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THE EVENT THAT ENDED LAST CHAPTER WAS THE DEATH OF REHOBOAM, KING OF JUDAH, WHO WAS SOLOMON’S SON THAT SUCCEEDED HIM TO THE THRONE. HE HAD RULED FOR 17 YEARS FROM SOLOMON’S DEATH UNTIL ABOUT 911 B.C.
THE MAIN DIFFICULTIES WITH STUDYING THE 2 BOOKS OF THE KINGS FROM HERE FORWARD IS THAT THE NATION OF ISRAEL HAD BY NOW DISSOLVED INTO TWO INDEPENDENT KINGDOMS UNDER SEPARATE KINGS, AND (FOR THE MOST PART) THE TWO KINGDOMS WERE HOSTILE TO ONE ANOTHER. SO, EACH KINGDOM HAD ITS OWN KING, AND SO WHEN A CERTAIN KING IS BEING DISCUSSED WE MUST BE AWARE OF WHICH OF THE 2 KINGDOMS HE REIGNED.
FURTHER, SINCE BOTH OF THE KINGDOMS ARE STILL HEBREW KINGDOMS (ISRAELITE KINGDOMS) THEN THEY BOTH MATTER AND BOTH PLAY SIGNIFICANT ROLES IN REDEMPTION SHADOW-HISTORY (NOT IN THE NATURAL - BUT IN SPIRITUAL AND BEHAVOURAL REVELATION).
THESE KINGDOMS SPLIT ALONG THE SAME TRADITIONAL ISRAELITE TRIBAL COALITION LINES THAT HAD EXISTED SINCE BEFORE JOSHUA USHERED THE 12 TRIBES INTO CANAAN. SO SINCE THE 2 KINGDOMS AND THEIR PEOPLE BEAR EQUAL IMPORTANCE THE BOOK THE KINGS CONSISTENTLY GIVES US TIMELINES AND SEQUENCES NOT IN TERMS OF CALENDAR DATES BUT RATHER ACCORDING TO THE SYNCHRONISATION OF THE YEARS OF REIGNS OF THE NORTHERN KINGS VERSUS THE SOUTHERN KINGS.
QUARREL (1 Kings 15-16)
1Abijah became the new King of Judah during the 18th year that Jeroboam son of Nebat ruled Israel. 2Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother’s name was Maacah. She was Absalom’s daughter. 3He did all the same sins that his father before him had done. Abijah was not obedient to YAHUAH his Alahim. In this way he was not like his grandfather, David. 4But for David’s sake, YAHUAH gave Abijah a Kingdom in Jerusalem and allowed him to have a son. He also kept Jerusalem safe. 5David had always done what YAHUAH said was right. He had always obeyed His Commands. The only time David did not obey YAHUAH was when he sinned against Uriah the Hittite.
THE ISSUE OF WHAT SEPARATES THE WHOLE-HEARTED KING FROM THE EVIL UNRIGHTEOUS KING COMES DOWN TO WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES DAVID WHOLE-HEARTED IN YAHUAH’S EYES AND NOT OURS. WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES A HUMAN WHOLE-HEARTED FROM YAHUAH’S PERSPECTIVE. AND HERE IS WHAT IT IS: IT IS TO REFRAIN FROM EVER WORSHIPPING OTHER DEITIES. IT IS NOT COMMITTING IDOLATRY. WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS IS STICKING STEADFAST TO YAHUAH AND IT IS PURE WORSHIP OR GIVING EVEN TACIT APPROVAL TO OTHERS TO DO SO. WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS IS A FIERCE AND EXCLUSIVE LOYALTY TO THE ALAHIM OF ISRAEL, EVEN DESPITE OUR DEEPEST FLAWS AND OUR WORST MORAL AND/OR CRIMINAL FAILURES. DAVID DID MANY WRONG THINGS AND HE COMMITTED MANY DETESTABLE SINS FOR WHICH HE PAID A DEAR PRICE - BUT HE WAS NEVER AN IDOLATER AND NEVER GAVE HIS APPROVAL FOR IDOLATRY. HIS PSALMS AND THE RECORDS OF HIS BEHAVIOUR MAKE IT CLEAR THAT HIS LOYALTY TO THE ALAHIM OF ISRAEL (AND HIM ALONE) REMAINED INTACT ALL OF HIS DAYS.
NOTICE HOW THIS FITS HAND IN GLOVE WITH WHAT WAS SAID OF ABRAHAM PERHAPS 1000 YEARS EARLIER THAN DAVID:
GENESIS 15:6 'HE (ABRAHAM) BELIEVED IN YAHUAH, AND HE (ALAHIM) CREDITED IT TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS'.
IT WASN’T A LACK OF SIN, IT WASN’T LIVING A PERFECT LIFE, IT WASN’T BEING KIND AND MERCIFUL TO OTHER HUMANS - IT WAS A FIRM, PASSIONATE AND UNWAVERING TRUST IN YAHUAH THAT WAS COUNTED AS ABRAHAM’S RIGHTEOUSNESS AND AS DAVID’S WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS.
AT LEAST IN OLD BLOOD-COVENANT TIMES, I CAN STATE UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT YAHUAH USED IDOLATRY AS THE MEASURE OF WHETHER A KING WAS WHOLE-HEARTED OR NOT TOWARDS HIM. A KING OF ISRAEL COULD DO ALL SORTS OF TERRIBLE THINGS TO HIS HUMAN SUBJECTS AND IT WAS CERTAINLY COUNTED AS SIN AND THERE WAS USUALLY DIVINE PUNISHMENT FOR IT - BUT AS LONG AS THOSE SINS DIDN’T INCLUDE IDOLATRY WE FIND THAT KING IS DEFINED AS WHOLE-HEARTED TOWARDS YAHUAH. ON THE OTHER HAND A KING OF ISRAEL OR JUDAH COULD BE GENERALLY GOOD AND REASONABLE WITH HIS PEOPLE BUT IF HE BECOMES IDOLATROUS AT ANY POINT (AS WITH KING SOLOMON LATER IN HIS REIGN) THEN HE IS NOT CONSIDERED WHOLE-HEARTED BUT EVIL IN YAHUAH’S EYES.
IS THERE SOMETHING LIKE THIS PATTERN FOUND IN THE NEW BLOOD-COVENANT? YES - IT IS USUALLY CALLED BLASPHEMY OF THE SET-APART SPIRIT AND THE USUAL COMMENT ABOUT THIS ACT IS THAT IT REPRESENTS THE ONLY UNPARDONABLE SIN. INTERESTINGLY THERE IS NO CONSENSUS ON WHAT THE ACTUAL TRESPASS OF BLASPHEMY OF THE SET-APART SPIRIT AMOUNTS TO - BUT THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IS THAT BLASPHEMY OF THE SET-APART SPIRIT DOES NOT INVOLVE ANY HARMFUL HUMAN TO HUMAN CRIMINAL ACTION - RATHER BLASPHEMY OF THE SET-APART SPIRIT IS A DIRECT, INTENTIONAL, MALICIOUS AND HOSTILE ACT OF MAN TOWARDS YAHUSHA JUST AS IS IDOLATRY. A PERSON WHO HAS COMMITTED IDOLATRY OR BLASPHEMED THE SET-APART SPIRIT (WHICH JUST MIGHT BE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THINGS) IS THEREFORE NOT COUNTED AS WHOLE-HEARTED TOWARDS YAHUSHA NO MATTER HOW GOOD OR MORAL OF A LIFE HE OR SHE MIGHT BE LIVING OTHERWISE.
TODAY WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS WITH YAHUAH IS TRUSTING HIS SON YAHUSHA AS OUR REDEEMER. AND THIS IS SO BECAUSE YAHUSHA IS YAHUAH AND TRUSTING HIM IS TRUSTING YAHUAH. OUR SINNING AGAINST OTHER HUMANS MATTERS GREATLY AND WE WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES - BUT THAT IS NOT THE DIVINE MEASURING ROD OF OUR PASSION AND UNDIVIDED LOYALTY FOR YAHUAH AND THEREFORE OF OUR WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS TOWARDS HIM.
BUT BEWARE THAT WE DON’T DECEIVE OURSELVES: NO MATTER HOW HIGH WE HOLD OUR HANDS WHEN WE CRY OUT TO HIM NOR HOW LOW IN HUMILITY WE BOW OUR HEADS IN PRAYER, WHEN WE MIX-IN PAGAN WORSHIP AND ALTERNATIVE MANMADE BELIEFS WITH OUR BELIEF AND WORSHIP OF YAHUSHA, AT SOME POINT THAT IS IDOLATRY AND NOT WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS. WHEN WE REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE SET-APART SCRIPTURES’ DESCRIPTION OF YAHUSHA’S NATURE AND CHARACTER AND INSTEAD PICK AND CHOOSE IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT OUR OWN PREFERRED IMAGE OF HIM, AT SOME POINT THAT IS IDOLATRY AND NOT WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS.
WHILE HARMING OTHER HUMANS IS SIN AND WRONG AND WILL BEAR CONSEQUENCES, IT IS NOTHING AS COMPARED TO NOT BEING WHOLE-HEARTED TOWARDS YAHUAH. THE LIFE OF KING DAVID SHOWS US THAT IN THE END, PASSION FOR YAHUAH AND EXCLUSIVITY OF OUR LOYALTY TOWARDS HIM IS WHAT WE MUST STRIVE FOR UNCEASINGLY. AND WHILE THE REDEEMED OF ALL AGES AND ERAS ARE DUTY BOUND TO OBEY ALL OF YAHUAH’S LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS (OR IT IS SIN), AND WE TODAY ARE EQUIPPED TO FOLLOW THOSE COMMANDMENTS IN THE PROPER SPIRIT BY MEANS OF YAHUAH’S SET-APART SPIRIT WHO INDWELLS US, THAT IS NOT THE SCRIPTURAL AND DIVINE DEFINITION OF WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS TOWARDS ALAHIM AND OF WHAT WE WOULD TODAY CALL A DELIVERING RIGHTEOUSNESS.
6Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always fighting against each other. 7The rest of what Abijah did is written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam during the whole time that Abijah was King. 8When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Abijah’s son Asa became the new King after him. 9During Jeroboam’s 20th year as King over Israel, Asa became King of Judah. 10He ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah, and she was the daughter of Absalom.
11As a did what YAHUAH said is right, as his ancestor David did. 12During Asa’s time there were men who served other deities by selling their bodies for sex as cultic prostitutes. Asa forced them to leave the country. He took away the idols that his ancestors had made. 13King Asa also took away the right of his mother Maacah to be queen mother. He did this because she had set up one of those abominable Asherah poles. Asa cut down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14Asa did not destroy the high places, even though he was obedient to YAHUAH all his life. 15Asa and his father had given some special gifts to YAHUAH. Asa put these gifts of gold, silver, and other things in YAHUAH’S Temple.
16The whole time that King Asa was King of Judah, he fought a war against King Baasha of Israel. 17Once Baasha attacked Judah and then built up the city of Ramah to keep Asa from leaving Judah on any kind of military campaign. 18So Asa took gold and silver from the treasuries of YAHUAH’S Temple and the King’s palace. He gave it to his officials and sent them to King Ben-Hadad of Aram. Ben-Hadad was the son of Tabrimmon. Tabrimmon was the son of Hezion. Damascus was Ben-Hadad’s Capital City. 19Asa sent this message: “My father and your father had a peace-agreement (COVENANT). Now I want to make a peace agreement with you. I am sending you this gift of gold and silver. Please break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel and make him leave us alone.”
20King Ben-Hadad made the agreement with King Asa and sent his army to fight against the Israelite towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, the towns near Lake Galilee, and the area of Naphtali. 21When Baasha heard about these attacks, he stopped building up Ramah and went back to Tirzah. 22Then King Asa gave an order to all the men in Judah. Everyone had to help. They had to go to Ramah and carry out all the stone and wood that Baasha was using to build up the city. They carried the material to Geba in Benjamin and to Mizpah and used it to strengthen those two cities. 23All the other things about Asa—the great things he did and the cities he built — are written in the
book, 'The History of the Kings of Judah'. When Asa became old, his feet became infected. 24He died and was buried in the City of David, his ancestor. Then Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the new king after him.
25During Asa’s second year as King of Judah, Jeroboam’s son Nadab became King of Israel. Nadab ruled over Israel for two years. 26He did what YAHUAH said was wrong. He sinned just as his father Jeroboam did when he caused the Israelites to sin.
27Baasha was the son of Ahijah. They were from the Tribe of Issachar. Baasha made a plan to kill King Nadab. Nadab and all Israel were fighting against the Philistine town of Gibbethon. And that is where Baasha killed Nadab. 28This happened during Asa’s third year as King of Judah. So Baasha became the next King of Israel.
29When Baasha became the new King, he killed everyone in Jeroboam’s family. He left no one in Jeroboam’s family alive. This happened just as YAHUAH said it would when he spoke through his servant Ahijah at Shiloh. 30This happened because King Jeroboam had committed many sins and had caused the Israelites to sin. This made YAHUAH the Alahim of Israel, very angry.
31The other things that Nadab did are written in the book, 'The History of the Kings of Israel'. 32All during the time that Baasha ruled over Israel, he was fighting wars against King Asa of Judah. 33Ahijah’s son Baasha became King of Israel during the third year that Asa ruled over Judah. Baasha ruled in Tirzah for 24 years, 34but he did what YAHUAH said was wrong. He did the same sins that Jeroboam had done that caused the Israelites to sin.
THERE WAS A STRANGE PERVERSITY THAT DOMINATED THE LIVES OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL THAT WE SEE EXPOSED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF KINGS AS A KIND OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS, OR AT THE LEAST THEIR LACK OF INTEREST IN DIPPING INTO THE BOUNTIFUL WELL OF YAHUAH’S WISDOM AND INSTEAD CHOOSING SOMETHING ELSE FROM A DARKER, CARNAL SOURCE. AND THAT SOMETHING ELSE IS IDENTIFIED FOR US AS IDOLATRY.
BUT AS WE BEGIN TO READ CHAPTER 16 KEEP SOMETHING IN MIND: UP TO THIS POINT IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY THE IDOLATRY OF THE NORTHERN TRIBES THAT WAS BEGUN IN EARNEST BY JEROBOAM WAS EXPRESSED PRIMARILY IN THE WORSHIP OF THE GOLDEN CALVES THAT HE ORDERED BUILT (ONE LOCATED IN BETHEL, THE OTHER IN THE CITY OF DAN). AND IN A RATHER CONVOLUTED WAY, IT’S NOT THAT THE NORTHERN TRIBES STOPPED WORSHIPPING YAHUAH, ALAHIM OF ISRAEL.
RATHER THE GOLDEN CALVES WERE LARGELY MEANT TO BE REPRESENTATIONS OF YAHUAH MEANT TO REPLACE THE YAHUAH-ESTABLISHED SYMBOLS (FURNITURE) THAT EXISTED IN THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. OF COURSE TO CREATE THIS GRAVEN IMAGE VIOLATED THE DIVINE LAWS AS GIVEN TO MOSES IN THE 2ND COMMANDMENT, BUT TO THEIR THINKING THEY WERE NOT GIVING UP THEIR ALAHIM. THEY WERE MERELY MIXING IN SOME STANDARD PAGAN (NORMAL) WAYS WITH THEIR WORSHIP OF YAHUAH AND IN THEIR SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS FELT THAT THE ERA HAD PASSED WHEN SUCH A THING AS MAKING YAHUAH-IMAGES WAS PROHIBITED.
1 KINGS 16
1Then YAHUAH spoke against King Baasha through the prophet, Jehu son of Hanani. He said, 2“I made you an important prince over My people Israel. But you have done the same things Jeroboam did. You have caused My people Israel to sin. Their sins have made Me angry. 3So Baasha, I will destroy you and your family, just as I did Jeroboam son of Nebat and his family. 4Dogs will eat the bodies of those in your family who die in the city. And wild birds will eat the bodies of those who die out in the fields.” 5The rest of the story about Baasha and the great things he did are written in the book, 'The History of the Kings of Israel'. 6Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became the new King after him.
Arza was the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah. 10Zimri went into the house and killed King Elah. Then Zimri became the new King of Israel after Elah. This was during the 27th year that Asa was king in Judah. 11After Zimri became the new King, he killed all of Baasha’s family and friends. He did not let any male in Baasha’s family live. 12So Zimri destroyed Baasha’s family just as YAHUAH said he would when He spoke against Baasha through the prophet Jehu. 13This happened because of all the sins of Baasha and his son, Elah. They sinned and they caused the Israelites to sin. They worshiped worthless idols, and this made YAHUAH angry.
7That book also has the story of the time YAHUAH gave the message to Jehu the prophet about Baasha and his family. Baasha did many things YAHUAH said were wrong, just as Jeroboam and his family had done. This and the fact that Baasha had killed everyone in Jeroboam’s family made YAHUAH very angry. 8Elah son of Baasha became king during the 26th year that Asa was the King of Judah. He ruled in Tirzah for two years. 9Zimri was one of King Elah’s officers. Zimri commanded half of Elah’s chariots, but Zimri plotted against Elah. King Elah was in Tirzah, drinking and getting drunk at Arza’s home.
14The rest of what that Elah did is written in the book, The History of the Kings of Israel. 15Zimri became king of Israel during the 27th year that Asa was King of Judah. Zimri ruled in Tirzah only seven days. This is what happened: The army of Israel was at Gibbethon, which was under Philistine control. 16Omri was the commander of the army of Israel. The men in the camp heard that Zimri had made secret plans against the King and killed him. So in the camp all the soldiers made Omri the new King. 17Then Omri and all the soldiers of Israel left Gibbethon and went to Tirzah. They surrounded the city and attacked it. 18When Zimri saw the city had been captured, he ran to the palace fortress, but the soldiers burned it down with him still in it. 19So Zimri died because he sinned and did what YAHUAH said was wrong, just as Jeroboam did when he caused the Israelites to sin.
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE ORIENTAL MINDSET, THE END OF ELAH’S FAMILY MEANT THAT HIS FATHER BASHA’S ETERNAL ESSENCE WOULD ALSO END AS IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE TRANSMITTED FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION BY MEANS OF A SON’S BLOODLINES. IT WAS TRULY THE WORST POSSIBLE CURSE
THAT A HUMAN COULD FEAR - THE SIMULTANEOUS END OF ONE’S PHYSICAL LIFE AND OF ONE’S ETERNAL ESSENCE.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS THAT BASHA KILLED OFF ALL THE BLOODLINES AND THUS TERMINATED THE ETERNAL LIFE ESSENCE OF JEROBOAM’S FAMILY, AND NOW ZIMRI HAS DONE THE SAME TO BASHA. BUT ZIMRI’S REIGN OVER ISRAEL WOULD BE SHORT LIVED; IN FACT IT IS PROBABLY NOT EVEN CORRECT TO CALL HIM A KING OF ISRAEL. RATHER IT IS A TITLE THAT HE GAVE TO HIMSELF AND FEW IN ISRAEL EVER ACKNOWLEDGED. FURTHER HIS SO-CALLED REIGN LASTED BUT 7 DAYS. WAS THERE EVEN A CORONATION CEREMONY? PROBABLY NOT!
20The story about Zimri’s secret plans and the other things that he did are written in the book,The History of the Kings of Israel. 21Then the Israelites were divided. Half of the people followed Zimri the son of Ginath and wanted to make him King. The other half of the people followed Omri. 22But Omri’s followers were stronger than the followers of ZIMRI son of Ginath. ZIMRI died, and Omri became King. 23Omri became king of Israel during Asa’s 31st year as the King of Judah. Omri ruled over Israel for 12 years. Six of those years he ruled from Tirzah. 24Then Omri bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for about 150 pounds of silver. Omri built a city on that hill. He named the city Samaria after the name of its owner, Shemer.
WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THERE WAS AN ONGOING BATTLE FOR PROBABLY AROUND 4 YEARS BETWEEN OMRI AND ZIMRI IN THE FIGHT TO REUNITE THE NORTHERN TRIBES. NO DOUBT AS THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE COMPLETELY FRACTURED AND THERE WAS NO CLEAR CUT “NATION” ANY LONGER, THE TRIBES GAINED BACK MUCH AUTONOMY AND IT IS NOW THAT THE MOST POWERFUL TRIBE OF THEM ALL, EPHRAIM, ASSERTED ITS DOMINANCE. IT IS NOW THAT THE NORTHERN TERRITORY NAME BEGINS TO EVOLVE FROM ISRAEL (A NATIONAL ORIENTED NAME) TO EPHRAIM (A TRIBAL ORIENTED NAME). AND LIKE THE PATRIARCH JACOB WHO BECAME KNOWN BY 2 DIFFERENT NAMES (THE NATIONAL NAME OF ISRAEL AND THE PERSONAL NAME OF ISAAC), SO IT IS THAT THE NORTHERN KINGDOM WILL HENCEFORTH GO BY 2 DIFFERENT NAMES (THE NATIONAL NAME OF ISRAEL AND THE TRIBAL NAME OF EPHRAIM).
25Omri did what YAHUAH said was evil. He was worse than all the Kings who were before him. 26He committed all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had committed when he caused the Israelites to sin. They worshiped worthless idols, and this made YAHUAH, the Alahim of Israel, very angry. 27The rest of the story about Omri and the great things he did are written in the book, 'The History of the Kings of Israel'. 28Omri died and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became the new King after him. 29Ahab son of Omri became King of Israel during the 38th year that Asa was king of Judah. Ahab ruled Israel from the town of Samaria for 22 years. 30He did what YAHUAH said was evil.
Ahab was worse than all the Kings who were before him. 31It was not enough for Ahab to commit the same sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had done. Ahab also married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Then Ahab began to serve and worship Baal. 32He built a temple and an altar in Samaria for worshiping Baal. 33He also set up a sacred Asherah pole. Ahab did more to make YAHUAH, the Alahim of Israel, furious than all the other Kings who were before him. 34During Ahab’s time, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt the town of Jericho. When Hiel started work on the city, his oldest son Abiram died. And when Hiel built the gates of the city, his
youngest son Segub died. This happened just as YAHUAH said it would happen when He spoke through Joshua son of Nun.
ASA WAS STILL KING OF JUDAH AND SO THERE IS NOT A LOT OF SCRIPTURAL MENTION OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN JUDAH AT THIS TIME. IT WAS NEARING THE END OF ASA’S REIGN THAT AHAB CAME INTO POWER IN THE NORTH AND HIS RULE AND LEADERSHIP WAS BY FAR THE WORST EVER SEEN BY AN ISRAELITE KING. IT WAS SO DEVASTATING THAT THE LEAST OF HIS BAD LEADERSHIP WAS TO CONTINUE IN THE WAYS OF THE IDOLATROUS JEROBOAM. BUT NOW HE TOOK A PATH FROM WHICH THE NORTHERN KINGDOM WOULD NEVER RECOVER. HE MARRIED A PAGAN WOMAN NAMED JEZEBEL AND HE AND SHE BECAME CO-RULERS OVER ISRAEL.
JEZEBEL WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE NOTORIOUS BA’AL WORSHIPPER ETHBAAL, KING OF SIDON AND TYRE. ETHBAAL HAD MURDERED HIS OWN BROTHER PHELES TO BECOME KING. HE MADE HIMSELF THE CHIEF PRIEST OF ASTARTE, AND HIS DAUGHTER JEZEBEL TOOK AFTER HIM IN EVERY WAY. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT AHAB SOUGHT FOR HIMSELF.
AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE, AHAB DID THE UNTHINKABLE: HE RENOUNCED YAHUAH AS ISRAEL’S ALAHIM. AS BAD AS THE GOLDEN CALVES OF JEROBOAM WERE, AT LEAST THEY WERE CONSIDERED TO BE IMAGES OF YAHUAH AND SO YAHUAH CONTINUED TO BE SEEN BY THE PEOPLE AND THE KINGS AS ISRAEL’S ALAHIM. NO LONGER. BA’AL AND ASTARTE WERE NOW THE OFFICIAL AND LEGAL FATHER AND MOTHER DEITIES OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM. AS A RESULT WE BEGIN TO SEE A GREAT EXTENSION IN THE ROLE OF YAHUAH’S PROPHETS IS THIS TIME AS A COUNTER TO BA’AL WORSHIP. STARTING WITH ELIJAH WE WILL SOME A WHOLE SERIES OF DIVINE POWER AND MIRACLES ON DISPLAY BECAUSE ANYTHING LESS WOULD NOT DO.
THIS CHAPTER ENDS BY TELLING US THAT A FELLOW NAMED HIEL FROM BETHEL DECIDED TO REBUILD THE FORTRESS CITY OF JERICHO THAT HAD BEEN SUPERNATURALLY DESTROYED BY ALAHIM IN JOSHUA’S DAY. IN JOSHUA 6:26 WE’RE TOLD OF A CURSE THAT YAHUAH ISSUED AGAINST ANYONE WHO WOULD SUPPOSE TO REBUILD THAT WHICH HE HAS TORN DOWN. AND THE CURSE WAS THAT THE RE-BUILDER OF JERICHO WOULD LOSE HIS SONS IN THE PROCESS. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO HIEL.
LET ME BE CLEAR THAT HIEL DID NOT GO AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND DECIDE THAT HE WOULD PERSONALLY RESURRECT THE RUINS OF JERICHO AS A KIND OF PRIVATE RESIDENCE. NO DOUBT THE POINT OF PLACING THIS NOTICE HERE IN CHAPTER 16 WAS TO CONNECT HIEL WITH KING AHAB’S ADMINISTRATION. IT WOULD TAKE THE RESOURCES OF A ROYAL TREASURY AND HUNDREDS OF WORKERS FOR SUCH AN ENDEAVOUR, AND NO KING WOULD ALLOW A PRIVATE CITIZEN TO ERECT A PRIVATE FORTRESS CITY WITHIN HIS NATIONAL TERRITORY. EVEN THE WICKED KINGS BEFORE AHAB KNEW ENOUGH TO STEER CLEAR OF TRYING TO REBUILD JERICHO NO MATTER WHAT A WONDERFULLY STRATEGIC LOCATION THAT IT WAS. BUT AHAB, WHO HAD RENOUNCED ALL ALLEGIANCE TO YAHUAH, ALONG WITH HIS WIFE JEZEBEL HAD NO SUCH MISGIVINGS.
( CONFLICTING IDEAS )
HEBREW UNDERSTANDING for "QUARREL" :
579 - contraction in anguish, befall, deliver, happen, seek a quarrel.
4066 - a contest or quarrel, brawling, contention, discord, strife.
5327 - to go forth, be expelled, desolate; to lay waste; runinous, strive (together), vengeance, revenge.
6586 - to break away (from just authority), i.e. trespass, apostatize, quarrel:--offend, rebel, revolt, transgress.
SCRIPTURE UNDERSTANDING:
PSALM 7:11
“Yahusha is a righteous judge, an Alahim who displays His wrath everyday”.
PROVERBS 15:18
“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel”.
PROVERBS 20:3
“It is to one’s honour to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel”.
2 TIMOTHY 2:23-24
“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And Yahushas servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful”.
MATTHEW 5:22
“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of destruction”.
COLOSSIANS 3:7-9
“You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices”.
PHILIPPIANS 2:14-16
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of Yahusha without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Yahusha that I did not run or labor in vain”.
Facing the truth Brother and Sisters, those who call themselves the Bride today, are in a deplorable and insane mindset of quarrelling and conflict. They are putting forth this behaviour globally without true concern for their neighbour. As Yahusha said… “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF” (this Scripture covers the Ten Commandments also). This is definitely not happening in the Body, because of quarrelsome and conflicting ideas… no one is agreeable!
Yahusha has a plan for His Bride to come together in CORRECT BEHAVIOUR. This can be done on the internet to create a global Fellowship, where groups can also create Fellowships for comfort. All it takes is to come together in unity, peace and love, with no conflict or quarrelling.
Yahusha’s plan for His Bride is to dwell in her midst and work with her through His SUPERNATURAL POWER and presence. This is not apparent in the Body (His supernatural presence). Yahusha cannot dwell in adversity to His Words, so we are keeping Him out because men prefer their own kingdoms, using His Words to rule.
AGAIN CARPETBAGGERS ARE DOMINATING!!
These carpetbaggers should be named and shamed, as Paul did in the Scriptures. We need to take on the mindset of the Ten Virgins, even though they were gathered together with the Foolish Virgins, they recognised them in their behaviour through conflicting ideas. And we all know what happened to the Foolish Virgins.
The Bride has to get herself together and figure out the steps to take to be in Yahusha’s plan. Yahusha had a plan for the Temple. Every single item and service pointed to Him, as under the New Covenant every word and behaviour should be brought under Yahusha’s Living Words. Then He can dwell among us in Supernaturalness.
Yahusha loves His chosen Bride and aims to be with her, giving us access to Himself through the incoruptable seed growing in us. Yahusha wants to manifest Himself through His Bride’s exploits in obedience, through the Spirit, to show that He only dwells in His chosen. That’s why it says, “the sinners and the wicked perverts will go into His kingdom before any self-righteous”.
The wickedness portrayed by the foolish carpetbaggers will be thwarted by the behaviour of the Wise Virgins! Many people are saying the time is getting closer for His coming. How far away is the Bride from the true connection Yahusha wants?
Stand up and walk away from carpetbaggers teachings, (who are really scribes and pharisees). Its a bit of a lonely walk to the dividend of eternal life, but far more valuable than anything this world can offer.
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