and give the majority of Israel, the northern ten tribes, to Jeroboam to rule. We read of it in 1 Kings 11:29-40.

Here in this passage, 1 Kings 14:4b, we see that Ahijah had gone blind, because of his old age. I note the comment made here because of the confusion and misunderstandings so many people have of prophets of the Lord.

Prophets were not super-men or super-women. Both men and women served the Lord as prophets and prophetesses in both the Old Testament and in the New. Many did remarkable things, many communicated in very unusual ways at the Lord's direction and with his empowerment. But all were normal people that experienced the normal things we all do in life, with the exception they were enabled by the Lord in special ways - for specific circumstances. Some, like John the Baptist, began their ministry from the start of their lives (John did prior to his birth! - see Luke 1:44) for the duration of their lives.

Here we see Ahijah, a prophet very prominent in a pivotal time in Israel's history, suffering the very common infirmity of blindness due to old age. Some assume those who are enabled by the Lord in special ways, as the prophets were, were capable of the miraculous most any time. The Scriptures do not bear that out. Ahijah, an important prophet, suffered the common affliction of blindness in old age.

Paul the apostle is another example who could not heal people (whether himself or others) at any time he may have wanted. Here we have an apostle and prophet (having written 13 of our 27 New Testament books) who brought the gospel of the Lord to the Gentiles. A man who healed different ones at different times, but yet not able heal Epaphroditus as we read in Philippians 2:25-30.

I need to remind myself that I should never make my own assumptions about the things of the Lord, but educate myself in the Scriptures. I couldn't count the number of times I have been corrected by the Scriptures of the things I assumed I knew. I suspect those closest to me do not find that at all surprising...

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A Tale of Two Prophets - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 13:7-10,

"The king said to the man of God, 'Come home with me for a meal, and I will give you a gift.' But the man of God answered the king, 'Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: "You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came."' So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel."

Here we see the response of a young prophet to King Jeroboam when he was invited to eat with the king and receive a gift. The prophet was sent, "by the word of the Lord", to Bethel to pronounce an imprecation against an altar that King Jeroboam was using. The prophet had been told not to eat or drink water there or return back to Judah by the same way. So, he refused the king.

Along came an older prophet and tricked him into coming home with him to eat. After initially refusing, the young prophet went home and had a meal with him. We are told the older prophet lied to the younger prophet. "'I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: "Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water."' (But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house." Verses 18-19.

The younger prophet paid dearly for disobeying the Lord by allowing himself to be deceived. As he left the old prophet's home for Judah he was killed by a lion.

So, what is a prophet? Very simply, a prophet is someone who relays a message from the Lord to others. What kind of person is tapped by the Lord to be a prophet? Here is an interesting question. The text calls the younger prophet "The man of God", verse 16. This, apparently, not especially because he was a perfectly godly man (although I suspect he was in many ways) but that he was used by God for God's own purposes.

What I observe about these two prophets is that the younger prophet was only partially obedient to the Lord. He did go to Bethel and pronounce the curse upon the altar and he refused the king per God's directions, but then afterward he allowed himself to be sidetracked and deceived by the older prophet, directly disobeying the Lord.

And, what of the older prophet? He lied. He deceived the younger prophet into going home with him for a meal. I suspect this older prophet's motive may have been that he had an active prophetic ministry at an earlier time, and sought to authenticate or assert the credentials of his former glory of service to God by having a currently active prophet join him in his home for a meal.

In any event, both prophets display the human weakness we all share in our lost and fallen condition. Prophets were just as susceptible to sin as we all are. I am quite certain that many were very godly men and women whose hearts were completely given to the Lord. From this passage, however, it is clear that "holiness", a life free from sin, was no requisite for being called by God as his spokesperson. Every prophet was a sinner.

Perhaps that is a good thing to keep in mind today when we castigate leaders in ministry when their failures become evident. Hypocrisy is easy to condemn. However, should we not keep in mind that we all are sinners, that we all fail from time to time? No one, save the Son of God, ever lived a life free from sin. I'm not suggesting we condone sin here, what I am suggesting is that when I feel that urge to judge someone else, all I need do is look in the mirror to relieve myself of such a tendency.

Just ask these two good ol' boys!

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A Profound Consequence of Lack of Faith in the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 12:26-28,

"Jeroboam thought to himself, 'The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.' After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'"

King Solomon had drifted into idol worship later in life because of the many wives  he had taken for himself (something the Lord had said not to do). We are told it was these wives and concubines that introduced Solomon to various idols. Because of this, the Lord decided to disrupt Solomon's dynasty. "So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude [the idol worship] and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.'"

Following the passing of Solomon, his son, Rehoboam ascended the throne. However, The prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam, one of Solomon's officials, that the Lord was going to give him the kingdom of Israel, save for the tribe of Judah. The Lord told Jeroboam through Ahijah, that it was Solomon's sin of idolatry that he was going to do this. We read of it in 1 Kings 11:29-39.

As astonishing as it is, Jeroboam (who had set up his throne in Shechem), having secured the northern ten tribes of Israel, now feared that the people of Israel would return to Rehoboam when they went up to Jerusalem to worship. Rather than placing his trust in the Lord that the Lord would maintain Jeroboam's kingdom that he not only promised, but had already delivered, Jeroboam resorted to his own craftiness. He led the northern kingdom of Israel into idolatry in an effort to keep them from worshiping the Lord in Jerusalem - all an effort to protect his throne. This, the very sin of Solomon that brought Jeroboam the throne in the first place!

This particular action of Jeroboam is referred to throughout the accounts of the eighteen kings that would follow Jeroboam on the throne of northern Israel. Each and every king that ruled over the northern ten tribes of Israel were bad kings in the eyes of the Lord with reference often made to this sin of Jeroboam.

It is simply astonishing how the sin of failing to place faith in the Lord as a guiding life principle can be devastating.

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!

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Distinctions in Love - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 11:1-6,

"King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, 'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.' Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done."

Solomon loved his women! I don't have a clue as to how he could keep up with all their names. A thousand of them! He must have had to check his contacts listing to see which of the women he was married to when he ran into females in the palace!

We are told God is love in 1 John 4. Twice. Verses 8 and 16. I do note there that we are not told love is God, but that God is love. (There is a difference.) In this letter of John, he points to one of the two chief character traits of our Creator, as revealed to us in Exodus 34:6-7. I'll let you do the research to identify the other wondrous character trait God himself speaks of there as he revealed himself to Moses.

In that God is love, John tells us in 1 John 4:11-12, "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

Perhaps this is overly obvious, but to understand that the love Solomon had for his women led to his problems with the Lord, the admonition by John for us to love one another needs to be understood in its proper context.

None did it better than Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, where he defines the kind of love that should be manifested in our lives, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

The love (or the kind of love) Solomon had for his women led to his own failure. He was busy loving those the Lord had warned against. 

If we follow what the Scriptures tell us about love, we will never fail, but rather find God's own acknowledgment that we lived our lives well.

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!

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What Are Others Seeing? - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 10:6-7,

"She [the queen of Sheba] said to the king [Solomon], 'The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard."

The queen of Sheba was simply overwhelmed as she observed the wealth, the majesty, all the trappings of the great monarchy and the wisdom of Solomon. Solomon was truly blessed by the Lord and as the queen heard of it she decided to go see it for herself.

She was not disappointed. All she heard was true and then some. When she saw what she did of Solomon, she exclaimed that what she had heard, what had prompted her to go and see for herself, was not even half of what she saw.

What she did see was the exquisite trappings of the king of God's covenanted people, a man blessed beyond any other with wealth and wisdom.

What catches my eye this morning is that the queen had heard something that prompted her to make the arduous trip to go see for herself if what she was hearing was true. She must have been tantalized by the reports she was hearing about Solomon.

While we are not Solomon, while we do not hold the throne over God's covenanted people, while we do not have the wisdom Solomon had or the wealth with all its trappings, we do have something quite remarkable.

We read of the things the Lord is building in our lives in passages like Galatians 5:22-23, "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." These things in themselves are rare among sinful and fallen mankind. And, the thing is, we all yearn for the opportunity to be around those who manifest such wonderful qualities. Passages such as Proverbs 19:22 tell us about the desires we all have for those who display such qualities, "What a person desires is unfailing love..." The reason for this, of course, is that we all were created to have a relationship with our God whose personality is marked by these very kinds of things.

So, my thoughts go back to the queen. She heard things about Solomon that prompted her to go see for herself. Since people are drawn to the wonderful nature of Jesus Christ, to hear of those who manifest those same qualities built into their lives by him, I suspect many might be interested to see for themselves. I believe this is the principle that Peter had in mind when he said, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15. Peter also said, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:12.

What the queen heard of Solomon was true. What do the folks around us hear about us, see in us? Are we drawing interest in the Lord by the things seen in our lives? The hope we have and the wonderful qualities God builds into us as he conforms us into the likeness of his Son, Jesus Christ, Romans 8:29?

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.