1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20:1 Now King Ben-hadad of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings, along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

1 Kings 20:2 He sent agents into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says:

1 Kings 20:3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well! ‘”

1 Kings 20:4 Then the king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”

1 Kings 20:5 The agents then returned and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent messengers to you, saying: You are to give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.

1 Kings 20:6 But at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your palace and your servants’ houses. They will lay their hands on and take away whatever is precious to you.'”

1 Kings 20:7 Then the king of Israel called for all the elders of the land and said, “Recognize that this one is only looking for trouble, for he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn’t turn him down.”

1 Kings 20:8 All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen or agree.”

1 Kings 20:9 So he said to Ben-hadad’s agents, “Say to my lord the king, ‘Everything you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.'” So, the messengers left and took word back to him.

1 Kings 20:10 Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria’s dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.”

1 Kings 20:11 The king of Israel answered, “Say this: ‘Don’t let the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.'”

1 Kings 20:12 When Ben-hadad heard this response, while he and the kings were drinking in their quarters, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So, they took their positions against the city.

1 Kings 20:13 A prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what Yahveh says: ‘Do you see this whole huge army? Watch, I am handing it over to you today so that you may know that I am Yahveh.'”

1 Kings 20:14 Ahab asked, “By whom?” And the prophet said, “This is what Yahveh says: ‘By the boys of the provincial leaders.'” Then he asked, “Who is to start the battle?” He said, “You.”

1 Kings 20:15 So Ahab mobilized the boys of the provincial leaders, and there were 232. After them he mobilized all the Israelite troops: 7,000.

1 Kings 20:16 They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings who were helping him were getting drunk in their quarters.

1 Kings 20:17 The boys of the provincial leaders marched out first. Then Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”

1 Kings 20:18 So he said, “If they have marched out in peace, take them alive, and if they have marched out for battle, take them alive.”

1 Kings 20:19 The boys of the provincial leaders and the army behind them marched out from the city,

1 Kings 20:20 and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry.

1 Kings 20:21 Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the cavalry and the chariots. He inflicted a severe slaughter on Aram.

1 Kings 20:22 The prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go and make yourself strong, then consider carefully what you should do, for in the spring the king of Aram will attack you.”

1 Kings 20:23 Now the king of Aram’s servants said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hill country. That’s why they were stronger than we were. Instead, we should fight with them on the plain; then we will certainly be stronger than they are.

1 Kings 20:24 Also do this: remove each king from his position and appoint captains in their place.

1 Kings 20:25 Raise another army for yourself like the army you lost– horse for horse, chariot for chariot– and let’s fight with them on the plain; and we will certainly be stronger than they are.” The king listened to them and did it.

1 Kings 20:26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to battle Israel.

1 Kings 20:27 The Israelites mobilized, gathered supplies, and went to fight them. The Israelites camped in front of them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the land.

1 Kings 20:28 Then the man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what Yahveh says: ‘Because the Arameans have said: Yahveh is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys, I will hand over all this whole huge army to you. Then you will know that I am Yahveh.'”

1 Kings 20:29 They camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle took place, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans– one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.

1 Kings 20:30 The ones who remained fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on those twenty-seven thousand remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled and went into an inner room in the city.

1 Kings 20:31 His servants said to him, “Consider this: we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. So, let’s put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and let’s go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your throat.”

1 Kings 20:32 So they dressed in sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.'” So, he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

1 Kings 20:33 Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, so they quickly picked up on this and responded, “Yes, it is your brother Ben-hadad.” Then he said, “Go and bring him.” So, Ben-hadad came out to him and Ahab had him come up into the chariot.

1 Kings 20:34 Then Ben-hadad said to him, “I restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, like my father set up in Samaria.” Ahab responded, “On the basis of this treaty, I release you.” So, he made a treaty with him and released him.

1 Kings 20:35 One of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow prophet by the word of Yahveh, “Strike me!” But the man refused to strike him.

1 Kings 20:36 He told him, “Because you did not listen to the voice of Yahveh, mark my words: When you leave me, a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him.

1 Kings 20:37 The prophet found another man and said to him, “Strike me!” So, the man struck him, inflicting a wound.

1 Kings 20:38 Then the prophet went and waited for the king on the road. He disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.

1 Kings 20:39 As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant marched out into the middle of the battle. Suddenly, a man turned aside and brought someone to me and said, ‘Guard this man! If he is ever missing, it will be your throat in place of his throat, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’

1 Kings 20:40 But while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “That will be your sentence; you yourself have decided it.”

1 Kings 20:41 He quickly removed the bandage from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.

1 Kings 20:42 The prophet said to him, “This is what Yahveh says: ‘Because you released from your hand the man I had set apart for destruction, it will be your throat in place of his throat and your people in place of his people.'”

1 Kings 20:43 The king of Israel left for home resentful and angry, and he entered Samaria.

links:

a simple desire – Devotions
false confidence – Devotions
set apart for destruction
the price of presumption

The 1 KINGS shelf in Jeff’s library

FOUR SOILS

FOUR SOILS

Mark 4:14-20 NET.

¹⁴The sower sows the word. ¹⁵These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. ¹⁷But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. ¹⁸Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, ¹⁹but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. ²⁰But these are the ones planted in good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”

When Jesus told the parable of the planter, He wasn’t giving a lesson in agriculture. He was giving a lesson in evangelism. He was describing the most important interaction any human being will ever have: the moment when the word of God is planted in the heart. And in His explanation of the soils, Jesus shows us something both sobering and hopeful. Sobering—because not every heart receives the word. Hopeful—because God still produces a harvest in good soil.

But before we walk through each soil, we must notice something Jesus emphasizes—something we often overlook. Every soil hears the word—every single one. The path hears it. The rocky soil hears it. The thorny soil hears it. The good soil hears it. The difference is not in the hearing. The difference is in the response.

And that means something crucial for us: the word must be spoken. The seed must be scattered. The message must be proclaimed. If the word is not planted, there is no possibility of a harvest. We are not responsible for the condition of the soil. We are responsible for getting the seed out of the bucket.

Let’s walk through Jesus’ interpretation and let His voice shape our calling.

1. The Path — Where Satan Snatches the Word

Jesus says the first group is like seed that falls along the path. The ground is hard. The seed cannot penetrate. It simply lies exposed on the surface. And before it can sink in, before it can be considered, before it can be understood, Satan comes immediately and snatches it away.

This is not a poetic exaggeration. Jesus is telling us that spiritual warfare happens every time the word is shared. The enemy is not passive. He is not indifferent. He is not waiting politely for the sermon to end. He is active, alert, and aggressive. He knows the power of the word better than many Christians do. He knows that if the word ever gets inside a person—if it ever takes root—it will change everything. So, he works overtime to keep it from entering.

Sometimes he distracts. Sometimes he confuses. Sometimes he stirs up cynicism or pride or boredom. Sometimes he whispers, “This isn’t for you.” Sometimes he whispers, “You already know this.” Sometimes he whispers, “You can deal with this later.” But the result is the same: the seed never enters the heart.

And yet the seed was heard. The message was proclaimed. The opportunity was given. The soil rejected it, but the sower was faithful.

This is why we must never measure our ministry by immediate visible results. Some hearts are hard. Some minds are closed. Some people are spiritually asleep. But our responsibility is not to soften the soil. Our responsibility is to sow the seed.

2. The Rocky Soil — Where Shallow Faith Collapses Under Pressure

The second soil is rocky ground. The seed falls in, and at first, it looks promising. There is quick growth. There is enthusiasm. There is joy. There is emotion. But there is no depth. No root. No endurance. And when the sun rises—when pressure comes, when persecution comes, when hardship comes, this shallow faith collapses.

Jesus is not describing a rare situation. He is describing a common one. Many people respond to the gospel with excitement. They love the idea of forgiveness. They love the idea of eternal life at the resurrection. They love the idea of God’s love. But they do not understand the cost of discipleship. They do not understand that following Jesus means dying to self. They do not understand that the Christian life is not a sprint of emotion but a marathon of endurance.

And when the heat comes, when obedience becomes costly, when faithfulness becomes unpopular, when trials come, they wither.

But again—they heard the word. The seed was sown. The opportunity was real. The response was shallow, but the planter was faithful.

This reminds us that emotional responses are not the same as spiritual transformation. We rejoice when people respond with joy, but we also pray that God will give them depth, roots, endurance, and perseverance. And we keep planting.

3. The Thorny Soil — Where Worries, Wealth, and Desires Choke the Word

The third soil is perhaps the most tragic, because it looks the most promising. The seed enters. It grows. It begins to develop. But it is surrounded by thorns—worries, wealth, and worldly desires. And these thorns grow faster than the seed. They wrap around it. They suffocate it. They choke it until it becomes unfruitful.

Jesus is describing the danger of divided hearts. Hearts that want God but also want the world. Hearts that want the kingdom but also want comfort. Hearts that want salvation but also want control. Hearts that want to follow Jesus but also want to follow their own desires.

Worry chokes the word by making us believe that our problems are bigger than God’s promises. Wealth chokes the word by making us believe that our security is found in what we possess. Desires choke the word by making us believe that satisfaction is found outside of God’s will.

This soil is not hostile. It is crowded. And a crowded heart cannot bear fruit. When we get ready to plant, we don’t just go and throw the seed and hope for the best. We remove the weeds, so the seed does not have to compete against them. We don’t have to sow the weeds, they are already there, and they had a head start.

But again, this soil heard the word. The seed was sown. The opportunity was given. The thorns and other weeds choked it, but the planter was faithful.

This reminds us that discipleship is not just about hearing the word but about clearing the heart and removing idols, cutting away distractions, and making room for God to work. We can model that for the people we are trying to reach. Or we can be just as busy and distracted as they are. If we prioritize evangelism, it will mean cleaning up the clutter in our lives.

4. The Good Soil — Where the Word Is Heard, Accepted, and Fruitful

Finally, Jesus describes the good soil. This soil hears the word. It accepts the word. It holds onto the word. And it bears fruit—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold.

This is the miracle of grace. This is the work of God. This is what happens when the word enters a heart that is open, humble, receptive, and surrendered. The seed does what seeds do—it grows. It transforms. It multiplies. It produces a harvest far beyond what was planted.

And notice again—this soil also heard the word. The difference was not in the hearing. The difference was in the response.

This is why we preach. This is why we teach. This is why we evangelize. This is why we share the gospel with our families, our neighbors, our coworkers, our communities, and our nations. Because somewhere out there is good soil. Somewhere out there is a heart God has prepared. Somewhere out there is someone who will hear and believe and be transformed.

We do not know who the good soil is. We do not know where the good soil is. We do not know when the good soil will appear. But we know this: if we sow the seed, God will produce a harvest.

The Common Denominator: Every Soil Hears the Word

This is the point Jesus wants us to see. Every soil hears. Every heart receives the seed. The difference is not in the message. The difference is not in the planter. The difference is in the soil.

And that means something essential for us: the message must be communicated. The seed must be scattered. The gospel must be spoken. If the word is not spoken, there is no possibility of fruit.

We are not responsible for the response. We are responsible for the opportunity. We cannot control the soil. We can only scatter the seed.

And God delights to use faithful planters.

Some of us hesitate to share the gospel because we fear rejection. But Jesus already told us: some soil will reject it. Some will ignore it. Some will choke it. Some will abandon it. But some—by God’s grace—will receive it and bear fruit.

Some of us hesitate because we think we need perfect words. But the power is not in our eloquence. The power is in the seed.

Some of us hesitate because we think we need perfect timing. But the planter in the parable scatters generously, freely, widely. He does not analyze the soil. He does not test the ground. He sows.

And God brings the harvest.

If you have been sowing faithfully, keep going. If you have been discouraged by hard hearts, keep going. If you have been disappointed by shallow responses—keep going. If you have been heartbroken by people choked by the world, keep going.

Because somewhere, God is preparing good soil. Somewhere, the seed you sow today will bear fruit tomorrow. Somewhere, the words you speak will change a life, a family, a generation.

Our job is not to produce the harvest. Our job is to scatter the seed.

How to scatter the seed without preaching:

Christians can evangelize powerfully without ever delivering a sermon by letting the gospel become visible, audible, and tangible in everyday life. Here are four distinct, practical ways to do that.

1. Live a Life of Quiet Integrity

Consistence in honesty, humility, repentance, and compassion speaks louder than arguments. People are drawn to a life that looks whole and grounded.

2. Practice Intentional Kindness and Service

Helping neighbors, supporting coworkers, volunteering, or meeting practical needs makes the gospel visible. Love embodied becomes its own invitation.

3. Share Your Story, not a Speech

Testimony—how Christ has met you in fear, failure, or joy—opens hearts without pressure. It’s personal, not confrontational. And the more we testify to the truth, the more the seed has the chance to germinate in other people’s hearts. Most people will hear the gospel at least eleven times before they respond to it. Sow your story and sow it faithfully.

4. Offer Prayer When People Share Their Burdens

A simple “Can I pray for you about that?” is gentle evangelism. God often uses answered prayer to awaken curiosity and trust.

But I want to make it clear that our goal is not to be silent about things that really matter to us. The gospel is important, and we must communicate it. We cannot avoid saying words like God and Jesus and quoting from the Bible. We evangelize when our communication of his word becomes such a part of who we are that people see it as natural, not an act that we perform. The more we know God and his word, the easier it will be to plant his seed on every soil.

That is why our faithful reading of the Bible is so important. We are getting the word into us so that it can come out of us at the appropriate time to sow it.

LORD, help us to get Your excellent message out to our families, our communities, and our nations. Make us faithful sowers. Give us courage to speak, compassion to share, and perseverance to keep scattering the seed even when we cannot see the results. Prepare hearts. Break up hard ground. Remove stones. Cut away thorns. Pull up the weeds. And by Your grace, produce a harvest that brings glory to Your name. Amen.

1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19:1 Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

1 Kings 19:2 So Jezebel sent an agent to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your throat like the throat of one of them by this time tomorrow!”

1 Kings 19:3 Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his throat. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his boy there,

1 Kings 19:4 but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my throat, for I’m no better than my fathers.”

1 Kings 19:5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an agent touched him. The agent told him, “Get up and eat.”

1 Kings 19:6 Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So, he ate and drank and lay down again.

1 Kings 19:7 Then the agent of Yahveh returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”

1 Kings 19:8 So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

1 Kings 19:9 He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of Yahveh came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for Yahveh God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek me to take my throat.”

1 Kings 19:11 Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in Yahveh ‘s presence.” At that moment, Yahveh passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before Yahveh, but Yahveh was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but Yahveh was not in the earthquake.

1 Kings 19:12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but Yahveh was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a fine whisper.

1 Kings 19:13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:14 “I have been very zealous for Yahveh God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re seeking me to take my throat.”

1 Kings 19:15 Then Yahveh said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

1 Kings 19:16 You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.

1 Kings 19:17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.

1 Kings 19:18 But I will leave seven thousand in Israel — every knee that has not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

1 Kings 19:19 Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.

1 Kings 19:20 Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

1 Kings 19:21 So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.

links:

a gentle whisper
in the fine whisper
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, November 7, 2024
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, October 10, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, October 12, 2021
where did all the spirits go?

The 1 KINGS shelf in Jeff’s library

1 Kings 18

1 Kings 18

1 Kings 18:1 After a long time, the word of Yahveh came to Elijah in the third year: “Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.”

1 Kings 18:2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.

1 Kings 18:3 Ahab called for Obadiah, who oversaw the palace. Obadiah was a man who greatly feared Yahveh

1 Kings 18:4 and took a hundred prophets and hid them, fifty men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel slaughtered Yahveh ‘s prophets.

1 Kings 18:5 Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and to every wadi. Perhaps we’ll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle.”

1 Kings 18:6 They divided the land between them to cover it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

1 Kings 18:7 While Obadiah was walking along the road, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

1 Kings 18:8 “It is I,” he replied. “Go tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here! ‘”

1 Kings 18:9 But Obadiah said, “What sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?

1 Kings 18:10 As Yahveh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear they had not found you.

1 Kings 18:11 “Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, “Elijah is here!”‘

1 Kings 18:12 But when I leave you, the Breath of Yahveh may carry you off to some place I don’t know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Yahveh from my youth.

1 Kings 18:13 Wasn’t it reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered Yahveh’s prophets? I hid a hundred of the prophets of Yahveh, fifty men to a cave, and I provided them with food and water.

1 Kings 18:14 Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, “Elijah is here!” ‘ He will kill me!”

1 Kings 18:15 Then Elijah said, “As Yahveh of Armies lives, in whose presence I stand, today I will present myself to Ahab.”

1 Kings 18:16 Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah.

1 Kings 18:17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, the one ruining Israel?”

1 Kings 18:18 He replied, “I have not ruined Israel, but you and your father’s family have, because you have abandoned Yahveh ‘s commands and followed the Baals.

1 Kings 18:19 Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

1 Kings 18:20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel.

1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you limp between two opinions? If Yahveh is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.

1 Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of Yahveh, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

1 Kings 18:23 Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.

1 Kings 18:24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahveh. The God who answers with fire, he is God.” All the people answered, “That’s fine.”

1 Kings 18:25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.”

1 Kings 18:26 So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.

1 Kings 18:27 At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!”

1 Kings 18:28 They screamed, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them.

1 Kings 18:29 All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.

1 Kings 18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So, all the people approached him. Then he repaired Yahveh’s altar that had been torn down:

1 Kings 18:31 Elijah took twelve stones — according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahveh had come, saying, “Israel will be your name” —

1 Kings 18:32 and he built an altar with the stones in the name of Yahveh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.

1 Kings 18:33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.”

1 Kings 18:34 Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time.

1 Kings 18:35 So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

1 Kings 18:36 At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel, and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things.

1 Kings 18:37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, Yahveh, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.”

1 Kings 18:38 Then Yahveh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

1 Kings 18:39 When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “Yahveh, he is God! Yahveh, he is God!”

1 Kings 18:40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let even one of them escape.” So, they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there.

1 Kings 18:41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.”

1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees.

1 Kings 18:43 Then he said to his boy, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So, he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

1 Kings 18:44 On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.'”

1 Kings 18:45 In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So, Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel.

1 Kings 18:46 The power of Yahveh was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

The 1 KINGS shelf in Jeff’s library

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 17:1 Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As Yahveh God of Israel lives, in whose presence I stand, there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”

1 Kings 17:2 Then the word of Yahveh came to him:

1 Kings 17:3 “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan.

1 Kings 17:4 You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”

1 Kings 17:5 So he proceeded to do what Yahveh commanded. Elijah left and lived at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan.

1 Kings 17:6 The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and he would drink from the wadi.

1 Kings 17:7 After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

1 Kings 17:8 Then the word of Yahveh came to him:

1 Kings 17:9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.”

1 Kings 17:10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.”

1 Kings 17:11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

1 Kings 17:12 But she said, “As Yahveh your God lives, I don’t have anything baked– only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”

1 Kings 17:13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son,

1 Kings 17:14 for this is what Yahveh God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day Yahveh sends rain on the surface of the land.'”

1 Kings 17:15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days.

1 Kings 17:16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of Yahveh he had spoken through Elijah.

1 Kings 17:17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness got worse until he stopped breathing.

1 Kings 17:18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God, why are you here? Have you come to call attention to my iniquity so that my son is put to death?”

1 Kings 17:19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upstairs room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.

1 Kings 17:20 Then he cried out to Yahveh and said, “Lord my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?”

1 Kings 17:21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to Yahveh and said, “Yahveh my God, please let this boy’s throat be restored inside him!”

1 Kings 17:22 And Yahveh listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s throat was restored inside him, and he lived.

1 Kings 17:23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”

1 Kings 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and Yahveh ‘s word from your mouth is true.”

links:

a lesson in faith – Devotions
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, October 9, 2023
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, October 9, 2019
submitting to the stretch

The 1 KINGS shelf in Jeff’s library