It seems as if some people who start out well in serving the Lord continue in their zeal for Him, whereas others fall away. How and why they turn is certainly a complicated dynamic. We see this in the account of Jehu. Back when Elijah was prophet over Israel, Yahweh had given him Word that…
Posts Categorized: Israel
2 Kings 8:12 – Why Elisha Wept
The prophet Elisha had quite a lot of interaction with the kings of Syria that resulted in a number of dramatic events. Actually the Ben-Hadad noted in the Bible as king of Syria, but not distinguished as such, was both father and son. Because Elisha performed his many deeds for about 60 years, he would…
2 Kings 5:20 – Gehazi’s Greed
The account of the Syrian commander Naaman and the prophet Elisha is one that teaches us much about the ways of God. The underlying narrative is that in the Ancient Near East (ANE) there was a territorial concept about the gods. Deriving from the Genesis 11 account of the Tower of Babel where Yahweh came…
2 Kings 3:27 – Human Sacrifice
The demonic realm hungers for blood. We’ve all heard about satanic rituals where blood is shed or even drank, so there’s certainly enough information and proof that adherents of darkness who follow Satan and his minions perform abhorrent practices. Have you ever wondered why, or to what end? First, it’s important to understand there are…
Is This the Start of the Psalm 83 War?
I’ll just put this out there. If I’m wrong in thinking this, so be it. Most prophecy teachers hold to the theory that Ezekiel’s War (Ezekiel 38-39) is the next big prophetic timeline event – aside from the pre-Tribulation Rapture, of course. Ever since reading Bill Salus’ book: Psalm 83 – The Missing Prophecy Revealed…
John 3:5 – Water and Spirit
We’re all familiar with the account of the Pharisee Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night. Jesus called him the teacher of Israel (John 3:10); as such he was an important, highly regarded man. It’s why he came at night. His intense curiosity about Jesus got the best of him, but he couldn’t risk anyone seeing…
1 King’s 19:10 – Elijah’s Lament
Elijah obeyed the Lord and received His blessings for his faithfulness, but that didn’t stop the prophet from fearing for his life at the hand of man. Because of the tasks that God had Elijah perform, his life was constantly in danger. In his human frailty, he grew weary and depressed. Yet, Yahweh came to…
1 Kings 18:21 – Leaping and Limping
If someone is leaping, can he also be limping at the same time? That’s a strange question, isn’t it? Apparently according to the writer of 1 Kings, that’s a distinct possibility. In the days of the prophet Elijah, the wicked King Ahab ruled over Israel – the Northern Kingdom. He was so evil and far…
1 Kings 14:13 – Something Pleasing
Those who have read any number of my essays may have noticed that I’ll often comment upon unusual or obscure passages of Scripture to tease out what may be the thinking behind what is written. Of course, I have no unique communication with the authors of old and must sometimes speculate what’s going on behind…
1 Kings 13:34 – Fruit of Bad Counsel
Counsel may come from men and be good or bad and have its consequences; when counsel comes from God and is ignored the outcome is disastrous. When Rehoboam became king in place of his father Solomon, he immediately had a choice to make as to how he would rule. The people of Israel came to…