Fast forward to church. I get up to do the announcements and I look out over the sanctuary and see a young couple from the neighborhood sitting in the back; and by the time I finished the announcements we had a gal from the neighborhood who was, to put it nicely, a little tipsy, come in as well. Apparently God heard my prayer for opportunities...
On to 1 Kings:
Apparently, Stupid is Contagious (or Genetic)
As I read through 1 Kings, I kept running across one particular phrase: "he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." Over and over again, that phrase came up as a descriptor of the kings of Israel and of Judah. In fact, if I recall right, there was only one king - Asa - that escaped that phrase (don't hold me to that, as I didn't go back and actually count - but I'm pretty sure).
What makes it all the more amazing is the way that God continually made himself clear to the kings about what they should do. Take just one example - Jeroboam. Jeroboam became king after Solomon began to worship some foreign idols. Before he became king, though, God tells Jeroboam exactly why He was making Jeroboam king - because Solomon worshipped idols. Then God promises Jeroboam that, if he - Jeroboam - is faithful to God, God will make his family royalty for generations.
It doesn't get much clearer than that - follow God, don't worship idols and you will prosper. Simple, right? Apparently not, because a few verses later, Jeroboam is getting deposed as king...for worshipping idols.
It just goes to show how tempting (and dangerous) it is to worship idols.
A Quick Response
One of the things I have enjoyed the most about this Lenten reading project is the chance to re-read stories that have become familiar to me and find within those stories insights that may have eluded me before.
This happened to me as I read the account of Elijah versus the prophets of Ba-al in 1 Kings 18. The Cliff's Notes for the story are as follows: the people, led by King Ahab, are worshipping idols (see above). Elijah is a prophet of God and God tells him to challenge the prophets of Ba-al, one of the idols, to a duel of sorts. Both the prophets of Ba-al and Elijah will set up altars and place a sacrifice on them. Then each will pray to their God and the God who sends fire wins.
I have read this story and heard it preached many times. It is one of my favorite Old Testament stories...especially the part when Elijah starts mocking and making fun of the prophets of Ba-al. But what I have never noticed before is that difference between the prayers of the two "contestants." The prophets of Ba-al prayed for hours and hours - they wailed, they cried, they moaned, they cut themselves. From morning through evening they cried out to Ba-al, to no avail.
When it was Elijah's turn, he prays a short prayer (reading the words of the prayer as its recorded takes less than a minute) and immediately God sends fire to consume the sacrifice. God didn't make Elijah go into histrionics or play emotional games to get an answer to his prayer. Elijah prayed a straightforward prayer and God answered it. Perhaps there is a lesson for us somewhere in there.
Food for Thought
1 Kings 20:11:
"The king of Israel sent back this answer: 'A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.'"
1 comment:
Rereading Kings and Chronicles lately has also been a blessing to me--Chronicles especially.
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