Revival or Disobedience

May 10, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Revival Digresses to Disobedience

Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 22

Throughout society today, there is a desperate need for people to commit.

We will never serve the Lord as we should unless we commit to Him.

Without committing to the Lord, nothing of lasting value can be achieved.

If we want rewards when we get to Heaven, we must commit to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we want blessings from the Lord while we are still here upon this earth, we must make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus said it like this: Jhn_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: “for without me ye can do nothing”.

Unless we are committed to the Lord Jesus, we will never have a personal relationship with Him!

Without commitment, the Lord is not with us, and we are left to ourselves as we walk through this life, and we may not have His help at all.

We saw in our lesson last week that King Ahaziah of Judah had been killed by King Jehu of Israel.

He was the youngest son of King Jehoram, but all his brothers had been killed by Arabian marauders.

He reigned for only one year, as he was killed by King Jehu.

He was the son of Athaliah, who was King Ahab’s daughter and King Omri’s granddaughter, who were kings of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

She was the daughter of Jezebel, wife to King Ahab.

Ahaziah lived an evil life before the Lord.

He went to the kings of Israel for advice on ruling the people of Judah and Benjamin, and not to Jehovah.

He was killed during the time he went to visit King Joram by Jehu, as we learned from last week’s lesson, as God commanded.

2Ch 22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

It was at this time that his mother, Athaliah, decided that she would rule Judah, and she went on a killing spree, murdering all her grandchildren.

*2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.
2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

We do not have to be rocket scientists to realize that the Devil was trying to break the promise to King David and stop the miracle birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If Satan could cause just one of the promises of God to be wrong, no one would trust the promises of God to be a fact, and none would trust the Word of God to be true.

Ahaziah had a wicked father and a wicked mother, and he followed in their footsteps.

He, like Ahab, his father-in-law, was just a puppet that his mother controlled the strings.

Today, many people, including many so-called Christians, follow the example and the advice of people who are focused on the world and not on the Word of God.

When we start following the world in the passions and the pleasures, which are short-lived, we will influence our family and friends to do the same.

If we seek the advice of the world for our lives, we will likely follow the world in our decisions.

The Lord Jesus teaches us to do this instead: Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

By the providence of God, a one-year-old child was in the right place at the right time in the hands of someone who loved the Lord.

2Ki 11:2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
2Ki 11:3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.

The miracle of God’s “Grace” at this time was Joash, who was a baby one year old.

This Jehoshabeath was the wife of Jehoiada, who was one of God’s priests and the Chief Priest of the Temple. Her name means “the Lord is her oath”.

Jehoshabeath was for salvation, Athaliah was out for destruction.

Jehoshabeath served God’s people; Athaliah served herself and the world.

We can also see that this nurse of the baby Joash helped save the life of this baby, and we do not even know her name.

At the age of seven years, Joash became King of Judah.

*2Ch 23:1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2Ch 23:2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
2Ch 23:3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.

The history of King Joash is actually the history of Jehoiada the priest of God.

In fact, the nation of Judah appreciated him so much that he was buried amongst the good kings of Judah, which we will cover in the next chapter.

We could ask ourselves; how will the other members of the Church remember us once we are in Heaven.

Can it be said that we have done good.

Our first obligation is to the Lord Jesus Christ.

God sees everything we do, and He knows us better than all others can.

Doing good to His House means we behave in His House according to the standards He has given to us.

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest “know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God”, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Jehoiada secured the support of the military.
Jehoiada gets the Levites to return to the Temple.

If we know what the Lord has told us in the Word of God, then we can place our faith in what He said because God does not ever change.

Because the Temple is the location of this gathering, we know it is done before God.

Anytime we are doing business in the House of God we are inviting God to be a part of it!

In this seven-year-old boy lies the hope of the future of Israel and the future of the Church.

Did this priest realize what the Scriptures said?

He knew the promises he made to King David and this is where he placed his faith.

Today we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the only hope of our living in the glory world!

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

What had the Prophet Isaiah prophesied? Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

Joash became the next King of Judah.

Later, we will see Manasseh made king at twelve years old and Josiah, who was king at eight years old, and Jehoiachin, who was king at eight years old.

What did King Solomon write in: Ecc 10:16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

*2Ch 23:11 Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, “and gave him the testimony”, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.

They followed the Law of God in making Joash King of Judah.

Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

King Joash would rule for forty years, and he would do what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days that Jehoiada lived.

2Ch 24:2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

He repaired the Temple that had been abused by wicked kings and priests.

2Ch 24:7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.

This work was financed by tithes called a Temple Tax and offerings that were freely given by the people.

Then Jehoiada reached the end of his days.

*2Ch 24:15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
2Ch 24:16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.

Priest Jehoiada had lived for one hundred and thirty years and this would be since the time of King Solomon and lived thru six other kings before he died.

Jehoiada does not die from disease or accident, but he dies of old age.

He had served God and his nation all those years.

No one since Joshua had lived these many years.

The influence of this great priest is shown when he is buried among the kings of Judah.

People ask all the time, “How much can one man do to help a nation”?

This priest, this one man, held back sin and helped his nation return to the Lord all the days of his life.

In many ways, this priest was in type like the Holy Spirit.

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Once Jehoiada was gone, the evil that was in Judah began to influence Joash and turned him away from the Word of God.

When there should have been revival, the people of influence sway the king to go against the Word of God.

*2Ch 24:17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

This same thing has happened in America. The Church is allowed some freedom because our nation mostly honors the freedom of religion.

The Devil looks upon this thing and insists upon having those same freedoms.

This was not the intent of the founders of our nation, and our whimsy governments allow the worship of the Devil or any other false religion.

I do not consider Christianity to be a religion.

Christianity is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Without this personal relationship, there is no Church!

Those people in the Church who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ serve religion, and religion cannot save you!

This King turned against the teaching of Jehoiada and allowed these people in leadership positions to serve idols.

*2Ch 24:18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
2Ch 24:19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
2Ch 24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
2Ch 24:21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

What did the Lord Jesus say to these leaders of Israel?

Mat 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Mat 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mat 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

There is a great many who believe that Zechariah the son of Jehoiada is the same man that the Lord Jesus is referring to as written in the Book of Matthew and the Book of Luke, where there is no name given for his father.

Luk 11:47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
Luk 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, and he pronounced judgment upon these wicked men and the King that had been saved by Jehoiada turned upon God and the Son of Jehoiada and murdered him in the court of the house of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus said between the altar and the Temple.

Judah could not prosper during the reign of Joash.

Jehovah promised justice to Judah.

Zep 1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
Zep 1:5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
Zep 1:6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

Before we do anything in this life, we need to seek the face of God to see what He says about it!

2Co_6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Amen

God’s Judgment

May 5, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Judgment on the House of Ahab

Book of 2 Kings

There are many disagreements in the many denominations of the Church about the “Judgment of God,” but we are all united in the belief that there will be a final “Judgment”.

Death is a reality for every member of the human race.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

We should understand that this Scripture refers to the physical death of the body, but not the soul.

The soul can be described as the life-principle of a human being, and the life-principle of every human will live on after the death of the body.

The Lord Jesus says this about the soul: Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The soul can be said to be the immaterial nature of every human!

The soul can only be seen by God, who gave it!

Sometimes, the real me on the inside of this sack of flesh will be looking out, and I will want to do something, but I cannot get this flesh to cooperate. It gets worse as I get older.

At death, the soul and the body will separate: Jas 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead”, so faith without works is dead also.

With the body now dead, it is the soul that will face the judgment of God, as our verse in the Book of Hebrews says.

No one is exempt from this death. Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

We must be very clear that because Jehovah is holy, He must judge all that is unholy, or He would no longer be holy Himself!

“Judgment” is an expression of God’s character!

Today, we will see that many will face God’s “Judgement” as they die because they are evil and wicked, and they have refused to repent of that wickedness.

We have already spoken some on the judgment of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, but today we will see it as it takes place in the Scriptures.

It was the Prophet Elijah who first informed King Ahab about how his life would end in judgment.

We know that God had already judged Lucifer and the fallen angels, and the things written in the Scriptures will take place as they are written.

We know that God judged the people on this earth with the worldwide flood in the days of Noah.

God judged the people at the Tower of Babel.

God judged the people of the Northern Kingdom, as we have been studying.

God also judged the Southern Kingdom.

We know that the wrath of God will be revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness!

The Book of Revelation gives us the horrible details of this “Judgement”.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

As the Son of God, our Lord Jesus has the authority to render judgment when He returns, and He will only do this after He has removed His Church from this earth.

Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

It would be Jehu who would be the hand of God’s judgment upon King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

We will see that Jehu went farther than the Lord intended and in ways that were not intended.

*****2Ki 9:1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

2Ki 9:2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

2Ki 9:3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

2Ki 9:4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

2Ki 9:5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

Once Jehu was known to be the next King of the Northern Tribes of Israel, he had to move fast because he would be charged with high treason.

Jehu was commanded by Jehovah to put a stop to the House of Ahab and being obedient to God and upon the right principles, he did not have to worry about opposition.

What did the Lord actually say?

1Ki 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

What had God said to Ahab?

1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

1Ki 21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

This was Ahab’s last chance to repent. We know that Ahab did repent at least a little and Jehovah allowed him to die in a war with Syria “before his family came to judgment”, but the words of God’s prophet still held.

1Ki 22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

1Ki 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.

*****2Ki 9:6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

2Ki 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

2Ki 9:8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:

2Ki 9:9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:

2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.

It was Elijah who had received the order from Jehovah to anoint Jehu as the new King of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

Elijah anointed Elisha to replace him as a Prophet of God, and it was Elisha who anointed Hazael as King of Syria. Now, Elisha sent another prophet to anoint Jehu as the new king.

God had allowed King Ahab to reign until his death.

1Ki 21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

1Ki 21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

1Ki 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Once King Ahab had died, Jehovah fulfilled the promise He had made.

1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

The person Elisha chose to anoint Jehu as king was to do three things.

Jehu was one of the captains of the Army of King Ahab and may have been the lead captain.

1) This prophet was to take Jehu into an inner room and privately anoint him out of sight of everyone else.

2) He was to declare that it was Jehovah who had appointed him king over Israel.

3) He was to flee the scene as quickly as he could.

For someone to declare themselves to be king would be considered high treason to the existing government.

This is the thing that the Jews used to have the Lord Jesus crucified.

Jehu was chosen specifically to execute justice on the house of Ahab.

This was because Ahab had allowed Jezebel to slaughter the people of God and God’s prophets.

Jehu was to kill all the descendants of Ahab and Jezebel.

God had said this same thing would happen to other kings of Israel.

Jezebel’s ending would be just as God had described.

2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.

The army of King Ahab became the army of King Jehu.

Jehu was appointed to be a just ruler to execute justice.

There is a big difference between justice and murder!

It is the same for every ruler that God allows to rule today.

They are in place to execute justice, and they will be held accountable to God for how they do this!

Executing justice does not always mean murder, which is a sin!

However, how any ruler executes justice to their people will determine how Jehovah will execute justice to them!

Whatever they sow, they will reap!

The Lord Jesus Christ will execute perfect justice when He returns!

2Ch 19:6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

2Ch 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Joram, a son of Ahab, was now ruler of Israel, and Ahaziah was King of Judah, and they were both together.

Because Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel and the mother of Ahaziah, Joram, King of Israel, was the uncle to Ahaziah, the King of Judah.

*****2Ki 9:21 And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

2Ki 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

2Ki 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

The uncle and his nephew went out to meet Jehu.

As only God can manage, these men met at the portion of land that had been taken from Naboth.

If we do not believe in the providence of God, then we will never understand the Word of God.

In reality, Jehu carried out a bloody slaughter throughout Israel.

Did Jehovah command this to happen, or did He just warn King Ahab that this was going to happen?

God will always allow us to repent.

God will tell us what will happen if we refuse to repent.

Hos 1:4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Hos 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

We can see that the military of King Ahab did not think too highly of Jezebel.

Joram was just like his mother, and Ahaziah was just like his mother Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel.

*****2Ki 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

2Ki 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;

2Ki 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

2Ki 9:27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

There are over fifty-two verses of Scripture that describe the slaughter of Jehu, so it must be important that we understand what God is saying here.

Jehu took out King Joram with one shot of an arrow through his heart, and his body was cast into the field once owned by Naboth where the birds would eat him.

It is Verse 26 that tells that the sons of Naboth were also slaughtered by King Ahab and Jezebel.

Now Jehu turns his attention to King Ahaziah of Judah, best described in the Book of 2 Chronicles:

2Ch 22:8 And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

2Ch 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

The death of Ahaziah and his sons left Judah without a king, and this is when Athaliah took it upon herself to become Queen of Judah by her treachery. She murdered her own children and grandchildren.

2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

Only one son had survived, who was Joash, who continued the promise made to King David.

2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

Jehu decided it was time to take care of Jezebel.

*****2Ki 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

A tire was a headdress, an ornament for the head, generally of gold or precious stones, a tiara.

Jezebel was old by this time, but made herself look like royalty in an attempt to impress Jehu.

She had been the cause of the death of many prophets of God.

*****2Ki 9:31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

2Ki 9:32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

2Ki 9:33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

2Ki 9:34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter.

2Ki 9:35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

2Ki 9:36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

2Ki 9:37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

The end of Jezebel was just as Jehovah had said.

Her blood had splattered everywhere, she was trampled, and the dogs had eaten her until nothing but her skull, her hands, and her feet were left.

She would be as dung as her remains passed from the dogs in the nearby fields of Jezreel.

She was buried in an unmarked grave, and no one mourned for this wicked woman.

It was then that Jehu turned his attention to the seventy sons of King Ahab.

The Scripture says seventy sons, but it may mean sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.

*****2Ki 10:10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

2Ki 10:11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

Jehu may have considered himself to be the arm of God, but in reality, we know that God does not need our help for His Word to be True!

Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Jehu wrote a letter to the officials of Samaria and Jezreel, telling them to choose the closest relative of King Ahab and make him king of Israel and to prepare for war.

This only terrified these officials, who were afraid to confront Jehu.

Since they had switched their allegiance to Jehu, Jehu wrote another letter demanding that they execute justice against the seventy sons of King Ahab for treason.

They were to bring the heads of these seventy sons to Jezreel the very next day.

The word of Jehu was honored.

Jehu made out that he was on a special mission for Jehovah to remove any blame for himself seeking the sympathy of the people.

Jehu was not a godly man.

*****2Ki 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

He was just like Jeroboam.

King Jehu went beyond the justice that God had intended, and he became a murderer.

God wanted justice throughout the Northern Tribes of Israel and not just the elimination of one family, though God knew what Jehu would do.

To murder is a terrible sin because it takes the life of a person out of this world.

The hearts of many who are left behind also suffer much pain and grief, and in many cases hardship, because it was the male who was the breadwinner on that day, while the wife took care of the children.

Jehu caused a terrible number of single-parent families.

God never instructs His children to murder. God still says that they will suffer the consequences of this evil.

For the wages of sin is death!

Amen

My God is Jehovah

April 7, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Elijah-The Courageous Prophet

Book of 2 Kings Chapter 1

God’s Prophet Elijah.

The Hebrew name Elijah means “My God is Jehovah.”

We are all called to be Elijah’s today.

Elijah was a sight to behold. His hair hung down his back, and he wore a girdle of skin around his loins; sometimes, he placed a mantle over it.

A mantle would normally be a sheepskin worn like a cape.

We first meet Elijah when he confronts King Ahab of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

We know that Elijah had gone to King Ahab with a message from Jehovah.

1Ki 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

Elijah then escaped the vengeance of Jezebel.

1Ki 19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

God provided the needs of Elijah with this small brook while ravens brought him meat to eat.

Next, God sent Elijah to Zarephath to the house of a widow woman where God prolonged her oil and meal until the drought was over and where Elijah restored the life of her son.

God used Elijah on other occasions

This is the Ahab who had as his wife Jezebel. Jezebel was the daughter of the king of the Zidonians whose name was Ethbaal.

The name Ehtbaal means enjoying the favor and protection of Baal.

Jezebel did everything she could to stamp out the worship of Jehovah.

She was a wicked woman.

She also had a daughter named Athaliah who married the King of Judah named Jehoram who was also the only woman who occupied the throne of Judah.

We will see the great influence these two wicked women had on the children of Israel.

Elijah was one of those people that if you ever met him, you would certainly never forget him.

Elijah may be the weirdest figure among the prophets of Israel.

One moment Elijah was a powerhouse for God and the next he was running for his life afraid of Jezebel because he had caused the death of her false priests who could not get their false god to cooperate with them.

Jehovah had special patience with Elijah and now he was serving the Lord with passion again.

It is probably three or four years or more before we see Elijah in our lesson today.

*2Ki 1:1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

As the tribes of Israel divided the Moabites came under the control of Jeroboam but they had revolted as they saw the weakness of Israel.

King Omri of Israel regained control over them, and they were tributaries to King Ahab.

They now saw weakness in King Ahaziah and revolted again against Israel.

Ahaziah was another King of Israel who rebelled against the Lord God Jehovah.

Jehovah then sends a rejuvenated Elijah.

*2Ki 1:2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
2Ki 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

For some reason, King Ahaziah had fallen through latticework or a trellis work on a window or balcony in his upper chamber.

This means it was probably not the flat roof of the house, but it was high enough to cause him serious trouble.

His sickness was caused by the wounds he had received from the fall. Probably infection.

We know that this is the son of Jezebel, and he follows his mother in requesting help from her false gods which of course could not help him.

There was a noted chamber for Baal-zebub, the Lord of the Flies, at Ekron.

In the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ was accused of serving Baal-zebub by the Pharisees.

Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Who in the world would go to the Prince of Dung, or the Lord of the Flies to seek medical help?

This is why Jehovah said they became fools for turning away from the true God.

This still applies today!

We know that Elisha was often found on Mount Carmel where there was most likely a school of the prophets.

It seems that Elijah may have also resided at this location.

The city of Samaria had been built and made the royal residence of the King of Israel.

We will even see that Samaria may be substituted and used as Israel for the kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel.

Elijah met these messengers from King Ahaziah, and he asked them “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go and enquire of Baalzebub?

This is a good place for us to learn about our Savior.

If we consult with someone besides the Lord on important matters such as our health, we will never get the answer we seek.

We will consult with doctors, but we should not consult with anyone until we have talked it over with the Lord.

Elijah gave these men the answer that Baalzebub would give, there would be no healing of the King.

Jehovah would certainly not heal him.

*2Ki 1:4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
2Ki 1:5 And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?

No matter who you are, when you are sick or have been in an accident, causing bodily harm, you will want some help.

Ahaziah was a man whose health was leaving him, and he knew it.

He did not have a personal relationship with Jehovah, so he sent for help from a false god.

Who in the world would go to someone called the “lord of the Flies” or the “prince of dung” and expect to be healed?

Baalzebub seemed to be his only help which meant he had no one to help him.

Deu_4:28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

When we ignore Doctor Jesus, we deserve whatever calamity we are suffering because we dishonor Jehovah who only has the power to heal.

He made us and He knows what makes us tick!

God will vindicate Himself, in His own time before all unbelievers!

Notice also that almost every human will seek some higher power when they are too weak to help themselves.

Even atheism is a religion whether they agree or not. Even they believe in something!

Like almost everyone on a sickbed, this king wanted to know how this thing would turn out. I know I did, and I know where I am going when I die.

Jehovah is so much more than some fortune teller!

Ahaziah may not have ever met Elijah, but he had heard of him through his father, and he knew that the things he said would come to be true.

*2Ki 1:6 And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
2Ki 1:7 And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
2Ki 1:8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

It seemed to Ahaziah that the only way to stop the truth of Elijah was to kill him.

It should be clear to us that anyone who rejects the LORD and turns to a false god is foolish.

This is the biggest mistake that any person can make. All the world knows of the GRACE of the LORD even though they may not believe Him.

All the leaders of false religion know they serve false gods all tied to Satan, the Devil.

Those false gods have no life, no consciousness or power to help anyone so they are trusting fate.

Jehovah has a love that no one understands for all the people on this earth, but He also has His requirements.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God loves us all enough that He would never leave us in the dark, grasping and groping around to find our way in the dark.

Jehovah tells us only the truth in a world that is full of lies.

As time goes by, we see more and more of the truth of God come out into the open.

He is the only God who can help us and meet our needs!

In fact, Jehovah promises to meet all our needs!

King Ahaziah had been duped by his mother and his father was a weak man who was controlled by Jezebel.

Pro 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Pro 1:27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Pro 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Where Jezebel, his mother had failed Ahaziah hoped to succeed. He sent a captain of his army with fifty soldiers to hunt down Elijah.

*2Ki 1:9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
2Ki 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

We should know that when Jehovah tells us something then we can rest that it is fact and unchangeable.

If Ahaziah had repented, then Jehovah may have helped him, but to react with more stubbornness could not help him at all.

Fifty soldiers seemed like an awful lot of men just to kill one man, but Jehovah would not have allowed a thousand soldiers to take Elijah on this day.

It did not take long to find Elijah because he was not hiding.

He may have hidden from Jezebel, but his confidence had been restored.

We are only humans so, we can go through periods of weakness, but our strength is in the Lord!

No one was going to force this man of God to be arrested unless he chose to do so.

Fire came down from Heaven and destroyed this group of men.

The king would try this again.

*2Ki 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
2Ki 1:11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
2Ki 1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

It should be very clear God allows us to come boldly to the Throne of Grace, but we had better not make demands when we get there.

It should have been very clear to King Ahaziah that Jehovah was not going to help him. He had been offered Ahaziah a path to repentance and he rejected it,

We should remember what God had said before He sent a worldwide flood.

Gen_6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man

We may not know how many times we can reject the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit knows when He is wasting His time on us.

Today we must understand that God’s help will come from the places where He says we can find it!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

When God has spoken, He cannot then change His Word unless the sinner changes his ways!

The only strength we have to change Heaven lies in our direct contact with Heaven through our prayers.

This will not work if we have sin in our lives.

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Another thing we must consider is that when God has told us to do one thing then we have no obligation to give in to the world.

Elijah knew he did not have to come down off that mountain under the threat of some king.

God will not do for one what He will not He will not do for another, and He will protect us in the same way as He did Elijah under the right circumstances.

Elijah was a powerful prophet who had the ear of God!

2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Elijah called down fire from Heaven and fifty more soldiers and their captain perished.

There is a proper way to approach the man of God!

*2Ki 1:13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
2Ki 1:14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

Does God care about life?

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

We can be sure that Jehovah holds our life in His hands!

We already know that God loves all His creations, especially those made in His image, but God still insists that we believe what He has to say.

Luk 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luk 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

We seem to dwell upon all those who died in the Old Testament when we should concentrate on those who were spared.

God loved us enough to send His only begotten Son to die in our place just so we can live with Him throughout eternity. How can the world say God has no love for life?

The blood of Jesus was the full price for our salvation!

Psa 49:8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

There should be no doubt in our minds that God will receive each of us if we just believe what He says!

There should also be no doubt that God will reject us if we refuse to be like Jesus Christ in valuing the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus came to save life and not to destroy life! Life is precious to our Heavenly Father!

Now we may not know what Elijah would have said but we do know what this angel from Heaven said.

*2Ki 1:15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

What is one of the jobs of angels? To comfort and assure God’s people.

Act 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Act 27:24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
Act 27:25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

Angels will also watch over our children.

Mat 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

When we are in the will of God, He will protect us even from corrupt governments.

It works best for us when we go boldly to the Lord at any sign of trouble.

We can ask great things of God if we do it properly.

God loves us so whatever happens to us is the concern of our Heavenly Father!

No matter the trial or the temptation, the hardship or the misfortune He will not allow us to go through these things alone.

Elijah did not need to fear this armed guard or King Ahaziah.

What was God’s message to this king?

*2Ki 1:16 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

There is only one escape from the “judgment” of God, and it is through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Sin causes death!

The things we get the most from the Old Testament are God’s holiness, God’s justice, God’s righteousness, and God’s severity against sin stands out.

Elijah was God’s messenger to King Ahaziah, and he had no malice against this king, he simply gave him God’s message and the reason why.

We can be sure that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will never change just because people do not want to hear it!

Psa 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

King Ahaziah died just as the Lord had said. He never came off his sickbed.

Amen

Idolatry

April 1, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Contrast of Worship

Book of 1 Kings Chapters 12, 14, 15

What is worship? Worship is homage rendered to Jehovah which is idolatry to render to any created being.

Exo 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Isa 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; “they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made”:

It is sin to worship any created being!

It is sin to worship an angel, who is also created beings!

We are to worship only the Living God!

Jer_10:10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

We know that Israel was now a divided nation. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, was king of Judah, which included the tribe of Benjamin.

Jeroboam was now the King of Israel which included only the ten tribes now called Ephraim.

From this point forward the Books of 1 and 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles will record the histories of the different kings of the divided nation of Israel.

What is idolatry?

Idolatry is image worship or divine honor paid to a created object, including mankind and angels.

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

How can we best describe those who are lost, keeping in mind that we were once lost?

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

The forms of idolatry are,
(1.) Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc.(created objects on earth)
(2.) Nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers of nature.(created objects in the heavens)
(3.) Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors, or heroes.(all created objects)

Idolatry in Christian doctrine is anything that interferes between the soul and our Creator is idolatrous and is to be shunned!

1Jn 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
1Jn 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Jeroboam turned the northern tribes to idolatry.

Idolatry is the religion of Satan! Remember Lucifer was just an angel created by Jehovah.

1Ki 12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
1Ki 12:27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
1Ki 12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Jeroboam was face to face with the greatest opportunity of his life.

Should he have determined to serve the Lord he might have easily been the mightiest monarch in the history of Israel.

God would have certainly been with him.

But if he disregarded the Word of God his kingdom would have come to nothing which it did.

It was a Prophet of God Ahijah that had told him of these things.

The only safe path of any ruler is the right path!

We could ask ourselves does God truly have any rulers on His side?

We know that the heart is the center of mankind’s personal activities.

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The world created by God before the flood was destroyed because of idolatry which led to wickedness!

Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; “for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth”; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

We get a firsthand look at how false religions get started. They are conceived in the mind of some man or some woman!

Jehovah had already told Jeroboam how to get His blessings.

Jehovah has told us all how to get His blessings!

1Ki 11:38 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

Jeroboam made Shechem his capital city and then Jeroboam does something very foolish.

The apostasy of Jeroboam was willful, it was designed, and it was done deliberately!

He consulted with himself instead of consulting with Jehovah who had made him King of Israel.

The Lord Jesus Christ makes this thing simple to understand.

Luk 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Our hearts must be fixed upon the Lord!

Psa 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

The fact of the divided kingdom did not mean that the Northern Tribes were exempt from their covenant obligations to Jehovah!

They were still to observe the Books of Moses as much as the Southern Tribes.

All the tribes of Israel had the same Book of Moses!

These things caused stress upon Jeroboam, and he even became afraid for his life.

Jeroboam forgot the promises of God!

We tend to look at the world and forget the promises of God when we know that God has proven to us that He will never break a promise.

We do not need advice on how to do evil, we are born that way!

Jeroboam wanted advice on how to do a bad thing in the best way. He did not consult with God and God would not have answered such a request!

So many churchgoers today go to a place of worship that is convenient rather than seek a “Bible Believing” House of worship.

It is a fact that we will take the easy way out when it is available!

Just as a certain political party did in the days of Covid 19 when it made it a law to abandon the Church for fear of catching the disease forgetting the power of God.

Jeroboam shaped a new religion for his own purpose.

This is the way of radical Islam and other such religions. They rewrite their literature to adapt to changes they see in the world.

The Holy Scriptures never have to change because they were written by Jehovah and are perfect in any age!

Jeroboam even framed his words by the Word of God during the Exodus.

Exo 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Exo 32:5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
Exo 32:6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Jeroboam proposed a perversion of the proper worship of Jehovah God.

“Calf is not a good translation of the Hebrew egel. A young bull in his first strength is meant: for instance, the word can describe a three-year-old animal.

Gen 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer “of three years old”, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

A three-year-old bull would be a bull closer to his prime than a calf.

Jeroboam placed these idols of Baal in two separate locations.

(get pictures)

1Ki 12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
1Ki 12:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

The name Bethel means “house of God” and this city was ten miles from Jerusalem.

This is the same place where Jacob had his vision of the angels of God ascending and descending on a ladder whose top reached into Heaven.

Gen 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
Gen 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
Gen 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

Dan, which means (a judge) on the other hand is located at the foot of Mount Hermon.

This is the same place where the Danites stole the shrine of Micah and set up false worship.

Jdg 18:29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
Jdg 18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Jdg 18:31 And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Jeroboam took advantage of this situation as he felt they would have no problem accepting his idols of Baal.

Jeroboam then installed false priests and false worship.

1Ki 12:31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
1Ki 12:32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
1Ki 12:33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

We should be very clear. Once we are aware of our Creator, we then must worship Him!

This is why the bible begins with the Book of Genesis.

This is why the world clings to the lies of evolution.

Evolution has proven to be wrong so many times it is pathetic that the world clings to it because they have no other theory except now where they use the word aliens so often.

We have only one duty as created beings!

Ecc_12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Jeroboam decided that his idols would also need temples as a place to worship and priests.

He was not about to use priests from the tribe of Levi because they might teach the truth of God.

Deu_10:8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

Jeroboam chose priests from every tribe but the Levites, going against the Word of God in any way that he could think of.

This is the way of almost all false man-made religions. They always will change the rules if people start leaving for the truth.

There are a few false religions that have some truth in them, but Christianity is all or nothing and based upon the truth of Jesus Christ and the true Word of God.

Jeroboam chose the eighth month and the fifteenth day to be as close to The Feast of the Tabernacles as he thought would work.

The Feast of the Tabernacles was on the fifteenth day of the seventh month.

Jeroboam did not consult with anyone else to create this false religion!

The people already understood that Jeroboam was chosen by God to lead this new nation, and Jeroboam kept it that way.

The Prophet Amos had confronted one of Jeroboam’s false priests with the truth:

Amo 7:10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
Amo 7:11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
Amo 7:12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
Amo 7:13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.
Amo 7:14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
Amo 7:15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

It may have been the king’s chapel and the king’s court but he was the wrong king.

Our Lord Jesus had some things to say about man-made religion:

Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

The Holy Spirit says: Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Those who serve false religion have to understand the judgment of God will come upon them.

1Ki 14:15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.
1Ki 14:16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

Jehovah had placed Jeroboam on the throne of Ephraim, but it was Jeroboam who had turned against Him.

Jeroboam could have been a mighty king of Israel, but he rebelled against the truth of God.

Jeroboam is still suffering the judgment of God today and he will throughout eternity!

Now comes judgment upon the people who knew better.

Moses had warned these people:

Deu 4:27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
Deu 4:28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
Deu 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Now judgment would come to Israel, and they would be scattered on the other side of the Euphrates River.

Politics had caused the people of God to sin!

During Covid 19 many of God’s people were directed to sin by our government and many of those who left the Church have never returned.

The Holy Spirit has also warned the Church of the coming judgment of God:

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

There will be no more warnings and judgment could come at any time because the “Rapture of the Church is the next thing on God’s timetable.

Once the Church is removed this world will rely on wickedness and idolatry just as those before the flood.

King Rehoboam and his son had also turned against Jehovah and God began his judgment upon Judah beginning with the King of Egypt.

1Ki 14:23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.
1Ki 14:24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
1Ki 14:25 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:

No doubt that Jeroboam had stirred up this king against Judah, and Shishak broke his peace agreement with King Solomon.

1Ki 14:26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

We know that King David had placed all his treasures in the Temple and so had many others.

We know that those golden shields would be valued at over thirty-three million dollars today.

There is a record of these events in Egypt.

With Judah humbled at the hand of this Egyptian King, Jeroboam had free reign to attack Judah at any time and he did so.

It was in the time of King Asa that change came to Judah.

*1Ki 15:9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
1Ki 15:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
1Ki 15:11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
1Ki 15:12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
1Ki 15:13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

Finally, a king who was faithful to the Lord.

We should notice that Jehovah is still keeping his promises to King David and He will continue because the prophecy of Kings of Judah will last until King Jesus sits upon the throne of David.

King Asa reigned for forty-one years, and we can see that he had not been influenced by his grandmother Maacah’s false worship.

This Maacah was the daughter of Tamar the daughter of Absolom.

Asa removed his father’s idols.
Asa removed his wicked mother as Queen and her idols burning them in the Brook Kidron.
Asa removed the Sodomites from the land of Judah.
Asa did not remove all the high places of worship, and we do not have an explanation, but we can imagine politics were still involved.

Asa gave his treasures to the House of the Lord.

Amen

Arrogance

March 25, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Bad Counsel Caused Division

Book of 1 Kings Chapter 12

We have a new president, and we hope those he chooses as councilors will help lead him to make our nation great again.

The best advice that any should give him is to return our nation to the Lord our God.

We can be assured that he was chosen to lead the United States of America by God Himself and God has His reasons, and it is His will.

Our lesson today covers one of the most important times in the history of Israel.

The division of the tribes of Israel caused many bad feelings that have not been overcome even in our day.

These were also important times for the Church because as Christians we need to understand the history of Israel to understand the prophets and prophecy.

Israel will divide into a Northern Kingdom and a Southern Kingdom.

We will also see that God loves the Gentiles who the people of Israel considered to be heathen.

These things were not done in secret. God had warned Solomon just as He warns us all today.

Now, God does not cause these things to happen, He allows them to happen.

God has given us free will to choose between right and wrong and He guides us to show us the right way.

God cannot be blamed for the wrong that is done in our world because He will not force us to do right nor will He force us to do wrong. He just tells us the truth!

As King Solomon died at the young age of around sixty the turmoil began with his son Rehoboam.

*1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

We know that King David had ruled as a conqueror.

King Solomon ruled as a man of peace but high taxation.

The people of Israel had no benefits from the rule of King Solomon except they lived in peace.

After King Solomon, the people wanted to modify the character of the next government.

Arrogance is a terrible evil. Arrogance puts people down and then pushes them away, treating them as inferior.

Here in America, we understand this very well.

We have seen this in our last few Democratic governments so we can relate to the people of Israel during the time of King Solomon.

This arrogance was passed down to Solomon’s son Rehoboam.

Rehoboam possessed none of the traits of his father other than arrogance.

Rehoboam possessed none of the traits of his grandfather David.

Rehoboam was recognized as heir to the throne of his father.

The coronation of Rehoboam was to take place at Shechem.

It was at Shechem that Abraham built his first altar in the Promised Land and received the promise of Jehovah.

It was at Shechem where Jacob bought a parcel of land from the children Hamor and settled with his household and where he buried the idols of his wives under a tree named “the oak of the sorcerer”.

It was at Shechem where Jacob dug a well where the Lord Jesus would meet a Samaritan woman.

It was at Shechem where Joshua gave his parting address and made a covenant with the people.

Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Shechem was a special place of the promises of God!

It will be at Shechem where Rehoboam will show his arrogance and cause Israel to become a divided nation.

It was at Shechem where Jeroboam took up his residence for a while.

It is Shechem that is said to be the most beautiful place in all of Palestine.

*1Ki 12:2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
1Ki 12:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
1Ki 12:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

Jeroboam, who King Solomon had run out of town was now back and was taking the lead voice of the opposition to the kingdom under Solomon.

1Ki 11:40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

We could ask ourselves why.

1Ki 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
1Ki 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
1Ki 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
1Ki 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
1Ki 11:32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)
1Ki 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

The name Joseph denotes the two tribes Ephraim and Manasseh and Ephraim denotes the Kingdom of Israel and then the whole covenant people of Israel.

From Ezekiel, we see this thing:

Eze 37:16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
Eze 37:17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
Eze 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
Eze 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

We can now see the other side of the rule of King Solomon.

There were heavy taxes under Solomon.
Tyrants oppressed their subjects with grievous impositions.

This tax and impositions were not only for the people which would have been ok, but for the expenses of Solomon’s court.

This tax supported all the wives and concubines of King Solomon and any whim he took part in which did not set well with the people.

This tax-supported all the festivities of Solomon’s lavish lifestyle.

We should keep in mind that King Solomon was the richest person to have ever lived, but he kept those riches to himself when he could have paid all the taxes and still been rich.

When Solomon forsakes the Lord and worshipped idols then the people surely had enough of him and were glad to see him go.

To the average Israelite, being under the burden of such high taxes was like a yoke laid upon beasts of burden and seemed more like servant work rather than living in peace.

As long as King Solomon walked with the Lord, he was important as the Holy Spirit guided this author, but as soon as he forsake the Lord God Jehovah he became insignificant, not just to the people but also to Jehovah.

In a sense Solomon destroyed himself and it was not helping his son Rehoboam.

Millo was a new fortification that protected Jerusalem from an attack from the north. It is also called the Citadel.

Solomon also repaired any weak places in the walls of Jerusalem.

Solomon began to fear the loss of his kingdom which was impossible because of God’s promise to King David.

All King Solomon had to do was to remain faithful to Jehovah.

Solomon took his eyes off the Lord and fell into the trap of lust.

1Jn_2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Let us see this history of Israel develop.

*1Ki 12:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
1Ki 12:6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
1Ki 12:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

Now the Son of Solomon, Rehoboam was facing some angry people, especially those of Ephraim who were being led by an angry Jeroboam.

We already know that Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor.

1Ki 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

Solomon had determined to kill Jeroboam for what God’s prophet had said to him.

We all know that we cannot change what God has said will take place!

Rehoboam was at least wise enough to seek counsel before responding to the people of Ephraim.

Shechem was a twelve hour walk from Jerusalem, and it would take some time for the councilors of Rehoboam to reach Shechem and to meet with Rehoboam.

Rehoboam had sent for the councilors of his father Solomon and his friends who he had been raised with.

These were a bunch of rich spoiled kids who had no worries growing up and knew nothing of ruling government.

Solomon had caused every Israelite to serve one month in government service and then two months at home until all his building project had been completed and many more of them were drafted into the military, but not these young men who had rich parents.

Solomon required heavy taxes upon the people and the rich just got richer and the poor got poorer, and the poor were seeking some much-needed relief.

All the building projects were complete and such taxes were certainly no longer needed.

Rehoboam had inherited the riches of his father, and he certainly did not need more riches.

For years the people had been complaining about the harshness of King Solomon, but nothing changed.

Rehoboam first consulted with the elders who had counselled his father, Solomon.

There was wisdom in the council of the elders, good for every government.

A government that serves the people will be a lasting government.

A government that listens to its people and takes action to help them will be a lasting government.

The government that does these things will find people who will willingly serve the government.

This is the principle behind the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus came to serve!

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Jesus taught us that whoever would be great must begin by being a servant.

The proud and lofty in this world are served enough without taking the needs of the poor.

Rehoboam was already forty-one years of age, he should have known better, but his mother was a pagan, and he had witnessed his father worship a pagan god.

1Ki 14:21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

Rehoboam next turned to his friends who were not so young being his age but certainly younger than those elders.

Rehoboam forsook the council of the elders and turned to his rich friends.

*1Ki 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
1Ki 12:9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
1Ki 12:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
1Ki 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Now we should not think of these young men as in their twenties or their thirties.

Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he succeeded his father on the throne, and we should expect those men that he grew up with to be about his age but they were still spoiled rich kids.

Rehoboam was even more arrogant and prideful than his father Solomon.

He would tax these tribes even more than his father and increase their workload.

He even mentioned scourging.

If we do nothing else in our lifetime we need to guard against arrogance and pride!

These things do not suit the Christian who is following in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave us the example of humility.

These younger men had grown up living in luxury and wealth and they knew nothing of an honest day’s work.

They knew nothing of responsibility!

These were pampered men with childish ways.

They had no respect for the people of Israel!

Sounds a whole lot like the America we have been living in where our government had no respect for the taxpayer, and we hope these things change with our new government.

We as the children of God are not better than anyone else in this world though we may be better off because our names are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

None of us are to be slaves to arrogant governments or anyone else!

In many places, God speaks against these things.

Psa_10:2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
Psa_10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Pro_8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Pro_16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Rehoboam claimed that his power would far exceed that of his Father King Solomon.

Pro 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
Pro 10:15 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

What happens eventually in such cases? People rebel.

Jeroboam knew exactly how the people of Israel had suffered under King Solomon, and he now had the respect of ten of the tribes of Israel.

Jeroboam now clearly understood what the Prophet Ahijah had told him.

1Ki 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
1Ki 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
1Ki 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:

God keeps His reason for doing this very simple.

1Ki 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

We talk many times about God keeping His promises and we can be sure He will also keep those promises of forsaking Him.

In the end, Jeroboam was not so much different from Rehoboam, but he would still rule Ephraim which included ten of the tribes of Israel for twenty-two years.

*1Ki 12:16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
1Ki 12:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

The United Kingdom of Israel was dissolved before Rehoboam was crowned as King of Judah.

Rehoboam was a weak and wicked man!

There is an old saying that says “he who would rule others must first rule himself”.

We should understand by now that God gives opportunities to individuals and nations even though they will not improve them.

It was the divine plan of God to give Jeroboam control of the ten tribes of Israel even though God knew that Jeroboam would also forsake Him.

We may not understand this, but Jehovah has a much greater plan in motion.

Now this does not mean that Jehovah caused Jeroboam to act the way he did because he was allowed to do good and he failed to do so as he too became arrogant and prideful.

We must also understand that Jehovah is not sitting in Heaven waiting to see what rulers will do and he is not ever caught off guard.

God gives everyone a chance to do good when opportunities are given to them.

It is that sinful nature that gets us in so much trouble.

Rehoboam would rule Judah and Benjamin.

Rehoboam tried one more thing to insert his authority over those who rebelled.

*1Ki 12:18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

Adoram (or Adoniram) was the man over the taxes or tribute for King Solomon and now for King Rehoboam to either collect the taxes or make a compromise with the tribes of the north, but he was stoned to death and Rehoboam left for the safety of Jerusalem.

Adoram was the wrong man to send for he was famous for his harsh policies of forced labor.

From this point in the history of Israel, the name Israel referred to the ten Northern Tribes and the name Judah referred to the Southern Tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

*1Ki 12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
1Ki 12:20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

Jeroboam becomes the king of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

We should understand that Ephraim had always felt the most important since the time of Joseph, but Jehovah does not see it that way and God made sure promises to the House of David still recognized as Israel’s greatest king.

Again, we must understand that Jehovah has guided the nation of Israel with a special purpose, but He guides the history of all the world in the same way.

God gave mankind free will to follow Him or not to follow Him.

We must also understand that nothing in this universe is outside the scope of Jehovah’s sovereign rule!

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

The will of God is made known in real-time.

It is each believer in the Lord Jesus Christ that is chosen by Jehovah and He made this decision before He created any part of this world.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

There is no one alive today, no one who lived in the past or who will live in the future that Jehovah will not offer an opportunity to be adopted into the family of God, and it all centers around the Lord Jesus Christ.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Our purpose is not here on this earth even though we will be given opportunities while we are alive.

Even the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was determined before the foundation of the world was laid.

1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Our God has this amazing plan for every believer, and we could look at our world as the place God has chosen to separate the believer from those who reject Him.

Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

We simply cannot comprehend the wisdom and the knowledge of our Divine Savior.

He does not have to consult with anyone, and no one has advised Him.

It is because God knows all things before, they happen, and He controls and guides all events for His Own Glory and For Our own Good.

Psa 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

Pro 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

God does not ever have to adjust His plan according to the things that happen here on earth, He simply knows all things!

Amen

Shame on Him

March 18, 2025March 18, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Solomon’s Fame Was Reduced to Shame

Book 1 Kings 10:1-7, 24-27, 11: 4-13

What is fame? Fame is a favorable report of good or great actions that exalt character.

News of the knowledge of Solomon and his wisdom was spreading around the known world of that day.

What is shame? Those things that bring reproach and degrade a person in the estimation of others. Dishonor, disgrace.

Solomon was living on the achievements and the reputation of his father who caused security and peace to come to Israel.

Under Solomon, Israel became a great power ranking almost as great as Egypt which is why Egypt made a bond with Solomon and Pharoh’s daughter became the wife of Solomon.

Israel ranked even as great as Assyria at that time.

After Solomon Israel has never reached those same boundaries.

These things were credited to Solomon’s wisdom.

Solomon turned Israel from a military people to a people of commerce.

In reality, Solomon turned a people made free by King David into slaves and concentrated the wealth of the whole nation in the capital Jerusalem and most of Israel suffered.

As God would say, Israel did not reap the fruits of its government.

The downfall of Solomon began when he listened to his pagan wives and his wisdom left him.

Solomon was by nature a man of peace, yet he maintained a large military scattered in various places to help bring peace.

No nation had defeated his father David, but Solomon had no desire to extend the boundaries of Isreal, and it was possible for him to do so.

Solomon’s chief ally was Hiram, the king of Tyre which is Phoenicia.

The Temple of Solomon was built in seven years, but Solomon spent thirteen years building his own palace which was called the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

It is these things that made Solomon famous throughout the world.

Solomon had many foreign visitors seeking his wisdom.

One of those was the Queen of Sheba.

*1Ki 10:1 And when the queen of Sheba, heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

Sheba was a land in Arabia, which is modern Yemen today, rather than Ethiopia.

Yemen was the chief spice country in that area at that time.

Sheba was about fifteen hundred miles from Jerusalem so this Queen had traveled a great distance requiring a lot of time.

The Temple had been built in the name of the Lord God of Israel.

We can be sure when questions arose about the temple there would be questions about the God of that Temple.

No one else has such a God who is alive!

Much of the world believed that the wisdom of Solomon had come from his God, and they would be correct.

This Queen of Sheba did not make this connection, she came to prove him with hard questions.

Some say these were questions she could not trust anyone else to answer.

Many of the questions could have been hard riddles as some believe.

It does not seem to me that this Queen showed much interest in Jehovah God to her downfall.

Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Could Solomon have answered, what is the purpose of life? We have all asked this question in our lifetime.

Could he have said, “Where do we truly come from?”

There are billions of people out there today who would like to know, “what is the purpose of it all”?

The truth is in Jehovah God!

*1Ki 10:2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

We can believe that this Queen was also seeking a trade agreement.

She brought a large quantity of spices, gold, and precious jewels.

We can be sure that she traveled with military protection, but it is not mentioned, and they would have been stopped and not allowed to enter Jerusalem maybe even the border of Israel.

To travel for fifteen hundred miles meant she was serious about meeting King Solomon.

It seems that this Queen was not the wife of a King but the actual ruler of these people.

She was serious about seeking the answers to great questions of life so she could be a better ruler.

King Solomon answered all her questions!

*1Ki 10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
1Ki 10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
1Ki 10:5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

Solomon’s kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom.

King Solomon got so caught up in his wisdom that today we would use the phrase, “he got the big head” and we will soon see how these things affected him.

King Solomon had spent seven years building the Temple, but he spent thirteen years building his own mansion. After this, he rebuilt many cities most of which belonged to Israel, but he rebuilt some cities that did not belong to Israel.

This Queen of Sheba was more impressed with Solomon’s house than she was with the Temple of God.

She was another pagan who had her own false gods.

Solomon answered all of her questions, and this Queen was overwhelmed with the wisdom of Solomon. I do not read anywhere where Solomon gave the credit for his wisdom to His God and our God Jehovah.

No doubt this Queen had all types of questions with some riddles but also diplomatic and ethical questions.

This truth would make Solomon a trustworthy business partner and a possible ally, though her nation was fifteen hundred miles away from Israel.

Today Yemen can fire rockets and drones fifteen hundred miles into Israel and are mortal enemies of Israel.

Of course, Israel can do the same and are still under the power of God.

These servants were the officers and distinguished people who were privileged to sit at the king’s table and were arranged according to rank and were in large numbers at royal banquets.

These ministers were those who stood to serve the guests doubt they were dressed in a way to distinguish them from the guests but were fit to serve royalty.

2Ch 9:4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

The wisdom and prosperity of King Solomon and his achievements had reached the uttermost parts of the world, and this Queen admitted that these reports had been true.

It does not matter so much what this Queen thought of these things, it matters more of what God thought of these things.

Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

As a pagan Gentile, this Queen could not go into the Temple though she may have seen a secret way that the king could get into the Temple.

*1Ki 10:6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
1Ki 10:7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

We must understand the mission of Israel in the time of Solomon and now the mission of the Church is to point all nations to God.

Israel has failed so far, will the Church also fail?

Israel was not to compete with our nations for riches or even military power. Jehovah God is the power of Israel!

Jehovah is the power of the Church.

We are not in some competition with religions!

We have the truth of Christianity!

The Church is to be a bright and shining light in this world.

It was the same for Israel in the days of King Solomon.

The Queen came to Solomon tortured by questions, and it does not seem she got all the answers she needed.

Certainly, the things she said about Solomon were true.

He was the wisest man upon the earth but not as wise as Jesus Christ,

He was the richest man on the earth, but no earthy riches can compare to the Glory of Heaven!

*1Ki 10:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
1Ki 10:9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
1Ki 10:10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon

This queen brought the best spices of Yemen, many of them used in perfumes of that day.
She brought a lot of gold and precious stones.
She brought sweet, scented wood.

This wood Solomon was used in his palace.

2Ch 9:11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
2Ch 9:12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

As the Queen was about to leave she made a great speech to those servants of Solomon.

She said from what her eyes had seen and now had heard not even half of the truth of King Solomon was told.

She also took a moment to praise Jehovah that out of His eternal love to His people Israel, he had given them a king to do justice and righteousness.

Some say this Queen was converted to Judaism, but this is not true.

Like many who praised the God of Israel, they observed Him as just another god in the world of many gods just as many think today.

God had His reasons for putting Solomon on the throne of Israel.

1) It fulfilled a promise to David who was a man after God’s own heart.
2) Solomon who was chosen to build the Temple of God.

After this Solomon transgressed against the Lord.

God had written the qualifications for the kings of Israel.

Deu 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
Deu 17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Deu 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

King Solomon disobeyed in every area!

1) He had too much gold.
2) He owned thousands of horses.
3) He gathered hundreds of wives and concubines.

All the earth sought the wisdom of Solomon.

*1Ki 10:24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
1Ki 10:25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
1Ki 10:26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
1Ki 10:27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

Solomon was not greater than anyone else and neither was this God’s intent.

Solomon became greater because all the world sought him out for his wisdom.

They brought him gold that he wasted on shields and other foolish things when he could have helped the cause of God, and he could have removed the strain of taxation upon his own people, but he did not.

Solomon made two hundred large shields and three hundred shields of gold that made beautiful displays but were useless in battle.
They were too heavy and too soft to make effective shields.

Each of those shields would be valued at over a quarter million dollars today and the smaller shields at over sixty thousand dollars or about thirty-three million dollars.

They were eventually taken by a foreign king.

Solomon made silver to be worthless which did not help the economies of the world of that day.

In the end, it was women who truly brought King Solomon down to shame.

*1Ki 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
1Ki 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Over half of Solomon’s reign was over by the time the Temple, his own palace, and other buildings were completed.

These things took up much of his personal time.

We could add that during this time Solomon had negotiated peace agreements between Israel and many nations, and those agreements were sealed by the marriage of that ruler’s daughter.

As Solomon began to spend more time with the many wives he had, he was influenced by them.

One man wrote that the home of Solomon was afflicted with the curse of his polygamy and his kingdom with the curse of his despotism, which means he had absolute power, authority unlimited, and uncontrolled power over the people.

Most all alliances Israel had with other rulers ended with the death of Solomon even the long relationship of Solomon with Hiram.

As we looked at last week, no one knew where the Book of Moses(the Pentateuch) was located. Solomon certainly was not obedient to the Word of God concerning the kings of Israel.

Many believe that the prophet Jeremiah wrote this book of First Kings, and he simply says that Solomon loved many strange women.

it is these women who caused the decline of King Solomon!

These things describe a heart that is wandering away from God!

Solomon had seven hundred women who were considered to be his wives.
Solomon had three hundred women with the title concubines.

These were the women who were in Solomon’s harem while he was King of Israel.

Son 6:8 There are threescore queens, fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

This verse tells us of those women who were in Solomon’s court at one time.

This would be sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

King Solomon like his father went against the institution of Jehovah.

What is the marriage institution of Jehovah God?

Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

When God gave Adam his wife. God did not do this by forming Eve out of the dust of the earth just like Adam. Then she would be independent of Adam.
God formed Eve from Adam. He does not do this out of his head, for she is not his superior. Nor does he make her out of his feet, for she is not his slave. He forms her from his side.
She is therefore someone of equal value, standing beside him.

Solomon took wives from many nations, also going against the Word of God about strange wives.

Deu 7:3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
Deu 7:4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Solomon not only took these many women into his house, but he also took their gods.

We should understand that someone who knows the Word of God and deviates from it often makes it worse than someone who has never known Jehovah.

When a child of God falls into corruption it is the worst corruption!

The lesson for us who are up in years is, that we may think the dangers of life no longer threaten us but we are wrong.

Satan will do his best to ruin our testimony at any age!

*1Ki 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
1Ki 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
1Ki 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
1Ki 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

Ashtoreth(Ishtar, Astarte, queen of heaven)) was the Moon goddess of the Zidonians usually associated with Baal(Baalim, Baalism) the Sun god.

Throughout the world, we see temples and pyramids built to honor the Sun god and the Moon god

Milcom(Molech, Chemosh) is the national god of Ammon, God said he was an abomination!

It is this god to whom children were sacrificed. This is the god of the abortionists in my opinion.

Solomon was not seeking God’s own heart as did his father David.

Solomon had temples built for the worship of these false goods and he joined them in their worship of them.

He did the same for all his strange wives!

The word strange means all his wives who were not of Israel, we could say wives from foreign nations.

Certainly, Jehovah was angry with Solomon.

*1Ki 11:9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
1Ki 11:10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
1Ki 11:11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

Do you want to make Jehovah angry? Go against His Word.

Do you want to really get Jehovah riled up? Go against Him after He has warned you!

This is why we have the Holy Spirit living inside us!

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

What had God told Solomon?

1Ki 9:3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
1Ki 9:4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
1Ki 9:5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
1Ki 9:6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
1Ki 9:7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
1Ki 9:8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

Today we have the Word of if we have a proper translation and we are to do our best to be obedient to it.

As for King Solomon he met with God face to face and he was told the consequences of failing to acknowledge the Word of God.

We know that God will do exactly what he says he will do.

1Ki 11:26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, “Solomon’s servant”, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
1Ki 11:27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.
1Ki 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
1Ki 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
1Ki 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
1Ki 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
1Ki 11:32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)
1Ki 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

But God will never break a promise he has made!

*1Ki 11:12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

1Ki 11:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
1Ki 11:14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.

Solomon had forfeited the promise made to him from Jehovah.

God would allow the line of David to continue through a son of Solomon because David had chosen Jerusalem and not some other city.

This is a sign of God’s “grace”!

2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

This promise from God will ultimately be fulfilled through the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see the Lord Jesus Christ did appear Himself to begin the New Testament and the Law of Grace and through His disciples, this word had spread around the world and only those who accept the Work of Jesus Christ, the “Gospel” will be allowed into God’s New Jerusalem and God’s New Heaven where King Jesus will rule forever.

Amen

The Temple Solomon Built

March 4, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Solomon Built the Temple

Book of 1 Kings 5

One of the most important things we need to complete any building project successfully is to be committed to it.

We can accept the fact that King Solomon had little if any construction skills, but he now had great wisdom in all things.

What Solomon had was a humble spirit and he sought the Lord for His help.

The next thing that is needed is preparation.

Site preparation must be properly taken care of, and it begins with following the Word of God.

Then you must own the property you are building upon.

David first bought the threshing floor of Araunah:

2Sa_24:18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa_24:21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
2Sa_24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Then David bought the entire area around the threshing floor.

1Ch 21:24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
1Ch 21:25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

There should be no doubt who the Temple Mount belongs to.

Remember it was God who gave the dimensions and the details of this Temple to David mphasizing a solid foundation.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

King Solomon needed to be obedient to the Lord just as we all should be today!

This new Temple was to be a House of the Lord for the Lord’s people to worship Him.

This had been a dream of his father David for many years, and Solomon was committed to seeing it succeed.

Solomon’s most important task was to seek the Lord!

1Ki 5:2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
1Ki 5:3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
1Ki 5:4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.

King Hiram and King David had been great friends, and his son Huram wanted the same relationship with King Solomon.

In fact, this King Hiram had told his own son about the great God of Israel even though he was pagan and worshipped his own gods.

We should understand that God would not allow David to build this Temple of Worship because it would have sent the wrong message.

It would be like religions such as the Muslim who are forced to seek Mohammed and can never leave that religion with the threat of death if they do.

There is no personal relationship because there is no Allah.

Just as important, because David was protecting the cause of Israel in great battles with the enemies that surrounded Israel and he certainly did not have time to make such a commitment as Solomon was saying to Huram.

Israel was at peace all the time of King Solomon and he maintained a strong military presence in the regions.

To David God said: 22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

This king of Tyre understood these things Solomon was saying.

When the Lord forbids us to do something He is serious about it!

King David had made this entire area to be at peace because of his conquest.

We could say that Israel was the honcho nation during the time of King Solomon.

Solomon said he had no adversaries nor was there any occurrence of rebellion to his rule.

In fact, the nation of Israel was very prosperous in the days of King Solomon.

We know that David spent time training Solomon.

It was Solomon who wrote the Book of Proverbs so we can see what he wrote about his father.

Pro 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Pro 4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
Pro 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Pro 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

David did everything in his power to smooth the way of Solomon.

David drew up the plans for the Temple according to the plans God had given to him:

1Ch 28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
1Ch 28:12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:

David gave Solomon the funds to build the Temple:

1Ch 28:14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:

David told Solomon that the plans for the Temple came from Jehovah:

1Ch 28:19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

And again, David encouraged his son:

1Ch 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

We can see that Solomon was a good student!

Solomon began to understand what his father was saying.

1Ki 5:5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.
1Ki 5:6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.

Solomon was committed to building the Temple his father David desired.

Solomon sought to honor the Lord by building a house of worship for the people of Israel.

If we do not learn anything else, we need to know that there needs to be a place to worship the Lord!

There needs to be set times so we can all gather together to encourage one another.

We will need to deal with this lost world.

Solomon renewed the relationship between Israel and Tyre which was Phoenicia and Solomon sought to establish a trade agreement between the two nations, and he did.

Solomon sought workers with skills that Israel did not know at this time.

Notice Solomon did not open the borders of Israel to just anybody, but Israel had a need for skilled laborers.

This should be a lesson for our nation.

Solomon knew he had no excuse to delay this work for the Lord and Israel.

When God calls us for a task it is time to say yes and get busy!

We need to yield to the call of God without hesitation.

The Bible explains this request to Huram from Solomon better in Second Chronicles:

2Ch 2:4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
2Ch 2:5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
2Ch 2:6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?
2Ch 2:7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
2Ch 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
2Ch 2:9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
2Ch 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
2Ch 2:11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

We must realize that God cannot be contained in any nation but that God is bigger than our little world but He is also small enough to come into our hearts.

God has a purpose for each of us and God is still building upon His Church!

King Hiram agreed with Solomon and a pact was made between the two nations.

*1Ki 5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire.
1Ki 5:11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.

We see that Hiram gave this timber to Solomon and Solomon provided the food to feed these men while the work was taking place.

We can better understand that Solomon asked for cedar trees, fir trees which means cypress, and other timber that was long-lasting.

Solomon also needed an architect.

Hiram was glad to provide the things that Solomon requested.

We should not be confused the Phoenicians were Pagans.

These cities existed before Israel came into the Promised Land in most cases they worshipped Baal.

Baal means lord but he is identified with the false god Molech where children were sacrificed on his blazing arms.

Baal was also known as the Sun god and there are Pyramids and High places all around the world where Baal the Sun god was worshipped along with the Moon god, and they are still worshipped today under different names.

This is the reason most of these nations no longer exist today.

Hiram’s servants would cut the timber from the forest in Lebanon. Transport it to the Mediterranean Sea, form it into rafts, and guide it through the waters to the Sea Port of Joppa.

Tyre was over fifty miles from Joppa and Joppa was around thirty miles from Jerusalem.

This was no easy task we know because we have the problems our own military had in the Mediterranian Sea.

The Phoenicians were the masters of the sea in that day.

2Ch 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
2Ch 2:9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
2Ch 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

Both men kept their agreements, and Solomon paid the wages of all these workers to make it worth their while.

Our lesson here is that we must do everything we can to seek peace and preserve peace throughout society without compromising the Word of God.

We need to make peace in our homes.
We need to make peace in our schools.
We need to make peace in our workplaces.
We need to treat everyone fair as we know our Lord Jesus did.
We should have peace in our Churches, we have the same Word of God. We do not need opinions, likes, dislikes, complaints, or murmurers among our members. Again, we have the same Word of God.
We should have peace in our government whose goal should be to take care of its people and protect our nation.

The word peace is used 429 times in the KJV Bible so peace is important to God, but may not always be possible.

Rom_12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

There were also workers with stone at this same time.

1Ki 5:18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

This stone cutting was started before the death of King David, and it was time consuming.

David also began gathering many of the supplies needed for the Temple.

1Ch 22:2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
1Ch 22:3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;
1Ch 22:4 Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
1Ch 22:5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

The Splendor of what is called Solomon’s Temple began to come to life.

Work began in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign.

We can see this was a major undertaking with the tools that were available on that day.

In fact, many of those large stones and the cutting of them is not really understood today how they were able to do such things with just manual labor.

These stones were cut, squared, shaped, and dressed to fit together perfectly without mortar.

Our lesson is no matter what we do for the Lord, do it right while also making a contribution to society.

*1Ki 6:12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
1Ki 6:13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
1Ki 6:14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

It had been four hundred and eighty years since a group of slaves led by Moses, had left Egypt searching for the land promised to Abraham.

This would have been around 966 BC, so the Hebrews left Egypt around 1446 BC.

All the materials were assembled in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount without the use of construction hand tools axes and hammers and such tool made of iron.

1Ki 6:7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

1Ki 6:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

Then God gave Solomon a challenge and a promise.

It appears to me as I read this that the stonework was first completed and then the Temple was covered with lumber and this lumber was gold plated.

1Ki 6:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

In the end, God said this was a worldly sanctuary and cannot compare to our Heavenly sanctuary.

Heb 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Any place of worship today simply means God is identifying with His people so it becomes a House of God.

God is certainly “gracious” but this does not mean it is a light thing to come into the presence of the Lord.

We should be reverent in the House of God and God will show up.

Today the body of each believer becomes the House of God and we are to honor the name of the Lord who dwells within us at all times and not just while we are in His House of worship.

Those large stones teach us of a solid foundation which is in Christ Jesus.

If our lives are not built upon Jesus Christ we are doomed to destruction.

Without Jesus Christ, we are separated from God and doomed!

Without God, there is no hope, not in this world or the next!

We should also understand that just being in a Church building is not enough. God only looks upon those with a pure heart as we saw in last week’s lesson.

A wicked person entering a church building is still a person with a wicked heart and will remain that way until they claim the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their old life.

Many today do not want to repent but maintain their sinful ways and sin is according to the Word of God and not public opinion.

God created us to have fellowship with Him, but He cannot look upon sin and, in His wisdom, He sent the Lord Jesus to pay our sin debt and if we accept this fact then God will deal with us His own children!

God gave us free will to decide this on our own!

Amen

Exceeding Great and Precious Promises

January 21, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Issac or Ishmael

Book of Galatians 4 verses 21 through 31

The way to Heaven is not by any work from us nor by any law; this must be clear to us.

We are also very wrong if we think God needs our help to further the Gospel.

God does not need us at all!

In Luke 19 the Lord Jesus had these words: Luk_19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

It is we who need our Heavenly Father and He offers us opportunities after He saves us.

Our life becomes our testimony as we live to be more like our Savior.

Jhn_12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

There are two words that we see in our lesson today that we need to understand.

1) Promise.
2) Patience.

First promise: It takes God’s wisdom to understand His promise.

1Co 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, “and the wisdom of God”.

We can have no wisdom without the Spirit of Wisdom which comes by the Holy Spirit and a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and in this we will have the power to work on patience and other important things.

Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power”,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

There is no wisdom of God without a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ which gives us the Spirit of Wisdom which is the Holy Spirit!

Now let’s look at the word patience as it pertains to God.

We already know that God is never late, but He is always on time.

Patience:

Listen to these words from the Apostle Peter:

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, “they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Patience is something we will work on most of our lives because we live in this sinful and wicked world!

God has promised Heaven only to those who believe in His Son and have patience till He returns!

Now let’s look at our lesson today:

*Gal 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

All those who approach God by the Law or by works of goodness or religion are legalists or religionists.

Every one of them needs to understand what they are doing because they will never reach Heaven this way!

They need to understand the implications of what they are doing!

This is why the Apostle Paul was pouring his heart out to these churches in Galatia.

This is also an example for us to not just push away those of legalism, nor those who are religious, maybe we need to show them the “love of Christ” that is within us.

This will not be easy!

We are never better than any of them, we are just better off, and they need to understand why.

Paul’s final attempt to win these souls he went back to the Scriptures.

The first five books of the Old Testament were considered the sacred law to all Jews and Paul used these same passages to show these churches the error in their way of thinking.

This is also a great example for us as we tell the lost about the truth of Jesus Christ.

We must try to tell those who are lost how to escape the bondage they do not realize they are under.

*Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

If we have read the Bible, we all know this passage of the Old Testament.

Abraham, who is the father of all those who believe in the promises of God!

It is by the same faith that Abraham had that we can be saved!

We must just believe what God says and understand that God keeps His promises.

Abraham had two sons at this time though he later had others after the death of his wife Sarah.

The Jews understand that they are descendants of Sarah. This is still in effect today.

Abraham had two sons before Sarah died.

One was born of Sarah who was Issac.

This was a great miracle of God because Sarah had been barren all of her years and far past the time when she could conceive, until the birth of Isaac.

God had promised Abraham a son by his wife Sarah and Sarah just could not believe what God said, or she wanted to be sure that God’s promise to Abraham was true.

The greatest lesson we can learn here is that God does not need our help to keep His promises!

It is still a sin to go against the Word of God and trying to help God is a sin!

God does not need our help; God simply wants us to believe in Him as did Abraham.

Isaac was the Son of Promise, but there was another son who came before Isaac and his name was Ishmael.

Sarah had become discouraged from being barren and she had a slave girl who was bought or given to them by a Pharaoh of Egypt.

Sarah had no patience and thought God needed her help and sent Hagar this young slave into her husband Abraham, and she conceived, and Ishmael was born to this bondwoman.

This is the basis of Paul’s message to these Galatians.

Paul reminded us of all of this:

Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Rom 4:18 Who against hope “believed in hope”, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Rom 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform”.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Isaac was born after the order and the process of nature to fulfill the promise of God, just as our Lord Jesus Christ after the promised seed was planted.

Sarah had a miracle birth, and our Lord Jesus had a miracle birth both of by the “Promise of God”.

Ishmael was still a precious child as much as any child until influenced by his mother and rejected by Sarah.

None of these things were the fault of Ishmael, and we know God made a promise to Hagar concerning Ishmael.

Ishmael was conceived in sin when Abraham listened to his wife and went against God’s Law.

Exo_20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

This thing has broken up more marriages than anything else in this world.

Again, we cannot help God keep His promises, and this is the basis of a works doctrine.

*Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: “for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband”.Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

We should understand that these things the Apostle Paul is teaching are teaching in allegory and there are not many such places in the Bible where this happens.

The Lord Jesus used typology in some of His teachings but not allegory.

To allegorize is to say what is either designed or fitted to convey a meaning other than the literal one, or words adapted to another meaning.

As believers, we accept the Word of God as the literal truth so we must be very careful if we try to do an allegory with the Scriptures

It is best to leave these things to true Bible Scholars who know when to use them.

We cannot ever change the truth of God to mean something else!

The Apostle Paul was a Bible Scholar and He was speaking to mostly Jews who were once confirmed in Judaism and were trying to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and had received some false teaching from Judaizers who were trying to derail the Church.

It is far better if we use typology rather than allegories!

Paul was saying that in these two women Hagar and Sarah we can see the Two Covenants.

The Covenant of Law and the Covenant of Grace.

Some preachers might use the word dispensations.

The one from Mount Sinai, which is the Law and applies to Hagar, and the other from Mount Sion which is the Covenant from Heavenly Jerusalem, bearing the children of liberty and this is Sarah.

Mount Sinai is where Moses saw the burning bush and received his call to lead the Israelites out from the bondage of Egypt and represents the covenant of the Laws of Moses that were intended to lead all of Israel to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, but the Jews refused to take that step.

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Mount Sion is a reference to Heavenly Jerusalem.

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

It is the New Jerusalem that is our home, the home of those whose chains of bondage are broken by Jesus Christ and are now the children of God!

It is the New Jerusalem which is that Eternal Spiritual City that God promised to all who approach Him by “faith”.

God’s “Grace” and the promise of our Heavenly Home are both free to those who have faith in the work of Jesus Christ for our salvation.

Jerusalem on earth is a place of turmoil and laws and has never been at peace and will only see peace for a while when the Lord Jesus returns

We have no work to do to get into our Heavenly Home but only believe in the Word of God!

This is why the Covenant of Grace is such a wonderful thing that comes from our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ!

Isaac was a child of promise and every believer in the Lord Jesus is also a child of promise!

God made a way for mankind to inherit the Promised Land, and this true Promised Land is not upon this earth.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Rom 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

*Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

In the Book of Genesis chapter 21, we can read the story of how Ishmael had been mocking Isaac for some reason, and Sarah the mother of Isaac saw him.

Sarah told Abraham it was time to send that bondwoman away with her son.

Persecution is not specifically mentioned but any insult is considered to be persecution.

Legalism persecutes and enslaves believers.

We are mocked throughout this world because we accept the Word of God as the truth and believe God’s promises.

Ishmael ridiculed, mocked, and persecuted Isaac.

When we try to approach God in the flesh, with our own energy and our own effort, we are rejecting the Grace of God as the means of righteousness.

We cannot build credit with God!
We cannot try to get recognition from God!
We cannot work to get God’s approval!
We do not have it in our power to gain acceptance and praise of God beyond “faith”!

All persons in the flesh refuse to accept this fact and they will never make it to New Jerusalem.

We are in that Age of Persecution today!

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

What did God tell Abraham?

Gen 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

*Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

We can see that legalism was cast out and can have no inheritance with God!

I believe that most of us in the Church know but not many Jews, that Judaism and Christianity are utterly and forever irreconcilable.

The Jews must accept Jesus Christ in faith just as any other non-believer!

The Law and the Gospel are two entirely different concepts!

God will never accept anyone who approaches Him by law or by works!

No matter how much good and how many good works we present to God on the Day of Judgment God will ask, “What about my Son Jesus” and they will be cast from God’s presence.

What has God done for our salvation?

God loved us enough to send His own Son to die for us, in our place.

A simple prayer would be: Father you are my Savior and Lord. I believe with all my heart that your Christ did die for me and I surrender all I am into His keeping. I know that it is your Righteousness and your death that paid for my sins. In Jesus’ name Amen.

God’s promise: Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

And the results:

*Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

The Lord Jesus Christ has freed every believer from the curse of the Law, which ends in death, and eternal separation from the God who made us all.

Amen

We Must Stop Being Hypocrites

December 18, 2024 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Paul Confronts Peter

Book of Galatians Chapter 2 Verse 11 through 21

There is a short verse in the Book of Thessalonians that we need to learn, understand, and adhere to, throughout our Christian Walk.

1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

There are virtues we need to cultivate in our devotion to God and this Scripture is far more important than we realize when we first read it.

We sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit lives within us.

When we “grieve the Holy Spirit,” we lose any power we have as Christians and are no longer a good witness for the truth of Jesus Christ.

1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
1Th 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

It was no different for the Apostle Peter, and the Apostle Paul awoke Peter to this fact.

We know that Paul was clearing up a few things for these Thessalonians before he began his discussion on the Rapture and the return of Jesus Christ.

This Church had a special need for guidance and sometimes even our most devoted Christians also need additional guidance.

We will never reach a point in our lives that we should not be growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sanctification is a lifelong project!

At Jerusalem, all Church leaders had confirmed Paul’s authority!

We know that Peter had been the leader of the Apostles from day one.

Though we cannot make excuses for the actions of Peter, we must insist that we all need to watch our conduct at all times for it seems that someone is always watching for good or bad reasons.

Act 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
Act 15:23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
Act 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Act 15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Act 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 15:27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

This Silas and this Judas were two men from the Church at Jerusalem who would verify the results of the first Council of the Church, to these Galatians.

They were chief men of the Church at Jerusalem.

Later we will see that this same Silas also known as Silvanus as the companion of Paul on his second missionary journey.

Silas became a great missionary himself.

It seems that Silas, like Paul, was also a Roman citizen.

Silas was with Paul when they were in jail where the Philippian jailer and all his family got saved.

Act 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Act 16:26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
Act 16:27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
Act 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

It is verse 37 that tells us that both Paul and Silas were both Roman citizens.

Act 16:37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, “being Romans”, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

Not much else is known about Barsabas other than he was a great man of the Church in Jerusalem.

This Judas surnamed Barsabas, seems to have been gifted the gift of prophecy which at that time could have meant that he was one of the Preachers at the Church in Jerusalem and he returned to that Church.

It was after these things had taken place that the Apostle Peter visited this Church in Antioch.

It also appears those Judaizers had remained in this Church at Antioch.

This is the background where we see Paul confront Peter, and he had every right to do so though we may not know the whole story, we do know that the Holy Spirit included it in these writings of Paul.

*Gal 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Gal 2:13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

We may not know the exact reasons that Peter came to the Church in Antioch, but who would turn down the leader of the Apostles if he came down to visit.

Paul may even have invited Peter to visit at any time.

This Church at Antioch was a great church, but it was also the first Gentile Church established outside of Jerusalem.

This church was a mission minded church, and it was important that a good example was set before all the Gentiles and the Jews, but especially before the Gentiles by the Jews.

When Peter arrived in Antioch he sat down with and enjoyed the company of the Gentiles, as we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We all have the same Father!

When some other Judaizers came to visit at Antioch they were astounded that Peter was enjoying such fellowship with these Gentiles and he had allowed those same Judaizers to rebuke him for eating with the Gentiles who they still considered to be Heathen.

We know Peter was a great Preacher and a great man of God, but this thing could ruin his testimony unless it was stopped immediately.

It went against the decisions made at that First Church Council.

This thing caused Peter to stumble for a moment.

If the great Apostle Peter could stumble, we can be sure that we can!

Even today, the most used excuse used by the “Lost” is, that we the Church are all a bunch of hypocrites.

I used to say this myself and it shames me.

Peter sure acted like one and we know these things are true or this story would not be in the Bible.

It should be obvious to us that Peter’s error was not in preaching a false doctrine.

The error Peter made was using bad judgment!

Though we seek moral perfection it evades us much of the time.

We can believe that this situation was provided by the Devil and these same Judaizers were still full of the Devil, and they would haunt the Apostle Paul most of all his days.

In Peter’s case, we find him bold and then timid many times, even when Christ was teaching him.

These are not excuses, but just the truth!

We are not to judge Peter when we know God has forgiven him.

Remember Peter preached one sermon where over three thousand souls were saved in one day.

I have not heard of anyone else who had such results from one sermon.

We can also realize that Paul rebuked Peter for this one thing, and it needed to be done, but Paul was not rude to Peter nor was Paul showing personal animosity.

Without a doubt we can see that both Paul and Peter possessed the same Holy Spirit just as we all do.

These things did not cause friction between Paul and Peter as Peter wrote.

2Pe 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

In reality we can still blame these Judaizers who continued to cause turmoil in the Church even though they were rebuked at the Jerusalem Council.

I do not know of any man of God who has already reached perfection except for those who are already with the Lord.

Paul and Peter are both in perfection today!

Paul also knew these things as he wrote.

Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

When this thing passed Paul was still missionary to the Gentiles, but he would still drop by a Synagogue of the Jews if the opportunity arose and Peter was still missionary to the Jews, but he would still help any Gentile who had a need and he may have dropped in on all the Gentile churches from time to time

Both these great men of God had death sentences on their heads, but God kept them protected until God took them home.

*Gal 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Every believer, no matter where we come from, is justified by one thing and it is our “faith”.

Not just any faith, but faith in the work that Our Lord Jesus Christ has done so that we can be saved.

Paul admitted that he was a Jew by nature.

The Jews considered themselves to be religionists and the Gentiles to be Heathen Gentile sinners.

We could say “rank sinners”.

Paul is saying that if the Jews being religionists would claim the same thing the Gentile Sinners claimed, who believed in the work of Jesus Christ, then they all could confess they were saved by “faith”.

Any Jew who came to Jesus Christ for salvation was admitting that their religion, their works, and their law were not able to save them. Only the same faith that the Gentiles had could save them!

Is there a work that any man can do or any law that can make us perfect? That answer is no!

If our salvation depends on any work or any law, then we are lost as Job’s Turkey and Job did not have any turkeys.

God says we have only one hope! Faith in Jesus Christ.

The word “justified” means to reckon, to credit, to account, to judge, to look upon as righteous.

It does not mean to make us righteous!

We are not made righteous, but we are accounted as righteous!

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Justification is necessary because we are born sinners!

We cannot live as we desire, we must live as God desires, and until we are saved, we are the enemies of God, even though He still loves us.

Those who are not saved do not want God in their lives, they have alienated themselves from God.

This is not God’s choice but our choice!

Remember it is God’s will that we all be saved!

We cannot turn away from God and then expect the blessings of God!

Why would God justify any man?

God will only “justify” any man because of Jesus Christ.

God will credit our faith as righteousness if our faith is in Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ has secured the ideal righteousness for each of us!

Jesus did this when He came to this earth and lived a righteous and sin free life!

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

The world refuses to understand that Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to die!

By His death, all sinners can be saved if they were willing to trust what God has done for us.

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Jesus came to die, but Jesus also came to resurrect from that death, because God cannot stay dead.

It is impossible for Him to do so!

It is His life from the dead that has given us eternal life!

*Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Does Jesus Christ make us sinners, by our trusting in Him that we are justified by faith in Him alone?

Is Jesus Christ a minister of sin?

Are we sinners because we reject the law?

It is the Law that makes us sinners, for the Law condemns sin!

The law only shows us where our failures are!

Gal_3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal_3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

When we sit down and think about what God has done for us, we are driven to please God and not rebel against Him.

Jesus Christ bore all our guilt and all our punishment for the crimes that we committed against His Father.

When we bow to our Heavenly Father, it is for our love and adoration in appreciation for such “Amazing Love” that He has for us.

We try to be good, not to earn righteousness, but to serve Him because He has saved us.

Jesus Christ teaches us that “Love” is a much greater force upon this Earth than “fear”!

1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

We cannot ever repay God for what He has done for us, and it is a sin to even try to.

We are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ!

So He does own us, not just because He created us, but because He sent His Son to reclaim His right to us and all He asks of us, is to enjoy life and our reasonable service.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ecc_5:18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

God wants us to enjoy this life He has given to us keeping in mind that nothing upon this earth is as great as the things in Heaven.

We should also keep in mind that there is no life if we do not have the truth of God in our lives.

If we do not believe our good fortune comes by the hands of God, then we do not believe in the omnipotence of God.

This is not teaching a prosperity Gospel, but our Heavenly Father does take care of His children.

This sometimes means that when we are suffering, He may take us home rather than heal us.

No one loves us as much as our Heavenly Father!

We will find that the closer our walk with Jesus the more we will enjoy life, and it does not take much prosperity to enjoy life!

*Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

There are some things we must do to live unto God.

1) We must die to the law!

People have a bad habit of comparing themselves to other people in order to show that they are better or worse than those people.

To be a Christian, we must compare ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and we will immediately see that we just do not measure up.

The Lord Jesus Christ lived a short thirty-three or more years in the flesh, and He lived a sinless life in every one of those years.

We do well to live one day without sin!

The Law shows me just how much of a sinner I am and how far I am from the goodness of my Lord Jesus.

I will never reach perfection as long as I am in this body of flesh!

The law tells me I need to be punished for my sin, and that punishment is my payment for the sin I have committed.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

My “faith” in the work of Christ will release me from the power of sin to keep me in bondage!

The only hope I have to get to Heaven is to die to the law!

2) I must be crucified with Jesus Christ!

How can I do such a thing?

I must believe that the Lord Jesus died in my place! He took my death to Himself!

My Lord Jesus bore the punishment for my sin, so I do not have to.

It is my “faith” in this truth that counts for my having died in Christ.
It is my “faith” in my identifying with Christ that counts for my pardon.
It is my “faith” in the Lord having already been punished for my sin that counts for my freedom from the bondage of sin.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

We should be able to see that these are the words our Pastor uses when we are Baptized.

3) I can now live for God because God lives in me!

I am crucified with Christ and God sees me as having already died and like His Son, I have resurrected from that death!

The Lord Jesus Christ is now in charge of my life, He owns me!

The Lord Jesus Christ is still walking upon this earth because He is walking in my body!

I am just a branch growing and getting nourishment from the Vine that was my old body but is now the Body of Christ.

Joh 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

4) I can now live for God because I trust in the “Grace” of God!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Righteousness of my God”.

If I set aside the “Grace of God” then My Lord, My Savior died for nothing!

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

We know that Paul had to confront Peter because there is just too much to lose if we do not gain the life of Jesus Christ!

Amen

Christianity

December 13, 2024 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Paul’s Participation in the Jerusalem Council

Book Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 1 through 10

From Chapter 1 we learned that the Apostle Paul’s preaching of Salvation by the “Grace of God” had met much criticism, but this criticism was mainly from the Jewish religion.

This criticism had reached a point where it was determined that the Church leaders would come together to make a final decision on this matter.

It had been the Jews known as Judaizers, who had called for this council hoping the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem would side with them.

Though there were many Church councils over the years, the first Jerusalem Council was the most important.

What we find is that our old friends the Pharisees are stirring up trouble again.

In reality, there was a large number of Pharisees who accepted Jesus as the true Messiah after His death and resurrection.

In fact, this would be a natural result for an honest-thinking Pharisee.

Most of the Pharisees were looking for the Messiah to come.

The Pharisees knew the Scriptures better than the average Jew.

When the Apostles proved that Jesus was the Messiah from the Scriptures, the Pharisee was bound to see the evidence.

If a Pharisee had an honest and open heart he would be convicted by the Holy Spirit as much as any other Lost Soul.

However, the Pharisees would tend to see Jesus as the fulfillment of Judaism, not a replacement of it.
The Pharisees would see Jesus as an addition to the Law of Moses, not replacing it.
The Pharisees would see Jesus as adding belief to their rituals, not replacing them.
The Pharisee would see Jesus adding Baptism to the ordinances, not replacing the ordinance.

Because the Pharisees had extensive training and had made a lifetime commitment to the keeping of the Law, oral and traditional, they would be very slow to give up the Law.

They would be very slow to rely on the Righteousness of Jesus the Messiah and not the righteousness of the Law.

But we do see where some of them made a complete break with Judaism.

It is these things that caused the First Council of the Church.

Act 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Act 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

We will immediately be able to see that the question at the Council in Jerusalem had grown much greater than circumcision from the Church at Antioch.

The question at Jerusalem became “does a man have to keep the whole law to be saved” and accepted into the Church?

We would be wrong to believe these questions have disappeared today!

1) Can a person earn favor with God? Or do they receive the favor of God?
2) Are they acceptable to God because they keep the Law? Or are they saved by confessing that they have broken the law and are dependent entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ?
3) Do we work to make ourselves righteous or do we cast ourselves upon the righteousness of Jesus?
4) Do we pray to the Lord saying Lord I come on my own righteousness, or I come on your righteousness?
5) Do we pray Lord I come with my own package of works, or I come seeking your mercy and grace?
6) Do we pray to the Lord I came to be praised for my own works, or do we praise the Lord because He did all the work?
7) Are we to receive glory because we have done good, or is the glory to be lifted to Jesus for who He is and what He has done?
8) Is the Lord Jesus God, who came down from Heaven to save us or not?

Martin Luther broke with Catholic Doctrine on some of these same issues!

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Do we believe what the Bible says or not?

Luther came to realize that works have no part in our salvation.

It is a fact that there are no works to do to receive the Grace of God but there are some works that should happen after salvation.

Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

We need to study every question that is asked about salvation in order to properly lead someone to the Lord!

*Gal 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

At the end of last week’s lesson, Paul had returned to his hometown of Tarsus and then to Antioch Syria where the first Church outside of Jerusalem had been established.

Now in the first verse of Chapter Two, Paul is returning to Jerusalem for the first council of the Church and fourteen years have passed.

This first council at Jerusalem could easily have stopped the Church before it ever got started.

The Apostle Paul was faithful to give a full account of the Gospel he had preached among the Gentiles, who were still known as Heathen to the Jews, indicating a lower class of people.

Paul preached that Christianity must be free from all mixture of Judaism.

This would have seemed ungrateful to some because even the Lord Jesus was a Jew.

Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: “we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews”.

Notice Jesus claims to be a Jew just like the disciples who were with Him.

We should understand that Christianity is the New Testament, the New Covenant, God has made with all the people of Earth.

We should also notice that Paul was very careful and going to extra pains, to list his contacts with the Church in Jerusalem.

It had to be understood that the Doctrine of Salvation that Paul preached had come from Jesus Christ and not from the leaders of the Church of Jerusalem.

It was for the benefit of the Jews that these precautions were made and not so much for the benefit of the Gentiles.

Paul was not going to change the way he preached so easily.

Likewise, the Jews were not going to accept the Gentiles so easily.

We must also understand the other Apostles had to recognize that the calling of the Apostle Paul had met the basic qualifications for being an Apostle being called by Christ Himself.

Paul’s calling and his service had now proven itself for fourteen years.

Paul did not enter Jerusalem to answer his critics.
Nothing that happened in Jerusalem would change the calling of Paul, because Paul was God-called and not man-called.

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

*Gal 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Paul’s intent was for him to defend his work in the Gospel.

If the other Apostles disagreed with Paul, it would not have changed Paul’s calling.
God intended for the Church to survive at all costs.

What had Jesus told to Peter?

Mat_16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

I think it is almost every message that our Pastor says he will not back down, and we had better be prepared to stand with him.

No preacher is to run in vain!

Every evangelist, Pastor, preacher, and missionary, must preach the “Gospel” and only the “Gospel” and he must build upon that ministry as the truth and it is.

We are not to allow ritual, rule, ceremony, or law to be added to the Gospel!

People are saved and people grow only by the Gospel, the “Good News” of God’s love for the world, His creation!

*Gal 2:3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
Gal 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Gal 2:5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

We must never be intimidated into giving up the truth of the Gospel as our own government has been trying to do lately!

There are as many so-called preachers who have only enough truth to be called a man of God when they are lost as Job’s Turkey and causing damage to the Church and they don’t care, they just buy themselves another Jet plane or they write another book but we can be sure they will answer to God.

There is only one Gospel and there will never be a modern version because God never changes!

The Lord Jesus Christ will never come back to this Earth, (His Creation) to face another cross!

The Apostle Paul’s version of the Gospel is still the Gospel that saves!

There is only one “Gospel” and there will never be another “Gospel” that is the “Good News” for mankind!

The ‘Gospel” of the “Grace” of God and “Grace Alone” that Paul preached did arouse many of the Jews.

Every practicing Jew was circumcised when they were eight days old and they leaned heavily on the Law of Moses all the days of their lives.

When they accepted the truth of Jesus Christ, they still refused to reject Judaism.

In their minds the Lord Jesus only changed a few things and Judaism was still the key to life with Jehovah.

They proclaimed that every Christian would first have to become a practicing Jew.

Only after becoming a Jew could, they then accept the teachings of Christ and be baptized.

Paul rejected this and Paul was right even though Paul was a practicing Jew.

The Church would have failed before it got started if this had been true.

The Jews were shocked that Paul taught such a thing.

These Jews were called Judaizers.

It was determined by these Judaizers that Paul could not have gotten his message from Jehovah, and they were wrong.

If anything is added to the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.

If anything is taken away from the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.

Jehovah was very serious about this!

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Paul took with him Barnabas and Titus who were fellow workers with him in the Gospel.

Barnabas was a Jew who had been converted in Jerusalem.

Titus was a Heathen Gentile, and he was not about to become a Jew.

Titus had never been inside the Jewish Temple, and he had no desire to enter into it.

Titus had not been circumcised!

Titus had not committed himself to the Law of Moses nor the rituals of Judaism.

Titus was a perfect example of salvation by “Grace Alone”.

Titus had answered the calling of Christ to become a Preacher.

Judaizers are just “Legalists”.

Legalists are those people who add to the salvation plan of God.

Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Judaism and the teachings of Christ.

Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of the Muslim and the Koran, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Hinduism and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

In fact, Christianity can only be the “Good News” of Jesus Christ and nothing but salvation by the free gift, of the “GRACE” of God.

Though many Jews even today are impressed with Jesus Christ, they will not give up their religion for Him and therefore they cannot be saved.

This was the first great battle for the existence of the Church!

This is the message of Christianity!

Legalism still exists today along with many of the teachings of a false Gospel, which is not the Gospel.

*Gal 2:6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:
Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
Gal 2:8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

The Christian Preacher and teacher must defend the “Gospel” before any and all persons or they are not who they say they are.

We as Christians must ask ourselves:

1) Are we seeking the approval of church leaders over the approval of God?
2) Are we seeking the call of the Church or the call of God?
3) Are we seeking favor of the church or answering the call of God?
4) Are we seeking to build a reputation or seeking to serve God who called us?

How many of us add our own ideas, our own rituals, our own rules instead of the Pure Gospel?

God treats all of us alike!

God has no favorites, He loves you as much as He loved the Apostle Paul!

Everyone in Heaven are there because they are saved by the same Gospel that Paul preached!

Every true Preacher, Pastor, Evangelists, or Missionary are called by the same Lord!

*Gal 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Gal 2:10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

If we take notice, we will see that the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem did not agree with those Judaizers nor could they, as the Judaizers had hoped they would.

On the contrary they stood with the Apostle Paul!

They saw firsthand that Paul had indeed been called of Christ Jesus to preach the Gospel.

They saw that Paul had been called to preach the truth just like every other man called of God.

They saw that Paul had been called to preach to the Gentiles.

This means that everyone called of God, are called with a specific purpose in mind.

Every person called of God is called to preach to the poor just they are called to preach to the rich still having the same message.

Paul promised to try to help the Church in Jerusalem because every Christian who felt the same as Paul would be excommunicated.

James the step-brother of the Lord Jesus was the lead Pastor at the Church at Jerusalem.

James and Jude both the step-brothers of our Lord did also write a book of the New Testament being lead by the Spirit of Jesus their step-brother.

Are we going to have faith in God or are we going to trust what man can do for us?

Amen

LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD

Taking time to read the Bible

bible-study

Revival or Disobedience

God’s Judgment

My God is Jehovah

Idolatry

Arrogance

Shame on Him

The Temple Solomon Built

Exceeding Great and Precious Promises

We Must Stop Being Hypocrites

Christianity

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