1 Kings 21:1

1 Kings 21:1 says, And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.  Naboth had a vineyard close to the palace of Ahab.  This would make it be a convenient location for use by Ahab.  Still, even as king, he could not just take the property.  Verse two adds, And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.  Ahab told Naboth to either trade his vineyard to Ahab for a different property or to sell it to him since it was near Ahab's property.  This might seem like a fair proposition if Naboth was really interested in moving or selling.  Some proposals made to us today may seem fair in the eyes of the world, but they may not be what we need or want in following God's will.  Verse three continues, And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.  Ahab may have been king, but Naboth deferred to God.  He said that the LORD forbid him from giving the inheritance of hi fathers to Ahab.  No matter how good or fair a proposal may sound to us today, we need to look to God for how we respond, and we should never give away or trade the spiritual things that God has given to us, and I believe that this was a spiritual thing to Naboth.  The land given to the different families of Israel was to remain in their possession forever, with even a provision for it to be restored if they did lose it.  We have inherited everlasting life from our relationship with Jesus Christ, and we should never let anyone tempt us to trade it away.  Of course, I believe that once we do accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that we can never lose our salvation, because it is sealed by God.  Verse four concludes, And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.  Ahab went home and pouted.  To his credit, he did not exert his power as king and say that it didn't matter what Naboth wanted.  Today, those in authority do not always exert their power over Christians if they want something that they have, but this is not always the case throughout the world.  In some countries, they do take everything belonging to Christians and don't just pout about not being able to.  Verse five states, But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?  While Ahab was pouting, Jezebel came to him and asked him why he wasn't eating.  This was a reasonable question for a concerned wife to ask.  I believe that if we see our spouse troubled by something that we should attempt to find out what is wrong with them.  Verse six adds, And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.  Ahab said he was upset because he had asked Naboth to give or trade him his vineyard and he refused.   At least he was truthful about the reason for his being upset.  People today too often allow not getting what they want to cause them to be despondent.  Verse seven continues, And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.  Jezebel asked Ahab if he wasn't the ruler of Israel, told him to get up and eat, and said that she would get the vineyard of Naboth for him.  She basically said that as king he should be able to do whatever he wanted to do, and that if he wouldn't, then as his wife she would.  Sometimes, the spouses of those in power feel even more impowered than the one who is actually in power.  Verse eight declares, So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.  Jezebel wrote letters to the elders and nobles around Naboth in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal.  Of course, Ahab had to know what she had done or was just willingly unknowledgeable about it.  Either way, he had allowed Jezebel to take control.  Verse nine adds, And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:  Jezebel told these elders and nobles to proclaim a feast and set Naboth on high among the people.  She was using religion to condemn Naboth, and the elders and nobles were going along with her.  We need to be careful that we never use Christianity to attempt to get what we want when it is not what God wants.  Verse ten continues, And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.  These elders and nobles were told to set two false witnesses, called sons of Belial, against Naboth and accuse him of blasphemy.  This was not a case of these men not knowing what was happening but of their willingly participating in the lie.  Some people are more than willing to participate in the lies of those who are in power or who have been in power today.  We as followers of Christ should never do this though. Verse eleven states, And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.  The elders and nobles did as Jezebel asked them to do.  These were the leaders of Israel, God's chosen people, and they were willing to participate in Jezebel's lies.  We as Christians should never be guilty of doing the same thing.  Verse twelve adds, They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.  They proclaimed the feast as Jezebel had instructed them to do and set Naboth up for judgment.  Verse thirteen continues, And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.  They proclaimed a feast, had the two witnesses lie about Naboth, and took him out and stoned him.  A lot of people were involved in Jezebel's plot, some willingly and some maybe not so much so, and they were all guilty of unjustly killing Naboth.  We should always look to God for guidance and not just go along with what may be happening around us, and we certainly should never participate in unjust plots against others. Verse fourteen concludes, Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.  The nobles and elders then sent word to Jezebel that Naboth was dead.  We have to assume that they were more interested in what Jezabel wanted than they were in what God wanted.  We can never afford to be that way, being more interested in what people in power want more than we are in what God wants.

1 Kings 20:35

1 Kings 20:35 says, 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.  A certain son of the prophets, though it doesn't really say that he was a prophet but his actions imply that he was, asked his neighbor to hit him. It seems he did this under the direction of God.  This was a fellow prophet that he asked.  We need to be open to the leadership of God even if it may bring us physical harm, and we must also be open to the requests of our fellow Christians when they ask us to do something under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, even if it doesn't make sense to us at the time.  Of course, we do need to pray for God's guidance in the situation.  Verse thirty-six adds, 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.  The prophet told the one who would not obey God that as soon as he left that he was going to be devoured by a lion, and when he left, he was.  This would imply that he really didn't believe that the prophet who told him this was really acting under God's guidance, because I think if he had that he would have stayed in the house.  We can warn people today of the danger of not accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and they too often refuse to believe us and die without salvation and go away to everlasting punishment, which is worse than physical death will ever be.  We might view the man's punishment as harsh, but he was supposedly as prophet of God who refused to obey God's directions, and we are speaking only of physical death and not spiritual death.  Verse thirty-seven continues, Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.  This prophet found another man, whether another prophet or not, and asked him to hit him, and the man did and wounded the prophet.  If the second man saw and heard what happened with the first one who refused to do what the prophet had asked, that could have motivated him to do so.  If we could see the everlasting results of not accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we should be motivated to do so, but it is always better to come to God because of His love for us than out of fear of Him.  Verse thirty-eight adds, So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.  After this, the prophet disguised himself and went to wait for Ahab.  We may need to wait for those we are to witness to come to us, but we are even more so to go to them.  We have to believe that the prophet was acting under God's guidance, and no matter what we do today, we must also act under God's guidance.  Verse thirty-nine adds, 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.  The prophet told Ahab that in the battle that he had been charged with keeping another man safe and that if he didn't, he would be killed or pay a certain sum of silver.  We are not going to be killed for not witnessing to others to keep them spiritually safe, but we may one day have to answer to God as to why we didn't.  Verse forty continues, 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.  The prophet told Ahab that he got busy and wasn't paying attention to the man that he was supposed to protect and that when he did look, the man was gone.  Since the prophet had not protected the man, Ahab said he had pronounced his own sentence.   When people today refuse to accept Jesus Christ and follow Him, they pronounce their own sentence.  God does not send people to hell, but He allows them to choose to go there.  Matthew Henry said this was done so that Ahab might recognize his failure to obey God in keeping the people of Israel safe. Verse forty-one declares, And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.  The prophet removed the ashes from his face and Ahab recognized him as one of the prophets.  We don't need to attempt to hide the fact that we are Christians, but need to always allow people to recognize us as one.  Verse forty-two adds, 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.  The prophet told Ahab that God said that since Ahab had allowed Benhadad to live when God had appointed him to be utterly destroyed that his life would be lost to replace Benhadad's.  I believe we can say that for us, if we allow Satan and the forces of evil to live and maybe even delight in them, then we cannot really be a follower of Christ.  Jesus Christ died for us, and if we do not accept His gift of salvation, one day we will die for Satan.  These are the only two choices.  Verse forty-three continues, And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased and came to Samaria.  Ahab did not repent and ask forgiveness but went away to his house heavy-hearted and displeased.  Too many people are going to have the same reaction to the gospel today, and it will affect them not only in this life, but in the everlasting life to come. 

1 Kings 20:22

1 Kings 20:22 says, 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.  God's prophet went to Ahab again and told him to prepare for the king of Syrian to return to battle him again.  Ahab was evidently feeling secure and not looking ahead.  When we are victorious over sin and evil in the world today, we cannot afford to start feeling that the war is over.  We must always be diligent in our commitment to seeking God's guidance and relying on His power at all times.  Verse twenty-three adds, And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.  The servants of the king of Syria said to him that the God of Israel was the God of the hills, so they would fight them on the plains.  They thought gods were localized, and some people today believe in gods of different areas or things, like the god of the trees or fire and wind.  There is but one God, and He is not confined by time or space.  They said the king should fight them on the plains instead and that they would be stronger than the people of Israel and their God.  We never have to worry about where we are at when we are standing for God, because He will always be with us and stronger than any evil we face.  Verse twenty-four continues, And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:  They told the king to take away all the other kings and put captains in their place.  The kings were rulers by birth and the captains were rulers by merit.  Benhadad was basically told to let those who were best qualified lead the fight.  What we as followers of Christ can be certain about is that there will never be anyone powerful enough by birth or merit to defeat us as long as we continue to be faithful to God, because through Jesus Christ, we have the everlasting victory.  Verse twenty-five concludes, And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.  Benhadad was told to rebuild his army, including horses and chariots, and then they would fight the Israelites on the plains, and surely, they would be stronger than them.  Numbers of people and strength of equipment are never going to defeat God's people spiritually, even if we do suffer defeat in battles today, as long as we never give up.  The everlasting victory is already assured, and Satan and his forces have already lost.  Verse twenty-six states, And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.  After a year, Benhadad was ready to fight the people of Israel again.  We are never going to permanently defeat those who oppose God in this lifetime, even if we have defeated them before.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.  The people of Israel stood before the Syrians and looked like little flocks against the great number in the army of the Syrians.  We as Christians are likely to be outnumbered when we stand for God today.  Verse twenty-eight continues, 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.  The prophet of God told Ahab that since the Syrians believed that He was only the God of the hills that He was going to give them a great victory over them in the plains.  God is not limited to one place, but He is the God of the universe and all that there is.  Verse twenty-nine says, And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.  For seven days, the two armies just faced off against each other, but on the seventh day the battle started.  I wonder how the people of Israel felt seeing the great host arrayed against them for a week.  Still, they stood firm.  If we look around and feel overpowered today, we just need to remember Who our God is and put our faith in Him.  The people of Israel remained true to God, or at least He remained true to them, and they killed a hundred thousand Syrians on the plain the first day.  As long as we remain faithful to God, our victory is already assured, and once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, God we are a part of God's kingdom forever.  Verse thirty adds, But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.  Benhadad once again fled from the Israelites and went to Aphek, where a wall fell on the twenty-seven remaining soldiers of Syria.  God is not only the God of the high places and plains, but He is the God of walled cities as well.  There is no place that anyone can run to or hide that is a safe place to avoid God's judgment.  Benhadad was hiding in an inner chamber, but God still knew where he was.  Verse thirty-one continues, 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.  Those left around Benhadad told him that they had heard that the people of Israel were a merciful people and said that they should humble themselves and go and ask them to spare their lives.  What people need to realize is that God is a God of mercy, and He expects us to be merciful to others, even those that might be our enemies, and we also need to acknowledge that God will show mercy on anyone who humbles themself and comes to Him for forgiveness by putting their faith in Jesus Christ, even those who have been His greatest enemies.  Verse thirty-two states, 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.  The people humbled themselves and came to the people of Israel asking that their lives be spared.  Ahab asked if Benhadad was still alive and called him his brother, even though Benhadad had done his best to humiliate and even kill Ahab.  Matthew Henry says Ahab was thrilled to courted by someone who had been so powerful.  Ahab was still putting more importance on himself than on God.  If we are in a battle against evil today, we cannot start to be friends with it once the battle is going our way.  Verse thirty-three adds, Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.  The people of Syria were looking to see if they had gained acceptance from Ahab, and when they saw that they had, they quickly took advantage of Ahab's acceptance of them and pronounced Benhadad to be Ahab's brother.  We cannot be brothers and sisters spiritually with people of the world as Christians.  Verse thirty-four continues, And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.  Benhadad told Ahab that he would restore the cities that his father had taken away from Israel and make it safe for Ahab in Damascus.  Of course, Benhadad wasn't really in any position of power, but Ahab made a covenant with him anyway.  We do not find any evidence that Ahab had started worshipping God alone and sought His guidance in this decision.  We must always look to God before we attempt to make people of the world our brothers and sisters, because until they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, they never will be.  

1 Kings 20:12

1 Kings 20:12 says, And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.  When Benhadad received the word that Ahab was not going to allow him to come and take anything he wanted from the homes of the Israelites, he was drinking, and told the other kings and his servants to get ready to take the city.  He had already been given Ahab's gold, silver, wives and children, but he still wasn't satisfied.  When we begin to give in to Satan, he is never going to be satisfied until he owns our soul.  Verse thirteen adds, 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.  We are told a prophet came to Ahab, even though Jezebel had attempted to destroy all of them and asked him if he had seen the great multitude that was coming against Samaria, and then told him that the Lord had said He would deliver them to Ahab.  God had every reason to allow Benhadad to do what he purposed, but though they had rebelled against Him, Israel was still His chosen people.  If we have truly put our faith in Jesus Christ, He will never allow us to be defeated forever, even if we lose everything of importance to us in this world.  We should never focus on the multitude that we may be facing when we stand for God, but we should be focusing on the God that we serve.  He has already given us the victory if we are followers of Christ.  Verse fourteen continues, 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.  Ahab, though king, asked the prophet who was going to defeat the horde against them, and the prophet said the young men of the provinces.  The city of Samaria might have been besieged, but there were other people of Israel who were not.  Even if we as Christians feel that our situation is hopeless and there is no one left to help us, we need to put our faith in God and that He will provide a way.  Ahab asked who was going to order the battle, and the prophet told Ahab that he was.  He may not have been acting much like a king, but he still was.  Sometimes, we must look only to ourselves to find the answer of who is going to stand for God, even if we have failed in the past.  Verse fifteen states, 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.  Ahab numbered the young princes of the province and there were two-hundred and thirty-two.  He then numbered all the people, even the children, and there was only seven thousand total.  This was not a large force to go against Benhadad and his forces, but the people of Israel had God on their side.  We as Christians may always be outnumbered in the battle between good and evil today, but we will always have God on our side, maybe even at times when we have been less than faithful.  Verse sixteen adds, 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.  When Ahab's forces went out at noon, Benhadad and the kings with him were already getting drunk.  They really had little concern about Ahab and the people of Samaria.  Too often. people of the world today have little concern about God's people because we have not really been seen as a threat to them.  I don't believe that this means that we are to engage in a physical war with everyone that opposes God, but we are to stand as a witness against them.  Verse seventeen continues, And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.  The young men and princes went out first, and Benhadad received word of their coming.  We need young men and women who are willing to stand for God today, no matter how strong the opposition to God and to them might be.  Verse eighteen states, And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.  Benhadad told his forces to take the people alive whether they came out of peace or war.  I believe his intention was to show them how hopeless they were, but he forgot about God.  People of the world today may view Christians as basically powerless, but they have forgotten about our God.  Verse nineteen adds, So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.  The young men and princes of Samaria came out and the rest of the people followed them.  Will we be one of the ones leading people to stand for Christ, or will we at least be one of the ones following someone who does?  Verse twenty continues, And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.  The people of Israel defeated the Syrians, not by out numbering them nor being equipped than them but by the power of God.  Benhadad fled on a horse with some horsemen.  He was no longer bragging about how he was going to capture all the people of Samaria and take whatever he wanted.  One day, those who feel superior to Christians are going to find out how hopeless they really are.  Verse twenty-one concludes, And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.  Ahab then killed the horses, destroyed the chariots, and killed the Syrians with what was described as a great slaughter.   He might have been unwilling to stand against Benhadad at first, but having been told that God was with him, he no longer was.  Of course, he still had not really accepted God as the only true God, but God still worked through him.  Non-Christians may be used by God to bring about victory in certain situations today, but they are still lost, so their temporary victory will ultimately end in defeat.

1 Kings 20:1

1 Kings 20:1 says, And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.  Benhadad, king of Syria, and thirty-two other kings united and with horses and chariots besieged Samaria.  This was a large force with a lot of armament, and sometimes today Christians are confronted with large and powerful forces united against them.  Verse two adds, And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,  Benhadad sent a message to Ahab while he had him surrounded.  Benhadad was in the position of power from earthly terms, and Ahab did not have God's protection since he had started worshipping other gods.  We cannot be Christians in name only and still expect God to protect us from evil forces in the world.  Verse three continues, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.  Benhadad told Ahab that he was taking all of Ahab's silver, gold, wives, and children, or everything he had of value in other words.  Satan today is attempting to take everything of value that we have, starting with our immortal soul.  Of course, everything we have in this lifetime will one day be gone, so we should never value any earthly thing above our relationship with God.  Verse four states, And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.  Ahab consented to Benhadad's taking everything and called him his lord.  We as followers of Christ should never consent to allowing anyone to take away the things of God in our life and we certainly should never acknowledge anyone else as our Lord.  Verse five adds, And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;  Benhadad sent a second message to Ahab saying that he knew that Ahab had agreed to give him all that he asked.  Satan is never going to be satisfied with everything we have unless he claims our soul as well.  Verse six continues, Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.  Benhadad said he was going to send servants tomorrow to search the houses of the people in Samaria and take everything that they saw and wanted.  As just stated, if we begin to give in to the power of Satan, one day he will take all that we have, or we will lose it when Jesus Christ returns.  Verse seven declares, Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.  Ahab called the elders of the land and told them that he had done everything Benhadad had commanded, and he still wanted more.  If we begin to give in to the power of Satan, he will never be satisfied until he has it all.  Verse eight adds, And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.  The elders told Ahab not to listen to Benhadad and not to give him everything he demanded.  We need someone today to tell us to take a stand against Satan and his forces of evil and not to just give in.  Hopefully, as Christians we will tell others the same thing.  Verse nine continues, Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.  Ahab told the messenger to go back and tell him that he would agree to what Benhadad had originally requested, but he wasn't going to comply with the new request.  We need to be willing to stand up to evil in this world before we give in and lose everything.  Verse ten says, And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.  Benhadad swore by his gods that he was going to totally destroy Samaria and if he didn't that the gods should destroy him.  Of course, since they weren't real gods, the oath was really useless.  Verse eleven adds, And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.  Ahab told Benhadad that he shouldn't boast until what he said had been accomplished.  Satan and his forces may boast about how powerful they are, but one day they will find out how wrong they were. 

1 Kings 19:9

1 Kings 19:9 says, And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?  While Elijah was hiding in a cave from fear of Jezebel, God's word came to him again asking him what he was doing there.  We have no record of Elijah asking God what to do about Jezebel's threats, nor do we have any record of God just telling him to go hide.  Sometimes, God may have to ask us what we as followers of Christ are doing, especially if we are hiding in fear of the world.  Verse ten adds, And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.  Elijah began by bragging on himself a little bit.  He said he had been jealous of or faithful to God while everyone but him had deserted God and torn down His altars and killed God's prophets.  I believe he was speaking out of self-pity.  We should never reach the point where we believe we are the only one following God's will, especially if we are hiding out in fear without looking to Him for direction.  Verse eleven continues, And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:  Elijah was told to go and stand on the mountain, and when he did God passed by and a strong wind and an earthquake occurred, tearing the mountain to pieces, but we are told that God was not in the wind or the earthquake.  These were some mighty displays of power, and even though he was there when they occurred, Elijah was not hurt.  We may be looking for mighty displays of power today to prove God is at work in the world, but just because we see them doesn't mean that God is always at work through them.  Verse twelve concludes, And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.  After the earthquake, there was a fire, but God was not in the fire either.  I will state again, God may not always be in great displays of power in the world, though we often attempt to attribute all natural disasters to His judgment.  After the wind was a still, small voice, and this is how God will often speak to us, or at least that is the way He usually speaks to me.  Verse thirteen states, And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?  After all this, Elijah returned to the cave, and God's voice came to him again asking him why he was there.  He had just witnessed mighty displays of God's power, even though he did not find God in them, and he was once again hiding from Jezebel in a cave.  We as Christian often acknowledge the great power of God but still hide away in fear of the world.  Verse fourteen adds, And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.  Elijah repeated what he had said the first time, still not putting his faith in God.  Hopefully, if we are hiding from the world in fear and God asks us what we are doing and we see the proof of His power, we will not return to hiding in fear once more.  Verse fifteen declares, And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:  God told Elijah to return to the wilderness of Damascus and when he got there to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.  We might wonder why God was not working through His chosen people but must remember they had deserted Him.   We need to pray that God doesn't have to work through non-believers today to get His people, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, to follow Him.  Verse sixteen adds, And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.  Elijah was then told to also anoint Jehu as the king of Israel and Elisha as the prophet in his room or to be Elijah's successor as prophet.  God was not only going to work through Syria, but He was also going to work through Israel, His chosen people, to bring them to repentance.  As Christians, we need to be the one's that God works through today.  Verse seventeen continues, And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.  God said that He was going to work through all three, a king who was not a part of God's chosen people, a king who was, and God's prophet to punish His sinful people.  I believe that God still has that power today, and all we as Christians need to do is put our faith in Him no matter who is in power in the world.  Verse eighteen concludes, Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.  God told Elijah that he was not alone in serving and worshipping God, and neither are we today.  The remnant was small, but it was there.  Verse nineteen says, So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.  Elijah first found Elisha plowing a field and put his mantel on him.  Verse twenty adds, And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?  Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah.  We may have to leave what we have been doing and even the place where we are doing it in order to obey God's calling.  Then, Elisha asked Elijah for permission to go and kiss his parents before he followed Elijah.  When God calls us to do something for Him, we should never allow anything to keep us from following His will, even our parents. God must come above everything else.  Elijah told Elisha to go back again and asked what he had to do with Elisha.  Of course, we know that God had told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his replacement, so he did have something to do with Elisha.  Verse twenty-one continues, And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.  Elisha returned, killed his oxen, and used them to feed the people.  When God calls us, we need to leave everything behind and begin to feed people with the gospel of Christ.  We should not attempt to hang on to the things that we had before but should give everything to God to be used for His purpose.   

1 Kings 19:1

1 Kings 19:1 says, And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.  Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including his killing all the prophets of Baal.  If we had been following a false god, and someone told us about a man of the true God killing all the prophets of the false god, how would we react?  I would think that we might react by accepting the true God, but Jezebel didn't.  Verse two adds, Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.  Jezebel said let the gods kill her if she didn't take Elijah's life by about this time the next day.  She ignored the fact that four-hundred and fifty prophets of those gods had failed to defeat Elijah.  Some people are always going to see themselves as more power than God in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.  Mathew Henry said he wasn't sure why she didn't kill him then or why she warned him unless it was out of s feeling of self-pride or self-importance, but she didn't immediately try to kill him.  There are still too many people today who believe themselves to be more powerful than God.  Verse three adds, And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.  When Elijah heard this, he fled for his life.  He seemed to still not truly trust God to keep him safe, since we are not told that God told him to flee.  He went to Beersheba in Judah and left his servant there.  I am not sure when he acquired a servant, but our status in the world often changes.  We should never run away in fear if we are called on to stand for God.  Verse four states, But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.  Elijah didn't stay in Beersheba but went a day's journey into the wilderness where he sat down under a juniper tree in self-pity.  He told God to just let him die since he was no better than his fathers, or ancestors.  Elijah was running from the death threat of Jezebel to a death request by God's hand.  We as Christians should never run from death threats in the world by asking God to kill us himself, but we should always run to life in Jesus Christ.  We should never allow fear and despair to overcome our faith in God to keep us safe as we do His will in our life.  Verse five adds, And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.  While Elijah was sleeping under the juniper tree, having given up, I believe, an angel came and touched him and told him to get up and eat.  As followers of Christ, if we are ready to give up in despair, I believe the Holy Spirit, Who is much greater than an angel, will touch us and tell us to get up and eat, or go on with our life.  Verse six continues, And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.  When Elijah looked, there was a cake baking in the coals and a cruse of water at his head.  These had been provided by God, and should have revived Elijah's faith, but he ate and lay down again.  If God provides for our needs in times of despair, this should make us want to get up and get busy doing what He has called us to do instead of just staying spiritually asleep.  Verse seven says, And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.   While Elijah was sleeping again, the angel came too him a second time and told him to get up and eat but added that the journey was great for Elijah.  God does not expect His people to be asleep in self-pity, and again, I don't believe the Holy Spirit will just leave us alone if we are.  We will always be called to action for God, and if we are faithful, God will provide for our needs as we do what He has called us to do.  Verse eight adds, And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.  Elijah did as the angel told him to do and ate, and the food sustained him on a forty-day journey to Horeb the mountain of God.  God will always sustain us if we are obeying His call, and we don't have to go to a particular place to meet Him.  As Christians, the Holy Spirit is always with us to equip and empower us.