Great Wrath on Israel… Elijah pt 19

And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.( 2 Kings 3:25-27)

The allied campaign against Moab ended in a very mysterious and anticlimactic fashion.

All had gone according to the prophecy of Elisha; a miracle saved the expedition, when water appeared in the ditches they had been instructed to dig. The same water destroyed the Moabites, when they thought they were seeing blood and drew a disastrously misguided conclusion. And the Moabites were routed and hounded until a small remnant of their soldiers were trapped in a city called Kir Haraseth.

Mesha, the Moabite King, in desperation did something completely unexpected and appalling. He erected an altar on the city wall and offered his eldest Son as a whole burnt offering.

Seemingly , as a consequence, the allied expedition just fell apart, with Edomites, Judahites and Israelite armies going their separate ways.

Then we hear that “Great indignation fell upon Israel…” . What are we to make of it?

Some people connect that phrase with the pagan offering of Mesha. They say that this enervated his remnant into such valiant, rage filled resistance, that the allied coalition just gave up and went home.

Others say that the “great wrath” is the anger of all of the pagans, on both sides of the War, directed at Israel for putting Mesha in such a position.

The problem with those theories, is that the expression, “Great indignation against Israel” is only used in scripture concerning the wrath of God. This is the wrath of the God of Israel, against Israel. Why?

Israel, along with the coalition it led, waged total war against Moab. They didn’t just win military victories, the coalition laid waste the land, the towns and the villages along the way.

WHen Elijah prophesied the campaign, part of that prophecy was prescriptive, ie telling them what to do, such as digging ditches . But part of the prophecy was descriptive,

“And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.”

Elijah wasn’t commanding them via prophecy to do that, He was describing what they would do. Total war is condemned by God, He forbade his Holy warriors to do so, and he particularly forbade them to attack fruit trees,

When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege: Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.( Deuteronomy 20:19-20)

The destruction of fruit trees, farmland, wells and food production in Moab was a direct defiance of the Word of the LORD. They should have known the laws of warfare in the Torah. Wrath fell upon Israel, because the coalition made war on trees, fields and wells.

AN interesting side note, Archeologists found a black engraved stone, called the Moabite Stone, which was commissioned by this very King, Mesha, and mentions Omri, and his son Ahab, and proclaims a Moabite victory over Israel thus giving startling confirmation to the Bible. Here are the first four verses of Mesha’s Stone

I am Mesha, the son of Kemoš-yatti, the king of Moab, from Dibon. My father was king over Moab for thirty years, and I was king after my father.

[2] And in Karchoh I made this high place for Kemoš […] because he has delivered me from all kings, and because he has made me look down on all my enemies.

[3] Omri was the king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab for many days, for Kemoš was angry with his land. And his son succeeded him, and he said – he too – “I will oppress Moab!” In my days he did so, but I looked down on him and on his house, and Israel has gone to ruin, yes, it has gone to ruin for ever!

[4] Omri had taken possession of the whole land of Medeba and he lived there in his days and half the days of his son, forty years, but Kemoš restored it in my days. And I built Ba’al Meon, and I made in it a water reservoir, and I built Kiriathaim.

It wasn’t the wrath of Chemosh, nor did the human sacrifice of the Son of Mesha cause the wrath to fall on Israel. The wrath fell because of a violation of the covenant laws of war.

Valley of Blood… Elijah pt 18

 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. ( 2 Kings 3:1-4)

The next King of Israel, Jehoram, was also a Son of Ahab, having succeeded his brother. He was evil but he did concede Baal’s defeat in the land of Israel, by removing the Image of Baal. However he then resorted back to the two shrines at Dan and Bethel, as being the State religion, and the King as the head of it.

And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.  But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. ( 2 Kings 3:5-6)

The vassal Kingdoms which had been subdued by David and Solomon had began to break away, and in this instance it was King Mesha , of the Moabites. He had long been under a heavy tribute, (more than a hundred thousand each of Lambs and Rams per year) to Israel, and wanted to break free of the yoke.

And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. ( I Kings 3:7)

This is the same Jehoshaphat who had almost died, after aligning with Jehoram’s father, Ahab.

But to be fair, Judah had been raided by Moab as well, and Israel and Edom were all united in concerned about the growing Moabite threat.

The united alliance of Israel, Judah, Edom and Ammon set out on an expedition to deal with the Moabite threat once and for all. Inquiries were made and they determined that the best way to attack would be through the wilderness of Judea, and on over into Moab. But on the way through the exceeding harsh desert, the united armies ran out of water.

 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!( 2 Kings 3:9-10)

In an almost repeat of the scene in 1 Kings 22, a prophet is sought out of desperation for a Word from the LORD. This time no false prophets were consulted, rather it so happened that Elisha the prophet was among the armies.

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. ( 2 Kings 3:11-12)

Thus the Kings went to interview the man of God.

There is a little bitter exchange between Elisha and the King of Israel, who was frightened and thought that the LORD had brought them out into this situation, in order to allow Mesha to kill them. Elisha told the three Kings that were it not for the presence of Jehoshaphat, he would not so much as looked towards Jehoram. If Jehoram wanted direction, why not seek his own false prophets?

The prophet then called for a minstrel, and as the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha and he prophesied.In effect this is what he told them, by the Spirit of the LORD,

*The coalition was supposed to dig ditches, all over the valley on the desert floor.

*Without any wind, rain or visible water, the ditches would fill with water to sustain and save the army, and all of the animals with it.

*The LORD will deliver Moab into their hand.

*They would wage total war, Beseigment of cities, cutting down good trees, stopping up wells, and destroying cleared fields by strewing stones around them.

The armies of the coalition began to dig holes, out in the desert. They filled the valley with holes, although they were almost crazed with thirst.

And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.( 2 Kings 3: 22-24)

The Moabite army was observing all of this from a distance, anticipating the invasion. But they saw the pools of water as pools of blood, and assumed that the coalition fell into warfare with each other, and had a great self slaughter.

Based upon that mistaken notion,( That the water, was actually blood, they attacked and put themselves into a trap, which turned into a rout and a retreat. The armies of the three Kings, Israel, Edom and Judah had been made ready for them.

Everything Elijah prophesied came to pass; the miraculous provision of water, the victory over Moab, the slaughter, the cutting down of trees, capturing Moab’s strongholds, the stopping of wells, the coalition was able to experience everything the prophet predicted.

And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. ( 2 Kings 3:22-25)

All went according to the Word of the LORD by his Prophet, and by this Elisha was further established in Israel as a true prophet and representative of the living God, as Elijah was before him.

The campaign ended in the fortified city of Kiraseth, where the siege forced Mesha and the rest of his defeated and decimated army into an indefensible position. Mesha couldn’t break out and knew it was only a matter of time, before the allies broke through.

Being a pagan, he acted in sheer desperation. He erected an altar where all of the amassed armies could clearly see it. He then sent for his eldest Son, and offered him as a whole burnt offering unto Chemosh, the hideous “god” of the Moabites, in the sight of the Israleite, Edomite and Judaite armies.

Such Was the horrifying sight, that it deeply affected the idolatrous Edomites and Israel as well . The coalition fell apart right there on the spot, each party simply departing to their own land, leaving Mesha alive and the remnant of his shattered army.

And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. ( 2 Kings 3:26-27)

In the next segment we will explore possible meanings to “there was great indignation against Israel”….

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Three Attesting Signs of Elisha… Elijah pt 17

And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not? ( 2 Kings 2:15-18)

Elisha has received the mantle of the Prophet Elijah. He returns back over the river Jordan, smiting the Jordan with the mantle and walking over it on dry land, to continue the ministry which God had begun through Elijah.

The “sons of the Prophets” greet him and perceive the Spirit of Elijah upon him, but they wonder about Elijah himself. Did he really ascend in a whirlwind to heaven? Or had the LORD simply taken the Spirit from him and left him out in the wilderness somewhere to return? They perceived something spiritual had happened in Elisha, but simply didn’t believe his account about the ascension of Elijah.

But the disciples of the prophets at Jericho were so unable to realize the fact of Elijah’s translation, although it had been previously revealed to them, that they begged permission of Elisha to send out fifty brave men to seek for Elijah. פּן־נשׂאו : whether the Spirit of the Lord has not taken him and cast him upon one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys. פּן with the perfect is used “where there is fear of a fact, which as is conjectured almost with certainty has already happened,” like μὴ in the sense of “ whether not ” (vid., Ewald, §337, b.). Kiel and Delitsch

So they wanted to send a search party of the fifty heartiest among them, to try and locate Elijah. Elisha, who had now been appointed in the place of Elijah, and who was thus their obviously God appointed leader, forbade them to do so. But they wouldn’t let up, to the point where He felt he must allow them to do this, lest they assume He cared not for Elijah.

After thirty days, they satisfied themselves, that Elijah must have truly been taken to heaven, and from that point on, they gave complete deference to their new leader, Elisha.

This corresponds to the unbelief of the disciples, initially, in the resurrection of Jesus.

The second sign concerned the city of Jericho. Remember that Jericho had been cursed by Joshua, the one who rebuilt it would do so at the cost of his first and last Son, A man named Hiel did so, in defiance of God’s Word, and paid that very price.

But God redeems. Now the former cursed city would for the time being be the location of Elisha’s ministry and school of prophets. But there was a problem, the Water was bad, it was undrinkable.

And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. ( 2 Kings 2:19-22)

“The Water is naught and the ground is barren”, is a mistranslation. The brackish waters of Jericho caused( both herds and people )to miscarry, in the Hebrew, making the city to be unlivable.

The Prophet called for a “new cruse”, one never used before, a symbol of a vessel absolutely devoted to Jehovah, and salt also, which is a symbol for purity and incorruption. All sacrifices were to be salted, so salt is also a symbol of sacrifice and the power of life to destroy death.

By going to the very Spring for the water, Elisha in symbol is going to the root of the problem. he then proclaimed in the name of the LORD , “I have healed these waters this day”.

What a perfect symbol of the salvation of all mankind. Messiah, a vessel totally devoted to Jahweh, applied his pure and sunless life to the source of all of our problems, (The fountain of Sin) and by his stripes, He has healed us.

To this very day there is a spring of fresh sweet water that is in the vicinity of Jericho, Ain es Sultan.

In the same manner as Elijah, Elisha also seems to be carrying on the ministry of Moses, as we see a similar miracle in Exodus 15.

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lordthy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.( Exodus 15:24-26)

In that case the symbol was the tree. In this brackish, poisoned world which we pass through, sin cursed, and crippled, it is the tree that makes the waters of life sweet again. That tree is in truth, the cross of Jesus.

Finally the third sign, given to establish the continuity of Elijah’s ministry in Elisha, and to let Israel know that indeed God was in her midst and could be turned to rather than Baal.

 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. ( 2 Kings 2:23-25)

This is a very much maligned and misinterpreted story, but very important and full of prophetic import.

“He went up from there to to Bethel”– Remember , Bethel is one of the two shrine cities, where Jereboam had turned Israel away from Jahweh at the very beginning of his reign after the split. In Dan and Bethel, He set up alternative temples to Jahweh, and set up golden calves as symbols for the LORD.

He made that the national religion, and set up his own priests, holidays and the King was in effect ‘the head of the religion’.

” Little Children out of the city”-this is a terrible and misleading translation. The same word translated “little children” here was used of Solomon in I Kings 3:7, when he was twenty. It was also used of Rehoboam’s advisers when they urged him to raise taxes on Israel leading to the split in the Kingdom.

These were a large group of twenty somethings, who accosted Elisha on his way. They came with a deliberate purpose, they were mocking the prophet of God, in a dark and suspicious fashion.

“Go Up, Go Up Baldy!” -There is much more to this than meets the eye of many commentators. The admonition to the Prophet of God to “Go Up”, has to be considered in light of the location, Bethel.

Bethel was the site of an idolatrous shrine. One of the two golden calves was there.

One ascends to worship, He goes up, in a sense, to Zion, to the temple, to Jerusalem, “Lets go up to Zion…the city of our God”.

But here these young men are urging the Holy prophet of God to “Go up” to worship at the site of the golden calf in Bethel, ie to participate in apostate worship.

“Baldy” may be a mockery of the prophet’s appearance, although I doubt it. “Baldy” refers to the fact that the Prophet, who was well known for walking with Elijah, washing his hands, and serving him, is now without a covering. His covering is gone, he is now free to apostasize.

That is the nature of the mockery, and it brought immediate and stern rebuke from the LORD, in such an unusual manner that the word of it no doubt spread quickly throughout the land, and giving Divine credence to Elijah’s successor.

Two She Bears-Two She bears came out of the wood and slew 42 of them. Bears were not uncommon in Israel at that time, but such carnage and the fact that the bears slew them, but didn’t eat any of them, would certainly indicate supernatural intervention.

The two She bears, ( Beasts) may be a prophetic correspondence to the troubles of an equally apostate Israel at the end of time, for in the Revelation, we learn that Israel will be persecuted and slain as a consequence of two Beasts. The number 42, then, would correspond to the 42 months of such tribulation that they would endure.

The Three Attesting signs..Elisha pt 17

And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not? ( 2 Kings 2:15-18)

Elisha has received the mantle of the Prophet Elijah. He returns back over the river Jordan, smiting the Jordan with the mantle and walking over it on dry land, to continue the ministry which God had begun through Elijah.

The “sons of the Prophets” greet him and perceive the Spirit of Elijah upon him, but they wonder about Elijah himself. Did he really ascend in a whirlwind to heaven? Or had the LORD simply taken the Spirit from him and left him out in the wilderness somewhere to return? They perceived something spiritual had happened in Elisha, but simply didn’t believe his account about the ascension of Elijah.

But the disciples of the prophets at Jericho were so unable to realize the fact of Elijah’s translation, although it had been previously revealed to them, that they begged permission of Elisha to send out fifty brave men to seek for Elijah. פּן־נשׂאו : whether the Spirit of the Lord has not taken him and cast him upon one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys. פּן with the perfect is used “where there is fear of a fact, which as is conjectured almost with certainty has already happened,” like μὴ in the sense of “ whether not ” (vid., Ewald, §337, b.). Kiel and Delitsch

So they wanted to send a search party of the fifty heartiest among them, to try and locate Elijah. Elisha, who had now been appointed in the place of Elijah, and who was thus their obviously God appointed leader, forbade them to do so. But they wouldn’t let up, to the point where He felt he must allow them to do this, lest they assume He cared not for Elijah.

After thirty days, they satisfied themselves, that Elijah must have truly been taken to heaven, and from that point on, they gave complete deference to their new leader, Elisha.

This corresponds to the unbelief of the disciples, initially, in the resurrection of Jesus.

The second sign concerned the city of Jericho. Remember that Jericho had been cursed by Joshua, the one who rebuilt it would do so at the cost of his first and last Son, A man named Hiel did so, in defiance of God’s Word, and paid that very price.

But God redeems. Now the former cursed city would for the time being be the location of Elisha’s ministry and school of prophets. But there was a problem, the Water was bad, it was undrinkable.

And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. ( 2 Kings 2:19-22)

“The Water is naught and the ground is barren”, is a mistranslation. The brackish waters of Jericho caused both herds and people to miscarry, in the Hebrew, making the city to be unlivable.

The Prophet called for a “new cruse”, one never used before, a symbol of a vessel absolutely devoted to Jehovah, and salt also, which is a symbol for purity and incorruption. All sacrifices were to be salted, so salt is also a symbol of sacrifice and the power of life to destroy death.

By going to the very Spring for the water, Elisha in symbol is going to the root of the problem. he then proclaimed in the name of the LORD , “I have healed these waters this day”.

What a perfect symbol of the salvation of all mankind. Messiah, a vessel totally devoted to jahweh, applied his pure and sunless life to the source of all of our problems, (The fountain of Sin) and by his stripes He has healed us. to this very day there is a spring of fresh sweet water that is in the vicinity of Jericho, Ain es Sultan.

In the same manner as Elijah, Elisha also seems to be carrying on the ministry of Moses, as we see a similar miracle in Exodus 15.

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lordthy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.( Exodus 15:24-26)

In that case the symbol was the tree. In this brackish, poisoned world which we pass through, sin cursed, and crippled, it is the tree that makes the waters of life sweet again. That tree is int ruth, the cross.

Finally the third sign, given to establish the continuity of Elijah’s ministry in Elisha, and to let Israel know that indeed God was in her midst and could be turned to rather than Baal.

 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. ( 2 Kings 2:23-25)

This is a very much maligned and misinterpreted story, but very important and full of prophetic import.

“He went up from there to to Bethel”– Remember , Bethe is one of the two Shrine cities, where Jereboam had turned Israel away from Jahweh at the very beginning of his reign after the split. In Dan and Bethel, He set up alternative temples to jahweh, and set up golden calves as symbols for the LORD.

He made that the national religion, and set up his own priests, holidays and the King was in effect ‘the head of the religion’.

” Little Children out of the city”-this is a terrible and misleading translation. The same word translated “little children” here was used of Solomon in I Kings 3:7, when he was twenty. It was also used of Rehoboam’s advisers when they urged him to raise taxes on Israel leading to the split in the Kingdom.

These were a large group of twenty somethings, who accosted Elisha on his way. They came with a deliberate purpose, they were mocking the prophet of God, in a dark and suspicious fashion.

“Go Up, Go Up Baldy!” -There is much more to this than meets the eye of many commentators. The admonition to the Prophet of God to “Go Up”, has to be considered in light of the location, Bethel.

Bethel was the site of an idolatrous shrine. One of the two golden calves was there. One ascends to worship, He goes up, in a sense, to Zion, to the temple, to Jerusalem, “Lets go up to Zion…the city of our God”. But here these young men are urging the Holy prophet of God to “Go up” to worship at the site of the golden calf in Bethel, ie to participate in apostate worship.

“Baldy” may be a mockery of the prophet’s appearance, although I doubt it. “Baldy” refers to the fact that the Prophet, who was well known for walking with Elijah, washing his hands, and serving him, is now without a covering. His covering is gone, he is now free to apostasize.

That is the nature of the mockery, and it brought immediate and stern rebuke from the LORD, in such an unusual manner that the word of it no doubt spread quickly throughout the land, and giving Divine credence to Elijah’s successor.

Two She Bears-Two She bears came out of the wood and slew 42 of them. Bears were not uncommon in Israel at that time, but such carnage and the fact that the bears slew them, but didn’t eat any of them, would certainly indicate supernatural intervention.

The two She bears, ( Beasts) may be a prophetic correspondence to the troubles of an equally apostate Israel at the end of time, for in the Revelation, we learn that Israel will be persecuted and slain as a consequence of two Beasts. The number 42, then, would correspond to the 42 months of such tribulation that they would endure.

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The Ascent of Elijah…pt 16

 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.( 2 Kings 2:1-2)

Just as unexpectable as when he came on the scene, the time came for Elijah to leave. It is not the end of God’s dealings with Israel, rather a transition into the next phase of ministry that God revealed to Elijah on the mountain. The threefold Judgment, Elisha, Jehu and Hazael of Syria were to be interments of God’s judgment and (in the case of Elisha) God’s grace upon his erring people.

The day begins in Gilgal, and proceeds from there to Bethel. Both of these places have in common the fact that they were known centers for idolatry in Israel, and also that in those places were thriving ‘schools of the prophets’ also. These schools of the prophets were little communities of true believers which came about as a result of the initial showdown on Carmel, and Elijah’s subsequent ministry.

Elijah is a type of Jesus, and Elisha and the ‘schools of the prophets’ are types of the disciples of Jesus, who carry forth his mission after his ascension. On Carmel Elijah was used to strike the decisive blow against Baal, but the remaining work is then carried forward by his followers, Just as Jesus defeated Satan on Calvary, but left a body of believers to carry the work forward, after he ascended to heaven.

The typology surrounding Elijah and Elisha goes in many directions actually. We have already mentioned how He, Elijah was like a new Moses, confronting a Pharaoh (Ahab). Elisha would be like a new Joshua, continuing on the program of Jahweh.

On the other hand, we can reverse the typology of Elijah, and Elisha. Elijah would be a type of John the Baptist, a “voice crying in the wilderness” and confronting Herod, and even being persecuted by Jezebel’s wife as John was by Herod’s (false)wife.. Elisha, who comes after him, would be like Jesus. Elijah’s ministry was centered around repentance, but Elisha, who came after him, has a ministry of life giving miracles, as we will see.

There is merit for this typology throughout scripture, especially surrounding Elijah, for many places tell us that Elijah would come back again , before the “Great and terrible day of the LORD”, and when asked about it, Jesus himself told the disciples that Elijah had indeed already come in his day.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.( Malachi 4:5-6)

Elijah and Elisha take a “reverse” Joshua’s conquest tour, going from Gilgal, to Bethel to Jericho, all cities which have to do with events in Joshua, and also these are places which Ahab and Jezebel, as rulers, seemed to have been led to try and reverse the gains of Joshua, by rebuilding Jericho for example. It was almost as if the policy of Ahab was a kind of “Re- Canaanization” of the promised Land, much like those who seek to reverse history itself in the Americas, renouncing the Christian origins and celebrating the pre Christianized pagan America.

This particular tour could have been a warning to Israel of her coming exile judgment , by back tracking the entrance into the promised Land.

Elijah had always insisted that he was a lone prophet, but now He and Elisha run into bands of believers, the “Sons of the Prophets” in Bethel and Jericho. Judgment and Exile is coming to Israel, but these people are the seed of the body who will survive the exile, and eventually end up in Judah, as a remnant testimony to the living God. They were the counter to the “Golden Calf” state sanctioned new religion of jahweh, which eventually went to judgment with the Baalists.

In each of the cities they pass through, Elijah urges Elisha to stay behind, but in each case Elisha insist on staying with His master. He knows He is the successor and doesn’t want to miss out on the bestowal of the prophetic mantle. Centuries later Jesus would challenge his little flock to leave him, in order to test their resolve.

The prophets keep reminding Elisha that the LORD was going to “…take your master from your head today”.

Elijah was Elisha’s head, he had taught him and guided him, and that season was coming to a close, Elisha’s spiritual ‘head’ was now going to heaven. Similarly Jesus told His disciples, that it was better that He leave them, and that He would one day come and receive us unto himself. He was not going to leave us “.comfortless”.

Elisha began asking Elijah for the Holy Spirit, and for the portion of the firstborn Son. His “Head” was now leaving, and the question as to whether or not there was a God in Israel would be asked again.

Elijah and Elisha both come to the Jordan River, and cross it, thus completely reversing the Exodus and Joshua’s conquest. They are leaving the Land of Israel. Even the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan in Joshua is reversed. In Joshua, the swollen waters of the Jordan are stopped and backed up, so that the people can follow the Ark, into the land on dry land. In 2 Kings, Elijah takes his mantle and whacks the Jordan, stopping it again, to let the two Prophets out of the Land.

Elisha has persevered, He would not be separated from his master, even when he was given every out. Could He be given a ‘double portion’ of the Spirit upon his Master?

Elijah couldn’t say for sure, but gave him a sign, If he could “see” Elijah, when taken up…that would be the sign of receiving the double portion a gift from God.

 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.( 2 Kings 2:9-10)

The double portion is that which belongs to the firstborn Son, for the purposes of the continuance and safeguarding of all of the family for which He is responsible. Is Elisha truly the :”firstborn of Elijah”?

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. ( 2 Kings 2:11-14)

With the Ascent of Elijah, the question ” Is there still a God in Israel”was settled, Elisha would carry on the program of the gathering of the remnant, and the witness to the nation under Judgment already. He saw Elijah ascend in a fiery whirlwind to heaven He saw the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. His comforter had gone away, but he was not left “comfortless” for he had received the Mantle, the symbol of the power and equipping bestowed for ministry.

Thus did Elisha cross the Jordan again and enter back into Israel.

Eidersheim always seems to put it best,

And Elisha saw it. As if to render doubt of its symbolic meaning impossible, the mantle, which was the prophet’s badge, had fallen from Elijah, and was left as an heirloom to his successor. His first impulse was to give way to his natural feelings, caused alike by his bereavement and by veneration for his departed master, “My father, my father!” His next, to realize the great lesson of faith, that, though the prophet had departed, the prophet’s God for ever remained: “The chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof! (Eidersheim,Alfred, OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY)

The Death Of The Son of Ahab…Elijah 15

Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.  And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.  But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. ( 2 Kings 1;1-6)

First of all, we see that the Moabites rebelled. The gains given to Israel by the Davidic conquests, piece by piece were being dismantled. The vassal states, Ammon, Moab, Edom, and others conquered and subdued by David were able to break free from Israel’s grip, for the Kingdom was in deep decline.

Secondly, there is a parallel between the beginning of the book of first Kings and the opening of second Kings. Both feature a King in a sickbed. King David, is old and weak, and literally cannot warm himself. He is dying, and there is a struggle for his succession among his Sons.

lyBut 2 Kings begins with a bad injured King, Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and of Jezebel. He too is badly injured and in bed, dying. This time there is no struggle, instead he has settled on a coarse of action, to send messengers to Ekron, in the area of the Philistines, where there was a temple to Baalzebub, the Phoenician deity.

This is an illustration of the severe decline of Israel.

It is helpful to put things in perspective to understand this story in it’s larger conquest. The breakaway Kingdom of Israel, apostatized immediately under Jeroboam. He set up a State religion, and the two Altars of Golden calves in Dan and Bethel. But at least in name, Israel was offering worship to the right God, albeit in an idolatrous manner.But with Ahab and Jezebel, Israel was led even further away, into the worship of Jezebel’s gods, Baal and Ashterah. This is part of the meaning of the war on MT Carmel, in which baal was discreditted, his priests destroyed, and the nation backed away from complete Baalism. For the rest of his reign, Ahab tottered between Jaheweh, and his own self will.

Ahab’s son represents a new administration. From the very start, it was obvious He was all in for Baal.

For the King of Israel to consult with Baalzebub, literally the ” Lord of the flies”, was a direct affront to Jahweh, and proof that Ahaziah had received none of the lessons of his father’s life.

Viewed in this manner, the royal embassy sent to Ekron to consult “the fly god,” was really a challenge to Jehovah, whose prophet Elijah was in the land, and as such it must bring sharpest punishment to all involved in it. It was fitting, so to speak, that, in contrast to the messengers of the earthly king, Jehovah should commission His angel,* and through him bid His prophet defeat the object of Ahaziah’s mission.( Eidersheim, Old Testament History)

Ahaziah would not recover, he would never rise out the bed that he was confined to. Baalzebub could never help Him. But like His father, even to the end He wanted to prop Himself up and act as though he was in charge.So he sent out parties to arrest the Prophet Elijah. There was going to be another showdown on Mt Carmel. The nation would be given another demonstration of whose was the power and the glory.

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.  And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.  Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.  And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. ( 2 Kings 1:9-12)

aOnce again, fire came down from heaven, s answer to prayer, and verification of Elijah’s calling, in the sight of the apostate people.

When iniquity reaches it’s final apex, and the time comes for the final demonstration of Divine power to this apostate planet, this same manifestation will be granted to God’s two witnesses,

 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. (Revelation 11:3-5)

,In the future, as in this story here, the answer is of necessity severe. God’s authority had been openly challenged by the King, there must come a public and absolute answer from on high. The 100 smoldering corpses lay on the ground, smoke rising from badly burned former soldiers, two companies worth.

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. ( 2 Kings 1:13-15)

The third captain, takes a different approach than the defiance of the previous two. He now knew who God was, whose power he begged that he and his company be saved from.

Therefore Elijah came with Him to the sick and dying King.

The rest nis simply told. The arresting party arrived, with Elijah, who didn’t back down on his message to the King at all. to paraphrase,”You have worshipped the Lord the flies yet there is a God in Israel whom you have denied and disowned. You will die”

Ahaziah left no Son, so his brother Jehoram took his place, who was also the Son of Ahab and Jezebel.

‘

The Delusion Sent by God… Elijah 14

And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria? And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.( I Kings 22:1-5)

God had given Israel victory, over his nemesis, the Syrians. Ahab had been advised and helped by the very prophets of God that He and his wife had once tried to kill.

But Ahab soon forgot God, and played worldly politics, refusing to slay the enemy of God and Israel, Ben Hadad.

Three years had passed in which Syria dared not make any more incursions into the Holy Land. But Ahab decided he would make war on Syria, to recover Ramoth Gilead, a city pledged to Israel by Ben Hadad, but never given.

Ahab sent for Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, to come for a state visit to his capitol in Samaria. There He invited King Jehoshaphat to participate in a joint venture, the recapture of Ramoth Gilead from the Syrians.

Flattered by the offer, and perhaps in a misguided ecumenical spirit, Jehoshaphat pledged his people and horses to the effort. The godly King verbally committed himself to Ahab’s adventure, and now there would be no going back.

Jehoshaphat realized to his horror that without seeking God, he had committed himself, his nation and the integrity of his Kingdom, to a fight that he had no permission from the LORD to be involved in.

So Jehoshaphat asked for a “Word from the LORD”, to be enquired of, by any prophets of Jehovah which would have been in the Kingdom.

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.( I Kings 22:7-9)

Who were these 400 prophets? They weren’t the prophets of Baal, for they had been slain at Carmel and all but wiped out. Nor were they Jezebel’s prophets of Astarte, for they were prophesying in the name of the LORD.

It could be that Ahab had re-instated the former state religion , the false worship of Jaweh in the idolatrous forms of two Golden Calves, centered in the two shrines, at Dan and at Bethel. We don’t know, but obviously these were not Baalists, they were false prophets of Jahweh, and served the interests of Ahab’s government.

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hand. ( I Kings 22:10-12)

Their ‘prophetic’ enactments, and use of props, didn’t convince the godly King Jehoshaphat, for none of their utterances held that ‘ring of truth’ evident in the genuine prophetic ministers.

As the two Kings sat in the plaza between two of the city gates, and beheld the spectacle of ‘Prophets’ assuring Ahab of victory, the prophecies seemed hollow.

The use of the prop of horns may have been inspired by a real prophecy, ie the prediction that” Joseph would push down the nations with horns”in Deuteronomy 33:17. Thus in these sham prophets of Jehovah, there was a mixture of scripture and hype.

And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. ( I Kings 22:7-9)

Ironically, when Jehoshaphat expressed doubts about the veracity of these ‘prophets’ of Jehovah, he inquired further, for a valid man of God. Ahab immediately knew who to send for. But He didn’t like to have to do so, for this prophet, Micaiah, “never prophesied good towards him, only evil”.

In the mind of carnal and pagan men, Prophets are brokers between the world of Spirits and gods, who can secure favorable or unfavorable “Words” (curses) according to the situation. The trick is to find the right ‘prophet’ and to maintain good terms with him, in order to receive a ‘good word’. in Paganism, the categories are not “True and False” rather “good or evil” Words. Ahab believes that Micaiah is against him personally, thus he gives him an evil Word.

But Jehoshaphat knew God and knew that the issue was truth, revealed by God. All that counted was what does God say? What is the reality of the situation? What has God decreed and what should we do about it? Jehoshaphat, who had already unwisely committed himself to Ahab’s fight, needed to know the mind of God, for good or for evil, and what to do about it.

And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak. So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. ( I Kings 22:13-15)

Micaiah is warned to give a “good Word” to the King like the other ‘prophets’ have done. So initially he does so, “Go and Prosper…The LORD gives you the victory…”.

But now even Ahab knows that this ‘word’ isn’t right, and demands the truth, putting the prophet under oath in the name of the LORD.

And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord. And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.( I Kings 22:16-17)

The Truth?

The truth was a vision of Israel routed, leaderless , defeated and in retreat to their homes, scattered and Shepherd-less .

How Moriel’s Teaching is corrupting…

I have been recieving a steady stream of objections to my open letter to Moriel, from supporters of said ministry, arguing with me against my critique against Jacob’s false teaching on the Metatron. These people are confused, due to this teaching and perhaps due to their eagerness to defend Jacob at all costs, as well as due to Jacob’s refusal to just admit he has been wrong and to try and help God’s flock. He could have cleared this up years ago, and should have.

Every once in a while I publish good examples of this confusion, not for the sake of attacking Moriel ministries, as much as for clarification and warning to God’s flock of the dangers of this seriously flawed teaching, and my pastoral response to it.

I submit one such letter now, (Name omitted)

You know I hear lots of things that preachers teach that is error in my humble opinion. … Among the modern preacher it is my view that Jacob Prasch is doctrinally on the money and Jacob will let other know when he discerns error and he calls them out and rightfully so.

I have this feeling that some so called ‘men of God’ are angry with Jacob because of all the preachers he has called out for false doctrines. Concerning the Metatrone as taught by Jacob that the Metatrone is a Christophany, that is a manifestation or a type of Christ like say Melchizedek as an example. It is factual that many Jewish Christians are taught this.

One argument against Jacob’s teaching is the Metatrone is from the Kabbalah which is considered heretical, thus the criticism of Jacob. Many so called ‘men of God’ are quick to condemn far too often concerning anything that doesn’t jive with their view of Scripture. If I said that a Christophany appeared to many people of many different cultures, the narrow-minded types will jump all over this idea as heretical. I don’t think so, it is a view that can be proved in Scripture and can be disproved by Scripture according to one’s views but I will say that Jacob’s teaching on the subject is factual concerning what is taught to many Christian Jews, that is Jacob’s point, ‘it is taught’. True or untrue, it doesn’t matter to me as far as Jacob is concerned sincerely XXXXX

Here is my reply,

Dear xxxxx, thanks for the input, I appreciate all viewpoints, sincerely held.

As for Jacob, Yes he has had many insights, and his boldness in refuting false doctrine has been an inspiration in the past. I have been a friend and have even taught and traveled with Jacob, since the mid 1990’s till fairly recently. I know Jacob well.

But lets cut to the chase, as they say,

The Metatron he teaches, is a false doctrine.

There can be no Chistophany in the Kabbalah, and there is no Metatron in the New Testament, therefore it couldn’t be a “Christophany” as you claim. The Metatron is an occult concept, derived from an occult book, the Kabbalah and the Zohar, metaphysical treatments of scripture which are demonstrably antiChrist.. I find it sadly ironic that few warn against AntiChrist as much as Jacob, but then He presents an AntiChrist and gives him the attributes of Jesus. This is dangerous.

One other thing sir, you are not qualified to judge the motives of other preachers, and it looks like you are attributing the worst of motives to them simply because they disagree with Jacob.I don’t know your motive but you should think about that.

Your final statement is most concerning, I hope you simply misspoke, “True or untrue, it doesn’t matter to me as far as Jacob is concerned”.

As a matter of fact, Truth does matter, quite a bit. Truth from the pulpit, truth about how a person represents themselves, truth when speaking of fellow ministers and obviously, truth in doctrine matters supremely. For the Church, the body of Christ, Yours truly Pas Bill 2 Thessalonians 2:1-11

Confrontation and Repentance… Elijah pt 13

And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it( I Kings 21:15-18)

Naboth has been killed, stoned to death after that parody of a sham trial. Jezebel has accomplished this, using and abusing the law of Moses without any scruple. In a stunningly haughty manner she bids her husband to arise and take possession, the Vineyard is now his. Ahab did as she commanded,without asking any questions.

At the same time, by the Word of the LORD, the Prophet of God is told to arise and go to meet the King, in that very Vineyard. As the King arrives with his chief advisers, to savor his new possession, He is confronted by Elijah. Ahab knows full why the prophet is there, greeting Elijah as “My adversary”.

Eidersheim is insightful on Ahab’s comments about Elijah being his “Enemy”-

It was an admission, indeed, in that moment of surprise, of his guilt and apprehension of the Divine punishment announced. But it conjoined with it this – if not in excuse, yet as a counter-charge – that Elijah was his personal enemy, and had lain in wait for the occasion to call down Divine judgment upon him. ( Eidersheim, Bible History)

And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. ( I Kings 21:19-20)

Ahab is the one who has killed Naboth, a righteous Israelite. Not just Jezebel. Just as in the sin of Adam in the garden, there would be no ‘plausible deniability’. Therefore dogs would soon lick Ahab’s blood as they had licked Naboth’s. A literal eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, to the murderers of Naboth. Jezebel herself, the hateful and murderous priestess of demons would be eaten by dogs herself.

And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.  Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.  And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. ( I Kings 21:20-23)

Ahab had “sold himself ” entirely to do evil, in the very sight of the LORD”. In other words, He was a slave and the course of his sinful life brought him to do what he did, as a result of constant choices he made, in spite of God’s dealings with him.

Ahab knew that God was real, God had spoken to Him and proven himself. Therefore Ahab will be cut off and his posterity, His fate would be like that of Jeroboam, Baasha , two other notable Shepherds who not only sinned deeply, but had caused Israel to go astray as well. The dogs will not merely lick Jezebel’s blood, they will eat Jezebel. All of Ahab’s children would also suffer the indignity of dying in public and dogs licking their blood.

Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.( I Kings 22:24)

The sin of Ahab was public and so was the rebuke and sentence upon Him by Jehovah. 1

 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.  And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. ( I Kings 22:25-26)

But the LORD is ever merciful, and slow to anger, even against one as “sold out to evil” as was Ahab. The King sincerely demonstrated that the Word of the LORD had found its mark and pierced his conscience, by all of the marks of Old Testament repentance, and that publicly. He rent his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted and under the heavy load of his perceived true moral guilt, He walked softly.

And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,  Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.( I Kings 21:27-29)

Ahab had brought judgment upon the nation, and it would surely come. And Ahab had brought judgment upon himself and his own house, for his personal sins, (Naboth). All of these demanded a righteous retribution, but in God’s mercy the Judgment would be delayed, the axe would fall in the days of His son, and should he have repented, perhaps in the days of his son.

Ahab’s Domestic Policy…Elijah pt12

And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. ( I Kings 21:1-4)

In the last chapter, we looked at an example of Ahab, the King of Israel’s foreign policy . When threatened and even humiliated by the King of Syria, He went to war, and allowed himself to be directed and helped by prophets of God. As a result, God gave him a signal victory over his Syrian enemy.

But when He had a chance to execute Divine vengeance on the King of Syria, a war criminal, idolater, and inveterate foe of God and His people, Ahab indulged in elitist compassion. Not the mercy of God, of course, for God wanted to slay Ben Hadad. Ahab followed in the footsteps of Saul, who spared “the best of the Amalekites”, including their King. He refused to wage holy war, instead he indulged in worldly ‘compassion’. In fact he showed kindness to the cruel, for his own aggrandizement.

Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord. None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.( Leviticus 27:28-29)

Ahab pretty much repeated the error of the Syrians, for instead of acting as one who was given undeserved victory by the grace and power of Jehovah, He was treating God as a national Deity, and behaving as though the decisions for Israel, going forward, belonged to him. He decided it was best to spare Ben Hadad.

By contrast we are given this sordid story about Ahab’s Domestic policies.

Ahab had a prosperous neighbor, Naboth by name, who had a very beautiful Vineyard on his land. Ahab wanted it and offered to either buy it or to give Him a different Vineyard.

Naboth could not do so, for religious reasons. The land of Israel was sacred and allotted to the various tribes, clans and families as an “inheritance from the LORD”, which technically could never be forfeited. It was a matter of Naboth’s faith, (Evidently He was one of the 7000 God had reserved for himself).

The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land.If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption,then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property.But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property.( Leviticus 25: 23-28)

Of course this frustrated and saddened Ahab, to the point that he pouted like a petulant child, and even went into a kind of depression.

Ahab’s wife, (the Priestess of Baal), Jezebel , noted Ahab’s sadness and marveled that the King of Israel would be so easily stymied, when he could just seize it, as any other godless pagan King would do if he had the power to do so. In Paganism, might makes right.

But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.  And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth, ( I Kings 21:5-8)

Jezebel would take care of it, without the normal scruples of an Israelite King, still under the residue of Biblical morality. She had no such inner restraints , and neither did those in circles of power around her in that Kingdom. This passage very much reminds me of our situation in Washington DC today. We have Judges and senators who do not regard God or men! Woe to us!

Jezebel resorted to law-fare to seize Naboth’s property. She arraigned Naboth on false charges of blasphemy. In calling a fast on the community of Jezreel, she was hypocritically giving the appearance of outrage and offended piety, as if Naboth’s “blasphemy” had endangered the city which had tolerated t, and incurred some kind of Judgment, (I Samuel 7:6).

In another hypocritical nod to Deuteronomy, she subborned two witnesses, to verify that He had indeed blasphemed the King of Israel, the visible representative of God, in effect denying God himself. This crime was punishable by stoning, and to be carried out immediately.

Thus in a foretaste of the sham trial of Jesus himself, Naboth, a pious and God fearing Israelite was executed after a trial which made a mockery of the Law of God, letter and Spirit.

Ironically the property of those accused of blasphemy was to be offered to the LORD as a whole burnt offering, and not confiscated by the state. But Jezebel handed Naboth’s Vineyard over to Ahab as a prize, furthering the blasphemous proceedings.

This was Ahab’s domestic policy, by contrast to his foreign policy.

There would be no “brotherly compassion” for a truly pious Israelite, seeking to please God, no mercy, no quarter, and no understanding as He had given to a Pagan King and enemy of God. Just the use of power to seize, falsely cause, and to murder, even utilizing the Law pf God to do so, to give an appearance of propriety. Though Ahab delegated all to Jezebel, God would hold him to be the responsible party in this debacle.