Zane Hodges Library

In the lives of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Ahaziah, king of Israel, we see what made Jehoshaphat, a wise son, and what made Ahaziah, a foolish son. Jehoshaphat was a wise son in that he was focused in doing the right thing before the Lord. Jehoshaphat was a peacemaker, a warrior and a moral person. Jehoshaphat provided security for his people and he learned from his mistakes. Ahaziah, on the other hand, took after Ahab, his father, Jezebel, his mother, and Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.

Other passages: 1 Kings 15:8-14; Deuteronomy 12:1-14; Psalm 139:23-24; Matthew 5:9; 2 Chronicles 20:35-37

The death of King Ahab is a lesson for us. Although Ahab knew the prophetic word of God, Ahab never submitted himself fully to the authority of God's word. All of us have made mistakes, but we need to learn from our mistakes. The only safe course of action is obedience to the word of God and to trust God in whatever may lie ahead. Other passages: 1 Kings 21:17-19; Galatians 6:7-8; 1 Kings 20; 1 Kings 22:1-25; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:12-15; 1 Kings 21:1-16.

Have we ever made a decision first and then looked for support for that decision from the Bible or gone to a spiritual counselor hoping to hear confirmation of that decision? We see from the last major story of the life of Ahab, that this is a dangerous procedure to follow. When we make up our minds to do something without being open to the word of God, we are setting ourselves up for deception and disaster. All of us, at all times and about all decisions must be open to the word of God and to correction from the word of God. Other passages: Job 1-2.

As King Ahab continues his conflict with Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, Ahab stands at a crossroads where he is faced with a decision that will impact his life for years to come. Ahab has seen the power of God's prophetic word at work while at the same time permitting his wife Jezebel to promote pagan worship and persecute the prophets of God. Will King Ahab take heed from the lessons from the prophetic word of God or continue to be the type of king he has been?

Sometimes we fall into a trap that when we experience blessing, that we think we deserve such blessing, when in fact, God has given us blessing in order to magnify and glorify His Name and His Son, Jesus Christ. When we experience blessing, we need to ask the question, "How can we use this blessing for God?" Blessing and success from God are not for our own sake but for God's Name's sake in order that our lives may be more meaningful and fruitful for Him.

Other passages: Judges 7; John 6:1-14; 1 Kings 22:31-38.

King Ahab can be a model of a Christian who is in-between good and bad. At this stage in King Ahab's career, he has the opportunity to change the direction of his life. If you believe God's word and act upon God's word, God will get the job done. There is no pathway to success except by obedience to the revealed word of God.

Other passages mentioned: 1 Kings 16:31; Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 21; 1 Kings 18:16-19:1; 1 Kings 17; Exodus 7:17

Fresh off his victory at Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah replaces his faith in God with fear and depression. We learn the lesson that you cannot live today on yesterday's faith. Although we are saved once and for all by an act of faith in Jesus Christ, every day is a new battle of faith. God reserves the right to give us something better than what we ask for. When we are angry, the best thing to do is to put aside such anger and ask the question, "What is God telling me to do from His word?", and then, get busy and do it. This is how we gain victory over anger, frustration and depression.

Other passages mentioned include: 2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Kings 17:20-22; 1 Kings 18:36-38; 1 Kings 18:42-44; James 5:18; Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10; John 14:21

In Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal, we have one of the most outstanding examples of courage and confidence in the Bible. One of the keys to successful spiritual warfare is courage and confidence in God. The secret to boldness in front of men is humility in the presence of God. Sometimes God answers prayers quickly, but other times God's answer is to wait. Part of courage and confidence in God, is to believe God will answer our prayers according to His word, even when we see nothing. Other passages mentioned: 1 Kings 18:1-15; James 5:17; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; James 4:6; Hebrews 12:1-2.

The strange behavior of Obadiah, administrator of King Ahab's house, serves as a mirror for us to examine whether we are afraid that God will not help us when we are in need. The starting place for all true spiritual wisdom comes from a reverence and respect for the greatness and majesty of the power of God. However, although the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God is not the end of wisdom. What is our image of God? Is it an image, where God is a stern and righteous and judgmental Father? If we have a fear that God won't stand by us in our hour of need, we need the reassurance from the word of God of God's compassion and love for us.

Other passages mentioned include: Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Romans 8:35, 37-39; 1 John 4:10.

Please note, that the original recording contains moments where the microphone failed to record.

We see how God teaches the prophet Elijah to trust Him day by day, meal by meal and need by need, and then Elijah is able to teach this lesson to others. The secret to effective prayer is prayer based on the word of God. Effective prayer is not thinking of something big, and praying that God will do it. The core of effective prayer is for us to pray for the things that God has promised in His word that He will do. Other passages mentioned include: Deuteronomy 11:16-17; Genesis 19:1-11; Psalm 27:5; Proverbs 18:10; 1 Kings 4:22-23; James 2:5.

In this passage, we are introduced to three famous persons in the Old Testament, Elijah, Jezebel and Ahab. When God tolerates evil and delays His judgment against evil, God is using evil to demonstrate His power and to magnify His name. God may tolerate evil for a time, but He will not tolerate evil indefinitely. Even in Israel's dark days, God's prophetic word is coming true. We need to base our religion on the Bible and not on the superstition of men. The only religion that God approves is the religion that is revealed in the Scriptures. When we go beyond the Scriptures with our religious practices, we are treading in the territory of superstition, falsehood and deceit. Other passages mentioned: Luke 1:17; Revelation 11:6; Job 20:5; Proverbs 28:2; Psalm 73; Exodus 9:16; Joshua 6:26; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.