We explored the outcome of Ahab going to war to take back Ramoth-gilead. Micaiah had prophesied he would be killed by going up to this battle. He believes he can cheat death and God is not capable of overcoming his incredibly clever plan. He completely believes he can fool the enemy and get away with going to war without getting killed if he just disguises himself. He even tries to ensure his success by having Jehoshaphat wear his royal robes into battle so he would appear as the king of Israel. While Jehoshaphat does not get harmed, Ahab is struck by an arrow shot at random. The arrow proves to be fatal and Ahab dies at sundown. It is easy to look at a passage like this and talk about the pride of Ahab in thinking he could outsmart God. But the reality is we all struggle with thinking more highly of ourselves then we should. What this story is really highlighting is God’s word always comes to pass. You cannot hide from or escape God’s plan. What God says will happen always happens. This is a story which reminds us God is active in the world. Even in things which we would describe as random, like an archer shooting his arrow in a random way. What appears as random is part of God’s plan. God is at work all the time in details we cannot begin to fathom. He blesses those who call on His name and seek His face. He calls us to know Him and follow Him. We also saw this played out in the chapter as Jehoshaphat’s story is briefly laid out. He honored God. He restored true worship in Jerusalem. He killed the cult prostitutes. He conquered Edom. He made a poor choice in rebuilding ships in partnership with Ahab’s son Ahaziah but he learned from that poor choice and did not do it again. Jehoshaphat was a good king of Judah who sought to honor God and lead the people back to Him and God blessed him. Ahaziah king of Israel, however; continued to serve Baal and lead Israel into idol worship. He reigned two years over Israel.

We explored the opening half of 1 Kings 22. In this section we see the first real friendly connection being made between the kings of Judah and Israel. Jehoshaphat and Ahab come together and form an alliance to take back Ramoth-gilead for Israel. Jehoshaphat was a God honoring king and he wanted Ahab to bring in a prophet so they could hear a word from Yahweh about this potential battle. Ahab brings together 400 prophets who prophesy in the name of adonai. These 400 tell Ahab and Jehoshaphat to go up because Adonai will give Ramoth-gilead into their hands. Now adonai means sovereign and was used most often to refer to a ruler or land owner. It was also used to refer to God but was different then prophesying in the name of Yahweh. Upon hearing this Jehoshaphat asks Ahab if there was a prophet they could get who would give them a word from Yahweh. Ahab sends for a prophet who he doesn’t like to hear from because he always prophesies bad things about him. It is interesting how the 400 prophets at this point change their declaration and claim to be prophesying in the name of Yahweh. Michaiah, the prophet Ahab doesn’t like, shows up and begins to declare they should go up and Yahweh would give Ramoth-gilead into their hands. Ahab simply does not believe Micaiah and asks how many times he needs to make him swear he is speaking nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord. Micaiah then proceeds to tell them he sees Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. Ahab sees this as a bad prophecy about him no longer being around. The king basically says this is the type of thing I thought he would say. Then Micaiah reveals how he saw the Lord in the throne of heaven, asking the host who would entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead. A lying spirit volunteered to go and deceive the prophets. The Lord declared the spirit would have success. Ahab of course does not like this prophecy of his falling in battle, and he has Micaiah put in prison until his return. At this Micaiah declares to Ahab if he returns in peace God has not spoken by him. Micaiah is a true follower of God who follows Him no matter what it cost him

We continued our study in prayer by looking at the presence of God or the lack of feeling like God is there when we pray. There are three distinct ways in which the Bible talks about the presence of God. There is His Omnipresence. This is the way in which God is everywhere all the time. You cannot get away from Him no matter where you go. A sparrow cannot fall from the sky without Him being aware of it. God is always present everywhere all the time. The second way God is present is demonstrated in His protective care. We looked at the life of Joseph and how this is demonstrated for us in his journey to slavery in Egypt. From the man who bought him to his time in prison through his ascension to the second most powerful man in Egypt, God was clearly watching over him. In the great commission which is recited not just here but many places around the world Jesus promises to be with us. The third way we looked at God’s presence is the communion He has with His people. Clearly Adam and Eve communed with Him directly as they walked with Him in the garden of Eden before the fall into sin. Today this aspect of communion with God is expressed through our time in prayer and Bible reading. This communion is facilitated by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. We explored the problem of feeling like God is not there when we pray. We explored the roll sin may play in causing us to feel as if we are separated from God in spite of the fact nothing can separate us from God. We also considered the way focusing on the kingdom of God can drive our hearts to a greater longing for God. Longing for God and His kingdom can help us to enter more fully into an engagement which is emotionally rich in meaning and connection. We have spent time looking specifically at ways we can improve our perception of God. We can focus on His attributes, His names, His actions, and His presence

We explored the second part to the story of Naboth’s vineyard. In this section Elijah comes on the scene confronting Ahab over his ill gotten land. He points out how Ahab has not only killed Naboth but has taken his land. This really emphasizes how both the killing and the taking of the land were wrong actions in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord had given the land to families to be passed on to their children. Naboth had told Ahab this. The land was not something he could give even if he wanted to. This was the very issue that had been Ahab’s cause of pouting, which had set in motion everything we have looked at. Ahab is under judgement for both violations of God’s law. He had stolen the land and had committed murder. Ahab starts his conversation with Elijah by calling him his enemy. Elijah points out the reason for his coming rests in the evil he has done. Elijah then goes on to pronounce God’s judgement on Ahab. He tells him how his family will be cut off like Jeroboam and Baasha. How his blood will be licked up by the dogs in the place where Naboth’s blood was spilt. How his descendants who die in the city will be eaten by dogs and those who die in the country by birds. He also tells Ahab Jezebel will be eaten by dogs within the walls of Jezreel. This is now the second time his death has been foretold. Ahab tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, fasted and went about dejectedly. This is the first time we see Ahab do anything even close to repentance. God’s sees his actions and sends Elijah to tell him God will not bring these actions in his days but in his son’s days

We explored Ahab’s acquisition of the vineyard of Naboth. We looked at how Naboth rejected Ahab’s offer to give him a better vineyard or money for it. He did this in order to remain obedient to God and the command to not permanently transfer any land to anyone. Naboth clearly wanted to honor God. Ahab went home like a little kid and pouted about it. Jezebel comforted him and told him not to worry about it, she would take care of it. She sent letters in Ahab’s name with his seal telling the leaders of Jezreel to declare a fast. This was something usually done when there was sin among the people and they needed to repent. The people gathered in anticipation of this being addressed. They set up Naboth and had false witnesses accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then they took him out and stoned him. Once this was done Jezebel told Ahab to go and take possession of his vineyard. There were a couple of important parallels in the passage. Jezebel foreshadows those who use religion itself to pervert the word of God and draw people away from the gospel. Naboth foreshadows the how Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, taken outside of the city and killed. Ahab is just pictured as a calloused selfish man who simply wants to have a bigger garden even if it means someone has to die in order for him to have what he wants.

We explored the last half of chapter 20. This records for us the second battle Ban-hadad had with the children of Israel. This battle was in the spring and it was staged in a valley with the idea that the God of Israel could not help them in the valley because they believed He was a God of the hills. For this very reason God promised to deliver the Syrians and the armies of their allies into the hands of the king of Israel. But it was a victory declared to be given specifically so that Ahab will know that Yahweh is the God of Israel. Ahab wins a great victory over an immense multitude with a very small army by comparison. There is even a Jericho moment when 27,000 soldiers are killed by a wall collapsing on them. This is clearly a victory given to Ahab by God. God had commanded them to destroy the Syrians. But in the end Ahab strikes a deal with Ben-hadad in exchange for some cities and trade, Ahab gives Ben-hadad his life. God’s prophet then goes and gets beat up and stages a Nathan the prophet kind of story where he tells Ahab he was guarding a key man of the enemy and was informed his life would be forfeit if he allowed him to escape. Somehow the man escaped. Ahab then declares his life is forfeit. The prophet then removes his disguise and tells Ahab this declaration he has made will be his judgement. Ahab’s response is to return home sullen and angry. Unrepentant as he always is, no matter how much God has done to reveal Himself to Him. Ahab is a truly amazing profile of the hardness of a man’s heart against God. Yet today we will continue to explore this amazing profile in being unrepentant. This had to be a really shocking profile for the people in captivity to consider. A king who saw the direct intervention of the hand of God again and again. Yet there was never any indication of repentance. Ahab simply saw God as an impediment to doing what he wanted, because of this he had no time for God. This had to be a huge warning to the people in captivity and it still carries that same message for all of us today.

We worked through the section where Elijah calls Elisha and then moved on to the first part of chapter 20 where we have Ahab and Israel being attacked by Ben-hadad the king of Syria and 32 kings. When Elijah calls Elisha to follow him he is plowing in a field with 12 yolk of oxen. These may have been driven by multiple people working for him. But what we see is Elisha is a wealthy farmer. He sacrifices one of the yoke of oxen to really celebrate the call of God on his life and shares it with all the local people. After this he leaves the farm and goes off to assist Elijah. Meanwhile the story of the attack by the king of Syria and His fellow kings unfolds. It is a dramatic story where a new profit comes to Ahab and tells him God is going to deliver them and they will know it is by the hand of God. The point is this massive army composed of the soldiers from 33 kingdoms is routed by 232 servants who lead an army of less then 10,000. It is a truly dramatic story of deliverance which could only come from the hand of God. Ben-hadad and the kings escape on horseback as the army is driven away.

We continued our study of prayer by looking at the how people in the Bible focused on God’s actions as a basis for engaging with Him in prayer. We looked at a bunch of passages where we see prayers or praise rooted in things like His love, faithfulness, and judgements which are cast against His creation. His love extends to the heavens. His love is like the mountains of God. His judgements are like the great deep. What we see again and again is the writers of scripture taking the time to think about God and His works and actions in ways that a vivid to our imagination. This kind of thinking can begin to infuse our own prayers with a deeper sense of connection and awe as we engage our imagination in the pursuit of God in prayer.

We looked at the value of living an ordinary life for the glory of an extraordinary God. Don't fight for your best life now. But fight for the glory of God in whatever place God has placed you in. You can have an impact for the glory of God no matter where God has placed you. The bad news is that I am the problem and am at fault., but the good news is that Jesus has rescued me from all the evil that I am and do and has made me into a new creation in Him.

We looked at how people in the Bible cultivated a fascination with God by looking at the Character of God. We looked at the Character of God and how the character of God draws us into praising Him because of his attributes. We looked at passages like Psalm 18 where we see the Psalmist declaring God to be his rock and fortress. The wording really gives us a sense of the Psalmist's delight in God. This contemplation of God leads us into a more emotionally and mentally engaged time of prayer.