TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 14:21-31
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable-how much more so when brought with evil intent! - Proverbs 21:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
With the nation now split into two kingdoms, the remainder of 1-2 Kings becomes like a television drama in which the narrator follows two stories that are simultaneously developing .

The writer of Kings tells the story, first of one kingdom and then of the other, showing how the reigns of the various kings overlap and how God deals with them. If today's reading was part of the drama, the narrator might begin, ""Mean-while, back in Judah . . .""

The spotlight of Scripture has been focused on Israel, but now it turns back to Judah. We haven't heard anything about Rehoboam since his foolish decision to oppress the people. But if the people of Judah were tempted to feel smug about God's condemnation of Jeroboam, the actions of Rehoboam would bring them back to reality.

The fact is that except for being the location for the true worship of God (v. 21), Judah was not much better off spiritually than Israel. Rehoboam even allowed the use of male prostitutes in pagan worship, a form of degradation not mentioned in Israel.

The people picked up this and other detestable practices from ""the nations the Lord had driven out before [them]"" (v. 24). Rehoboam's mother may even have been partly responsible for the revival of pagan practices. She was an Ammonite, one of Solomon's many foreign wives who turned him away from the Lord. As an Ammonite, she would have been a worshiper of Molech, a god especially ""detestable"" to God (1 Kings 11:5).

The parallel account in 2 Chronicles 12 says that Rehoboam turned away from God after he became strong as king (v. 1). So God's hand of judgment fell on Judah in the form of an attack by Shishak, king of Egypt.

According to 2 Chronicles 12:2-12, Rehoboam and his officials did humble themselves before God when threatened by Shishak. God relented when He saw this, but He permitted Shishak to take the temple's treasures.

Here is another example of the sins of the fathers being visited on their descendants. There was ""some good in Judah"" (2 Chron. 12:12), but it was hard to find amid all the sin.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Two days ago we urged you to help those around you follow the Lord wholeheartedly. Today, we want to turn the focus the other way.

Knowing Rehoboam's background gives us some insight into his lack of devotion to the Lord, although it does not excuse his disobedience! Tomorrow we'll see that the heart of his son, Abijah, was affected by his father's influence-he also ""was not fully devoted to the Lord"" (1 Kings 15:3). What kind of spiritual heritage are you building for the next generation? Ask God today to help you be an example that will point those coming behind you to the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 15:1-8
Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands. - 1 Kings 8:61
TODAY IN THE WORD
The U.S. Navy officially began its exploration of Antarctica in 1838 when Lt. Charles Wilkes set out on an expedition to explore nearly 1겨 miles of the Antarctic peninsula. But after that initial foray, the United States lost interest in the region until Navy admiral Richard Byrd reported that he had flown over the South Pole in 1929.

During the lull in between, the Navy still maintained an official Antarctic mission called ""Operation Deep Freeze."" It's just that nothing much was happening.

The kingdom of Judah, with David's descendants on the throne, was much like the Navy's ""Operation Deep Freeze"" from 1838-1929. The name of David was still there, but it didn't mean what it used to. There wasn't much depth of spirituality at the time.

The problem started at the throne. The writer of Kings specifically notes that the heart of King Abijah, David's great-grandson, ""was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of his forefather David had been"" (v. 3).

Abijah ascended the throne at the death of his father, Rehoboam. Abijah's half-hearted spiritual commitment was evident in the same tolerant attitude he displayed toward the sinful practices his father had either instituted or allowed. In this case, ""like father, like son"" was not a good thing.

Verse 5 strengthens the contrast between David and his later descendants by citing David's lifelong faithfulness to the Lord-with the exception of his affair with Bathsheba.

But whereas David was continuously faithful, kings such as Abijah could not seem to put together two days of faithfulness in a row. The only incident recorded from his three-year reign is found in 2 Chronicles 13:2-20-a battle against Jeroboam and his army from the northern kingdom.

Even though Abijah's troops were outnumbered two-to-one, they called on the Lord and had victory over Jeroboam. Abijah ""grew in strength"" (2 Chron. 13:21), but 1 Kings 15:4 indicates that this was more for David's sake than for Abijah's. Judah was living on past spiritual glories that would not last forever.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Living off past victories is one of the easiest traps to fall into for the Christian.

It's great to look back and remember what God has done, but the Christian life is meant to be a process of continual growth. When God is at work in us, we don't have to live in the past because God's mercy is ""new every morning"" (Lam. 3:23). For your own encouragement, take a piece of paper and jot down the ways you have seen God at work in your life over the past thirty days. Then use it as a focus of praise to the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 15:9-24; 16:29-34
If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm. - Psalm 37:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the lives of Asa, king of Judah, and Ahab, king of Israel, we find perhaps the best example of the great spiritual diversity that marked this period of the divided kingdom.

Asa was one of a handful of kings in Judah who ""did what was right in the eyes of the Lord"" (15:11). His long reign of forty-one years is one indication that God's hand was upon him, although longevity cannot always be equated with God's blessing.

There is much more information on Asa's reign in 2 Chronicles 14-16, including several details not included in today's reading.

Asa was a reformer, a vigorous defender of the true worship of God. He destroyed the idols his predecessors had made and expelled the male prostitutes whose presence kept a curse on the land. He even deposed his grandmother, Maacah, for idolatry, tearing down the pole she had erected to encourage worship of a pagan goddess.

Asa's war with Baasha, the king of Israel, is described briefly here, but 2 Chronicles 16:7-10 adds that God was displeased with Asa for relying on the ungodly king of Aram (Syria) rather than on the Lord. Although Asa's reign was not completely unmarred, he was committed to the pure worship of God.

Ahab is a name familiar to most Bible students. He was infamous not only for the evil things he did, but also for his marriage to Jezebel, the daughter of a pagan king. Ahab was even more wicked than his father, Omri, who had been the worst king of Israel up to that time.

Jezebel introduced Baal worship into Israel, an abomination that brought the prophet Elijah out of nowhere onto the biblical scene. The duel between this great prophet and the evil pair who occupied Israel's throne will occupy our attention for the next few days, including some of the most dramatic scenes in all of Scripture.

Today's key verse helps to explain the difference between the careers of Asa and Ahab. Although the latter reigned twenty-two years, he was walking on shaky ground from day one-and Israel suffered terribly for his godlessness.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
There is no greater blessing than to know that the Lord is pleased with the road you have taken.

The Scripture is clear that one way we can delight the heart of God is to make His Word our delight (Ps. 1:1-2). We hope this is your experience each day as you study the Bible along with the rest of the Today family. From time to time we encourage you to memorize a helpful verse that the Holy Spirit can recall to your mind for strength in times of need. Today's verse fits that category.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 17:1-9
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. - James 5:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
During the great dust storms that devastated the southern plains in the 1930s, desperate farmers in one area scraped together several hundred dollars to pay a man who claimed he could bring rain by a series of planned explosions. The would-be rainmaker set off a series of explosions to shake up the atmosphere, but no rain came. The fearsome drought and destructive dust storms were destined to last for several more years.

Drought can have terrible ecological effects, but God can also use drought and other natural disasters for theological effects. He has done this before, most notably in the ministry of Elijah. We have met several of Israel's and Judah's kings. Today we get to meet one of God's most powerful prophets.

Elijah lived east of the Jordan River in the region of Gilead. It's appropriate to the character and ministry of this man that he appeared on the scene suddenly. We know nothing about his background or his family-and these details are not pertinent to God's purpose for him.

Imagine the jaws that must have dropped in Ahab's court when this blunt-spoken, roughly dressed man strode into the palace, pointed a finger in the king's face, and announced a three-and-a-half-year drought in Israel. Elijah didn't even give Ahab a chance to sputter out a reply!

God called Elijah into action to challenge the incredible insult that Ahab and Jezebel were perpetrating against His name by instituting Baal worship in Israel. This form of paganism seemed to be a special affront to God.

So God gave Ahab and the people of Israel a foretaste of the challenge that Elijah would issue later: ""If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him"" (1 Kings 18:21). Baal's followers claimed that he was the god of rain. As the God-sent drought proclaimed by Elijah parched the land, the nation would at least know who was the true God.

After his declaration, Elijah went back east across the Jordan, where God supernaturally fed him. Providing a daily supply of food and water in the middle of a drought was no problem for the God Elijah loved and served.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We also have the promise that our daily needs will be supplied by the God we are called to love and to serve.

Matthew 6:25-33 is one of those Scripture portions that every Christian needs periodically to read and to digest. Jesus assured us that our Father, the same God who fed Elijah, knows and cares about our daily needs. What He asks of us in return is our undivided devotion. Can you say that God is first in your affections and your decisions? Tell Him so today, and thank Him for His provisions!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 18:1-21
Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his. - Psalm 100:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the record of Jewish history, the name of Antiochus IV Epiphanes holds a special place of infamy. He was the cruel Syrian tyrant who ruled Palestine from 175-164 B.C. His goal was to eradicate the Jewish religion, and he set out to do so with a vengeance. He sought to destroy all copies of the Hebrew Scriptures and tried to require the Jews to offer sacrifices to the Greek god Zeus. Antiochus's most infamous act of blasphemy was the offering of a pig on the altar of the temple in Jerusalem. His atrocities sparked the Maccabean revolt which led to independence for Judah.

Some 700 years before Antiochus, the people of God also came under a brutal campaign to destroy the worship of the true God. But these atrocities arose from the throne of Israel itself-and God would not let the Israelites go unpunished.

The opening verses of today's reading make it clear why God secluded Elijah after his prophecy of drought. Looking for Elijah, Ahab scoured every nation and kingdom within reach (v. 10). There is little doubt that he was goaded into this by Queen Jezebel, who was determined to kill all of the Lord's prophets. The king's servant, Obadiah, had risked his own life to save 100 prophets.

After the drought had become severe, God ordered Elijah to step back into this murderous atmosphere. Elijah fearlessly obeyed, although Obadiah feared that Elijah would lose his resolve and be absent when it came time to meet. It took a solemn oath from the prophet to assure Obadiah that he would not flee when Ahab came (v. 15).

This was the second face-to-face meeting between the idolatrous, weak-willed king and the faithful, fearless prophet. The exchange was brief. Elijah had no good word to deliver to Ahab-only a challenge that would force wavering Israel to declare its loyalty.

Ahab agreed to Elijah's challenge, and the seemingly lopsided contest was arranged to take place on Mount Carmel. You can read for yourself the familiar story (1 Kings 18). It resulted in the drought's being broken and the stage set for the next showdown between Ahab and Jezebel, and Elijah.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes the obstacles that stand between us and obedience to God can seem very big.

Consider the obstacles Elijah faced. He had the whole civil and religious power structure of his nation against him! Yet he did not allow these intimidating factors to stop him from obeying what God had told him to do. Now take another look at your obstacles. Can God help you to get over them? Count on it! Why not turn your biggest obstacle into a prayer request today?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-21
The righteous are as bold as a lion. - Proverbs 28:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Today's key verse might seem like an ironic choice, given that Elijah ""ran for his life"" when Jezebel threatened him for having killed all of her Baal prophets.

It's true that Elijah ran in fear. But he was not a coward; he had stood as boldly for the Lord as any other person in Scripture. It was his courage, in fact, that got him in trouble with Israel's cruel, blood-thirsty queen.

Jezebel wasn't making this threat lightly, and Elijah knew it. Her oath (v. 2) was a way of saying to Elijah, ""I'm putting my own welfare on the line to get you.""

The early verses of 1 Kings 19 reveal a spiritually, emotionally, and physically exhausted man. God used basic provisions to restore His prophet's strength-rest and refreshment. Beersheba was as far south as a person could go in Judah, and then Elijah went another day's walk from there.

Who of us hasn't felt like Elijah at one time or another? ""I have had enough"" (v. 4). In other words, ""I can't take it anymore, Lord. You might as well take me home.""

Although God had to deal with Elijah's attitude, there were reasons for the prophet's temporary collapse. He had just come through a tremendous showdown on Mount Carmel, standing all alone for the Lord. No wonder Elijah thought he was the last faithful Israelite still around (v. 10).

There's something else here, too. Elijah's complaint, ""I am no better than my ancestors"" (v. 4) probably indicates that he felt his ministry had failed, despite the great victory God had enabled him to achieve. He was one discouraged saint!

It's interesting to see how God brought Elijah back. Elijah took a forty-day trip to Horeb, the ancient name for Mount Sinai, where Moses had received the Law. There he hid in a cave, and there God asked him twice, ""What are you doing here?"" (vv. 9, 13). Elijah's answer was the same each time, and between questions God demonstrated to Elijah His amazing power and presence.

Rather than letting him continue in despondence and self-pity, God refreshed and restored Elijah. The prophet still had an important ministry to accomplish. The two kings he was to anoint would be instrumental in ridding Israel of Baal worship!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you identify with Elijah? Welcome to the group! You may be the only Christian at your work, at school, or even in your own family. You may feel like you aren't accomplishing anything significant where God has placed you right now. If you can relate to these feelings today, why not take a fresh approach? Look around to see if there is someone you can encourage with a word of sincere appreciation or praise. Giving a little bit of yourself to another person today may result in God's refreshing your spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 21:1-16
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. - Galatians 6:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the sad facts of human existence is that there are always scoundrels hanging around who are willing to do anything for a few coins. One of the greatest examples of this is the betrayal of Judas in turning Jesus over to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver.

We shouldn't be surprised, then, that Jezebel's co-conspirators in the murder of Naboth were able to scare up two liars to help their cause.

For many reasons, this was a sad, low point in Israel's history. Here were the rulers of God's people, plotting the death of an innocent Israelite over a piece of land-for a vegetable garden, no less! This kind of widespread sin is all too reminiscent of the days of the judges, a period when Israel hit rock-bottom both morally and spiritually (see Judg. 19:22).

Even with the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel, the elders and nobles of Naboth's city (v. 11) should have had the character to refuse the royals' murderous plot. Their readiness to act gives us a glimpse into the nation's low moral character.

These verses show Ahab and Jezebel at their worst. Ahab whimpered like the weak-willed, spoiled person he was, and Jezebel was her usual vindictive self. With the officials of Naboth's city also deeply involved in this travesty, apparently no one around was strong or brave enough to raise a voice of protest against the killing. It looked like a pretty neatly tied-up package.

But the God of Israel noted what took place. He heard what must have been Naboth's cries of innocence, and then his cries of pain as he was being stoned. The royal plotters didn't know it yet, but their conspiracy had not escaped the gaze of heaven.

We will see tomorrow that Naboth's murder was the spark that ignited God's judgment on the house and reign of Ahab. It's a touch of irony that Jezebel would specify that the scoundrels bring a religious charge against Naboth for cursing God. Her actions were the true curse in this situation, and she would pay with her own life in the most horrible way.

Today's lesson is another reminder of the impact that a nation's leaders can have on its character-for good or for evil.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Galatians 6:7 is an inviolable principle of God's universe; and because God is also faithful to bless righteous sowing, the principle works both ways.

Read Galatians 6:8, and you'll see what we mean. If the desire and commitment of your heart is to ""sow to please the Spirit,"" you can look forward to a harvest of eternal life. Are you sowing for the Lord today? Then don't give up, because God has a good harvest for you (Gal. 6:9)!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 21:17-29
Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! - Micah 2:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Dr. Robert G. Lee, a great Baptist preacher, once delivered one of the most famous sermons of this century when he spoke on the subject, ""Payday Someday."" The sermon, three hours in length in its original form, is a spellbinding retelling of Ahab's and Jezebel's wicked reign and gruesome end. Dr. Lee's title captures perfectly the principle of God's certain justice, played out in the lives of Israel's infamous king and his pagan wife.

After Elijah was back and feeling like himself again, God sent him to Ahab with another prophetic word. Every time these two men met, the animosity in Ahab's heart toward God's fiery prophet was obvious. Ahab considered Elijah his enemy (v. 20), and in one sense this was true because Ahab had made himself the enemy of God.

Appropriately enough, Elijah's word of judgment was delivered to Ahab as he sat in his newly acquired vineyard. The king barely had time for a glass of lemonade in his ill-gotten garden before Elijah showed up to spoil the party. The Lord's judgment on the house of Ahab would be complete as on the houses of Jeroboam and Baasha (v. 22).

It's little wonder that Ahab paled at this word. Certainly he knew that God had wiped out every descendant of both these kings in

punishment for their sins.

Ahab had merited as much, or worse, from God's hand. The worst disgrace in Israel was a dead body left unburied to be attacked by scavengers.

As we said above, Ahab's family was facing a gruesome end. But the writer was careful to add the parenthetical thought that Ahab was the worst of a bad lot (see 1 Kings 16:33).

Then, when it seemed the king was beyond any positive reaction toward God, Ahab humbled himself and adopted the traditional signs of repentance. There must have been some genuineness of heart on Ahab's part, because God relented somewhat when He saw the king's humility.

Ahab spared himself the full ""disaster"" that Elijah had prophesied, but it still fell on his family-a lesson for us to remember today.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Children also need to learn the lessons we can glean from today's story.

For example, children need to learn that the only accomplishments in life we can truly enjoy are those we achieve honestly. Examples of this valuable lesson are all around us in everyday life. Current events can be a helpful teaching tool when used to enforce the truth of Scripture. Be on the lookout for daily events that can help start spiritual discussions with the children in your life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 22:26-40
The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment. - 2 Peter 2:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Someone has said that a believer is invincible in the will of God.

That's a comforting thought, and we have plenty of biblical examples to prove that this is true. But the life and death of King Ahab of Israel reminds us that the opposite is true as well. A person who chooses to live outside the will of God is not invincible at all, but very vulnerable.

Ahab's death was about as unlikely as can be imagined, humanly speaking. But the king had signed his own death warrant when he rejected the message of the prophet Micaiah and indirectly dared God to make good on His word. Judgment was sure to fall on Ahab at some point. God chose that it would be by a stray arrow in battle.

Out of fear that Micaiah's word might be true after all, Ahab probably disguised himself as he rode into battle with King Jehoshaphat of Judah. The king had enough knowledge of and experience with the true God to know that He is an awe-inspiring being.

In addition, Ahab may have feared that he would be a target because this attack meant he was breaking a treaty he had made with Ben-Hadad, the Aramean king (see 1 Kings 20:34).

Ahab was right about the Arameans' ""gunning"" for him. But no one could have predicted that a random shot would hit Ahab in just the right spot. The writer of Kings was careful to note that it was a random shot, another way of saying that this particular arrow was aimed by the Lord.

As the day wore on, Ahab slowly bled to death and was taken back to Samaria for burial. The dogs licked the blood washed from his chariot, as God had said, but at least Ahab's body was buried. Later we'll read about Jezebel's prophesied death.

This incident closes the record on Ahab's reign, but the story of his family was not yet finished. First Kings ends with the mention of Ahab's son, Ahaziah, who had a brief and unhappy reign. God was moving in judgment against this evil family, and the judgment yet to come was more gruesome than Ahab's death in battle.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul says that what happened to Israel was for our example and was written down as a warning to us (1 Cor. 10:11).

Ahab was weak-willed, a man devoid of spiritual fortitude. One warning we can glean from his life is the danger of adopting a passive attitude toward our spiritual lives. Let's pray today that God will enable us to stand in the face of temptation and compromise. The good news is that ""the Lord is able to make [His servants] stand"" (Rom. 14:4)!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 22:1-25
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent-the Lord detests them both. - Proverbs 17:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the spring of 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt decided to try to rid Congress of Democrats who had opposed his New Deal legislation. In Maryland, Roosevelt attacked a senator named Millard Tydings as a man who had ""betrayed the New Deal in the past and will again.""

An angry Tydings retorted that the president wanted a senator who would ""cease to think and then do what he is told-nothing else."" The senator was saying, in other words, that the president wanted ""yes men"" who would rubber-stamp his decisions.

Ahab was another leader who wanted ""yes men""-only his men were supposed to be prophets of the Lord who spoke His word to the king. The king of Israel had 400 such mouthpieces for the throne (v. 6). Apparently he and Jezebel liked to do things in a big way when it came to false prophets (see 1 Kings 18:19).

Aram, or Syria, had been an enemy of Israel for a long time. But since Ahab found himself with peace on his hands, he decided it was time to retake the city of Ramoth in Gilead, about thirty miles east of the Jordan River. To muster an army big enough to do the job, Ahab asked help from King Jehoshaphat of Judah, a good king who did right in God's eyes (1 Kings 22:43).

Since Jehoshaphat was sensitive to the Lord, he suggested that Ahab seek God's counsel-an idea that probably would not have occurred to Ahab on his own.

So Jezebel's husband called in his four hundred prophets, each with his verbal ""rubber stamp"" ready. The scene that unfolds is what makes this section of Scripture on kings and prophets so intriguing. Once again, we read about a contest between the massed prophets of Ahab and a lone prophet speaking for the Lord. This scenario should have a familiar ring to it.

The faithful prophet was Micaiah, whom Ahab hated to see because he knew Micaiah would have news for him. Sounds like Ahab's relationship with Elijah!

You can read about the contest. Micaiah gave Ahab the true word of God, a prophecy of the king's death in battle. Amazingly, God even allowed a ""lying spirit,"" a demon, to speak through Ahab's prophets. And true to form, Ahab really only wanted his ears to be tickled.


TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If we're not careful, we can communicate to those around us that we really don't want to hear anything that might be hard for us to take.

This is one of those issues that's worth some thought. Try to answer these questions today. Do your friends, spouse, or co-workers feel free to speak the truth to you-pleasant or otherwise? What would your reaction be if a friend or a loved one were honest about a need or a shortcoming in your life?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 22:41-50
God of our fathers...You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. - 2 Chronicles 20:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
The brief account of Ahab's last battle that we read about yesterday leaves us with a few questions about the involvement and survival of King Jehoshaphat.

Today's reading makes no further mention of the ill-fated battle. It notes only some of the positive accomplishments of Jehoshaphat's reign. We noted earlier that this man was one of the good kings of Judah, and these verses confirm that. Jehoshaphat enjoyed God's favor for the steps he took to rid Judah of perversion and idolatry.

But the questions linger. If Ahab was wrong in defying the prophet Micaiah's warning from God and going into battle, wasn't Jehoshaphat guilty of disobeying God too? And what was this good king doing linking up with Ahab in the first place?

We find some answers in 2 Chronicles, where more details of Jehoshaphat's reign are recorded. He had allied himself with Ahab through marriage (2 Chron.18:1)-a very common diplomatic tactic in that day. So the occasion at which Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to help him take back Ramoth was a visit to the ""in-laws"" (18:2).

But God was not pleased with this alliance, and Jehoshaphat was rebuked by a prophet when he returned to Jerusalem after barely escaping from the battle with his life (2 Chron. 19:1-3).

But aside from this piece of bad judgment, Jehoshaphat was a religious reformer and a king who wanted his people to know and obey the Scriptures. He sent teachers with God's Law in their hands to the various towns of Judah (2 Chron. 17:7-9), and God honored the king for his devotion.

And much like Joshua before him, Jehoshaphat once won a great battle without ever firing an arrow (2 Chron. 20:1-30). An invasion by the Moabites and Ammonites, two traditional enemies of God's people, may have been part of the discipline God brought on Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Ahab.

But the king and people of Judah humbly sought the Lord. God promised that the battle would be His, and the people were told to take their positions and watch what God would do. As they sang and praised, God Himself wiped out their enemies. Jehoshaphat's reign was largely a time of revival and peace (2 Chron. 20:30).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What a great word God gave Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah as the battle loomed: ""The battle is not yours, but God's"" (2 Chron. 20:15).

Is that a word you need to hear today? If you are facing something that seems overwhelming right now, give it to the Lord. Praise Him for His care, and watch Him work. If you know someone else who is going through a hard time, take time to share this encouraging verse with that person.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:18
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. - Proverbs 1:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
The writer of Kings was in the habit of summarizing the reigns of Israel's and Judah's various kings. Their deeds, misdeeds, and other notable life events were included in the annals that kings kept in those days.

If someone were to add a postscript to King Ahaziah's reign, Proverbs 1:7 would serve as an appropriate summary of his brief time on the throne. Talk about someone who never got the picture! Ahaziah was like a child who insists on going back to his misbehavior even after repeated discipline by his parents.

But then, what would you expect from the son of Ahab and Jezebel? It's frightening to think of Jezebel's having a child to exercise motherly influence over, but that's what happened. And in Ahaziah's case, she was an effective ""discipler."" Her son turned out to be a slavish worshiper of Baal.

From the Bible's standpoint, Ahaziah's reign was notable for only one thing: his utter contempt for the God of Israel. In the last three verses of 1 Kings 22, Ahaziah is dismissed. But in those few words an important name appears: Jeroboam.

Not only was Ahaziah like his parents, he was also charged with idolatry as vile as that which Jeroboam introduced into Israel. So when Ahaziah was seriously injured in a palace fall, he sent messengers to inquire at a Baal oracle in the Philistine city of Ekron to see if he would recover.

Ahaziah got a definite answer (2 Kings 1:6), but it came from a prophet wearing a hairy garment and a leather belt (v. -our friend Elijah the Tishbite. God had sent Elijah to intercept the king's messengers and to pronounce judgment for his total disregard for the true God.

Ahaziah reacted to this report with typical contempt for God, sending a company of soldiers to arrest Elijah. Even the loss of his first troops didn't deter the king.

Was the death of these soldiers an act of cruelty on God's part? No, the issue at stake was: who was in charge here? The third captain the king sent had better sense than his commander, submitting himself to Elijah and to God. Elijah went to Samaria, delivered his message, and Ahaziah died.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
None of us would want to leave a legacy even remotely like the one King Ahaziah left behind.

At the other end of the spectrum is a life lived for God's glory and honor. If this is your goal, then today is a good time to do a follow-up on the question we asked on June 6: ""What kind of spiritual heritage are you building for the next generation?"" It's worth a few extra minutes of your time today to make a list of the top three things you are doing consistently to build a godly life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 2:1-12
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. - 2 Timothy 2:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
If one test of our character is what we ask for when we can ask for anything, then the prophet Elisha passes this test in a spectacular way. The spiritual son of Elijah wanted the power of God to rest on him the way he had seen it manifested in Elijah.

This is the first time Elisha appears in the biblical account since his calling by Elijah (1 Kings 19:19). It's obvious why Elijah's prophetic student reappears in the story. It was time for Elijah to be swept miraculously into heaven.

In addition to the ministry of Elijah and other individual prophets, a school of the prophets had been established to teach young men the Word of God. The text implies that these schools existed in Bethel and Jericho, and there may also have been other prophetic training centers.

These prophets-in-training somehow knew that Elijah was about to be taken to heaven, and Elisha knew it, too. His repeated plea, ""Do not speak of it,"" reveals the anguish in Elisha's heart over the impending loss of his father in the faith. This brings to mind Paul's mention of Timothy's tears at their parting (2 Tim. 1:4).

Elijah tested Elisha's commitment three times, and Elisha passed the test each time. The latter's request for a double blessing was something only God could grant, but Elijah did state the condition for receiving it (2 Kings 2:10).

The cloak of a prophet was symbolic of the power of God in his life. We see a dramatic illustration of this power when Elijah parted the waters of the Jordan River with his cloak. Everything associated with this great prophet spoke of power-including the awe-inspiring appearance of the chariot and horses of fire, symbolic of God's power.

Until this point, Elisha had followed Elijah's every step, but he couldn't get past the flaming chariot and horses! The two prophets were separated, and the whirlwind swept Elijah to heaven. We can only imagine the emotions swirling in Elisha's heart as he watched his spiritual father depart in a spectacular, heavenly demonstration.

Elisha tore his clothes in very understandable human mourning but also picked up Elijah's cloak (v. 13). He was ready to carry on God's work.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you inherited the spiritual ""cloak"" of someone who has been a parent in the faith to you?

Since we're on the subject of spiritual legacies (see yesterday's study), why not take time today to offer a prayer of thanks to God for your spiritual parent? A note or a call to this special person would also be a ministry of encouragement. And if your spiritual parent is no longer living, you can still express your gratitude to the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 2:12-25
I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them. - Hosea 12:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story is told that a young man approached Baron Rothschild, the great German banker, with a request to finance his idea for a new product.

Rothschild listened, then told his visitor, ""I will not finance your plan myself. But I will take you with me to today's bankers' luncheon. I will walk in with my arm around you, talking to you. Then I will leave, and I can guarantee you that every banker in that room will be glad to lend you the money you need.""

Change a few of the particulars, and this is a wonderful illustration of the spiritual influence that Elijah passed on to Elisha. Of course, it was God who called Elisha to the prophetic ministry. But Elisha clearly inherited the power and authority Elijah had exercised, and the transfer was symbolized by Elijah's cloak that Elisha picked up-and promptly used to perform a miracle (v. 14).

The younger ""prophets in training"" saw this, and acknowledged Elisha's position by bowing before him. Then follows the curious account of their search for Elijah.

Not having seen the elder prophet's translation to heaven, these men were sure the Spirit of God had deposited Elijah somewhere else. Their three-day search was futile, just as Elisha had told them.

Elisha's second miracle, purifying the water at Jericho, was loaded with symbolism for barren Israel. Elisha was the ""new bowl,"" and salt was well known as a preservative and purifier. God was saying through this miracle that it was He, not Baal as the supposed god of fertility, who could cure Israel's barren, unproductive land and cure its spiritual unwholesomeness.

At first glance, the final incident in today's reading appears to be a capricious act of revenge on Elisha's part. But these were young men, not boys, and this was apparently an organized event intended to insult God and His prophet. In any case, God's judgment was swift.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This brief note about Elisha's visit to Mount Carmel holds an idea for us today.

It's worthwhile occasionally to review the victories God has given us in times past. We can't live there-Elisha had a job to do in Samaria, but his visit to Carmel must have been an encouraging reminder that the God who had brought victory through Elijah in the past was presently in his life as well. Do you need that kind of encouragement? Recall a time of victory or blessing, thank God for it, and then go on, knowing He is the same today!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 3:1-27
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. - Proverbs 15:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the facts of life we have seen illustrated time and again in the kings and prophets is how far a person's influence can extend beyond his or her own lifetime. The transfer of power from Elijah to Elisha is a positive example. Today's story contains both a positive and a negative example of this principle.

The positive example here is the continued ministry of Elisha, carrying on the tradition established by his mentor. The negative example is the reign of King Joram in Israel.

As a son of Ahab and Jezebel, Joram inherited a good portion of their devotion to the detestable idolatry of Baal worship. So although he didn't go quite as far into evil as his parents had gone, Joram failed to rid Israel of Baal worship.

Omri, Joram's grandfather, had subjugated Moab, and Ahab continued to extract a payment from Moab. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab saw an opportunity to throw off Israel's yoke. His rebellion brought three kings down on his neck.

One of the three was King Jehoshaphat of Judah, a godly king we have met before. He, Joram, and the king of Edom decided to attack Moab from the south-but after a seven-day march, the alliance ran out of water.

Joram revealed the condition of his heart by his exasperated outburst (v. 10), implying that God was at fault for the stalled march. Echoing his earlier advice to Ahab in a similar situation (1 Kings 22:7), Jehoshaphat suggested that the kings consult a true prophet of the Lord.

Enter Elisha. The prophet's contempt for Joram (2 Kings 3:13-14) was not personal pettiness but a reflection of God's attitude toward the sinful, corrupt kingdom of Israel. However, because God had regard for Jehoshaphat, Elisha gave the kings God's message. The account of the victory included the horrifying scene of the Moabite king's offering his son as a sacrifice to the Moabite god, Chemosh.

This grotesque act triggered some sort of ""fury"" against Israel. Whether this was God's judgment or a rally by an aroused Moabite army, we can't be sure. But at the end of the day, the battle ended with most of Moab lying in ruins.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This month we've had occasion to think about our influence, for good or for bad.

One temptation God's people are prone to is a tinge of jealousy over what seems to be the trouble-free life of evil people. We can conclude that serving God is the hard way to go. The psalmist fell into that kind of thinking in Psalm 73, but his outlook changed when he saw his life from God's perspective. Read Psalm 73 some time this weekend; then ask God to help you remain faithful in living for Him.