The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. -2 Kings 1:15 Elijah was a simple man. He wore a garment of hair and a leather belt around his waist. He had no weapons or army, yet God spoke through “the angel of the Lord” to tell him not to be afraid of the king. Why was Elijah not... Read more

27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. 28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” -1 Kings 21:27-28 I am amazed at God’s grace... Read more

The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’” -1 Kings 20:28 God doesn’t like when people treat him like a weak God. The enemies of Israel thought the Lord was only a god... Read more

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after... Read more

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” -1 Kings 18:38-39 Christians believe in miracles, but often do not realize the purpose for God’s special interventions into our lives. When Elijah experienced the miracle of God sending fire to the altar he... Read more

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” -1 Kings 17:1 Could your prayers change the weather? Elijah’s did. He prayed for three and a half years that it would not rain, and it happened just as he asked. Amazing! Was this limited only to Elijah? Maybe not. James 5:16... Read more

In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun. -1 Kings 16:34 God’s people had lived so long apart from his law that they no longer took his warnings seriously. The final verse of 1 Kings 16 reveals a key example.... Read more

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. -1 Kings 15:3 Abijah was one of the “bad” kings of Judah. While a simple scan of the passage reveals this fact, many miss the explanation as to why Abijah was evil. Verse 3 teaches, “His hear was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.” Unlike David, who... Read more