Category: 1 Kings

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The death of Ahab is placed with his rejection of the Word of God through God’s prophet Micaiah. Jehoshaphat was a godly person. He foolishly allied himself with Ahab through the marriage of his heir. Jehoshaphat’s foolishness had devastating consequences for his family!

SJA Notes

“Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?”

This passage gives us a fascinating glimpse into heavenly politics, the spiritual happenings that occur outside of our perception.

Verse 20 onwards show us the discourse before the throne of God.

A spirit comes and says,

“I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”

And so here is the behind-the-scenes glimpse of how things work.

The prophets telling Ahab (and Jehoshaphat) that they would conquer and triumph against the Syrians were false. False prophets.

And the Lord has His hand in this,

“Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets;”

These can be difficult truths to process, hard to understand and work through.

But we need to wrestle with them.

God does not lie (Numbers 23:19), He is the God of truth (John 14:6, John 16:13).

The devil is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).

In these events God is completely sovereign. The lying spirit could not do a thing with the Lord commanding it (not simply a passive allowing).

It is good for us to be given these glimpses. We are not living solely in a physical world. The heavenly realities are real!

* God Above,

We sometimes struggle to understand Your word.

Please open the eyes and ears of our hearts to know what You have for us today. A little quiet word, a big profound mystery unravelled.

Whatever it is, whatever portion, Lord please show us Your word today. Write it on our hearts.

Because whatever You have in store for us, whatever part, it is all life for us! Your laws, Your commands, Your testimonies and precepts and rules.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Ahab’s repentance after the Naboth’s vineyard episode has a slight parallel with David’s repentance. An Ahab needs more than repentance; he needs a Saviour who can redeem him by grace. Repentance, by itself, cannot bring me forgiveness and eternal life. It is forgiveness in the blood of Christ. Jesus had to come!

SJA Notes

“And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”

It is a sad thing that Ahab through Jezebel’s murderous manipulation took Naboth’s inheritance.

Naboth had a strong conviction in his inheritance, the vineyard.

It’s interesting to think about us as part of a vine – As Jesus does in John 15 when He says,

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”

So if we are part of the true vine, what is the inheritance?

In 1 Peter 1 we read that through Jesus’ resurrection we are born again,

“… To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”

How wonderful this is! Our inheritance cannot be stolen like Naboth’s vineyard was.

We belong to a vine that will never die, Jesus is the forever King, our God who is alive!

* Father God,

Thank You for the inheritance we have in You the Son, our King and Saviour Jesus.

Thank You that through His imperishable life we are born again, into an inheritance like no other.

Thank You Lord God, for Your promises to us, for the heavenly rest that we look forward to, the new heavens and the new earth that You are building.

Oh Lord we look forward to that final day when we see You face to face!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Ahab shows he is a Saul, and not a David. He would spare BenHadad, as Saul spared Agag. (1 Samuel 15) A great victory won by the Word of the Lord comes to nothing because of Ahab’s pride and conceit. The Lord is shown to be God of gods and Lord of lords. The hills and the valleys are both His!

SJA Notes

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'”

The Almighty God does not enjoy idolatry, running after false gods, believing in them.

He does not tolerate it from His people, and here we see that it still angers Him when it is unbelievers.

How sad it is that all around us are people who think that their unbelief and resistance are a thick and powerful armor that will withstand the roaring of eternity.

What kind of heart for the lost do we have?

If God’s wrath is coming, if He is angry about idolatry, and if the world around us is full of all different ways to say “get lost” to God – Then are our hearts longing to see those around us saved?

This passage is a convicting hard word to us – Are we praying our heart-felt desire to see the lost saved?

Real, hard-won, hard-fought, hard-wrestled prayer. Casting our cares on our loving heavenly Father, beseeching Him for the saving of our dear ones, our family and friends, our neighbours and work-mates, and outwards.

We can be encouraged in Paul’s witness to King Agrippa of what Jesus spoke to Him, as we think about praying for those around us who are living in unbelief,

“… To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

* God Almighty,

Please save those around us!

Please bring them from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

Please open their eyes to see You, Your love and grace and mercy.

Please change their hearts, breathing new life into dry bones.

Please plant the seed, Your word, and may they be good soil, the gospel growing in them and bearing much fruit!

Amen.