Ahab was one of the most wicked kings who ever ruled over Israel.  His wife, Jezebel, was also extremely evil in the sight of God.  We can learn a lot about Ahab and Jezebel to help us avoid a sinful lifestyle.  Ultimately, we learn that sin has consequences.  Ahab and Jezebel were greedy, idol worshippers, and murderers.  Although it seem that they were getting away with evil, God proved to us through them that one’s evil deeds will catch back up to him or her.  This certainly was the case with Ahab and Jezebel.  Their sins cost them their lives.

          We are introduced to King Ahab in 1 Kings 16.  The Bible does not have many favorable things to say about him.  In fact, it begins the story of Ahab with negative statements.  The Bible tells us he was king in the Northern Kingdom of Israel for 22 years.  However, the Bible says that he did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any king before him (1 Kings 16:30).  This is a very big deal, because all the kings before him in the Northern Kingdom of Israel were considered to be wicked men in the sight of God.  Thus, Ahab’s wickedness must have been on another level.  His actions must have really outraged God!

          The Bible also tells us he took lightly the sins of Jeroboam (1 Kings 16:31).  That is, idol worship was no big deal to him.  In fact, he did not have a conscience toward worshipping idols.  He engaged in this practice without worry about what God would think.  To make things worse, Ahab married Jezebel (1 Kings 16:32).  This was another violation of God’s Law, because the Jewish people were forbidden to marry outside of the Jewish nation.  Jezebel was a foreigner and Ahab married her anyway.  The Bible goes as far as saying that he angered God more than any other king in the history of Israel!

          Moving on to 1 Kings 17, the Bible tells us that the man of God, Elijah, had a conversation with Ahab.  The Bible says he told the king that there would be no dew or rain in the land for the next few years until he told Ahab otherwise (1 Kings 17:1).  Remember, Elijah was a true man of God.  Since this is the case, what he was telling Ahab was literally God’s Word.  In other words, Elijah was God’s spokesman.  However, Elijah’s words were very troubling.  Without moisture in the land, everything would dry up and die.  Thus, there would be a severe food shortage to come within those years of drought.  Why did God send a drought?  The drought was a part of the covenant He made with the children of Israel.  If the children of Israel were obedient to the Word of God, then they would prosper and have more than what they needed.   Unfortunately, God also told them upfront that if they disobeyed Him, they would suffer things such as drought, disease, and war.  Since Ahab and the children of Israel as a majority had the bad problem of worshipping idols, God sent the drought as punishment for their sins (Deuteronomy 28).  Remember, Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, were idol worshippers and their idolatry rubbed off on the rest of the children of Israel.  After delivering the bad news to Ahab, Elijah fled to the Kerith Ravine as God instructed him.  God miraculously fed Elijah by the ravens that brought him bread and meat in the morning and the evening.  He used the waters of the brook to quench his thirst (1 Kings 17:2-6).

          Due to the drought, the brook at the Kerith Ravine dried up because God stopped the rain in the land.  God told Elijah to go to the town of Zarephath.  He said He had instructed a widow there to provide food for him.  Elijah did as he was told and traveled to Zarephath (1 Kings 17:10).

          The Bible says that at Zarephath, Elijah saw the widow as she was gathering sticks.  He asked her to bring him a little water and a piece of bread (1 Kings 17:10-11).  The widow replied that she only had a little flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug.  Sadly, she was gathering the sticks for a fire so she could make a last meal for herself and her son.  Unfortunately, she had given up hope of surviving the famine (1 Kings 17:12).  Fortunately for the widow and her son, God had another plan.  The Bible says, “13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land” (1 Kings 17:13-14 New International Version).  God had a miracle waiting for the woman and her son that she could not imagine.   God would provide for her even if she could not understand how this would be done.  This is the same today.  God said He would provide for all of the needs of the Christian community (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).  Thus, we are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  In other words, we are never to give up on God.  This is a faith that causes God to answer our prayers (James 1:6-7).  Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  Remember, anything we ask for that is according to God’s Will has no choice but to happen in our lives (1 John 5:14)!  If God makes a promise to you and I in His Bible, then it will be done.  God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).  As a result, we should trust every promise He has made and this includes His providing for us in our time of need!

Moving on, the Bible says that while Elijah was staying with the widow and her son, the son became very sick and died.  The Bible says that Elijah laid the boy on the bed.  He prayed to the Lord.  He laid himself on the boy three times and prayed that God would bring him back to life.  The miracle of the Lord happened!  The boy came back to life.  This miracle allowed the woman to confess that Elijah was a man of God and that all he said were the words of the Lord (1 Kings 17:17-24).  One cannot help but to take a detour into the life of Jesus with this information in mind.  As you noticed, the miracle Elijah did made the poor widow believe that his words came from God and he was sent by God.  The same holds true for Jesus.  Jesus did many miracles designed to let people know He was sent from God and the Words He spoke actually came from God.  The ancient prophets of the Old Testament foretold of Jesus’ miracles hundreds of years before He was born (Isaiah 35:5-6).  Here are some of Jesus’ miracles:

 

1. Healing of a man’s son without even being present with the boy (John 4:46-54).

2. Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law with the touch of her hand (Matthew 8:14-15).

3. Calmed the wind and waves during a sea storm with just a command (Mark 4:35-41).

4. Raised the widow of Nain’s son from the dead (Luke 7:11–16).

5. Foretold the destruction of the Jewish Temple that occurred nearly 40 years after His death (Luke 21:5-6).

6. Cast out demons (Mark 5:1-17).

 

Friend, these miracles should motivate you to react as the widow did to Elijah!  You should be moved to a faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  He spoke nothing but the Word of God in truth that will save your soul.  God’s plan of salvation is attached to this lesson.  Please review it as soon as possible.

          Moving on, the story of Elijah continues with Jezebel.  Jezebel was the wife King Ahab.  She was terrorizing Israel with her murderous ways.  She was having the prophets of God slaughtered in the land.  The prophets were the preachers of God’s Word in Israel.  Thus, she was trying to kill the knowledge of God in the land.  By the grace of God, many of the prophets escaped the wrath of Jezebel because a kind man named “Obadiah” was hiding them (1 Kings 18:1-6).  Also, keep in mind, the famine was still severe in Israel.  The Bible says that Elijah privately met Obadiah and told him to deliver a message to King Ahab.  Obadiah was to tell the king that Elijah was there.  At first, Obadiah did not want to deliver the message, because if he told Ahab that Elijah had been found and Elijah was not there, Ahab would kill Obadiah.  Nonetheless, Obadiah delivered the message and Elijah met with Ahab (1 Kings 18:7-17).

          Notice, in 1 Kings 18:17 King Ahab called Elijah by the slanderous words “troubler of Israel” (New International Version).  This certainly was not a fair judgment upon Elijah, because the head of all trouble in Israel was Ahab and Jezebel.  Their leadership into idol worship influenced the nation to do the same thing.  This idol worship was the cause of God punishing Israel with the drought and famine of the time.  Please know that this will happen to you.  When you are living right, you will be accused of being evil by those who are unrighteous!  Don’t fall apart over false accusations, because lies will come.  You cannot avoid them. As we have constantly discussed, just love your enemies anyway and God can easily clear your name in the end (Matthew 5:44; Psalm 23:5).

          Moving forward, Elijah advised Ahab that he was not the troublemaker in Israel.  Instead, he tells the king that Ahab’s and his ancestor’s idol worship had caused all the suffering in Israel (1 Kings 18:18).  Elijah told Ahab to gather the 450 prophets of Baal along with the 400 prophets of Asherah and meet him on Mount Carmel.  He also told Ahab to bring the children of Israel so they would see the result of the challenge on Mount Carmel against the prophets of Baal!   Remember, these 850 false prophets of the false god “Baal” were friends of Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 18:19).  Here are the words Elijah challenged the children of Israel with on Mount Carmel:

 

“21…How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him…22…I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God” (1 Kings 20:21-22 New International Version).

 

          As you can see from 1 Kings 20:21-22, the purpose of the challenge issued by Elijah on Mount Carmel was to prove who the true God is and to bring the children of Israel out of hypocrisy.  In other words, the children of Israel were trying to worship both the God of heaven and Baal.  God was not happy with this, because He does not want us worshipping anyone else but Him (Exodus 20:1-6).  It is the same today.  God does not accept or want Christians living a double life.  In other words, we cannot live as a Christian and sinfully at the same time.  We must live one way or the other.  In fact, the only way to live is righteously, because God will not save a hypocrite (Matthew 7:21; James 2:20)!  So, if you know you have been living a life of hypocrisy, it’s time to change.  God is a forgiving God if you will repent (i.e. change), confess your fault to Him, and ask for forgiveness in prayer (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:7-10).

          As the challenge on Mount Carmel continues, we see Elijah allowing the prophets of Baal to go first.  The Bible shows them praying to their false god “Baal” for hours with no answer.  If Baal was truly a god, he would answer by fire to burn up the bull in front of them right?  Well, they danced around the altar, shouted louder and louder, and even began cutting themselves.  However, Baal never answered their shouts calling on him, their dancing, or even their cutting themselves.  Their bull just laid there unburned, because Baal was not real.  Baal had no power and no idol will ever have power because they are made by man’s hands (1 Kings 18:25-29).  Human beings are more powerful than idols.  So why worship them?  It is utter non-sense and a waste of time to worship a lifeless statue!

          Getting back to the story and spiritual battle on Mount Carmel and after the prophets of Baal’s fruitless actions, it was time for Elijah to prove who the real God is!  The Bible says that Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord that the people had torn down.  He dug a trench around this altar.  He put down the wood and cut the bull in pieces.  He arranged the pieces on the wood.  To show that there was no trickery involved, Elijah had men pour water on the offering and the wood three times.  This was a lot of water poured on the offering and the wood.  So much so, that even the trench was filled with water (1 Kings 18:30-35).

          After preparing the altar, wood, and sacrifice, the Bible says that Elijah did what we all must do before doing anything for the Lord.  That is, he prayed to God.  Remember to always pray for success before doing anything for the Lord.  It is He that grants success.  All blessings come from Him (James 1:17).  No matter how smart you may be, it is God that grants our desires.  God can even stop success no matter how much money one invests in something.  He can stop success in sports no matter how athletically gifted we are.  Remember, He is in control of all things.  So, remember, we are always the beggar and He is the giver!  Stay humble about your abilities at all times.  Prayer is one way of staying humble, because it acknowledges the power and authority of the Lord over your life!  Regarding Elijah, the Bible says, “36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again” ( 1 Kings 18:36-37 New International Version).  Notice, Elijah’s goal was not to make himself look good.  Instead, he wanted God to look good.  This is what we call bringing glory to God.  Another thing to keep in mind is that our lives are not supposed to be lived for selfish reasons.  Always remember that the goal of life and all that we do is to glorify God.

          Moving on, the Bible says that Elijah’s prayers were answered.  God miraculously sent fire and it burned up the bull, wood, stones, the ground around the altar, and even evaporated the water in the trench (1 Kings 18:38).  When the children of Israel saw this miracle, they bowed and confessed the God of heaven as God (1 Kings 18:39)!  Furthermore, Elijah had the prophets of Baal arrested and executed in the valley (1 Kings 18:40).

          After the slaughter of Baal’s prophets, Elijah climbed back up to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed.  God answered his prayer and sent rain.  Both Ahab and Elijah traveled back to the town of Jezreel.  Miraculously, God caused Elijah to run so fast on foot that he beat Ahab’s chariot back to the town (1 Kings 18:41-45).

          Unfortunately, the next scene in the Bible turns to Ahab and Jezebel.  Ahab told the queen exactly what happened on Mount Carmel.   Obviously, she was angered that her prophets of Baal were slaughtered (1 Kings 19:1).  She sent a messenger to Elijah to tell him that she was going to have him assassinated immediately (1 Kings 19:2).  Elijah became fearful of the threat and fled for his life.  He traveled a day into the wilderness and prayed that God would take his life (1 Kings 19:3-4).  After praying, he fell asleep.  The Bible says that an angel woke him up and told him to eat.  Miraculously, God provided some bread and water for him to drink.  Shortly thereafter, the angel left him. (1 Kings 19:5-6).

The Bible goes on to say that the angel returned to Elijah a second time.  The angel told Elijah to get up and eat so he would have strength for the journey ahead.  After eating, Elijah was able to travel forty days and forty nights.  He came to a mountain called “Horeb.”  He spent the night in a cave (1 Kings 19:7-9).  What do we learn from the two visits of the angel to Elijah?  Well, we learn never to give up on life.  Unfortunately, many people give up the desire to live when anything bad happens to them.  They do not realize that life gets better with time.  They also do not understand that God may still have some things for them to accomplish in the future they do not know about.  So, don’t give up on life and never commit suicide!  You are here on earth for a reason!  Give God a chance to use you to do great works for Him as he will do for the depressed Elijah in a moment!  Restore your own cheer knowing that God loves you and that man’s plans to do harm for you may not come true anyway!  This you will see as Jezebel will be defeated later on in the story and not Elijah!  This is because Jezebel had earthly power as a queen, but God has all power even beyond anything Jezebel could think of or do herself!  The same is true today.  We serve a God with all power in his hands over all things.  Thus, He can make a change in your life that you have never imagined.  Give Him time to make a change and you will see a difference in your life!  Be patient.  God will never leave you or abandon you (Hebrews 13:5)!

Moving on, the Bible reports of one of the better moments in Ahab’s life.  Unfortunately, Ben-Hadad of Syria decided to attack Ahab’s kingdom in Israel (1 Kings 20:1-12).  Fortunately, God sent a prophet to Ahab to tell him he would be victorious over Ben-Hadad.   Ahab believed the Word of God through the prophet and was victorious over Ben-Hadad’s forces.  However, the prophet also told him that Ben-Hadad’s men would come again (1 Kings 20:13-22).

After Ben-Hadad’s forces were defeated, they will show their ignorance of the power of God.  The Bible says, “23 Meanwhile, the officials of the King of Aram advised him, ‘Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us.  But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. 24 Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25 You must also raise an army like the one you lost-horse for horse and chariot for chariot-so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly” (1 Kings 20:23-25 New International Version).

That Spring, the Bible says that Ben-Hadad’s forces returned to fight Israel.  They vastly outnumbered Ahab’s forces.  They met in the plains as Ben-Hadad wanted.  They would be sadly mistaken that their plan would backfire (1 Kings 20:26-27).  The Lord was angered by the Syrian’s arrogance regarding their lack of belief in the power of God over all things.  The Bible says, “28…Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord…” (1 Kings 20:28 New International Version).  This teaches us a major lesson.  There is no limit to the power of God.  He is God of heaven and earth.  Thus, He has authority over all things in your life.  This includes your job, family, well-being, and life itself!  So, have faith in the power of God in your life!  He can do anything.  This is why it is such a privilege to be able to pray for this power to be used to benefit us in life.  Remember, prayer is a Christian privilege (1 Peter 3:12; Philippians 4:6-7).

Moving on, the Bible says the two armies faced each other for 7 days without battling.  Then, on the seventh day, they locked horns in battle.  The Bible says that Israel killed 100,000 of Ben-Hadad’s men in one day and those who escaped, God caused a wall to fall upon them.  This eliminated 27,000 more of Ben-Hadad’s men.  Ben-Hadad sent messengers to beg for mercy as he remained in hiding.  Ben-Hadad and Ahab made a peace treaty which included Ben-Hadad returning some of Israel’s land to them (1 Kings 20:29-34).  Unfortunately, we find out later in the story that God was not pleased with Ahab’s political alliance with Ben-Hadad.  God wanted Ben-Hadad executed and Ahab disobeyed this command.  Thus, God would take Ahab’s life in return later in the story (1 Kings 20:35-43).  Remember, never defer to politics over religion.  It is not mankind we are to please, but God.  Take a lesson from Ahab.  God wants to be first.  Politics must always take a backseat to what God commands us.

Later on in Ahab’s story, we see more wickedness done by this king.  The Bible says he spoke to a man named Naboth.  He was interested in buying Naboth’s vineyard.  He offered to give Naboth a better vineyard in exchange for his vineyard.  He also offered to pay Naboth whatever the vineyard was worth if he did not want to exchange vineyards.  However, it was against God’s Will for someone to give up the family land so Naboth chose to follow God’s commandments instead of yielding to the temptation of personal gain (1 Kings 21:1-3).  This is a good example for us.  We should always put our personal desires behind what God wants from us.  With these sacrifices, He is well pleased!  However, Ahab was not happy at all with Naboth’s rejection of his offer (1 Kings 21:4).  While Ahab was pouting, his wife Queen Jezebel came to see him.  She wanted to know what was wrong.  He let her know of his conversation with Ahab (1 Kings 21:5).  She said, “…Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite” (1 Kings 21:7 New International Version).  Satan was obviously using Jezebel.  Always remember that the devil uses the temptation called the pride of life (1 John 2:16).  This temptation deals with one’s ego.  It attempts to make us conceited or puffed up so that we do irrational things, because we think we are better than someone else.  Jezebel was saying something like the following to Ahab, “You are the king of Israel.  Who is this peasant to deny you anything?”  She was being a bad influence in order to get Ahab to do something evil in order to get the vineyard anyway.  Today, we call what Jezebel was doing “peer pressure.”  The devil will use people in your life to try and inflate your pride so you do something you should not.  They will call you “chicken” and other names so that your pride motivates you to do sinful things.  Pay no attention to them!  Again, life is about pleasing God and not other people!  If they will not respect you for making the right decision, then they are not your friends anyway.  So, there is no need to do anything wrong to impress others.  Don’t be the next victim of peer pressure!  Unfortunately, Ahab will not be smart enough to not yield to Jezebel’s peer pressure.

Moving on, Jezebel set out to get the field for Ahab through deception.  The Bible records her evil deeds as the following in 1 Kings 21:8-10 (New International Version):

 

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”

 

Unfortunately, Jezebel’s evil plan worked.  The king’s officials did as Jezebel instructed.  At the feast, the 2 liars came forth and gave the false charges against Naboth.  Naboth was executed by stoning as planned (1 Kings 21:12-14).  After the news came to Ahab’s ears, he wasted no time in claiming Naboth’s vineyard as his own (1 Kings 21:15-16).  However, God saw all of the wickedness Ahab and Jezebel were doing.  So much so, God told Elijah to deliver the following message, “19…This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’” (1 Kings 21:19 New International Version).  This means that God was going to punish Ahab by taking his life for his evil deeds.  Elijah delivered the message and included more information from the Lord.  He also told Ahab that dogs would eat the body of Jezebel as well for punishment unto her.  In fact, God would also wipe out all of Ahab’s descendants so they would no longer be kings in Israel (1 Kings 21:20-25).  The good part about Ahab is that when he heard the news from Elijah, instead of being defensive and lashing out at Elijah, he did something better.  He tore his clothes, put on sack cloth, and fasted.  This was what the Jewish people did in Israel when they were sorrowful for what they have done wrong and it is an indication of repentance.  Today, we do not put on sackcloth, tear our clothes, and fast when we have done something wrong.  Instead, we should have an inward change.  We feel sorry for what we have done wrong in God’s eyes before anything else (2 Corinthians 7:10).  This guilty feeling is what causes us to repent (i.e. change for the better).  We must then confess our fault to God and pray that He will forgive us (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:7-10).  He will forgive us for the things that we have done wrong if we are a Christian that has sinned.  Getting back to Ahab, since he humbled himself in the sight of God, God decided to extend some mercy to him.  He would not have to see the kingdom being snatched away from him and given to someone else to rule.  Instead, God would take away the kingdom from Ahab’s descendants after he died (1 Kings 21:27-29).

Moving on to 1 Kings 22, the Bible says that there had been peace between Syria and King Ahab’s land of Israel for three years.  However, that peace did not last.  Ahab knew that the town of Ramoth Gilead had originally belonged to Israel, but Syria had taken it over sometime back in Bible history.  So, Ahab was trying to find an ally to fight with him against Syria.  So he called upon Jehoshaphat.  Jehoshaphat was the king of the Southern Kingdom of the Jewish people called “Judah.”  Remember, Ahab was the king of the Northern Kingdom of the Jewish people called “Israel.”  Jehoshaphat advised Ahab to seek the Lord’s advice before making a decision to fight against Syria.  This would be done by speaking to a prophet(s) who were supposed to be God’s spokesman like preachers are today.  Jehoshaphat agreed to fight with Ahab, but required Ahab to get a Word from God first as explained earlier (1 Kings 22:1-5).  This is exactly what modern Christians must do.  Before making any major decisions, we must consult the Bible to see what God’s guidance and commandments are regarding the decision we want to make and pray for wisdom as well (Psalm 119:105; James 1:5-8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Never make a major decision, especially one that can have moral compromises, without consulting the Lord first.  Then, after consulting the Lord, do what He says because this can keep one out of both spiritual consequences and physical dangers that can also hurt us.

Continuing with the story, the Bible says that Ahab went to his prophets for an answer as to whether or not his army should go to fight Syria.  They told him to go and fight and the Lord would give him victory (1 Kings 22:6).  Jehoshaphat was not satisfied by their answer.  They were false prophets who God had not sent anyway.  As result, Jehoshaphat said, “…Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?” (1 Kings 22:7 New International Version). Ahab answered Jehoshaphat’s question by saying there is a godly prophet named “Micaiah.”  However, he did not want to hear what Micaiah had to say.  This is because Micaiah was a truthful man and only spoke what the Lord told him.  This means that not everything Micaiah said would be easy to accept.  He would tell of the punishments and displeasure God would have for someone.  This was the case with Micaiah’s messages from God to Ahab.  He had a history of delivering messages Ahab did not want to hear.  So, Ahab did not want to call for Micaiah, but he did so anyway (1 Kings 22:8-9).  Please keep in mind that today, our preachers must tell us all of God’s Word (Acts 20:26-27).  This means on Sunday mornings, you will hear things that are easy to listen to and things you don’t want to hear.  Do not get upset with the preacher for doing his job.  As the Apostle Paul has shown us, a preacher must deliver the whole Word of God in order to not sin Himself (Acts 20:26-27).  Also, a preacher who truly loves God and you will look out for your best welfare (Galatians 6:1).  This means he will tell you some truths you may not want to hear, but is good for your spiritual health.  The preacher is commanding to preach the Gospel of salvation in Jesus, correct faults of church members, and encourage the church as well (2 Timothy 4:1-2, 5).

Moving on, the Bible says that a messenger went to get Micaiah.  Before arriving to see Ahab and Jehoshaphat, the messenger tried to prep Micaiah for the meeting with the two kings.  He told Micaiah that all of the prophets were predicting victory for Ahab against Syria and he should do the same!  However, since Micaiah was a godly, honest person, he refused to cave into the pressure and lie to Ahab (1 Kings 22:13-14).  Micaiah is a great example for us.  Remember, Micaiah was being pressured by the majority to lie and on top of that, kings had the power to murder someone they did not like.  Thus, it was a major risk for Micaiah to take by telling the truth!  He would make many enemies by not following the crowd and the king could take his life as well.  Unfortunately, in life, we will be faced by these tough decisions.  However, we should love God more than politics, popularity, and even our own lives.  Remember, it is better to obey God than mankind (Acts 5:29).  So, if someone cannot accept you for being truthful, they are not your friend and not on God’s side.  It is better to keep God as your friend than anyone else in the world, because God will never betray you and has the keys to your heavenly salvation!

Returning to our story, in the next Bible scene, we see King Ahab and Micaiah conversing.  Ahab asked him if Israel should go up to battle against the Syrians at Ramoth Gilead?  Sarcastically, Micaiah told him to go up to the battle and God would provide the victory.  Obviously, Ahab did not believe this answer so he pressed Micaiah for the truth.  Micaiah advised King Ahab that they would be defeated and he would lose his life.  He also advised Ahab that all of his prophets who foretold victory were lying (1 Kings 22:15-17).  This information from Micaiah was not received well at all.  In fact, one of the false prophets, Zedekiah, slapped him.  A Word from God came from Micaiah foretelling the death God would put Zedekiah through in the near future.  Even worse, Ahab had Micaiah imprisoned and regulated to a diet of only bread and water (1 Kings 22:18-28).  Always remember that telling the truth may make enemies.  So, be it!  Never fear what people will do to you for telling the truth (Matthew 10:28).  We should fear God’s judgment more than what mankind will do here on earth.  No matter what, if we stay true to God until the end of our lives, heaven will be our home no matter what enemies of God will put us through (Revelation 2:10).  In that heavenly state, evil people cannot follow us or hurt us anymore, because in heaven there is nothing but joy (Revelation 21:4; John 3:16).  So, even moments of suffering or a life of hardship down here for being truthful is worth the reward of heaven.  God will deliver in this life and/or the life to come!  Remember, suffering of God’s people is never permanent.

The next Bible scene shows us Ahab and Jehoshaphat in battle with the Syrians at Ramoth Gilead.  The Syrian king made it a direct ordered to all of his soldiers to kill Ahab.  In other words, he was the main target and the Syrian king made sure all of his manpower was devoted to carrying out this deed.  Ahab went to the battle in disguise, but Jehoshaphat was in his royal attire.  At first, the Syrian army thought that Jehoshaphat was Ahab.  So, they chased him until they found out he was not Ahab.  It seemed as if Ahab’s disguise was working, because the Bible does not say any Syrian recognized him.  However, God fixed it where an arrow from the Syrians still struck Ahab between the sections of his armor.  This wound would prove to be a fatal one as the king eventually died hours later.  Furthermore, Ahab’s and Jehoshaphat’s armies retreated (1 Kings 22:29-39).  Did you see something miraculous here? The miracle was that no matter what Ahab did to prevent his death, it was of no use.  He disguised himself and even put on armor, but these things could not save him from God’s judgment.  This shows us that God’s Word is true and can never be defeated.  Thus, if God says it, it will happen no matter what man tries to prevent it.  This relates to us in the following way.  God has determined a judgment day for all mankind (Revelation 20:11-15).  Those who are righteous Christians will go to the joys of heaven while those who will not live righteously will go to eternal punishment.  God has declared it; so it will happen.  If you have not become a Christian, please see how to do so according to the Bible at the end of this lesson.

Friend, you are probably asking yourself, “Whatever happened to Jezebel?”  Remember, God had pronounced a judgment on Jezebel because of her part in the murder of Naboth and the prophets.  In fact, God told Ahab that dogs would eat Jezebel’s dead body (1 Kings 22:20-29).  Did this really happen?  Of course so!  If God said it would happen, then there is no stopping the Word of God. Right before Jezebel died, the Bible says that God appointed a new king to replace Ahab.  His name was Jehu.  God sent him to destroy Ahab and his family as a punishment for their sins (2 Kings 9:1-13) Here is what the Bible says happened to Ahab and Jezebel in 2 Kings 9:30-37 (New International Version):

 

30 Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?” 32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33 “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. 34 Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.” 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36 They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. 37 Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”

 

As you can see, God’s Word came true concerning the death of Jezebel.  She was thrown from a window and the horses ran her over!  Jehu wanted to pay some degree of respect to her body by having it buried.  However, that was not God’s plan.  God literally wanted the dogs to eat her body and they did.  They left very few bones behind!  Thus, she paid with her life due to her sins!

In conclusion, as mentioned earlier, Ahab and Jezebel were very wicked in the sight of God.  Their sinful ways angered God so much that he eventually destroyed them.  This teaches us that although it may seem that some people are getting away with evil deeds, these same evil deeds will catch back up to them.  This certainly was the case with Ahab and Jezebel as their sins cost them their lives.  This is why all Christians must repent (i.e. change) before our evil deeds follow us to the judgment day when we are doing things contrary to God’s Will in our lives (Revelation 20:11-15).  He is a forgiving God for those who will change.  Take advantage of God’s mercy by getting your life back on track if you have been living in rebellion of God’s Word.  He forgives all Christians who will repent, confess their faults, and pray for mercy (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:7-11).  May God bless and keep you.

 

 

God’s Plan of Salvation

 

          There is so much confusion in the world today regarding what some people preach as God’s plan of salvation.  Some will have one say a prayer similar to the following, “Dear Jesus.  I realize that I am a sinner.  I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.  Please forgive me now and save me.”  This is commonly called “A Sinner’s Prayer.”  There is only one portion of this type of prayer that is right.  One must accept Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior, but a prayer for salvation is not in the Bible.  One cannot pray and receive salvation.

Others preach that one can just believe and he/she is automatically a child of God.  Unfortunately, this method is not mentioned in the Bible as God's way of salvation either.

Even others preach that if an infant is baptized, he/she is saved at that moment.  Well, friend, again, this is a method made up by man and not in the Bible.

Literally studying the Bible, itself, is the only way to get a true and righteous answer to the question, "What must I do to be saved?"  This is where it is wise to allow the Word of God to explain itself as much as possible.  Please come with an open mind to this study as it is not meant nor worded to offend.  It is only designed to spread the truth of what God literally says one must do to be saved. 

First, we must study the first element of God's plan of salvation, which is to hear His Word as taught in the Bible, itself.  1 Corinthians 1:21 reads, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”  To those disinterested in the things of God, preaching salvation through Jesus Christ is foolishness to them.  It is nonsense.  On the other hand, for those truly seeking God, it is God’s wisdom displayed unto him/her.  Salvation comes through hearing the Word of God.  It does not come through feelings, flashes of great light, an audible Word from Jesus, Himself, a literal appearance from Him, or any other methods people claim to have experienced today.  Instead, God has said salvation comes from preaching.  In fact, Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (New King James Version).  This means one must hear the Word of God to be saved.  Again, this is done through preaching! 

Second, in order to be saved, Jesus says, “15…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16 New King James Version). This verse is showing us one must believe the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. What is that Gospel (i.e. the good news)? Acts 2:22-39 explains it to us and reads:

22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- 23 "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 "For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.' 29 "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 "Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 "he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." 36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call (New King James Version).

To say this in a brief manner, in order to be saved, one must believe that Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross of Calvary, rose again to life on the third day, and has been chosen by God the Father to be mankind’s Lord and Christ (i.e. Savior).

 

How is He the Savior of all mankind who will believe and obey Him? The answer is all mankind, including you and me, have sinned. This means we have all done something worthy of spiritual, eternal death. We are worthy of eternal punishment through our evil deeds (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Jesus volunteered to give His life as a substitute offering so we could be freed from the sentence of eternal, spiritual death (1 John 2:2; Romans 5:9-10). In other words, Jesus’ death was a peacemaking offering, also known as an atonement, with God the Father (Romans 5:11).

If one can believe the death of Jesus was the substitute for the eternal, spiritual death we deserved, then God is able to save him/her. If not, he/she cannot be saved, because there is no other way one can be saved (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 4:12; Titus 1:4). There is no salvation to those who do not become Christians before they die (John 14:6). Believing that Jesus is Lord and Christ is also a conviction that Jesus is the literal Son of God (John 3:16). He was human, but Divine as well.

Third, in order to be saved, one must also repent of his/her sins.  Jesus made it quite clear in His preaching that one must repent in order to be pleasing to God the Father.  One example of this command from Jesus is in Mark 1:15, which reads as follows, according to the New King James Version, “…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

What is repentance?  Orville J. Nave has a great definition of what this word means and is quoted as follows, “A complete reversal of one’s attitude and values, i.e. a turning toward God” (Unger & White, 1996).  This is just another way of saying when one desires to become a Christian, he/she has to make a commitment to live a morally upright life according to the Will of God in the New Testament.

Remember, when Jesus died, He brought in the New Testament (which is the New Covenant) and closed the Old Testament (i.e. the Old Covenant).  We are to obey the New Testament for salvation, but use the Old Testament for our learning of principles that have been carried over into the New Testament (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 12:24, Romans 15:4).  Please also keep in mind, the Father God speaks to us in these last days through His Son-Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3).  His Words, which are the Words of the Father God, are captured in the New Testament of the Bible (Matthew 7:21-23).

What does repentance lead to according to the Bible?  Acts 2:38 shows us and reads as follows, according to the New International Version, “…Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Remember, repentance is a change of lifestyle from the bad to the good.  Notice, repentance must come before God will forgive us of our sins.  Thus, if one will not commit to leaving a sinful lifestyle behind, then God cannot forgive the person.  Without forgiveness, there is no salvation. 

Fourth, one must confess Jesus Christ to be one’s Lord in order to be saved.  This is shown to us in Romans 10:9-10, according to the New International Version, “9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Italics Added).

The Bible gives an example of this confession in Acts 8:37.  Acts 8:36-38 reads as follows, according to the New American Standard 1995 Version:

36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ``Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?'' 37 And Philip said, ``If you believe with all your heart, you may.'' And he answered and said, ``I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'' 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Friend, as you can see, the saving confession, which acknowledges the fact one has accepted Jesus as his/her Lord, is “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Fifth, in order to be saved, one MUST be baptized in water.  Jesus, again said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16 New King James Version).

Notice, Jesus used the word “and” between the words “believes” and “is baptized.”  This means the two concepts are connected and inseparable.  In order to be saved, one must BOTH believe and be baptized according to the teachings of God!  Man may separate the two in his own false teachings, but it is only the Word of God that saves! Water baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation with no exceptions.  If the Bible teaches it, then it is true.  If man teaches otherwise, then he is a liar! 

Sixth and finally, the last thing one must do to be saved is to stay faithful to Jesus Christ until he or she dies. This author did not imagine this concept, it is literally written in the Scriptures. Jesus said the following to all Christians, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10 New American Standard 1995 Version).

This word “faithful” is accurately defined by the renowned Greek scholar, Joseph Thayer. He defines the original Greek Word “pistos” (Strong’s number 4103) as the following, “Trusty; faithful; of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties” (Thayer, 2003).

Thus, to remain faithful to Jesus until death means all Christians are bound to live a life according to what Jesus commanded. That is, we have to continue believing in Him as our Lord and Savior until our earthly deaths (Hebrews 10:39; Matthew 10:32-33).   In addition, we have to live a life morally in accordance to the things He taught us (Matthew 7:21-23; Hebrews 1:1-3; Luke 6:41-49; James 2:20).

In summary, God’s plan of salvation, according to the Bible, is as follows:

1.  One must hear the Word of God being the offering of salvation through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:17).

2. (2) He or she must then believe this Gospel story of salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior (Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:18-20; John 8:24).

3.  He or she then must repent, which means to live a morally, clean Christian life by abandoning sinful ways (Acts 2:38; Mark 1:14-15).

4. He or she must also confess Jesus Christ as his or her Lord, which means the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10; Acts 2:37).

5. He or she must be submerged in the watery of grave of baptism for the forgiveness of one’s sins (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21).

6. All Christians must remain faithful to Jesus Christ by continued belief in and obedience to Lord until death (Revelation 2:10; Matthew 7:21-23; Hebrews 1:1-3; James 2:20; Hebrews 10:39).

 

What Are You Going To Do Now?

 

Are you one who has read the Bible and has understood that you may have, unfortunately, been deceived into thinking you were saved, but were not due to being taught false doctrine? Please do not be ashamed. Satan has many false teachers and preachers in this world (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)!  Remember, one of the tools Satan uses to keep us enslaved to sin and headed to eternal punishment is our own pride (1 John 2:16)!  Please do not let pride stop you from becoming a true Christian.  If you are one who thought you were a Christian, but realized you were not taught the truth leading to salvation, then this author begs of you to find a local church of Christ congregation and tell the minister there your dilemma.  Then, allow yourself to be taught the truth (Acts 8:26-39). From there, give yourself to Christ in truth so there will be no doubt of your salvation when the judgment day comes!  Make sure you have yourself baptized at the local congregation to wash away your sins (Acts 22:16)!  Remember, false teachings send us to eternal punishment and not heaven (Matthew 15:13-14; Galatians 1:8-9).  Only the truth will set us free from sin and eternal death (John 8:32).  May God bless you and keep you! This author loves you, but God loves you more (1 John 4:8-11; John 15:13)!