The Sword Room

What can be more self-centered and illogical than rebelling the Creator and sustainer of our existence? And yet ever since the fall people have fallen to the selfishness and foolishness of the sinful flesh. But here’s the thing: not only does our narcissism and irrationality lead us into sin; once we are walking in sin we become even more arroogant and stupid. There are so many illustrations of this principle in scripture, but none says it better than the case of Ahab.

First off, Ahab was spiritually nutless. He married a pagan woman and then allowed her to influence his life, leading to a downward spiral into the toilet both for himself and the nation. He had plenty of revelation provided through the ministry of Elijah and a few other prophets. Three dry years followed by the contest on Mount Carmel. The victories over Ben Hadad, king of Aram.

Ahab’s problem was that he wanted to be everyone’s buddy. His marriage to Jezebel was probably more about diplomacy than romance. He was supposed to kill Ben Hadad but instead took him into his chariot and cut a treaty with him. These were totally irrational things to do: not only were they stupid moves from a tactical perspective; they were in violation of God’s word. Then when the prophet pronounced judgment on him and his posterity, he whined and pouted like a big baby. Sheer irrational narcissism–it was all about him. Crocodile Grary Ridgway tears. The sorrow of this world leads to death, unlike the godly variety which leads to genuine repentance.

Over the years I have talked to so many men who have totally messed up their lives and marriages just to satisfy their blind selfish cravings of the moment. Then later they would weep and blubber about how badly they felt, with no empathy whatever for those whose lives they had shattered. Fools.

Such a fool was Ahab.

But the height of his narcissism and irrationality is seen in his treatment of Naboth in 1 Kings 21. Naboth owned a field adjacent to Ahab’s palace in Jezreel, and the king wanted that field for a herb garden (possibly to be used in Baal worship). He tried to get Naboth to sell it or trade for another plot of land. But Naboth knew that Leviticus 25 forbade him from permanently selling land had been in his clan, of the tribe of Issachar, from day one. Ahab should have understood this as well, but he was so far gone spiritually all he could do in response to Naboth’s refusal was to turn his face to the wall, pout, and refuse food, hoping for the attention of his wife. She basically told him not to worry: she would take care of it. Through an act of forgery and false witness she got Naboth stoned to death for blasphemy–a capital offense in ancient Israel. But when Ahab went to take possession of the stolen parcel he was rebuked by Elijah.

Narcissistic for sure; but irrational in the extreme. Stop and think about something for a moment. God had given the pagan Aramean king Ben Hadad into his hand and with him a chance to regain the city of Ramoth Gilead. But Ahab didn’t have the stomach to kill his enemy, but instead let him go Scott free. Then he does to one of his own countrymen what he refused to do to the pagan. How selfish and stupid can you be?

Jim G. wrote a comment to my last post about trying to straddle the fence. There is a little of that in all of us, unfortunately. Ahab’s bad example shows us just where it gets us.

Sometimes I am blown away by the utter narcissism and irrationality of my sinful flesh. I tell you, when you opt to walk in sin your IQ immediately plummets a good thirty points.

Let us pray for that true godly wisdom and knowledge that is pure and reasonable.

If they had an award for the biggest fool in the Bible then my runner up would be Ahab, taking second place to Judas Iscariot. When it comes to one foolish decision after another Ahab takes the cake. It all started, at least from our perspective, when he married Jezebel, the Sidonian princess. This unholy union is a prime illustration of why you should not marry a pagan, no matter how sexy and gorgeous she might be. Jezebel was a dyed-in-the-wool worshipper of Baal, and she dragged Ahab and the nation Israel right down the toilet with her. Don’t tell me you will lead her to the Lord either, because it won’t happen.

But God gave Ahab many opportunities to see the light. By the prophet’s declaration there was no rain in Israel for over three years. When the drought ended God demonstrated His power again by raining fire from heaven at Mount Carmel. Ahab stood by as Elijah did what he should have done as the king over God’s people–slaughter every last one of the false prophets. But no. He ran back and whined to Jezebel, and she put a hit out on Elijah.

Twice after the this the Lord gave Ahab victory over a confederation of nations led by Ben Hadad, king of Aram (1 Kings 20). In both cases the victory was predicted by a prophet, and the express purpose was stated in each case: and you shall know that I am the Lord (20:13, 28). After all his disobedience, Ahab was given more opportunity to repent and amend his ways.

But Ahab again made a foolish choice. When the Lord had delivered Ben Hadad into his hand, instead of killing him as he should have done, he called him brother and made a peace treaty with him. From all we have seen up to this point the picture we get of Ahab is that of a spineless compromising wimp who cares more about what other people think than about what pleases the Lord.

The Lord is already finished with Ahab, and these additional acts of grace on the Lord’s part are designed to show the wickedness of Ahab. In fact God already had sent Elijah (19:16) to anoint Jehu as successor to Ahab. Now after this final act of rebellion the Lord sends a prophet to tell Ahab it’s game over (20:42), and Ahab goes home and throws himself a pity party (v. 43).

I see a metaphor here of the Christian life. Like Ahab we often think there is no harm in getting cozy with our enemies–the world, flesh, and devil. We think we can dabble with sin and there will be no consequence. We allow it to live on when what scripture commands is that we put it to death. Maybe it is lustful thoughts or outright adultery that we abide, or a secret porno habit. It might also be some substance or alcohol abuse that either hinders or enslaves us. Or a root of bitterness that defiles us and others with its contagion. Prayer and intake of the word have dropped off, and after that fellowship with the brethren. We feel dead inside and alienated from the Lord, and with good reason.

Sometimes, like Ahab, we feel bad. But Ahab’s sorrow was not for sin but for self. It was all about him. I pray that God will give me (and you) that form of godly sorrow that leads to repentance. May we stand strong in the armor of God and fight the good fight. May we never cut a deal with the flesh, but instead mortify its deeds and yield our members as instruments of righteousness to God.

The last thing I want to be is a biblical fool after the manner of Ahab. By His grace my desire is to glorify and enjoy Him over the passing pleasures of sin. I hope this is the craving of your heart too.

Isn’t it amazing how patient the Lord is with us? I am so thankful for this, but on the other hand I do not want to presume on God’s grace as Ahab did. I have found that no matter how long I live sin still lives in me, and Satan and his world system still seek inroads to my life through the use of the devil’s three trump cards of lust, lies, and laziness. If I snooze I lose spiritually.

Thank God that it is He who reserves for Himself those seven-thousand who refuse to bow the knee to Baal. He who began the good work in you and me will see it through to completion and present us blameless on the day of Jesus Christ.

Today let’s look at a familiar passage, 1 Kings 19:9-18:

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. “It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Elijah had been the recipient of direct revelation from God. The Lord actually spoke to him in clear definite propositional language, as coherent and objective as what I am writing here. He was to deliver the message verbatim as he had received it, with no margin of error. Thus says the LORD… I do not believe anyone reading my words has ever had this experience of hearing a clear audible voice from God outside scripture. Inner convictions and intuitions, yes. Leadings and nudgings, yes. Audible voices–no. Just my opinion, but if you are claiming that God is talking to you, then deep down you know such is not the case. Either that or you are in need of anti-psychotic medication. Bottom-line, revelation is complete and the canon is closed. God will not speak to you independently of His inspired written word. As an aside, I think Wayne Grudem’s definition of New Testament prophecy is way off base, and his book on the subject falls way short of his usually high standard of scholarship. I wonder if he had a grandma who fancied herself a prophetess or something. Anyway, for a great book contra Grudem, read Kenneth Gentry’s The Charismatic Gift of Prophecy.

But Elijah was an Old Testament prophet, and God spoke to him clearly and audibly. Not only that, but the prophet had been the instrument and vehicle of some of the most stupendous miracles in human history. He has just come away from what was undoubtedly the most extraordinary miracle of them all–fire falling from heaven and consuming a water logged carcass and pile of wood. Like the Olympic athlete coming home after a gold-medal performance, Elijah, after three years on the run followed by a miraculous climax, is exhausted. He is also discouraged and feeling all alone as he runs for his life from Ahab and Jezebel.

Once a person experiences the miraculous power of God in his life he craves it. I remember after my new birth experience wanting to somehow replicate the feelings I experienced. Problem was, when it happened I was not looking for it or trying to make it happen. I started going to charismatic renewal meetings, and after Derek Prince tried to teach me to speak in tongues I realized that what he was hawking and the biblical gift were apples and oranges. In the years that have passed I have investigated phony baloney signs and wonders conferences and movements and dismissed them as so much emotionalistic fluff.

That is not to say God has not blessed in some phenomenal ways. I have a good friend who was healed of terminal cancer 35 years ago who became a world-class mathon runner and to this day as an oldster still enters shorter races locally. I have been convicted by God’s Spirit to witness to total strangers who ended up saved. Once I knocked on a door cold turkey to find a woman on her knees with open Bible on the coffee table, praying for a preacher to come and tell her how to be saved. But here’s the rub. I was not looking for these events or trying to manipulate circumstances to try and make them happen. And not once did God speak to me with an audible voice.

Now back to Elijah. He felt alone, abandoned by God and with no kindred spirits with which he might enjoy fellowship. I believe he was craving more visible miraculous phenomena to lift his spirits. But God taught him an important lesson–actually two. First, God’s activity in our lives is not always with bells and whistles. Sometimes God speaks to us in the quietness of the moment. As we meditate on His word and on His goodness He uses little things in a big way. Do not despise the day of small things. You might think that because you are not a big-name preacher or missionary that you are insignificant as you plod away in your daily routine. But God does not view things as humans do. And God does not need our scheming and manipulating of circumstances to accomplish His purpose. Trust Him and walk humbly in accordance with what He shows you in His word. Faithfulness is what counts.

The second lesson is that no matter how alone you feel there are always like minded brethren close by. You might not see them, but they are there. It might also be that you have shunned fellowship with believers, thereby shooting yourself in the foot with respect to fellowship.

In any event, keep that chin off the ground and keep your nose in the Book. Trust the Lord and if you want a clear word from Him you know where to find it. Don’t let anyone tell you that if you do not receive prophecies from the Lord or blabber in tungz that you are a second class Christian. God is in your corner, brother, and He knows your address if He wants to get hold of you.

I have been very zealous for the LORD of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life (1 Kings 19:14).

Perhaps you can understand how the prophet felt. I imagine Jesus could after being forsaken by His disciples on the night of the betrayal. I am sure Paul could as well as he languished in the Roman dungeon. We might also mention Luther the great reformer hiding in the castle of Wartburg after his excommunication by the Roman Catholic Church.

We live in a religious climate not completely unlike that of Elijah in one particular: both cultures were/are glutted with professing saints whose beliefs and behaviors told/tell a different story. Many in ancient Israel gave lip service to Yahweh while in practice devoting themselves to the worship of Baal. In 2009 77% of Americans polled identified themselves as Christians. If these figures are applied against the total population, the estimated number of professing Christians in North America is around 224 million. The only reason these numbers have even any apparent validity is that the word Christian has become so generic as to mean virtually anything. And when a term can mean whatever you want it to mean, it consequently means nothing. Obama is a Christian, Romney is a Christian. Glenn Beck is a Christian. Donald Trump is a Christian. How does one become a Christian? Simple: just say you are a Christian. You say it, I believe it, that settles it. And even if I don’t believe it that still settles it. Your saying it is all that counts.

But Scripture seems to indicate that the path to eternal life is a narrow one which only a minority of the human population finds (Matther 7:13-14). As history marches on many will fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1-5). Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8). The implied answer to this question is: no, or at least, not very much. According to Jesus, apparently, lip service and faith are not synonymous.

But although Elijah felt all alone, he was not. Of course God was with him; but also: Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him (1 Kings 19:18). Notice: they had not reserved themselves–God had reserved them. God keeps His elect from apostasy. The faith he ignites in their hearts at regeneration he fans and keeps alive by His sustaining grace, so that they persevere in the faith to the end. What an encouragement it must have been to Elijah to know there were likeminded saints in Israel that stood with him for the glory of the true and living God.

Last night after dinner, as Connie and I relaxed and tried to cool down after a long work week in what was surely the hottest day of the summer, there was a knock at our front door. Connie answered it and returned a few minutes later. There ‘s some old guy here to see you. It was none other than Walter Thomas “Tom” Steele, Jr., from Fort Oglethorp, Georgia. I had not seen brother Steele in a decade, and he definitely looked older, at age 64 now. But as we sat out on the back porch in the shade in a couple Adirondack chairs catching up I recognized the same Tom I roomed with for two years in Bible College (1974-76). The same Tom who used to sit in the back alcove of the dorm and pray and discuss the word with me. The same Tom who used to pass out gospel tracts in front of the adult book store in Blaine, along with atomic fireball jawbreakers as a playful reminder of where the recipients would be going if they died without Christ. As we talked it was as if the years melted away. Jesus–the same yesterday, today, and forever–is alive and well in Walter Thomas Steele, Jr.

Every time I talk with Tom, or any other brother from back in the day, or when one of them responds to a post here, I feel good knowing there are a few likeminded brothers God has kept in His grace. Not that any are without temptation or sin; but their simple trust in Jesus Christ and their desire to walk with Him are such an inspiration and encouragement to me. I rub elbows with people all week long that to have fellowship with means talking to them on a level they can relate to; and that means the weather, sports, politics, relationships, you name it, from a Christless perspective. But when a guy like Tom walks through the door, you don’t have to wait too long for Jesus to be front and center, and the koinonia is going full-steam. At the same time I feel saddened at the thought of so many who seemed to make a good start but today by their lips and their lives make no pretense or profession of trusting Christ.

To all you brothers out there who have not bowed the knee to Baal, I want you to know that you moral and prayer support, and your sharing of yourself in any measure with me is appreciated beyond words. Sometimes I wonder why, after all these years, it is Pete who trusts Jesus and wants to feed on His word and glorify Him. There are so many who have not persevered. And then I think of some of you who, like Tom, are walking with the Lord, and I am encouraged. True, sometimes we seem to barely limp along; but we’re still moving.

To me this is a great evidence of the Lord’s reality and motivation to press on to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

If you watched the Olympics these past two weeks you know who the world’s fastest human is–at least at 100 and 200 meters. His name is Usain Bolt, of Jamaica. Just ask him and, like Cassius Clay, he will tell you he is the greatest. Of course Bolt is not the fastest man alive in the 1,500, 3000, and 10,000 meter races, not to mention the marathon (about 26 miles). For some reason it is the sprinters who have all the bragging rights in track and field, much as the quarterbacks in football.

Anyway today I am still reflecting on Elijah’s contest with the 450 false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. I imagine it was an exhausting day for the prophet. He had traveled all the way from Sidon to Samaria to announce that the drought was over and God was about to send rain. But before that could be done the false prophets needed to be exposed and put to death in accordance with Deuteronomy 13 and 18. That day Elijah had restored the altar of Yahweh on the mountain, chopped and stacked wood, slaughtered and prepared an ox for sacrifice, looked on at the frenzied gyrations of the false prophets, called down fire from heaven, and personally killed 450 men. I think any man would be ready to drop after that.

But the day was young. Elijah tells Ahab to go eat and drink, for the Lord was about to send rain (1 Kings 18:41). This encouragement to eat and drink indicates that Ahab had either been fasting or at least conserving his provisions. No need to tighten the belt any longer. As Ahab dines the prophet prays earnestly and the Lord reveals the first raincloud seen in several years appearing on the western horizon.

There is no time to waste. In 1 Kings 18:44-45 we see that at the prophet’s command Ahab mounts his horse-drawn chariot and rides as fast as he can through the mountainous terrain to Jezreel, some 25 miles southeast. If the rains catch Ahab he will be bogged down in mud. Over short racing distances ancient chariots reached speeds of 35 mph, and on longer treks, like Ahab’s, they averaged 20 mph, or roughly twiice the speed of a world-class marathon runner.

But there is an amazing fact revealed in the text that one might miss completely: Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel (18:46). Even after an exhausting day and spotting Ahab a head start Elijah smokes him. This means he had to be traveling 25-30 mph and that he made the trip on foot in roughly one hour. Imagine the surprised look on Ahab’s face when he arrived at Jezreel and saw the prophet waiting there for him. The purpose of this miracle is simply to reinforce the message and the messenger as from God. Ahab was without excuse for his apostasy, and he will soon pay for it with his life.

Bottom line: in a race between Usain Bolt and Elijah my money’s on the prophet.

If that statement were true then I feel about my age (59) right now as I sit and write this blog. My neck, head, knees, and hips are sore, and my whole body is stiff. But yesterday about now I felt years younger, if only for a few hours.

Two of my sons and I went on an overnight camping trip yesterday and just got back awhile ago. We started out at the Nooksack River near the little town of Acme on Highway-9 in Whatcom County. There is a bridge over the river in one spot that you can jump about 20 feet to the water, which is about 6 feet deep. Cold but fun.

Then we found some swift water to body surf. Many folks like to use inner tubes, but they are completely unnecessary. Wear denim cutoffs, and tennis shoes and you’re there. You float down river in a sitting position with your feet sticking out of the water in front of you, and use your hands as outriggers for balance and to detect the rocks. I learned this technique years ago right after I met my wife Connie, who was raised near the Clearwater River in Idaho County, Idaho. Taught it to my boys but had not tried it in at least 30 years. It is really fun, but you should do it in a spot where the rapids give way to shallows so if you have problems, like I did yesterday, you will eventually wash up on the shallows. I lost my position on one run, and when that happens you are at the mercy of the water. I rolled around as I drifted down river, coming up for air when possible, and getting really beaten up on the rocks. Luckily I was able to grab a tree branch hanging out into the river and pulled myself to dry land. It was a blast.

Then we drove way up an abandoned logging spur off Mosquito Lake Road and set up camp. We spent the rest of the day blasting through hundreds of rounds of ammo and enjoying a dinner of flame broiled meat. When we go on these trips we go strictly carnivore, eating meat and drinking water. Beef and chicken for dinner and bacon in the morning. Nothing else except for coffee made with those horrendous freeze-dried crystals.

Sleep was tough because one coyote decided to howl and then all his buddies got in on the act. Must’ve been 20 or 30 of them. It was fun, and these trips are not about sleeping anyway.

I am glad to be a modern day Caleb. He was 80 and going strong. I am pushing 60 and not ready for the TV tray and drool rag. Praise God for good health and sons who still like to hang out with their dad.

One of the most colorful stories in all scripture is found in 1 Kings 18: Baal versus Yahweh on Mount Carmel. After three years on the run Elijah finally returns home. Before praying for rain he stages a contest between the false God, Baal, and the true and living God of Israel. It is not enough to pray for the rain to begin: a statement must be made, punctuated with a large exclamation point. The Phoenician fertility gods must be decisively shown to be lifeless and impotent over the forces of nature.

You know the story. Elijah summons the 450 false prophets of Baal who are on Ahab’s payroll to Mount Carmel. There are two altars–one for Baal and one for the Lord. Both are stacked with wood, and two bulls are slaughtered and one is placed on each of the altars. The false prophets spend the day yelling and shouting, and cutting themselves with sharp stones; but their false god does not and cannot answer by fire. Elijah looks on, taunting them and their deity before finally summoning the people to himself. He digs a trench around the altar and drenches the wood and sacrifice with water. Then he prays and the Lord sends fire which vaporizes the water and consumes the offering. The people cannot deny that the Lord is God, and they assist Elijah in slaughtering every last one of the 450 false prophets.

This great illustration of faith and courage is often misunderstood and misapplied. When I first got saved in 1971 there was a Jesus People Bible study in Des Moines, Washington, led by a guy named Jeff. Jeff used to bring this old guy in a wheelchair to the Bible study who was paralyzed from the waist down. This fellow had been Jeff’s teacher in grade school many years earlier and still taught school at the time he was attending Bible study.

The teacher was not a believer, even though Jeff had shared the gospel with him many times and was praying for him. For some reason this teacher liked being in the Bible study atmosphere and was welcomed by all. But Jeff was not satisfied with this, and every week he would have us lay hands on the old guy and pray for his healing. Jeff figured if the Lord healed the old boy he would have no choice but to give his life to Christ.

But despite our earnest prayers it never took. Then Jeff read about Elijah’s confrontation of the false prophets at Mount Carmel, and he concluded that he needed to water it down a little more. That is he needed to up the stakes and put the Lord on the line. He staged a gathering in the gym of his old grade school one evening and invited the entire staff of the school to attend. He sent flyers to many in the community, inviting them to come and see the paralyzed teacher healed. He watered it down further by inviting the man’s extended family of unbelievers to attend the event.

Long story short: before a packed out gym Jeff prayed, and the old schoolteacher stumbled and fell on his face. Total humiliation.

What was wrong with that picture? Simple: Jeff did not carefully extract the meaning of the text (exegesis), but instead read his own ideas into it (eisogesis). What do I mean? Well, just read the following verse (1 Kings 18:36):

And it came to pass at the time of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.”

Did you catch that last clause? Apparently Jeff didn’t, and neither do any of the smoldering stubs teaching false name-it-claim-it. Jeff’s faith was misplaced because genuine biblical faith is based on revealed truth. Elijah didn’t wake up one morning and decide on his own to stage a contest on Mount Carmel. God answers prayer according to His will, and when He has revealed His will, as in the case of Elijah, faith has a solid foundation. Anything less is testing the Lord, which is what Jeff was doing.

He meant well, but his zeal was not according to knowledge. His ignorance was inexcusable, however, because had he read the text more carefully instead of taking the ball and running with it, he would have been happy to continue praying for the old teacher as he had, trusting in the sovereign God of scripture to do according to His unrevealed will.

In the end Jeff ended up looking more like one of the prophets of Baal than like Elijah. Moral of the story: read the Bible and follow what it says. When God does not specifically reveal His will, real faith is trusting Him with the outcome and not trying to manipulate circumstances to fit our desires.

As soon as Elijah announced the news of the rain stoppage to Ahab God sent him into hiding beyond the Jordan. Once the brook Cherith had run dry the Lord sent the prophet to the home of a Sidonian widow living far to the northwest on the Phoenician seacoast. Obviously the Lord was concerned with Elijah’s protection; but the prophet’s absence might also have been designed to add an element of fear and mystery around his whereabouts as well as their survival during the drought.

Why send him to the widow of Sidon? Who was she, anyway? We cannot answer these questions in detail, but there are a few interesting clues in the text. First, she is described as a widow, which obviously means she had been married and her husband subsequently died. She is also said to have a son, and while there is no mention of other children she is said to have fed a household (1 Kings 17:15). The language implies that she had other household members beside the son, such as relatives and servants. The fact that she had an upstairs guest room for the prophet indicates a fairly large house. If she had inherited wealth in her husband’s death she would not be as needy for a husband to support her, as was usually the case in that culture. Having a son,she would not be automatically eligible for levarite marriage, whereby a brother of her husband would be obligated to marry her and raise up offspring in the name of the deceased. Apparently she was doing fine as a single mom before the drought hit.

There are a few clues given concerning her spiritual condition. We know she was the recipient of a direct command from God to provide for the prophet when he arrived (17:9). When Elijah asks her for food and water she responds with the phrase, literally, as Yahweh your Elohim lives (v. 12). This recognition of living God of Israel was no casual Freudian slip; for she would not have learned it from the pagan priests of Sidon, and it is unlikely that she would have uttered such a confession before the Lord had manifested Himself to her. In v. 18 she addresses Elijah with the phrase, O man of God, and asks him if he has come to bring her sin to her remembrance by the death of her son. While this question reflects the common superstition of the time, it shows she has at least some consciousness of personal sin.

Elijah’s response is telling: O Lord my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge by killing her son? (v. 20). The key word here is also. As a result of Elijah’s prayer for the cessation of rain, tragedy had befallen many. Undoubtedly the Lord spared Elijah from seeing the sick and emaciated bodies of those dying of thirst and starvation by sending him into hiding. Still we see here that he is aware of the dire implications of his prayer.

All that was bad enough to watch from a distance. It is easier to ignore tragedy and suffering when one is detached. But Elijah had come under the roof of this widow. He had eaten and drank at her table and had enjoyed her company and fellowship. Perhaps he had grown fond of the boy as well and had spent time talking to him and playing with him. And now in return for her kindness, in addition to having lost her husband, the Lord is taking her only son and heir to her estate from her. You can almost hear a twinge of anger in the prophet’s tone.

We do not know why Elijah stretched himself out over the child or why he repeated the process three times. All the text tells us is that the boy’s life came back into him and he was revived. When Elijah presented him alive to his mother waiting downstairs, she said: Now I know by this that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth (v. 24). It would be nice to know what happened after this to the woman and her son, but concerning this question scripture is silent. Assuming she was regenerated during the time of Elijah’s visitation, she would have little fellowship among the Baal worshippers of Sidon. She would be miles from Jerusalem and Samaria, the religious centers of Judah and Israel and would not be permitted as a gentile to partake of worship there anyway. Her experience would parallel that of Lot as he lived among the Sodomites.

Here is yet another example of how when the God-ordained institutions of worship deteriorate the Lord sometimes works outside the box. We see further examples of this in the days of the apostles, during the Reformation, and in the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The common denominator in each case is the word of the Lord powerfully impacting lives in ways no one would have imagined.

In the midst of famine and death the Lord revealed Himself to the widow and provided for her needs. In these days of great apostasy pray that the Lord might use you to bring His word to needy dying sinners.

Connie and I celebrate 36 years of marriage this coming Tuesday. It has become a tradition with us this time every year to take a short road trip into previously uncharted territory. There are three good-sized antique malls in a thirty mile radius of Wenatchee, and Connie is into antiques. I’m into her, so I don’t mind looking a little and wandering around a lot. Tomorrow we are going to head north toward Chelan and then over to Waterville, where neither of us has ever been. We have heard there are some good antique joints all along the way and some possible opportunities to do a little freestyle picking. From Waterville we will head to Ephrata, then Quincy, then Ellensburg. Tuesday we will take our time heading back home through Monroe, where we recently heard of a lady who has a barn full of great stuff she has been hoarding for years.

One highlight of our trips is always the podunk cafe’s and diners we find along the way. Some people like the exotic high end places where they serve steak and lobster, but we’re in search of homemade  chicken fried steak, the kind where they go out and kill the cow just to make your meal. Lumpy mashed potatoes with country gravy, served by an eight-month pregnant waitress whose husband is a ringer for Larry the Cable Guy. I always appreciate seeing the husband because Connie is from a tiny burg in Idaho where the only jobs are at sawmills. She must be thankful she got me instead of some slacked-jawed hick. Actually, those hicks are good people, don’t get me wrong.

Sometimes people ask us what the secret of a healthy marriage is. To this question I must plead a high degree of ignorance. We are both of the same faith, and we share common sense values like hard work and the importance of family. Beyond that I think I lucked out–or I should say God blessed me with an outstanding girl. We have never read books or attended workshops on how to have a good marriage. I don’t know, we just like being together, even after all these years. I look at others who are lots nicer guys than me who have not had the kind of marriage I have enjoyed, and I don’t get it. One of life’s big mysteries, I guess.

If there are any regrets I suppose it would be that my kids do not share our commitment to the Lord. We thought we did everything right: prayed with them and for them, led by example, never abused or neglected them, never exposed them to drugs or alcohol, took them to church every Sunday. I see other parents who do not even know the Lord, and their kids are more functional and responsible than some of my own children. Sometimes there just isn’t a simple answer to the question of why things are the way they are with our offspring.

All in all it has been a good 36-year run, and I can’t think of too many things I would change. Enjoy the good weather and those who mean the most to you. Take time to stop and smell the coffee along the way.

I know, I should have said roses, but we both like the smell of coffee better.

Once the rain stopped and the famine began in Israel, the Lord told Elijah to head east across the Jordan to a remote area near the brook Cherith, where he would be miraculously fed by the ravens. Living among his own people he would be a marked man, most likely with a bounty on his head. Eventually he would be found, hence the Lord directed him to the home of a certain widow in Sidon to the north along the Phoenician seacoast.

Two quick points about the land of Sidon and the widow. You will remember that Sidon was the hometown of Jezebel, whose father was the king there. It was from Sidon that Jezebel had imported the worship of Baal and Asherah to Israel. In the midst of this Mecca of idolatry there was a widow who had been specifically instructed to open her home to the prophet in advance of his arrival there (17:9). When Elijah meets her in the town square and asks her for food and water, she responds with the phrase: As the LORD your God lives, which seems to indicate some degree of faith on her part.

The lesson we can take from this is that no matter how depraved the culture and bleak the spiritual landscape, the Lord’s ear is never too dull to hear nor His arm too short to save those whom He calls by His grace. It is an easy thing in these days of nominal evangelicalism and rife paganism to doubt the Lord’s ability to save. But time and again in scripture as well as history we see the Lord’s hand on the the foremost of sinners, like Saul of Tarsus. The fact is, it is a miracle any time a sinner is saved, be he from a thoroughly pagan background or born into the church.

Meanwhile back in Israel, as the famine wears on the hunt for Elijah intensifies. Ahab is desperate because starving thirsty subjects demand action on the part of their leaders. Jezebel, on the other hand, is enraged. She seems to take personally the fact that her native fertility deities have been shown to be dead and impotent. She sets out to slaughter every last prophet of the Lord in the land; and if not for the heroic intervention of Obadiah she might have succeeded.

We see a kind of superstition in the behavior of Ahab and Jezebel that is common among the unregenerate. They see the locus of the power in the human messenger instead of God, who is the true source. It is true that when Elijah had announced the rain stoppage in 17:1 he stipulated that no rain would fall again but at his word. I take this declaration to imply an unstated condition of repentance, similar to Jonah’s prediction that: Yet forty days and Ninevah shall be overthrown (Jonah 3:4). We know this was a conditional threat because the Assyrians of Ninevah all repented and were spared.

In other words, Ahab, Jezebel, and the inhabitants of Israel must repent before the Lord, for He is the one they have offended with their rebellion. If they knew their law at all they would understand that they have violated the commands to worship no other Gods and to fashion no graven images. They are obliged to confess their sin to God, repent before Him, and amend their ways. There is no doubt that had they done that, God would have blessed them with rain with or without the mediation of the prophet.

It seems to be ingrained in human nature to think that instead of doing business personally with the Lord we must seek the mediating help of a priest, pastor, or psychobabbler–or some other individual with a supposedly fast-track to the throne of grace. I can remember how right after I got saved in 1971 I heard Hal Lindsey would be speaking at a Bible conference center called Park of the Pines, in south Seattle. I had just read his bestseller, The Late Great Planet Earth, and thought he had a hot-line to the Lord. I stood in line for nearly an hour after he spoke just to ask that he remember me in prayer, which he said he would. It was not until a few years later that I learned he had his head up his butt theologically, and that God would just as soon hear my prayer as his.

Many times over the years I have had guys come to me repeatedly after they had made a mess of their lives by going on drunken binges, blowing all their money, cheating on their wives, losing jobs, etc. One particular fellow would have one adulterous fling with one floozy after another over the years. Each time he would come back to me to ask me to pray for him and assure him that he was saved based on his having parroted the sinner’s prayer at age seven. What he seemed not to get was that he needed to do business directly with the Lord, and after that with his wife. Men like this seem to think they need a priest to perform some magical hocus-pocus to absolve them of their sins in lieu of heartfelt repentance and behavioral change on their part. It is almost as if they think the Lord is too stupid to see through their charade. But God is not mocked. Now I am less patient, and I have ratcheted up my warnings to these smoldering stubs.

Ahab, Jezebel, and the false prophets of Baal each met an untimely demise because they refused to bow before the only one who could save them from themselves. Instead they identified Elijah as the troubler of Israel when it was in fact they themselves who had invited divine judgment on their own heads.