ripple effect: vacaville

Read 1 Kings 17:1-24.

[Stuff we’re skipping:

* Jeroboam got paranoid because he didn’t have a temple where was staying near Bethel, so he made two golden calves, shrines, and high places.

* Some guy from Judah came and prophesied that a man named Josiah would have all the false priests of Bethel killed over the altar. To show His power, God made it so that Jeroboam’s hand shriveled up; and the altar split in two. After the prophet from Judah left (because he said God told him that he couldn’t stop to eat), an old prophet who lived in Bethel went to track him down. This old prophet lied to him by telling him that God had told him to take him home and feed him. Then God was going to punish the prophet for eating when he wasn’t supposed to; He did by having a lion eat him. When the old prophet realized what had happened, he realized that this guy was a real prophet and that all that he said about the altar at Bethel was going to really happen. Even so, Jeroboam didn’t change.

* Abijah, Jeroboam’s son got sick. Jeroboam sent his wife in disguise to Ahijah, the prophet, to find out what would happen to his son. Ahijah told him that, because of his unfaithfulness to God, he will lose everyone of his heirs, including his sick boy. Also, Jeroboam’s going to lose the throne. He reigned for 22 years, died, and his son Nadab took over.

* In the meantime, in Judah, Rehoboam was king for 17 years. His mother was an Ammonite woman named Naamah. They, too, set up high places, sacred stones, Asherah poles, and male shrine prostitutes. In year five of his reign, Shishak, king of Egypt, invaded Jerusalem and took all the treasures of the temple and the royal palace. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were constantly at war with one another. Abijah (this would be David’s great-grandson), Rehoboam’s son, succeeded him as king. (Yes, both kings had sons named Abijah…weird!)

* OK, so while Jeroboam was still king of Israel, Abijah became king of Judah. He only reigned for three years. He was also wicked; but, for David’s sake, he did end up having an heir to succeed him as king. He also had war with Jeroboam throughout his lifetime. His son, Asa (David’s great-great grandson), became the king after him.

* Asa was king for 41 years. He was a good guy. He cleaned out all of the male shrine prostitutes and got rid of all his father’s idols. He even got rid of his pagan grandmother. He never got around to getting rid of the high places but was still considered a committed guy. He also brought treasure back into the Temple. He had war with Israel (and their king Baasha) his whole life. Baasha actually circled the city of Asa, to make it impossible for anyone to leave or enter. Asa bribed the king of Aram to get Baasha away from him. It says that Asa died of a foot disease and his son, Jehoshaphat, succeeded him.

* OK, rewind to Israel. So, Nadab was the son of Jeroboam and king of Israel. He only reigned for two years, and it was an evil reign. Baasha became king by killing Nadab. He went on to kill Jeroboam’s whole family (according to the prophecy of Ahijah). Baasha reigned 24 years, and it was an evil reign. A prophet named Jehu prophesied that Baasha’s family will suffer the same fate as Jeroboam’s. Baasha’s son, Elah, succeeded him as king.

* Elah only reigned as king of Israel for 2 years. One of his officials, Zimri, killed him while he was drunk and succeeded him as king. He killed off Baasha’s whole family (to fulfill the prophecy of Jehu). Zimri reigned for seven days because Omri was declared king and laid seige to the town he was in. Zimri saw he was cornered and laid the whole place on fire, killing himself.

* Then Israel had two factions: 1) supporters of Tibni and 2) supporters of Omri. Omri’s supporters killed Tibni. Omri became king. He reigned 12 years, and he was more evil than any of the kings for before him (idols). When he died, Ahab, his son succeeded him as king.

* Ahab reigned over Israel for 22 years. And, as far as evil went, he took the cake. Ahab married Jezebel (a Baal-worshipping princes of Sidon), and he began to worship Baal too by setting up altars and temples. He also worshipped Asherah.

* Randomly, we also find out that someone had to lose two of his sons in order to rebuild Jericho.]

OK, so can you tell that the times are a little bit tumultuous?

1. Elijah is hitting Ahab where it hurts. Baal is supposed to be the god of rain and fertility. If God made a drought happen, that would be a direct insult to Baal.
2. Interesting command from God. Eat from a brook. Let ravens feed you. Do you think they squished up the food in their beaks too? I guess this is all to prove that God is more powerful than Baal.
3. Again, God gives a command. This time it’s to get food from a widow? Um…back then, widow’s didn’t have much food. Then again, when you get fed by ravens, you listen to God.
4. In a way it sounds like Elijah’s being demanding of this poor old widow; but, then again, isn’t he asking on faith that God is going to provide like He said He was going to provide?
5. It’s sad that she’s about to make her last meal. I guess it’s a God-thing that Elijah showed up right before this last supper.
6. Only until Elijah is there does God tell Elijah that He is going to multiply this grain and oil. He had to go first.
7. In the process of following God, Elijah was able to show a widow in the middle of Baal-country how powerful I AM is.
8. Then the boy dies. The widow thinks that it is because of her own sin. Interesting.
9. This must have been a strange picture: a grown man stretching himself on top of a boy three times. But, it works. Talk about seeing God’s power!
10. And a Baal-worshiper was converted.

I know that was a lot…any thoughts?