"Of the kings of Israel and of Judah it may be said in the beginning, and by way of comparison, that, of the kings of Judah many were bad and some were good; while of the kings of Israel many were bad and some were worse." [5]

The people God led out of slavery in Egypt did not live in a vacuum. Their faith in God or lack of it, reflected from and on their neighbors. During the span of time, from ca. 930 to 869 BC, in Assyria these were the days of the multi-named Ashurnasirpal, successor of Tui, probably the same personality as Tukulti-Ninurta, as well as a string of additional names (each time they did something, they got a new name in that region). Most of these names are found only in secular history. How did the reign of Tui end? He was murdered in a patricide by Tushratta, in his guise as Ashurnasirpal as the links explain the events. As the reader shall discover, the revised history and chronology is based on some written evidence, which, in our estimation, is able to make more sense of these years than conventional chronology can hope to achieve thus supporting Bible history. But today we concentrate on the spiritual aspects of this same history.

What then were the sins of Nadab, continued from Jeroboam's days, which are aluded here to? They were the sins of idolatry, pretending that their gods, invented and named by man, are worthy of dedicated worship, thus they are imagined to have some powers in the affairs of man in this world, when they are only made of dead wood, stone or metal.

"In the second year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, King Jeroboam's son Nadab became king of Israel, and he ruled for two years. Like his father before him, he sinned against the Lord and led Israel into sin." 1.Kings 15:25,26, GNB.

Tracing the spiritual heights and depths and their causes we endeavor to throw some light on the history of how men, and how they fared with respect to God's kingdom, as they lived out their lives. As we shall see, in the process we can learn a number of valuable lessons.

After Rehoboam, King of Judah's 17 year reign ended in 913 BC, his son Abijah reigned from 913 to 910 BC, who, in turn, was followed by the long reigning King Asa (910-969 BC). In Israel, the 21 year reign of Jeroboam (930-909 B.C.) had come to a close, and his son Nadab was king for one year. After Nadab, Baasha was king from 909-886 BC, for23 years. The events of these monarchs we briefly sketch here to discover what they may teach us living today.

"The Lord spoke to the prophet Jedu son of Hanani and gave him this message for Baasha: `You were a nobody, but I made you the leader of my people Israel. And now you have sinned like Jeroboam and have led my people into sin. Their sins have aroused my anger, and so I will do away with you and your family, just as I did with Jeroboam." 1.Kings 16:1-3, GNB.

When studying Baasha, a number of reasons lead us now to conclude that he may have been King Ahab, for the Bible scribes seem to have conflated Ahab's and Baasha's (Baasha turned around reads Ah(s)aab/Ahaab/Ahab) as we explain the details here.

Zimri is a name known from the Bible over a range of years: Cmpr. Numb. 25:14; 1.Kings 16:9ff in the days of Baasha and Jehu; 2.Kings 9:31; 1.Chr. 2:6; 8:36; 9:42; Jer. 25:25. This name is also known from secular history.

In the Bible Omri, father of Ahab, has a rather brief history but his days may be derived somewhat more by studying also secular history.

"So in the thirty-first year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he ruled for twelve years. The first six years he ruled in Tirzah, and then he bought the hill of Samaria for six thousand pieces of silver from a man named Shemer. Omri fortified the hill, built a tower there, and named it Samaria, after Shemer, the former owner of the hill. Omri sinned against the Lord more than any of his predecessors. Like Jeroboam, before him, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by his sins and by leading the people into sin and idolatry." 1.Kings 16:23-26, GNB.

What was the sin of Jeroboam?

The sin of Jeroboam was that of Egypt where he spent a good part of his life - idolatry.

"The human heart is naturally inclined to idolatry and self-exaltation. The costly and beautiful monuments of heathen worship would please the fancy and engage the senses, and thus allure the Israelites from the service of God. It was to remove this temptation from His people that the Lord commanded them to destroy those relics of idolatry, on penalty of being themselves abhorred and accursed of God." [30]

These ways of falling away from believe in God here pointed out as "allure" or "alluring", is still alive among the nations to day. What can God's people do? Is it enough to appeal to God for help?

Yes. But it is a first step - not the cure. As we just read, a cure also involves removing those things from our homes and abodes which separate us from God.

"The cause of God is to hold the first place in our plans and affections. There is need of bearing a straight message concerning the indulgence of self while the cause of God is in need of means. Some are so cold and backslidden that they do not realize that they are setting their affections on earthly treasure, which is soon to be swept away forever. The love of the world is binding them about, like a thick garment; and unless they change their course, they will not know how precious it is to practice self-denial for Christ's sake. All our idols, our love of the world, must be expelled from the heart." [35]

Israel was led into idolatry, admiring, adoring, relishing, fancying, liking, little colorful, glittery things that could be exhibited, be articles to engage in conversation about, thus taking easily the place of glorifying God and occupying the mind only with His things as they were revealed to Israel. Once God had been reduced to rarer and rarer remarks, idolatry was inevitable - Israel spent inordinate amounts of time on idolatry like we do today on television for example, with the excuse that we want to know what is happening around us, or listen to this or that preacher or evangelist on Christian stations - well is that bad?

I don't know. But it does take time away from studying the Bible ourselves.

Therefore, we may not quite be able to rule it out as a form of idolatry - is that saying too much?

We suggest, it is something to think and pray about. After all, in these last days, we do not want to fall into apostasy.

It is true, though, that listening to sermons can deepen one's understanding of biblical themes quickly and highly. That is good. Some do both, they listen and then study.

However, the general lowering of understanding Bible themes and doctrines, must have traceable causes, must it not? At least to some extent?

Are we ourselves today involved in, or within reach, of similar or the same type of developments Israel experienced in their path into apostasy way back then? That we want to try to determine a bit more.

How do we know if we are committed to the Lord with all our heart?

"Are we worshipers of Jehovah, or of Baal? of the living God, or of idols? No outward shrines may be visible; there may be no image for the eye to rest upon; yet we may be practising idolatry. It is as easy to make an idol of cherished ideas or objects as to fashion gods of wood or stone. Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes. They are as verily serving a false god as were the servants of Baal." [60]

According to this view a list of dangers includes,

1. cherished ideas which leave out God's Word
   
2. purchasing of little figures for display in the home(?), is that what is meant?
   
3. forgetting that little, seemingly innocent things, can lead our children later away from God - when they think or say, oh, my parents had this or did this too.

To know the answers, we must also study the attributes of God.

"In the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for twenty two years. He sinned against the Lord more than any of his predecessors. It was not enough for him to sin like King Jeroboam; he went further and married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal. He built a temple to Baal in Samaria, made an altar for him, and put it in the temple. He also put up an image of the goddess Asherah. He did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel before him." 1.Kings 16:29-33, GNB.

"There was no one else who had devoted himself so completely to doing wrong in the Lord's sight as Ahab - all at the urging of his wife Jezebel. He committed the most shameful sins by worshiping idols, as the Amoriates had done, whom the Lord had driven out of the land as the people of Israel advanced." 1.Kings 21:25,26, GNB.

Apparently losing sight of the attributes of God can lead to apostasy.

Is a type of Baal coming into our church in some places?

"BUT this was not enough for Jezebel. It was not enough that idolatry should abound; Baal must be the idol. Nor was it enough that one god should be worshiped; Baal—the sun—must be that one. It was not enough that some, or even most, of the people should worship the sun; they must all do it. So she set on foot a systematic attempt to absolutely suppress the true worship of the Lord, and by Baal to supplant the true God. Nor was it enough for her that all should, if possible, be persuaded to adopt the service of Jezebel and Baal, they must be compelled, under penalty of death to do it. Accordingly she began to cut off all who clung to the worship of Jehovah. By these energetic measures she brought the condition of affairs to the point where there were only 7,000 out of all Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal; and these only escaped by taking refuge in dens and caves of the earth, and were so widely scattered that Elijah thought that he was the only one left alive." [70]

Ahab turned Israel over to Jezebel

Baal worship must include of worshiping the creature or created things more than the Creator of all we see. So, even now, provision is made for people in countries to worship trees, figures, images and such things - things they read about in pagan literature. Some of it seems to come through on the basis of preserving the environment, prevent or help species to survive in our age of chemical poisons, encroachment on living spaces, deforestations, increasing populations. . . . So, some want to stop all of that - at any cost - to preserve species and the environment for millions of years more for man to live together with.

God has no place in the thinking of these planners and advocates. They have said good-by to the idea that there is a God in the universe of things. They do not discern His imprints in His wonderful works in nature or in His word, in history and logic - "we cannot know anything if evolution were true."

"Ahab was weak in moral power. His union by marriage with an idolatrous woman of decided character and positive temperament resulted disastrously both to himself and to the nation. Unprincipled, and with no high standard of rightdoing, his character was easily molded by the determined spirit of Jezebel. His selfish nature was incapable of appreciating the mercies of God to Israel and his own obligations as the guardian and leader of the chosen people.
Under the blighting influence of Ahab's rule, Israel wandered far from the living God and corrupted their ways before Him. For many years they had been losing their sense of reverence and godly fear; and now it seemed as if there were none who dared expose their lives by openly standing forth in opposition to the prevailing blasphemy. The dark shadow of apostasy covered the whole land. Images of Baalim and Ashtoreth were everywhere to be seen. Idolatrous temples and consecrated groves, wherein were worshiped the works of men's hands, were multiplied. The air was polluted with the smoke of the sacrifices offered to false gods. Hill and vale resounded with the drunken cries of a heathen priesthood who sacrificed to the sun, moon, and stars." [100]

What would God do? He would send Elijah to initiate a reform.

"Among the mountains of Gilead, east of the Jordan, there dwelt in the days of Ahab a man of faith and prayer whose fearless ministry was destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel. Far removed from any city of renown, and occupying no high station in life, Elijah the Tishbite nevertheless entered upon his mission confident in God's purpose to prepare the way before him and to give him abundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips, and his whole life was devoted to the work of reform. His was the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil. And while he came to the people as a reprover of sin, his message offered the balm of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed." [110]

In God's view everything that leads away from worshiping Him, the only true God, is because of sins in the lives of people. God tells us, that He owns the world, not man and his ideas and limited discernment colored by his limited worldview.

As Elijah saw Israel going deeper and deeper into idolatry, his soul was distressed and his indignation aroused. God had done great things for His people. He had delivered them from bondage and given them "the lands of the heathen, . . . that they might observe His statutes, and keep His laws." Psalm 105:44, 45. But the beneficent designs of Jehovah were now well-nigh forgotten. Unbelief was fast separating the chosen nation from the Source of their strength. Viewing this apostasy from his mountain retreat, Elijah was overwhelmed with sorrow. In anguish of soul he besought God to arrest the once-favored people in their wicked course, to visit them with judgments, if need be, that they might be led to see in its true light their departure from Heaven. He longed to see them brought to repentance before they should go to such lengths in evil-doing as to provoke the Lord to destroy them utterly. [113]

The Buck Stops Here

Is it true that God cannot forgive unbelief?

Let us explore that warning.

"A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, `In the name of the Lord, the living God of Israel, whom I serve, I tell you that there will be no dew or rain for the next two or three years until I say so.'" 1.Kings 17:1, GNB.

Why? Why was there to be no rain for 3 long years?

In the reign of King David there was a famine lasting three years, 2.Sam. 21.

Was it because three years was long enough to learn a lesson?

What prompted Elijah to be jealous for God's cause - even if that put his life in jeopardy?

Elijah was a chosen prophet of God, 1.Kings 18:22. No one can choose himself to be a prophet; that comes only from God.

In his prayer life he prayed himself into the task that he was about to perform according to the word of God.

His convictions led him to read the scriptures. Which passages could he have read that would make him the inspired voice of God?

Let us look through the Bible, what passages he might have been reading.

Well, a number of scriptures may come to mind, Deut. 8:19,20; 11:8-21; 30:17-20. [120]

"If even after all of this you still do not obey me, I will increase your punishment seven times. I will break your stubborn pride; there will be no rain, and your land will be dry and as hard as iron. All your hard work will do you no good, because your land will not produce crops and the trees will not bear fruit." Leviticus 26:18-20, GNB.

Reading these scriptures we may get an impression of how those who have implicit faith in God would view things. Elijah was such a man.

Elijah knew a devastating judgment was soon to come upon the land of his fathers, the land they still called home.

So Elijah prayed to God and while he prayed the conviction grew that he must carry out the Lord's errand and do something about what he knew to be true.

Having probably read the judgments, he next must have read the promises of God for those who would stand up for Him and vindicate His name.

Where in the Bible do we find such statements?

Well, he knew that in the days of Abraham the Lord promised to send an angel before him, Gen. 24:7,40; a promise we also find in Exodus 33:2; Samuel spoke like that in 1.Samuel 12.

Samuel knew that continual disobedience and unrepented sinning would destroy his nation.

Can we say that these admonitions are still in force today?

Yes, they are for the Lord says, `He changes not.'

Baal Has No Power

Humanly invented gods - can they do anything? Just because someone decided that some invented idol, can cause this or that, does that make it so?

Long established heathen people, had their elders and leaders carry on the tales and assertions of their systems of beliefs. Heathen nations with a long history presented a sorry sight when the first missionaries learned the intricacies of their religious beliefs. Much suffering and stunted living drove many to desperate actions to encounter early death through their heathen peers. To want to reinvent such societies is just plain uncalled for - to put it mildly.

"None of the idols of the nations can send rain; the sky by itself cannot make showers fall. We have put our hope in you, O Lord our God, because you are the one who does these things." Jeremiah 14:22, GNB.

This is what the Lord wanted Israel to do, learn to depend on Him alone. Yet, some could not see the light. The priests of Baal and Baalzebub, that day, were driven to "madness" as it was also the case in the time of Christ, Luke 6:11.

Could it be that Christians are at times responsible for someone's unbelief?

No. True Christians could not be responsible, however, people who are supposed Christians could, since they only think they are, but do not keep the commandments of God.

To mind comes an acquaintance I had who strongly believed in the soon coming of Christ and wanted to do all to be ready, however, he had a very compromised health history. Even though he had experienced very invasive surgeries, he kept on the tobacco habit. He said he could not stop himself from partaking.

Yet he was a faithful member of his church and lived up to other high principles, somehow hoping the Lord would forgive his habit and save him. I gave him a phone number and suggested to him to get in touch with a better living clinic to find out what they might suggest. So far, he seemed not to have made the call.

Well, the Lord does work in wondrous ways, and we cannot know all He is able to do in cases like this. We can only hope and pray things will work out according to His plan.

King Ahaziah

It is the experience of King Ahaziah, the successor of King Ahab, who had fallen through the lattices of his home and thus acquired serious injuries upon which he inquired if he would get well, 2.Kings 1:2. Would God heal him?

Who did he end up trusting more than God?

"The history of King Ahaziah's sin and its punishment has in it a warning which none can disregard with impunity. Men today may not pay homage to heathen gods, yet thousands are worshiping at Satan's shrine as verily as did the king of Israel. The spirit of idolatry is rife in the world today, although, under the influence of science and education, it has assumed forms more refined and attractive than in the days when Ahaziah sought to the god of Ekron. Every day adds its sorrowful evidence that faith in the sure word of prophecy is decreasing, and that in its stead superstition and satanic witchery are captivating the minds of many." {PK 210.1}

Ahaziah trusted in superstition rather then God, but see Phil. 3:18,19, "For many walk, . . . they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." - God wants his people to have modest simplicity. It is a state of mind we can develop to please God and live according to what He knows is best for us, for in final analysis, it is a sin to be sick. It means such violated some of God's health principles and thought it a light thing to live only for their debased pleasures. In the case of Ahaziah he would not recover and live.

What are the effects on someone's spiritual life when they are partially living up to God's plan for man? Does it have effects as we read in the following?

No Faith - No Rain

Transgression through unbelief has its sure results Ps. 36:1, while faith uplifts.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalms 103:1-5.

After a few months the earth, unrefreshed by dew or rain, becomes dry, and vegetation withers. The streams that have never been known to cease their flow, decrease, and the brooks dry up. Jezebel's prophets offer sacrifices to their gods and call upon them night and day to refresh the earth by dew and rain. But the incantations and deceptions formerly practiced by them to deceive the people do not answer the purpose now. The priests have done everything to appease the anger of their gods; with a perseverance and zeal worthy of a better cause have they lingered around their pagan altars, while the flames of sacrifice burn on all the high places, and the fearful cries and entreaties of the priests of Baal are heard night after night through doomed Samaria. But the clouds do not appear in the heavens to cut off the burning rays of the sun. The word of Elijah stands firm, and nothing that Baal's priests can do will change it.
An entire year passes, and another commences, and yet there is no rain. The earth is parched as though a fire had passed over it. The flourishing fields are as the scorching desert. The air becomes dry and suffocating, and the dust-storm blinds the eyes and nearly stops the breath. The groves of Baal are leafless, and the forest trees give no shade, but appear as skeletons. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality.
All this evidence of God's justice and judgment does not awaken Israel to repentance. Jezebel is filled with insane madness. She will not bend nor yield to the God of heaven. Baal's prophets, Ahab, Jezebel, and nearly the whole of Israel, charge their calamity upon Elijah. Ahab has sent to every kingdom and nation in search of the strange prophet and has required an oath of the kingdoms and nations of Israel that they know nothing in regard to him. Elijah had locked heaven with his word and had taken the key with him, and he could not be found. [150]

Today's cherished ideas - if in conflict with the word of God, leads to strange results. It cannot be otherwise, can it?

I remember warning my acquaintance about the sifting and pruning of God to show who really loves Him and separate them from the dross. What was his response? It seemed like he withdrew then.

What were the sources of Elijah's boldness?

It must have been great faith in God.

And we may wish we had such faith. How can we obtain it? For Elijah it was the decision to pray and then go out and visit neighborhoods spreading the word of God, 1.Kings 18:1. On his first recorded call, what happened? He went to the door of the spiritual leader of Israel to personally leave the word of the Lord there. When he left he made his way to Mt. Carmel where the gathering was to take place. Then they came. A long line of the church of Baal. As Elijah watched them coming near, he knew he must preach the gospel first.

We Need Boldness Today

What may be the difference between Elijah and us?

"And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
In these words the Scriptures introduce to us one who stands almost preëminent among the world's reformers. It will be instructive to glance at some features of the situation in which he is set before us.
Ahab was the king of Israel. Against the king and the kingdom Elijah stood alone. No human arm was raised for his assistance. No votes were cast, no legislation was enacted, in his favor. All the power of the government,—of law, of the courts, of the army,—was at the command of the king. Against all these Elijah dared to proclaim boldly, to the king's face, and with perfect assurance, the message of a radical reform throughout the kingdom.
Who was this Elijah? The Scriptures answers: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." James 5:17, 18.
What then was the difference between Elijah and ourselves? By nature there was no difference. He was a man of like passions with us; but in comparing his work with that of the "reformer" of this day, a vast difference is apparent. The secret is revealed in his words to Ahab: "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand." Elijah lived and acted in the presence of the infinite God. He was a man of faith.
But do not we also stand in the presence of God? Yes; what was true of him is no less true of us. It is true enough, but it is faith that enables us to realize its truth; it is faith that brings it to our minds as a reality. There is a God, the infinite One, Lord of heaven and earth, "before whom I stand." This is no figure of speech, but a literal fact.
Elijah's faith grasped the reality of this great truth, and he acted accordingly. Our faith—if we have faith—will grasp it likewise. And if that be so, we shall act as though that Presence were sensible to the natural eye. Faith deals only with facts; faith convinces us of the reality of things not seen.
Who, in the presence of God, and loyal to him, would fear all the power of man? Who in that presence, commissioned by Him to proclaim the truth, would feel weak without the aid of man? Who would seek for help from the legislature? The very fact that such things are done by men claiming to speak for God, is conclusive evidence that they have not faith. Faith hears the "still small voice," and knows it to be more powerful than earthquake, fire, and storm. Faith knows the "sword of the Spirit" to be more powerful than all the swords of steel.
"The Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand." That is the language of faith, the language of true reform. The Christian sees in God the true majority; in his law the all-sufficient legislation; in his word the "voice of a multitude," that is greater than the voice of the ballot. He trusts in the presence of Him who has "all power" "in heaven and in earth."
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Mal. 4:1. The spirit of true reform in the last days is the spirit of Elijah,—the spirit of faith.
Have you faith? [200]

And so, I saw the city rep on my first day out. Did it affect me? It probably did. But I also decided to keep on going again - it is my choice where - in a vast, thinly populated area where everybody seems to know everybody else. It was my purpose to spread God's word before a certain type of business opens its doors, a business that affects the brain of people.

Will keep you informed on how it will go from here on out. A great thing happened. Not long after spreading God's word, the construction of the business stopped, and a few days later they removed what they had accomplished and were gone.

Here is an account how things were in the days of the apostles:

4:23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:23-31, KJV.

How Did Judah Fare?

Of the kings of Israel and of Judah it may be said in the beginning, and by way of comparison, that, of the kings of Judah many were bad and some were good; while of the kings of Israel many were bad and some were worse. [220]

When did the twelve tribes of Israel, when still united, make their most critical mistake?

Answer: When they wanted a king like the neighboring nations.

Why is that a mistake?

Because they wanted men to rule them, not the Lord God.

8:11 "And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. . . . .
8:18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.
8:19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us." 1.Samuel 8:11,18,19.

"God had separated the Israelites from every other people, to make them His own peculiar treasure. But they, disregarding this high honor, eagerly desired to imitate the example of the heathen! And still the longing to conform to worldly practices and customs exists among the professed people of God. As they depart from the Lord they become ambitious for the gains and honors of the world. Christians are constantly seeking to imitate the practices of those who worship the god of this world. Many urge that by uniting with worldlings and conforming to their customs they might exert a stronger influence over the ungodly. But all who pursue this course thereby separate from the Source of their strength. Becoming the friends of the world, they are the enemies of God." [230]

12:13 "So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam [was] one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
12:14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
12:16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead." 2.Chronicles 12:13-16.

"And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." 2.Chr. 15:1,2

"Talent, long experience, will not make men channels of light unless they place themselves under the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and are called, and chosen, and prepared by the endowment of the Holy Spirit. When men who handle sacred things will humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, the Lord will lift them up. He will make them men of discernment--men rich in the grace of His Spirit. Their strong, selfish traits of character and their stubbornness will be seen in the light shining from the Light of the world. "I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." If you seek the Lord with all your heart, He will be found of you." [240]

The way to walk according to the Lord is far more desirable than to walk in darkness.

"Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought [him], and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered." 2.Chr. 14:7. . . . .

"And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.
14:10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah." 2.Chr. 14:9,10

14:11 "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
14:12 So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled." 2.Chr. 14:11,12.

"Man must come on bended knee, as a subject of grace, a suppliant at the footstool of mercy. And as he receives daily mercies at the hand of God, he is ever to cherish gratitude in his heart, and give expression to it in the words of thanksgiving and praise for these unmerited favors. [240] The prayer offered by Solomon during the dedication of the temple, was not made while he stood upon his feet. The king knelt in the humble position of a petitioner. Herein is a lesson for God's people today. Our spiritual strength and our influence are not increased by conformity to a worldly attitude during prayer. . . . Let man come on bended knee, as a subject of grace, a suppliant at the footstool of mercy. Thus he is to testify that the whole soul, body, and spirit are in subjection to his Creator.
"Now we are not warring against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. The Lord would encourage us to look to Him as the source of all our strength, the One who is able to help us. We may look to men, and they will give us counsel, and yet this may be defeated; but when the God of Israel undertakes work for us, He will make it a success. We want to know that we are right before God; if we are not right before Him, then we want to make an earnest effort to come in right relation to Him. We must individually do something ourselves. We are not to risk our eternal interest upon guesswork. We must set everything right; we must follow out the requirements of God, and then expect God to work with our efforts. 2 Chronicles 20:15. God works in us by the light of His truth. We are to be obedient to all His commandments.
Oh, that we could take this point into consideration, that the work in which we are engaged is not our work, but God's work, and we as humble instruments are laborers together with Him; and with an eye single to God's glory, not mistake the beginning of the Christian life for its consummation, but see the necessity of training upon the earth to prepare us for doing God's will! We are not to lift up ourselves, not to be self-confident, but to trust in God, knowing that He is willing and able to help us. God will work with His people, but we want to be in that position where our trust and confidence will become firm in Him [260]

If we do not keep the Ten Commandments we gain knowledge of sin and rebellion.

15:8 "And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.
15:9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
15:10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
15:11 And they offered unto the Lord the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. 15:12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." 2.Chr. 15:8-12

Asa's reign went well until some time after his 15th year when the Lord helped him to defeat Zera's invasion. But then God sent a prophet to Asa. Why send a prophet to Asa? To test him.

Some 20 years later or close to it ...

"In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa (he reigned some 40 years) Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah." 2.Chr. 16:1.

What happened? Did the Lord defect from Judah? Or was someone now defecting away from the Lord and from Judah? Because he thought that was the way to solve the problem?

That was a critical situation, - worse than any amount of private debt, - it threatened the very existence of the nation. If the king of Israel succeeded in building and holding Ramah, then he could command the whole of the kingdom of Judah and put it under tribute. All the traffic of the kingdom would be stopped, or be exclusively in the hands of the king of Israel. Then no one, from the king to the peasant and tradesman, could have anything that he could call his own. It was a desperate case, and called for desperate measures, - at least the king of Judah thought so, - and that promptly caused him to ....
"Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee silver and gold; go; break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he depart from me." [265]

Why did Asa do this? Was there no word from the Lord?

"And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

"Then king Asa of Judah; they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Asa had building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah." 2 Chron. 16:2-6.

So the kingdom of Judah was delivered from the king of Israel, by the prompt action of Asa. At least it seemed to be delivered. Asa had done all that he could do, and the general opinion would be that he could not have done any less. They could not see that "He", not the great I, only stopped the plan of the king of Israel and drove him away, destroying the city that was to command the commerce of Judah, but to man it seems he guarded against any future danger by building Geba and Mizpah, or to translate the words, a hill and a water tower. To be sure he used the Lord's money with which to do it; but what else could he do? Perhaps he intended to pay it all back again with returning prosperity? That is the way man looks at the case; now hear the truth of the matter from God. [270]

16:2 "Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
16:3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
16:4 And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali." 2.Chr. 16:2-4

Instead of trusting God - Asa trusted in the king of Syria with the Lord's money.

How would the Lord respond?

16:7 "And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
16:8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.
16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." 2.Chr. 16:7-9.

The Lord will test His people if they really learned to trust Him or something else. God does that so we may learn to know our own deceitful heart, so we can be saved from our own self and learn to rely on the Lord for everything.

What a lesson. What a patience of God is revealed in the way he dealt with men like these and with ourselves.

But alas, notice how Asa responded recklessly. Why, oh, why?

"Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time." 2.Chr. 16:10.

Here we have the awful picture of what happens when we show failure to trust in God alone. When we renig from God and turn to be His enemy. Therefore, let us not slump back in our own affairs into such a condition. Let us be faithful in everything and you, if you have been baptized - crowned with the crown of the Lord - walk like a faithful king henceforth. Do not forsake the assembly of thy people.

Reasons for our spiritual weaknesses

"Genuine conversion is needed, not once in years, but daily. This conversion brings a man into new relation with God. Old things, his natural temper, natural passions, and hereditary traits of character pass away, and the man is renewed, converted, sanctified. But this work needs to be continued, or else the heart will become estranged from God; for just as long as (conditional) Satan lives, he will make an effort to carry out his will. The human agent will constantly encounter a strong undercurrent. His heart needs to be barricaded by faithful watchfulness and unceasing prayer, else the embankment will give way, and like a mill stream, the undercurrent of natural and cultivated tendencies will sweep away the safeguard. Then the old objectionable traits of character will assert their sway. No renewed heart can keep in a condition of sweetness and grace without the application of the salt of the word. Divine grace must be applied daily, else no man will stay converted. [280]

119:9 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:9-11

119:33 "Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." Ps. 119:33,34.

119:56 "This I had, because I kept thy precepts. Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words. I entreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law." Ps. 119:56-61

119:140 "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.
119:141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.
119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.
119:143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.
119:144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.
119:145 I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: I will keep thy statutes.
119:146 I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.
119:147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word." Ps. 119:140-147

Asa, at the end of his life was not the faithful man he seemed to have been in the beginning. His was a partial work of reform and so there was no more war until his 35th year - with five years left, how were they spent? His last year was spent with a disease to his feet. Was it the result of diabetes, or of parasites? We do not know.

Looking Back to Ahab

Did King Ahab ever comprehend the workings of God during his days as King in Israel? Did he ever perceive the voice of God or did he not?

Will we be able to know the voice of God when it speaks?

If we are not sure, how can we be sure we will?

"The man who goes in through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him; the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. They will not follow someone else; instead, they will run away from such a person, because they do not know his voice." John 10:2-5, GNB.

Who is the gate and the gatekeeper? And who is the one who leads the sheep, going ahead of them?

We must know so we will know "his voice."

We know that Christ is both, the door and the shepherd, but who is the porter or gatekeeper? We ourselves are the gatekeeper who decides what can enter in through our five senses. We are being tested to see if our heart, our willpower, is in tune with God. If it is, we open the gate and let the Spirit of God transform us into Christ's image.

Our hearts must be filled with what he says and how and what he speaks about. In our Bible studies we must fine tune our hearts to recognize his voice among all the din of voices all around us.

Why? How important is that? How can we ever be certain we know his voice?

You and I need to know his voice that we may answer when the Lord speaks, and we may know what to do when he speaks. . . . How are we going to know? - We are to become acquainted with his voice, so that when he speaks, we shall know the voice. "My sheep know my voice, and they follow me," and the devil cannot imitate the voice of Jesus Christ. . . . He may speak in the very words that are in the Bible, but it is not the voice of Jesus.

So, how can we distinguish if it is the voice of the devil or of the Son of God?

Become acquainted with the voice of Jesus. And that means to get your hearts filled with the word of God, so that in your hearts and minds will be ringing the tones of his voice. And then when any one speaks from him, the tones will combine and harmonize with the tones that are ringing in your hearts and minds already, and you know his voice. Fill the whole heart with the words of the Lord. And this only brings to us afresh the importance of more diligent and earnest Bible study than we have ever engaged in before. That is what we must do or else we shall be deceived. We shall certainly be deceived if we are not acquainted with the voice.

If I am not acquainted with the voice of God, is there not danger of my rejecting the true word of God spoken to me, because I do not know the voice, and have not the opportunity of applying the physical tests that God has given? If I do not know the voice, is there not danger that I might reject the true word of God and endanger my eternal salvation, cut myself off from ever having a knowledge of God and walking in his way?

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." 2.Cor. 11:14,15

"Jesus said, `I am telling you the truth: the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, (Jesus himself) but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber." John 10:1, GNB

Does your spiritual guide, your favorite minister and teacher uplift Jesus Christ, our Savior? Does he speak of Him frequently?

How important is it for us to know the voice of God? There is nothing more vital than that we know the voice of God in these days.

The Lord will lead His people; for He says that His sheep will follow if they hear His voice, but a stranger will they not follow. Then it becomes us to thoroughly understand the Scriptures. And we will not have to inquire whether others have the truth, for it will be seen in their characters. {FW 56.1}

"I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie - just as it has taught you, abide in him." 1.John 2:23-25, ESV

It is not always the most learned presentation of truth that convicts and converts the soul. Not by eloquence or logic men's hearts are reached, but by the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit, which operate quietly yet surely in transforming and developing character. It is the still, small voice of the Spirit of God that has power to change the heart. {RH, October 23, 1913 par. 5}

This is what the Lord wanted to teach Elijah.

This is what God is teaching us.

Did the Lord forsake Ahab? Only Ahab's subsequent life can tell us.

20:1 Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it.
20:2 And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:
20:3 `Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children are also mine.'
20:4 And the king of Israel answered, `As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.'
20:5 The messengers came again and said, Thus says Ben-hadad: `I sent to you, saying, `Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children.'
20:6 Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the house of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.'
20:7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, `Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him.'
20:8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, `Do not listen or consent.'
20:9 So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, `Tell my lord the king, All that you first demanded of your servant will I do, but this thing I cannot do.' And the messengers departed and brought him word again.
20:10 Ben-hadad sent to him and said, `The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.'
20:11 And the king of Israel answered, `Tell him, Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.'
20:12 When Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking with the kings in the booths, he said to his men, `Take you positions.' And they took their positions against the city." 1.Kings 20:1-12, ESV

What does the Lord for Ahab? He sands him a prophet.

He says, `You know I am the Lord.'

20:13 "And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
20:14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.
20:15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
20:16 And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him." 1.Kings 20:13-16

How is that day going to end? Well, the men of Ahab went out and they slew the Syrians and even Ben-hadad escaped. They did not get the gold and silver and the treasures of King Ahab of Samaria. But how about later, did the Mesopotamian Syrians get treasures later? [330] Thus the captain did not go down with his ship. He had a strong drive for self-preservation.

"And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee." 1.Ki. 20:22

Next we learn how the Syrians excused their running away by saying, `Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we.'

In other words, they were more stout, their legs had muscle and resilience from going up and down those mountains all their lives, while the flat land Syrians had become soft and delicate and weak and prone to run away from the slightest danger. - Well, what can you expect from a drunken army?

But Ben-hadad, headstrong as he was, came the following year again to try to get the silver and gold, wives and children - this time the scene took place around Aphek, just east of the `Sea of Galilee'.

Why would the Lord help Ahab against his enemies, when Ahab himself did not acknowledge the Lord, neither did he believe and put his faith and trust in the Lord?

"And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord." 1.Ki. 20:28

Would the Lord cure Ahab's heart?

With Ahab, brazenly sending his army against the Syrians, how would things go now?

The Syrian servants of Ben-hadad are running scared for the fear of the Lord came over them. They come before Ben-hadad and say,

"Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life." 1.Kings 20:31

The battle was a decisive victory for the Lord fought the battle and the slain of the Syrians were many, v. 29.

"And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother." 1.Ki. 20:31,32

Would Ben-hadad go free?

How did the human king treat the Lord's victory?

The truth and the glory of God are inseparable; it is impossible for us, with the Bible within our reach, to honor God by erroneous opinions. Many claim that it matters not what one believes, if his life is only right. But the life is molded by the faith. If light and truth is within our reach, and we neglect to improve the privilege of hearing and seeing it, we virtually reject it; we are choosing darkness rather than light. {GC 597.2}

Despite the signal help of God, Ahab was blinded to the Lord's ruling the events; he would not surrender his will to God. He ould not seek to correct his erroneous opinions.

20:35 "And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
20:36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
20:37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.
20:38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
20:39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
20:40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.
20:41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
20:42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
20:43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria." 1.Kings 20:35-43.

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1. Cor. 10:11

In the beginning, God gave His law to mankind as a means of attaining happiness and eternal life. Satan's only hope of thwarting the purpose of God is to lead men and women to disobey this law, and his constant effort has been to misrepresent its teachings and belittle its importance. His master stroke has been an attempt to change the law itself, so as to lead men to violate its precepts while professing to obey it.
One writer has likened the attempt to change the law of God to an ancient mischievous practice of turning in a wrong direction a signpost erected at an important junction where two roads met. The perplexity and hardship which this practice often caused was great.
A signpost was erected by God for those journeying through this world. One arm of this signpost pointed out willing obedience to the Creator as the road to felicity and life, while the other arm indicated disobedience as the path to misery and death. The way to happiness was as clearly defined as was the way to the city of refuge under the Jewish dispensation. But in an evil hour for our race, the great enemy of all good turned the signpost around, and multitudes have mistaken the way. {PK 178.2 - 179.2}

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2.Cor. 10:3-5

May we review these lessons from time to time so we can become more discerning to distinguish the Lord's way from our own ways better so we serve the Lord more fully just before He comes in glory.