When There Should Have Been Revival There Was Apostacy

 A Revival Digresses to Disobedience

 Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 22

 Throughout society today, there is a desperate need for people to commit.

 We will never serve the Lord as we should unless we commit to Him.

 Without committing to the Lord, nothing of lasting value can be achieved.

 If we want rewards when we get to Heaven, we must commit to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 If we want blessings from the Lord while we are still here upon this earth, we must make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus said it like this: Jhn_15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: "for without me ye can do nothing".

 Unless we are committed to the Lord Jesus, we will never have a personal relationship with Him!

 Without commitment, the Lord is not with us, and we are left to ourselves as we walk through this life, and we may not have His help at all.

 We saw in our lesson last week that King Ahaziah of Judah had been killed by King Jehu of Israel.

 He was the youngest son of King Jehoram, but all his brothers had been killed by Arabian marauders.

 He reigned for only one year, as he was killed by King Jehu.

 He was the son of Athaliah, who was King Ahab's daughter and King Omri's granddaughter, who were kings of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

 She was the daughter of Jezebel, wife to King Ahab.

 Ahaziah lived an evil life before the Lord.

 He went to the kings of Israel for advice on ruling the people of Judah and Benjamin, and not to Jehovah.

 He was killed during the time he went to visit King Joram by Jehu, as we learned from last week's lesson, as God commanded.

 2Ch 22:7  And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 

 It was at this time that his mother, Athaliah, decided that she would rule Judah, and she went on a killing spree, murdering all her grandchildren.

 *****2Ch 22:10  But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah. 

2Ch 22:11  But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not. 

2Ch 22:12  And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. 

 We do not have to be rocket scientists to realize that the Devil was trying to break the promise to King David and stop the miracle birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 If Satan could cause just one of the promises of God to be wrong, no one would trust the promises of God to be a fact, and none would trust the Word of God to be true.

 Ahaziah had a wicked father and a wicked mother, and he followed in their footsteps.

 He, like Ahab, his father-in-law, was just a puppet that his mother controlled the strings.

 Today, many people, including many so-called Christians, follow the example and the advice of people who are focused on the world and not on the Word of God.

 When we start following the world in the passions and the pleasures, which are short-lived, we will influence our family and friends to do the same.

 If we seek the advice of the world for our lives, we will likely follow the world in our decisions.

 The Lord Jesus teaches us to do this instead: Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

 By the providence of God, a one-year-old child was in the right place at the right time in the hands of someone who loved the Lord.

 2Ki 11:2  But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. 

2Ki 11:3  And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land. 

 The miracle of God's "Grace" at this time was Joash, who was a baby one year old.

 This Jehoshabeath was the wife of Jehoiada, who was one of God's priests and the Chief Priest of the Temple. Her name means "the Lord is her oath".

 Jehoshabeath was for salvation, Athaliah was out for destruction.

 Jehoshabeath served God's people; Athaliah served herself and the world.

 We can also see that this nurse of the baby Joash helped save the life of this baby, and we do not even know her name.

 At the age of seven years, Joash became King of Judah.

 *****2Ch 23:1  And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. 

2Ch 23:2  And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 

2Ch 23:3  And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David. 

 The history of King Joash is actually the history of Jehoiada the priest of God.

 In fact, the nation of Judah appreciated him so much that he was buried amongst the good kings of Judah, which we will cover in the next chapter.

 We could ask ourselves; how will the other members of the Church remember us once we are in Heaven.

 Can it be said that we have done good.

 Our first obligation is to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 God sees everything we do, and He knows us better than all others can.

 Doing good to His House means we behave in His House according to the standards He has given to us.

 1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest "know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God", which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 

1Ti 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 

 Jehoiada secured the support of the military.

Jehoiada gets the Levites to return to the Temple.

 If we know what the Lord has told us in the Word of God, then we can place our faith in what He said because God does not ever change.

 Because the Temple is the location of this gathering, we know it is done before God.

 Anytime we are doing business in the House of God we are inviting God to be a part of it!

 In this seven-year-old boy lies the hope of the future of Israel and the future of the Church.

 Did this priest realize what the Scriptures said?

 He knew the promises he made to King David and this is where he placed his faith.

 Today we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the only hope of our living in the glory world!

 Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

 What had the Prophet Isaiah prophesied? Isa 3:4  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 

 Joash became the next King of Judah.

 Later, we will see Manasseh made king at twelve years old and Josiah, who was king at eight years old, and Jehoiachin, who was king at eight years old.

 What did King Solomon write in: Ecc 10:16  Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 

 *****2Ch 23:11  Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, "and gave him the testimony", and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king. 

 They followed the Law of God in making Joash King of Judah.

 Deu 17:18  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 

Deu 17:19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 

Deu 17:20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. 

 King Joash would rule for forty years, and he would do what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days that Jehoiada lived.

 2Ch 24:2  And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 

 He repaired the Temple that had been abused by wicked kings and priests.

 2Ch 24:7  For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim. 

 This work was financed by tithes called a Temple Tax and offerings that were freely given by the people.

 Then Jehoiada reached the end of his days.

 *****2Ch 24:15  But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. 

2Ch 24:16  And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. 

 Priest Jehoiada had lived for one hundred and thirty years and this would be since the time of King Solomon and lived thru six other kings before he died.

 Jehoiada does not die from disease or accident, but he dies of old age.

 He had served God and his nation all those years.

 No one since Joshua had lived these many years.

 The influence of this great priest is shown when he is buried among the kings of Judah.

 People ask all the time, "How much can one man do to help a nation"?

 This priest, this one man, held back sin and helped his nation return to the Lord all the days of his life.

 In many ways, this priest was in type like the Holy Spirit.

 2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

 Once Jehoiada was gone, the evil that was in Judah began to influence Joash and turned him away from the Word of God.

When there should have been revival, the people of influence sway the king to go against the Word of God.

 *****2Ch 24:17  Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. 

 This same thing has happened in America. The Church is allowed some freedom because our nation mostly honors the freedom of religion.

 The Devil looks upon this thing and insists upon having those same freedoms.

 This was not the intent of the founders of our nation, and our whimsy governments allow the worship of the Devil or any other false religion.

 I do not consider Christianity to be a religion.

 Christianity is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Without this personal relationship, there is no Church!

Those people in the Church who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ serve religion, and religion cannot save you!

 This King turned against the teaching of Jehoiada and allowed these people in leadership positions to serve idols.

 *****2Ch 24:18  And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. 

2Ch 24:19  Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

2Ch 24:20  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. 

2Ch 24:21  And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. 

 What did the Lord Jesus say to these leaders of Israel?

 Mat 23:31  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 

Mat 23:32  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 

Mat 23:33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 

Mat 23:34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 

Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 

Mat 23:36  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 

 There is a great many who believe that Zechariah the son of Jehoiada is the same man that the Lord Jesus is referring to as written in the Book of Matthew and the Book of Luke, where there is no name given for his father.

 Luk 11:47  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 

Luk 11:48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 

Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 

Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 

 The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, and he pronounced judgment upon these wicked men and the King that had been saved by Jehoiada turned upon God and the Son of Jehoiada and murdered him in the court of the house of the Lord.

 The Lord Jesus said between the altar and the Temple.

 Judah could not prosper during the reign of Joash.

Jehovah promised justice to Judah.

Zep 1:4  I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; 

Zep 1:5  And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; 

Zep 1:6  And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

Before we do anything in this life, we need to seek the face of God to see what He says about it!

2Co_6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Amen

Judgment on King Ahab and Jezebel

 Judgment on the House of Ahab

 Book of 2 Kings

 There are many disagreements in the many denominations of the Church about the "Judgment of God," but we are all united in the belief that there will be a final "Judgment".

 Death is a reality for every member of the human race.

 Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 We should understand that this Scripture refers to the physical death of the body, but not the soul.

 The soul can be described as the life-principle of a human being, and the life-principle of every human will live on after the death of the body.

 The Lord Jesus says this about the soul: Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 The soul can be said to be the immaterial nature of every human!

 The soul can only be seen by God, who gave it!

Sometimes, the real me on the inside of this sack of flesh will be looking out, and I will want to do something, but I cannot get this flesh to cooperate. It gets worse as I get older.

 At death, the soul and the body will separate: Jas 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead", so faith without works is dead also.

 With the body now dead, it is the soul that will face the judgment of God, as our verse in the Book of Hebrews says.

 No one is exempt from this death. Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 We must be very clear that because Jehovah is holy, He must judge all that is unholy, or He would no longer be holy Himself!

 "Judgment" is an expression of God's character!

 Today, we will see that many will face God's "Judgement" as they die because they are evil and wicked, and they have refused to repent of that wickedness.

 We have already spoken some on the judgment of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, but today we will see it as it takes place in the Scriptures.

 It was the Prophet Elijah who first informed King Ahab about how his life would end in judgment.

 We know that God had already judged Lucifer and the fallen angels, and the things written in the Scriptures will take place as they are written.

 We know that God judged the people on this earth with the worldwide flood in the days of Noah.

 God judged the people at the Tower of Babel.

 God judged the people of the Northern Kingdom, as we have been studying.

 God also judged the Southern Kingdom.

 We know that the wrath of God will be revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness!

The Book of Revelation gives us the horrible details of this "Judgement".

 Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

 As the Son of God, our Lord Jesus has the authority to render judgment when He returns, and He will only do this after He has removed His Church from this earth.

 Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 It would be Jehu who would be the hand of God's judgment upon King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

We will see that Jehu went farther than the Lord intended and in ways that were not intended.

 *****2Ki 9:1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

2Ki 9:2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

2Ki 9:3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

2Ki 9:4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

2Ki 9:5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

 Once Jehu was known to be the next King of the Northern Tribes of Israel, he had to move fast because he would be charged with high treason.

 Jehu was commanded by Jehovah to put a stop to the House of Ahab and being obedient to God and upon the right principles, he did not have to worry about opposition.

 What did the Lord actually say?

 1Ki 19:17 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.

1Ki 19:18 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.

 What had God said to Ahab?

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

1Ki 21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

 This was Ahab's last chance to repent. We know that Ahab did repent at least a little and Jehovah allowed him to die in a war with Syria "before his family came to judgment", but the words of God's prophet still held.

 1Ki 22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

1Ki 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.

 *****2Ki 9:6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

2Ki 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

2Ki 9:8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:

2Ki 9:9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:

2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.

 It was Elijah who had received the order from Jehovah to anoint Jehu as the new King of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

 Elijah anointed Elisha to replace him as a Prophet of God, and it was Elisha who anointed Hazael as King of Syria. Now, Elisha sent another prophet to anoint Jehu as the new king.

 God had allowed King Ahab to reign until his death.

 1Ki 21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

1Ki 21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

1Ki 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

 Once King Ahab had died, Jehovah fulfilled the promise He had made.

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

 The person Elisha chose to anoint Jehu as king was to do three things.

 Jehu was one of the captains of the Army of King Ahab and may have been the lead captain.

 1) This prophet was to take Jehu into an inner room and privately anoint him out of sight of everyone else.

2) He was to declare that it was Jehovah who had appointed him king over Israel.

3) He was to flee the scene as quickly as he could.

 For someone to declare themselves to be king would be considered high treason to the existing government.

 This is the thing that the Jews used to have the Lord Jesus crucified.

 Jehu was chosen specifically to execute justice on the house of Ahab.

 This was because Ahab had allowed Jezebel to slaughter the people of God and God's prophets.

 Jehu was to kill all the descendants of Ahab and Jezebel.

 God had said this same thing would happen to other kings of Israel.

 Jezebel's ending would be just as God had described.

 2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.

 The army of King Ahab became the army of King Jehu.

 Jehu was appointed to be a just ruler to execute justice.

There is a big difference between justice and murder!

 It is the same for every ruler that God allows to rule today.

 They are in place to execute justice, and they will be held accountable to God for how they do this!

 Executing justice does not always mean murder, which is a sin!

 However, how any ruler executes justice to their people will determine how Jehovah will execute justice to them!

 Whatever they sow, they will reap!

 The Lord Jesus Christ will execute perfect justice when He returns!

 2Ch 19:6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

2Ch 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

 Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 Joram, a son of Ahab, was now ruler of Israel, and Ahaziah was King of Judah, and they were both together.

 Because Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel and the mother of Ahaziah, Joram, King of Israel, was the uncle to Ahaziah, the King of Judah.

 *****2Ki 9:21 And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

2Ki 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

2Ki 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

 The uncle and his nephew went out to meet Jehu.

 As only God can manage, these men met at the portion of land that had been taken from Naboth.

 If we do not believe in the providence of God, then we will never understand the Word of God.

 In reality, Jehu carried out a bloody slaughter throughout Israel.

 Did Jehovah command this to happen, or did He just warn King Ahab that this was going to happen?

 God will always allow us to repent.

 God will tell us what will happen if we refuse to repent.

 Hos 1:4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Hos 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

 We can see that the military of King Ahab did not think too highly of Jezebel.

 Joram was just like his mother, and Ahaziah was just like his mother Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

2Ki 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;

2Ki 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

2Ki 9:27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

 There are over fifty-two verses of Scripture that describe the slaughter of Jehu, so it must be important that we understand what God is saying here.

 Jehu took out King Joram with one shot of an arrow through his heart, and his body was cast into the field once owned by Naboth where the birds would eat him.

 It is Verse 26 that tells that the sons of Naboth were also slaughtered by King Ahab and Jezebel.

 Now Jehu turns his attention to King Ahaziah of Judah, best described in the Book of 2 Chronicles:

 2Ch 22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

2Ch 22:8 And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

2Ch 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

 The death of Ahaziah and his sons left Judah without a king, and this is when Athaliah took it upon herself to become Queen of Judah by her treachery. She murdered her own children and grandchildren.

 2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

 Only one son had survived, who was Joash, who continued the promise made to King David.

 2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

 Jehu decided it was time to take care of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

 A tire was a headdress, an ornament for the head, generally of gold or precious stones, a tiara.

 Jezebel was old by this time, but made herself look like royalty in an attempt to impress Jehu.

 She had been the cause of the death of many prophets of God.

 *****2Ki 9:31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

2Ki 9:32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

2Ki 9:33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

2Ki 9:34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter.

2Ki 9:35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

2Ki 9:36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

2Ki 9:37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

 The end of Jezebel was just as Jehovah had said.

 Her blood had splattered everywhere, she was trampled, and the dogs had eaten her until nothing but her skull, her hands, and her feet were left.

She would be as dung as her remains passed from the dogs in the nearby fields of Jezreel.

 She was buried in an unmarked grave, and no one mourned for this wicked woman.

 It was then that Jehu turned his attention to the seventy sons of King Ahab.

 The Scripture says seventy sons, but it may mean sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.

 *****2Ki 10:10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

2Ki 10:11  So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. 

 Jehu may have considered himself to be the arm of God, but in reality, we know that God does not need our help for His Word to be True!

 Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

 Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

 Jehu wrote a letter to the officials of Samaria and Jezreel, telling them to choose the closest relative of King Ahab and make him king of Israel and to prepare for war.

 This only terrified these officials, who were afraid to confront Jehu.

 Since they had switched their allegiance to Jehu, Jehu wrote another letter demanding that they execute justice against the seventy sons of King Ahab for treason.

 They were to bring the heads of these seventy sons to Jezreel the very next day.

 The word of Jehu was honored.

 Jehu made out that he was on a special mission for Jehovah to remove any blame for himself seeking the sympathy of the people.

 Jehu was not a godly man.

 *****2Ki 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

 He was just like Jeroboam.

 King Jehu went beyond the justice that God had intended, and he became a murderer.

 God wanted justice throughout the Northern Tribes of Israel and not just the elimination of one family, though God knew what Jehu would do.

 To murder is a terrible sin because it takes the life of a person out of this world.

 The hearts of many who are left behind also suffer much pain and grief, and in many cases hardship, because it was the male who was the breadwinner on that day, while the wife took care of the children.

 Jehu caused a terrible number of single-parent families.

 God never instructs His children to murder. God still says that they will suffer the consequences of this evil.

 For the wages of sin is death!

 Amen

Obadiah God' Prophet of End Times

 God's Prophet of Doom

 Book of Obadiah

 The name Obadiah means the servant of Yahweh. Obadiah was a servant of the Lord.

 We may read a lot of things about Obadiah but in reality all we know is what is written in the book that carries his name.

 There were several other men who were named Obadiah but we do not know of any of them being the Prophet Obadiah.

 The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament and he is called a Minor Prophet but the message of the Minor Prophets are just as important as the other prophets.

 This book is still given to us as a message from the Holy Spirit.

 From start to finish the Book of Obadiah is a prophecy of judgment and doom on the people of Edom.

 The enmity between Israel and Edom began when these to twin sons of Isaac were still in the womb of their mother.

 Gen 25:22  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 

Gen 25:23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 

 The hostility of these two brothers continued for years.

 Remember Jacob bought Esau's inheritance for the price of a bowl of stew.

 Edom was a source of pain for israel throughout Old Testament history.

 When Moses was leading Israel to the promised land Edom refused to allow them to cross their land.

 Num 20:18  And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. 

Num 20:19  And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. 

Num 20:20  And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. 

Num 20:21  Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

 These things only got worse as time went by.

 God told Israel to treat the Edomites like brothers: Deu 23:7  Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. 

Deu 23:8  The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.

God expects brotherly love from each of us and we are not to hate our enemies.

 The Edomites did not do the same: Eze 35:5  Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: 

Eze 35:6  Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. 

Eze 35:7  Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. 

Eze 35:8  And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. 

Eze 35:9  I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

 The Edomites were Israel's longest-standing enemy, and more prophecies are directed against this nation than any other in Scripture.

 After Jerusalem was defeated by Babylon the Edomites entered Jerusalem to loot whatever valuables and food that had been overlooked by Babylon.

 Worst of all, they murdered survivors trying to flee from the Babylonians and handed over others to be tormented.

 This did not sit well with Jehovah, and the Edomites would be destroyed and snuffed out forever from history.

 The purpose of Obadiah was to warn the Edomites, and it was their last chance for repentance.

 We should be able to see that the enemies of God's people will be severely judged.

 In the end, the message of the Prophet Obadiah will apply to all people and all nations who dare to persecute God's people.

 *****Oba 1:1  The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. 

 It is this first verse that gives us the name of the author of this great book.

 A vision was one of the ways God revealed Himself to His prophets, sometimes by open revelations and other times by dreams.

 Abraham, Jacob, Isaiah, and many others were called with visions.

 Even in the day of the Apostle Paul, visions are mentioned.

 2Co 12:1  It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 

 Act 18:9  Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 

Act 18:10  For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 

 I know the Lord still uses visions or dreams today.

 This is the reason these prophets of God were called "Seers".

 1Sa 9:9  (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) 

 Obadiah says he and other prophets were given this same message.

 Jeremiah was one.

 Jer 49:14  I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

 This word ambassador is the same person as a messenger who goes to the unbeliever with the message of God.

 As Christians we are all to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ.

 2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 Our home is now Heaven so we can be ambassadors to this earth and to every nation upon this earth.

 We should be clear Jehovah gave Obadiah an actual picture of the destruction of Edom.

 Not only did Obadiah get a visual picture of the destruction of Edom but Jehovah did speak to His prophet.

God gave Obadiah the words to say to Edom.

 *****Oba 1:2  Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. 

Oba 1:3  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 

Oba 1:4  Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 

 These are the words of Jehovah.

 The Edomites would be despised by the nations that were around.

 No matter what they were into in that day, they would become a small people until they would cease to exist.

 It was the Edomites who carved Petra and other cities out of sandstone rock.

 They felt very safe and very secure in these cities.

 To get to Petra you have to go through a narrow canyon that is only wide enough for one man and one horse to pass through in single file.

 Any enemy could be stopped from entering into Petra. This where there pride came from as they had stopped many enemies at this narrow point.

 They had begun to think like the Devil.(who shall bring me down to the ground)

 Mal 1:3  And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 

Mal 1:4  Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. 

Mal 1:5  And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. 

 God described Lucifer: Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 

Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 

Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 

Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 

 No doubt pride is still our enemy even though we should be proud of our heritage with the Lord Jesus Christ we must be careful how we use it.

 God says that pride in our heart will deceive us and we know that Satan's middle name is "Deceiver".

 Obadiah prophesies against the Edomites because of their attitude of hatred against God's people Israel.

 The Edomites felt secure in their rock carve homes in Petra.

 We know the eagle will make it's home in high places that cannot be reached by most of its enemies, and the Edomites also felt this way.

 In fact God said even if their nest was amongst the stars, He would still bring them down to earth.

 We should understand that God will pour out His "judgment" upon the unbelievers on this earth, especially upon those who persecute God's people.

 What was God's judgment?

 The nation of Edom would be made a small.

The pride of the people of Edom would be cut down.

 Their land would no longer protect them. Only the Lord can protect and secure any nation.

 Our own nation could find this out it continues to persecute the Church!

 *****Oba 1:8  Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? 

Oba 1:9  And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. 

Oba 1:10  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

 The enemy that God would use against Edom would be one of their trusted allies.

 Anyone who continues to reject the Lord could see their own friends turn on them.

 This so-called friend of Edom would take all their wealth and and all their valuable possessions.

 All the treasures of Edom would be plundered.

 God's "judgment" would strip Edom bare of their treasures.

 All the wise leaders of Edom would leave for other places or be slaughtered.

 Edom would lose its army and become defenceless.

 All who oppose the Lord and His people will certainly face the terrifying "judgment" of Jehovah God.

 2Th 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 

2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

2Th 1:9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 

2Th 1:10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

 *****Oba 1:11  In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. 

Oba 1:12  But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. 

Oba 1:13  Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; 

Oba 1:14  Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. 

 You want to get on the wrong side of God? Here is how you do it.

 1) Become an enemy of God's people.

 Edom had a hatred for God's people that had lasted for many years. It is the same for the so-called Palestinians today. They rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem. They committed every act of violence imaginable to cause problems for the nation of Israel.

 2) They were blood relatives of the Israelites, but this meant nothing to them. They were filled with a bitter hatred, and they would never come to the aid of the Israelites. They would give their support to the enemies of Israel.

 3) They looked down on the Jews, just as there are many in the world who still do this today. They would rejoice every time they saw the Jews suffering. Remember the two witnesses that are written in the Book of the Revelation.

 Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 

Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 

Rev 11:6  These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 

Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 

Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 

 The Edomites rejoiced over every destruction that happened to the Jews.

 4) The Edomites attacked and plundered the Israelites at ever opportunity. Even when other nations had defeated the Jews. As soon as they left the Edomites would sweep down and take anything that was left. It is an awful thing to steal from helpless people who cannot defend themselves.

 5) The Edomites were guilty of murder. When Israel was attacked there would be survivors who fled to safety but the Edomites would ambush them and slaughter them.

 6) The edomites were guilty of betrayal. Sometimes instead murdering those survivors they would hand them over to the enemy to make slaves of them. The Edomites were guilty of the worst sort of treachery.

 God expects every person upon this earth to have a spirit of brotherly love and especially the Church.

 Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 

Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 

Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 

Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 

Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

 2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

 These were the Edomites in their day and they will face the "judgment of God.

 What are the laws of Jesus?

 Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

 The Day of the Lord is much closer than we think!

 *****Oba 1:15  For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. 

Oba 1:16  For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. 

Oba 1:17  But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

We that love the Lord truly believe that we are in the "last days".

God had made many promises to the Church which He will keep.

God has made many promises to the Jews which He will also keep.

In the "last days" of human history when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to set up His Kingdom the prophecies of Obadiah will be fulfilled.

1) All nations will face the 'Day of the Lord"! vs 16

2) Mount Zion, Jerusalem, will be delivered from the hands of the enemies, and Jerusalem will be made holy. It may be called the Holy City today, but it is not holy. Vs 17

3) God promised the tribes of Israel will inherit the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, those who truly love the Lord and are faithful to Him. 

Gen 17:5  Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 

Gen 17:6  And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 

Gen 17:7  And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 

Gen 17:8  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 

4) The divided nation of Israel will be reunited, and Edom will be destroyed with no survivors. Vs 18.

There will be no one upon the earth who will oppose King Jesus.

5) Israel will reoccupy all the lands lost to other nations through the centuries. Vs 19-20

Godly leaders will govern Edom as well as all the nations that remain. Vs 21

*****Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S. 

Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, we ask God to send His Kingdom to this earth.

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

In the not-too-distant future, that prayer will be answered!

Jesus Christ will return to this earth, and every knee will bow to our Savior, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Obadiah is known as the prophet of doom, but he is also the prophet of the coming Kingdom of God.

Amen

Jehovah's Miracle Working Prophet

 God's Prophet of Miracles

 

2 Kings 2:9-14, 4:1-7, 6:1-7

 What is making a commitment?

 The act of pledging yourself to God and entrusting yourself to God.

 Before Elisha became the powerful prophet that he was, he spent some time with the Prophet Elijah.

 Elijah was somewhat like a father to Elisha, and Elisha was a devoted servant to Elijah.

 We must have this relationship with our Heavenly Father, and we do this while trying to be more like the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

 Elisha made a commitment to Jehovah and Elijah.

 2Ki 2:5  And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 

2Ki 2:6  And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

 The Prophet Elisha refused to leave the side of Elijah.

 Now it was not Elijah who called Elisha to be a prophet of Jehovah, it was Jehovah who had called him through Elijah.

 1Ki 19:16  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. 

 We can all love and cherish our pastor, but this will not make us preachers.

 We must be called of God!

 Elijah knew his time had come to leave this earth, and God did this in a special way.

 Elijah had used many ways to test the commitment of Elisha, and Elisha had passed every test.

 It was Elisha who would spend the final moments alone with his beloved prophet.

 For more than twenty years, the Prophet Elijah had witnessed to the nation of Israel.

 Elijah had the power of God upon him.

 *****2Ki 2:8  And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. 

2Ki 2:9  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

2Ki 2:10  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.  

 Somewhat like Moses at the Red Sea, Jehovah parted the waters of the River Jordan so his two prophets could cross on dry ground.

 On this very day, Elijah would be raptured out of this world in full view of Elisha.

 I say raptured because what does the word rapture mean?

 The word rapture means to be "caught up".

 1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 Before the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven, catching up the Church to be with Himself while the tribulation is unleashed on a world that refuses to repent and is full of unbelievers once the Church is gone.

 The seventh week of the prophet Daniel is an outpouring of the wrath of God!

 Dan 9:27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. 

 Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 

 The Tribulation is described in the Book of Revelation from Chapter 6 through Chapter 16.

 Rev 19:2  For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 

 That word “whore” means the false Church and those who reject our Creator, especially those who know the truth of God but have rejected Him.

 Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of the Holy Spirit that powered Elijah.

 He knew he could not replace Elijah.

 Elijah did not have the power to grant such a request because his power came from the Spirit of Jehovah.

 In those days, the firstborn son in a Hebrew family was granted a double portion of any inheritance if they were found worthy.

 Then, without any warning, Jehovah claimed His servant, Elijah.

 *****2Ki 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 

 We must know that our lives are in the hands of the Lord to do as He pleases!

 1) God knows when our work is done.

2) Death seems so low, but in fact, we are elevated to a higher service.

3) We are elevated, dignified, and glorified.

4) We do not enter into soul sleep or an intermediate state; we go to another world we call Heaven.

 Elijah was carried up by the power of God.

 When our Lord Jesus went back to Heaven, He went under His own power.

 Elijah was taken up as in the rapture.

 Jesus Christ just went back to Heaven, where He came from, to sit at the right hand of God.

 The Lord Jesus is coming again first to Rapture the Church into the clouds and then to this earth at the end of the tribulation period of seven years.

 Elisha saw with his own eyes that God’s people are all surrounded by angels.

 2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 

 *****2Ki 2:12  And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 

2Ki 2:13  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 

2Ki 2:14  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 

 Jehovah had used the Prophet Elijah to demonstrate to Israel that it was Jehovah who had the true power over Israel.

 He will do the same with the Prophet Elisha, and it is these things that we must learn from the Old Testament.

 If we cannot commit ourselves to our God, how can we ever overcome the obstacles that Satan will put in our path of righteousness?

 1Co 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

1Co 4:2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 

 Faithful is another word for commitment!

 Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. 

 Elisha's first call was to pick up the fallen cloak of Elijah.

 Elisha was to replace the great Prophet Elijah.

 The next proof to Elisha was the parting of the River Jordan.

 This was an act of faith that he had received the power of God as he had desired.

 Elijah had promised the fulfillment of this request, and God had allowed it to take place.

 There were some eyewitnesses to this event, and they needed to see if Elisha truly had the power of God upon him.

 Elisha began his ministry, and we will see more miracles from this man of God than from any other prophet of God.

 *****2Ki 4:1  Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 

2Ki 4:2  And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

 Just as it is today, women who have lost their husbands or never had one to begin with will struggle to raise a family.

 Many of them are like this woman who was married to a preacher, and all of a sudden, he had died, and he died owing money to a ruthless man.

 We also see that these sons of the prophets did not separate themselves from society but had families and had family life.

So, this was something that God did not require. In fact, the Church is to be  a close-knit family, just as all families should be,

 This woman was left with a son and a small pot of olive oil and no money to pay the creditor.

 The Jewish law of that time demanded that debts be paid, but God had His demands.

 Lev 25:38  I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. 

Lev 25:39  And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: 

Lev 25:40  But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile: 

Lev 25:41  And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. 

 No Jew could be made a slave by another Jew according to the Word of God because they all had been slaves in Egypt.

 We also know that the Word of God was abused then as it is today.

 The Prophet Elisha knew what was going on here, and so did Jehovah, who watches over us all.

 *****2Ki 4:3  Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 

2Ki 4:4  And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 

2Ki 4:5  So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 

 There are times when we will have a heavy need, and the Lord Jesus reminds us of what to do.

 Joh 16:23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 

Joh 16:24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 

 Elijah was now gone to Heaven, so this woman turned to Elisha and Elisha said: “Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few”.

God said: Go to your neighbors and get all the containers that they will let you have.

 This woman took her small vessel of olive oil and began pouring it into the borrowed buckets, pitchers, and any other containers until they were all full, and she still had her vessel of olive oil.

 When God offers His gifts, we must never be the reason that His gift falls short.

 As this oil is a type of the Holy Spirit, we must understand that it is never a question of the amount of oil; it is always a question of the empty vessels that need to be filled.

God has enough of His Spirit to fill every human being upon this earth and keep them full!

 2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

 God's oil can never run out!

 We must take advantage of His offer to help us.

 If this woman had a lack of faith and just gotten a few containers, her sons would have still had to serve the creditor, and she might not have ever seen them again.

 Notice also that this thing was to be done behind closed doors.

 This was a woman with a lot of faith.

 *****2Ki 4:6  And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 

2Ki 4:7  Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. 

 We must understand that being poor is not necessarily a disgrace.

 Being poor, we can sometimes better understand the gifts of God.

 We could say that the Bible is the poor man's book because God certainly remembers the poor.

 A poor woman with a devout heart can be the greatest prayer warrior in the Church and many are.

 Psa 68:5  A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

 Psa 10:14  Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. 

 God's heart is full of compassion for those who cannot help themselves and who depend on Him to meet their needs.

 What did this poor woman do?

 1) She informed a true man of God of her situation and sought his counsel.

2) She sought the help of her neighbors, humbly asking for assistance.

3) She sought privacy, giving God all the glory.

4) She got involved in the remedy, pouring the oil herself.

5) She had faith that God would meet her need.

 Jesus said: Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

 We should understand that every circumstance we face in life could be a test and a means of Christian growth, whether they are good or bad.

 To be honest, we can grow more during our bad times than our good times if our faith stays rock solid.

 Indeed, we cannot have a testimony until we are tested.

 The Bible is a lot of things to a lot of people, but it is surely a testimony of God's power to help and to defend His people.

The Old Testament is full of things that God did for His people, and we know we serve this same God today.

 *****2Ki 6:1  And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. 

2Ki 6:2  Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. 

2Ki 6:3  And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. 

 The place where these sons of the prophets gathered to study the Word of God had grown too small, and they wanted to build a bigger place on the shores of the River Jordan.

 Notice that every man was to join in the construction of this new building.

 Even Elisha would be with them.

 By building this new place to worship near the place where they gathered the lumber, they would not have to transport these materials to the other place.

 We can see that the Word of God was still working in the places of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

 *****2Ki 6:4  So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. 

2Ki 6:5  But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. 

2Ki 6:6  And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. 

2Ki 6:7  Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it. 

We may wonder why this story is in the Bible, but God has His reason for every word He gives to us.

We can understand Church growth.

We can understand the members of the Church helping with the construction.

We can understand the head prophet or the Pastor joining in with the work.

A united Church can accomplish so much more than a divided Church!

What is the purpose of a miracle of God?

We know that miracles did not happen at random throughout Scripture but occurred mainly in the days of Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus Christ and the Apostles.

There are a select few that happened outside this time, but not many.

Miracles were given to authenticate God's message.

God enabled His messengers to perform miracles to substantiate the new message they were given.

The word "miracle" means "power" or “work of power".

Today, God does not work through a person for miracles to happen.

God may answer a prayer of a believer that requires a miracle, or He may perform a miracle in the life of a believer again as an answer to prayer.

So, a believer's prayer is the most powerful gift we have today.

Here in our passage, we see that an axe-head called “the iron” came off the ax handle and fell into the River Jordan.

This man had borrowed this ax from his neighbor, and by Jewish Law, he was responsible for it.

Iron tools were precious and scarce on that day.

This happened often with the axes of that day.

Deu 19:5  As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

Elisha asked him in what part of the river it fell, and he showed him.

The River Jordan is not a clear river.

In this miracle, Elisha threw a stick down into the river and the axe-head did swim to that stick and that man reached down a picked up the axe-head.

For that man, this was quite a miracle.

Joh 3:27  John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 

This man had lost this axe-head while he was faithfully serving the Lord.

As servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must walk carefully before the Lord and take inventory of our tools lest we lose something that we need.

Without this axe-head, this man could only watch others' work, and there are far too many of these types in the Church already.

If we honestly lose something and own up to it while doing the work the Lord has given to us to do, then God can recover what we lost and get us back into the race, as the Apostle Paul would say.

Amen

Wicked and Corrupt Rulers

 Dealing With Wicked Rulers

 Book of 1 Kings Chapter 21

 A ruler is someone who is in authority over other people. Here in our church our Pastor is the ruler because he is the man God called to lead us.

 Can someone be so evil that Jehovah will condemn that person to hell?

 We had better be clear on this question.

 Jhn_3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 Many people do not believe this because they do not believe in a Divine Creator. They deny the existence of a Holy God.

 Many people say they believe in a God, but they do not believe He will hold people accountable in a day of justice.

 Many people believe that if there is such a day that they have done enough good to overcome the bad things they have done.

 If we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, then we need to believe what He says about these things.

 Sixteen times in the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ says the word Hell as in a place that exists.

 This is more than any other person.

 There is a coming judgment for everyone who has ever lived!

 One of the major teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ is that there is a place called Hell, and we are condemned to this place called Hell already unless we repent and turn towards Him and His ways.

 Today we will meet two of the most wicked people in the Old Testament. In fact, Jezebel may have been the most wicked woman to have ever lived.

 In fact, the Word of God lists his marriage to Jezebel as the worst sin of King Ahab.

 Jezebel is the first of the persecutors of the people of God.

 This woman had four hundred and fifty false prophets who ministered under her care beside four hundred more false prophets who maintained her groves.

 A grove was a wooden image or large idol of the goddess Ashtoreth.

 She had other names which included Ishtar, Astarte, Alytta, Diana, the goddess of love to many people.

 This Jezebel felt that she was the Living Goddess in her day.

 The Lord Jesus Christ mentions this wickedness in the last of the Church Age.

 Rev_2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

 In our world today we see far too many people trying to tolerate what God hates, and they say it is because of His great love for all people.

 We are never to tolerate what God say He hates!

 We are to never allow this false teaching into the Church.

 We are never to allow the teaching of this seductress into our Church.

 What does the Lord Jesus promise about the teaching of Jezebel?

 Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

 *****1Ki 21:1 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.

1Ki 21:2 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.

1Ki 21:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

 King Ahab was a wicked and evil man and the seventh king of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

 His wife Jezebel had a very evil influence over him.

 We first met the prophet Elijah in his dealings with King Ahab.

 It seems that every king who heard from Elijah then wanted to kill him.

 You cannot kill the Word of God!

 He had warred with Ben-Hadad of Syria and in the end, defeated him with the help of Jehovah.

 It was a time of peace that King Ahab had gone to his palace in Jezreel that he looked out his window which was upon the city wall, and he could see a vineyard that belonged to Naboth.

 King Ahab had a love for herbs, and he wanted to turn the vineyard of Naboth into a garden for herbs and so he approached Naboth and attempted to buy or trade for this piece of land under his window.

 Naboth responded to this king with an absolute no, but he explained himself.

 Naboth still clung to the Word of God and God had told the Hebrews when they entered into the promised land that they were to keep that land in their families.

 Num 36:7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

Num 36:8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.

Num 36:9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.

 If we are deep enough in our convictions we will not give in to the ways of the world.

 It may be that this thing might have ended at this point if not for the interference of Jezebel.

 *****1Ki 21:4 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.

 King Ahab had done nothing wrong in trying to buy the vineyard of Naboth.

King Ahab had done nothing wrong in trying to trade a better vineyard for the land of Naboth.

 His sin was covetousness.

 Greed and covetousness are forbidden sin!

 Covetousness is an inordinate desire for worldly possessions. It is the desire to increase the things you have by taking what others have.

 It is a disorder of the heart and is associated with selfishness.

 It is an irresistible desire to have what others own!

 King Ahab showed childlike behavior when Naboth refused his offers.

 Covetousness comes from the heart where all lustful and sinful desires are located!

 Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

 The Lord Jesus said it like this: Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

 1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

 Here comes Jezebel to save the day for Ahab.

 *****1Ki 21:5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

1Ki 21:6 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.

1Ki 21:7 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.

 King Ahab is one of those people in this world who always have to have their way.

 He is a weak man who acts like a spoiled child.

 Jezebel is a wicked tyrant who does not allow anyone to question her authority.

 She promises her husband that she will get him the land of Naboth.

 King Ahab could have had almost any piece of land in all his kingdom but not that one small piece of land that belonged to Naboth.

 He was miserable because he could not get that one piece of land.

 It should be obvious that it was Jezebel who had the true authority in the kingdom of Ahab.

 Jezebel's sin was the sin of Ahab. Ahab did not try to stop Jezebel even though he knew she would have an evil plan.

 We know that Adam did not pluck the fruit from the forbidden tree, but he was still guilty when he took a bite from it in the hand of Eve.

 Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

 We are trying to be like God when we make up our own rules and ignore the Word of God.

 Jezebel devised a plan for the neighbors of Naboth to end his life making herself and King Ahab free from guilt.

 It did not bother her to take a man's life!

 She paid for two false witnesses according to the Word of God.

 Num_35:30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

 She sent letters to the elders and nobles of the city in King Ahab’s name using his signet ring to seal them.

 They proclaimed a fast.

 *****1Ki 21:12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

 In ancient times a day of fasting was sometimes set aside in order to show concern that a criminal or some evil threatened the city, but this did not come from Jehovah.

 Fasting is for one purpose only and that purpose is to open the ear of God to a special need.

 Isa 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

 It is a sad thing but wicked and corrupt leaders can always find someone to do their bidding.

 Today we see godlessness and corruption in our courts are like poison to our nation and I hope it is finally put aside for the truth.

 Some high officials ask certain people to do things, and they just do them without asking for what reason.

 What is going on in America today should not be happening, yet it is going on in the Church also.

 There is coming a day soon where God says He has had enough!

 It is the innocent who suffer just as Naboth.

 Naboth was murdered under the cover of religion instead of covetousness.

 Religion has been used and continues to be used today to cover up wickedness and terrible sin!

 It was not just Naboth in this instance but his entire family.

 Today innocence will not always be our security, but we have assurance that there is a judgment coming to the wicked.

 *****1Ki 21:13 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.

1Ki 21:14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

 Naboth was accused of treason against the kingdom and blasphemy against the gods of Israel, which we know were golden bulls.

 Naboth was innocent of both charges.

 Naboth was stoned to death for being innocent.

 We see a type of Christ in Naboth in this passage.

 Naboth is a type of Christ, which means he is a foreshadowing and representation of Jesus Christ.

 Naboth's vineyard is seen as a representation of salvation.

 Naboth's story is an example where we can see Jesus Christ. Both Naboth and Jesus owned a vineyard.

 God saw what happened to Naboth.

 Naboth was killed simply because wicked people wanted what belonged to him -- and not just any people, but the king and queen of Israel.

 This thing, of course, displeased the Lord very badly.

 God Himself would condemn Ahab for what he had done.

 God condemned Ahab's wickedness, in that he coveted, killed, and took possession of his victim's land. 

 "So, [Ahab] died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken."

 God knew what happened and God did not let such injustice slip away.

 What does Naboth teach us? Here are two things we can learn from him:

 1) We must stand up for what is ours in Christ

 Of course, this does not mean we should be stingy hoarders. What this means is that we must never let go of our inheritance in the Lord.

 Many of us Christians today easily let go of our inheritance, trading it for some temporal pleasure and comfort. We do not stand up and rise as God's children, we don't fight for the salvation of our families, we stop praying for the will of God to happen in our nation and wherever we are.

 We must take hold of our inheritance in Christ and never let it go.

 2) Injustice may happen to us, but God sees it all

 God saw the injustice done to Naboth and didn't let it slip. No injustice can ever be hidden from God's eyes, and we can rest our hopes on that.

 We might feel angry at God for allowing bad people to do bad things to us, but the truth is that God is good and that He's not our enemy. He's watching us closely and is taking note of all that happens to us.

 He will always ensure that justice will be served according to His way.

 *****1Ki 21:15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

1Ki 21:16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

 There are three villains in this passage.

 1) Ahab who is a wicked and weak man.

2) Jezebel who is a wicked and strong woman.

3) The elders of Israel who were wicked and useful to promote wickedness in the government of Ahab.

This shows us that if our leades are wicked and corrupt then these things will spread throughout our nation.

 We should be clear, just because Naboth had been murdered, that land did not belong to King Ahab.

 It still belonged to the family of Naboth.

 Ahab probably claimed the land because the crown at that time, could seize the land of an executed criminal.

 None of these things were hidden from the Almighty Living God.

 *****1Ki 21:17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

1Ki 21:18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

1Ki 21:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

 You could substitute the word "wickedness" with the name "Jezebel".

 Ahab may not have known what happened to Naboth, but he certainly knew that Jezebel said she would take care of this matter.

 This made Ahab just as guilty of the death of Naboth as was his wife and those elders.

 God has this saying: Num_32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: "and be sure your sin will find you out".

 No sinner can escape the judgment of God!

No sinner can escape the consequences of sin.

 Sin will search and find us no matter where we are at.

 What did God tell Cain after he had killed his brother Abel? Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? "and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door". And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

 Every sin brings its own punishment and there has never been any deviation of it!

 It is only a question of time!

 There is no getting away from these words of the Holy Spirit!

 Jehovah called upon Elijah to deliver another message to King Ahab.

 Ahab did not think of himself as some murderer or guilty of anything other than being king and able to do as he pleased.

 Ahab hated Elijah even though he had no real reason to do so.

 What was God's message to Ahab? "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine".

 Why was Elijah so hated? Elijah only spoke the truth of God.

 *****1Ki 21:20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

 Ahab was standing right in the middle of Naboth's vineyard, a place Ahab had wanted so much.

 Ahab even though he wqas King of Israel had no power over the man of God and he knew it.

 Elijah possessed the power of a righteous man.

 Ahab was a weak and wicked man.

 Ahab was guilty of murder and stealing an innocent man's property.

 Jezebel and the elders of Samaria were all guilty of the same crime.

 Not many would have stood alone against such wickedness, but the man of God was just being obedient to the Lord.

 What did Jehovah have to say?

 *****1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

1Ki 21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

 This prophecy of Jehovah took place in the time of Jehu.

 Jehu was made King of Israel by Jehovah and God used Jehu to punish the house of Ahab.

 2Ki 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

2Ki 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

2Ki 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;

2Ki 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

 There is no escaping the "judgment of God"!

 Ahab and Jezebel are suffering the "judgment of God" today and they will throughout eternity.

 They are joined by all such people today.

 Once we are born into this world we never cease to exist.

 First, we exist upon this earth then at our death we continue to live in God's presence, or we will live in a place that the Lord Jesus Christ called Hell.

 Mat_10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 Where we spend eternity depends upon how we live our lives upon this earth!

 Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 *****1Ki 21:25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

 There was not a more godless king than King Ahab. He allowed his wife Jezebel to lead him straight to Hell.

 In fact, his wickedness reached its lowest point because he listened to his even more wicked wife.

 Jezebel did all she could to stamp out the truth of Jehovah and Ahab knew this was wrong.

 King Ahab should have recognized Elijah as his best friend and Jezebel as his worst foe.

 We cannot ever be on the side of the world and think we are on the side of God!

 Amen