February 24, 2021 – 1 Kings 15-22 (again)

Yesterday, I wrote about the danger, as illustrated in the downward spiral of the Israelite kingdoms, of the slippery slope of moving farther and farther away from God in our lives. There are times, though, that God intervenes by placing a faithful voice before us that stands in our way and yells, “Stop!” That was the case with David and the prophet Nathan; remember? Nathan stood astride the path David was on and declared to him, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7)

The Lord set Elijah before Ahab and Jezebel, and he had three great confrontations with them: 1) He announced that there would be no rain for three years (ch. 17), 2) The showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (ch. 18), and 3) The vineyard of Naboth and God’s judgment of Ahab (ch. 21).

David listened to God as he spoke through Nathan. David confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness as is so powerfully depicted in Psalm 51. Ahab and Jezebel refused to turn to God and both suffered terrible deaths: Ahab in battle (1 Kings 22) and Jezebel at the hand of Zimri (2 Kings 9). The prophet Zechariah delivered to the exiles who had returned from Babylon the promise of God: “Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you,” (Zechariah 1:3). What a promise! One that David heeded, Ahab and Jezebel did not, and we must. The words of Lewis Jones’ great hymn (1899) encourage us.

Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;

Would you o’er evil a victory win?

There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.