3/19/2011 8:42:40 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Disobeying God’s command
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference: 1Kings 20:31-43
Message of the verses: “31 ¶
His servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings
of the house of Israel are merciful kings, please let us put sackcloth on our
loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will
save your life." 32 So they girded
sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of
Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, ’Please let me live.’"
And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother." 33 Now the men took this as an omen, and quickly
catching his word said, "Your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said,
"Go, bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he took him up
into the chariot. 34 Ben-hadad said to
him, "The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and
you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in
Samaria." Ahab said, "And I will let you go with this covenant."
So he made a covenant with him and let him go. 35 Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets
said to another by the word of the LORD, "Please strike me." But the
man refused to strike him. 36 Then he said to him, "Because you have
not listened to the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have departed
from me, a lion will kill you." And as soon as he had departed from him a
lion found him and killed him. 37 Then
he found another man and said, "Please strike me." And the man struck
him, wounding him. 38 So the prophet
departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with a
bandage over his eyes. 39 As the king
passed by, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the
midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and
said, ’Guard this man; if for any reason he is missing, then your life shall be
for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ 40 "While your servant was busy here and
there, he was gone." And the king of Israel said to him, "So shall
your judgment be; you yourself have decided it." 41 Then he hastily took the bandage away from
his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him that he was of the prophets.
42 He said to him, "Thus says the
LORD, ’Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to
destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his
people.’" 43 So the king of Israel
went to his house sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria.”
This
section can be described as an action sermon, which is used a few times
throughout the OT to get a point across to a person who is spiritually hard
hearted. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel
all used action sermons in their ministries.
The
victory belonged to the Lord, yet Ahab did not say one word of praise to the
Lord for this victory, and therefore trouble would be brewing for Ahab. This story gives a reminder of Nathan talking
to David about his sin with Bathsheba, and also the story of Joshua 9, where
Joshua was deceived by a foreign group of men.
The
king of Syria, Ben-hadad pulled a fast one on Ahab. Dr. Wiersbe points out that if Satan can’t
get a person as a roaring lion he will come as an angel of light, and so it was
with Ahab, who would then make a covenant with the enemy. God gave him the victory over his enemy and
he makes a covenant with him, not to smart.
Now
because of this covenant one of the young prophets gives Ahab an action sermon
and just as David told Nathan what he would do for punishment of the fictitious
man in his action sermon and David receives the exact punishment, so it turns
out that Ahab condemns himself with a death sentence and will latter pay for
this with his life.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I believe the point of this story that is
convicting to me is that when the Lord answers a prayer of mine that I remember
to give glory to the Lord, and there have been times when I have not done this,
and it needs to be done, for God to answer a prayer that I pray is all about
His grace and mercy to me and I surely need to praise Him for that answer.
My Steps of
Faith for Today:
1.
Remember to praise the Lord for answered prayers.
2.
Seek the Holy Spirit to search my heart.
3.
Continue to learn contentment.
4.
Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
5.
Seek the Lord to direct my path today.
3/19/2011 9:10:01 AM
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