1 Kings 16
God’s word is true. The Bible shows that over and over. We find another example here in 1 Kings 16:34, when a man named Hiel of Bethel, under evil king Ahab’s rule, rebuilt the city of Jericho that had fallen by the Hand of God under Joshua. After the city had fallen, God spoke through Joshua, saying, “’Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.’” (Josh 6:26)
Now here we are, how many years later, and somebody finally chooses to defy God’s word and rebuild the city. It doesn’t say why he built it. Perhaps he was following orders. Or perhaps he was unaware of the curse because the kingdom of Israel had moved so far away from God that nobody remembered anymore. We just don’t know. What we do know, however, is that God was true to His word. Hiel lost both his firstborn and his youngest son.
If Hiel was ordered to do this, that is a reminder to me that it is better to obey God than to obey man. If he did it out of ignorance, having forgotten the word of the LORD, that is a reminder to me to make sure I don’t forget who God is and what He has done and said. And if he did it in flat out defiance of God, well, we all know where that kind of behavior leads.
1 Kings 17
In 1 Kings 17:9, God tells Elijah, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” Commanded – a funny word choice, given that the widow didn’t seem to have a clue about the arrangement. I looked in several other translations and saw other words like “directed” or “instructed”. Still – she had no clue. You would think (or at least I would) that if God was going to command somebody to do something He would let them know about it!
I think a better word might have been “selected”. But “commanded”, or something similar, is the word God used. Perhaps this means that He directed her heart to obey when Elijah came. Now that’s an interesting thought. I have not done any in-depth study on this or anything, but I can think of many instances where God “hardened” somebody’s heart in disobedience to Him, but it seems to me that in order for God to “direct” someone’s heart (or command them to obedience), that person’s heart would already have to be open to God’s guidance. How often have I been obedient to God’s command without even knowing it because I have made my heart an open book for Him on which He can simply write His instructions? It’s an interesting thought.
1 Kings 18
I continue to be inspired by the bold, trusting obedience demonstrated by so many in the Bible. The widow in chapter 17, and Obadiah here in chapter 18, and, of course, Elijah. I can imagine the pressure of being in Obadiah’s position – a servant of some kind to an evil king but one who “feared the LORD greatly”, as it says in verse 3. Now there’s a conflict of interest for you! It took some serious spine to do the things that Obadiah did, at risk of not just his job but his life.
So many times we let fear of what we might lose guide our decisions. We forget that it is God, and God alone, whom we should fear. Remember King Jeroboam, who feared losing “his” kingdom – the kingdom God had given him – more than he feared God? How’d that work out for him? But Obadiah made the right choice, and not just once. I have seen many today also put it all on the line to stand in bold obedience to God. I pray that I will have the faith, the conviction, the fear of God to do the same whenever I face a hard and frightening decision, no matter how big or small.
Acts 13:1-25
A lot of people take the concept of not judging others in the wrong direction, I believe. “Not judging” somehow morphs into “not boldly speaking the truth.” Saul / Paul gives a great example of when and how to boldly speak out against falsehood in this section of Acts 13. A magician named Bar-Jesus is also described as a false prophet. What made him a false prophet? Because he was “seeking to turn the proconsul [Roman official] away from the faith” (Acts 13:8b). Paul did not mince words to this man. He called him, “you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy” (Acts 15:10a).
While it sounds harsh, it is true. This man was not merely lost, he was actively leading others astray. The Jewish religious leaders, whose god was their religion, did the same thing, and Jesus responded to them in a very similar way. This isn’t about judgment. This is about calling out the evil that seeks to turn people away from Jesus, the Truth. And that is something that I believe we, like Paul, should do boldly.