righteous prayer

Good morning friends,
Today's reading features James teaching about prayer. It's a good reminder that we can pray both when things are going well and when they're not. Prayer does matter, even if we don't understand it.

God bless,
Sam

James 5:12-20

¹²Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 

¹³Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. 

The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. ¹⁷Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. ¹⁹My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, ²⁰you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

anger and healing

Good afternoon friends,
Today's reading is a follow up reading to yesterdays. Elijah heals the widow of Zarapheth's son. One thing that stands out to me about this healing is that it's not just a healing, but also a full out expression of anger by the woman and Elijah against God. God can handle our anger; he loves us even when we're angry.

God bless,
Sam


1 Kings 17:17-24

¹⁷After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” ¹⁹But he said to her, “Give me your son.”


He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰He cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” ²¹Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” ²²The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. ²³Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” ²⁴So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

fall of Israel

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today we move ahead a bit further in the history of Israel to 722 BCE. We've been reading about how the Kings of Israel led Israel into sin and how God sent prophets, like Elijah, to call them back to faith. Today the story of the Kingdom of Israel reaches its conclusion (for the moment). Assyria, one of the most powerful empires in the region, conquers Israel, taking the people into exile. Judah remains an independent nation for another hundred and forty years, but eventually they will face a similar fate for similar reasons.

God bless,
Sam

2 Kings 17:1-14

In the twelfth year of King Ahaz of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel; he reigned nine years. ²He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not like the kings of Israel who were before him. ³King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against him; Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute. ⁴But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to King So of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; therefore the king of Assyria confined him and imprisoned him. ⁵Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria; for three years he besieged it. ⁶In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; he carried the Israelites away to Assyria. He placed them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

⁷This occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods ⁸and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had introduced. ⁹The people of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the Lord their God. They built for themselves high places at all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city; ¹⁰they set up for themselves pillars and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree; ¹¹there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them.

They did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger; ¹²they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” ¹³Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law that I commanded your ancestors and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” ¹⁴They would not listen but were stubborn, as their ancestors had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God.

Jezebel

Good morning friends,
Yesterday we read about how a prophet anointed Jehu to be King of Israel and how he and his followers killed the reigning King of Israel. That was part of the fulfillment of Elijah's prophecy about what would happen as a result of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel's injustice and sin against God. Today's reading shows what happened to Queen Jezebel. Her death takes place at Jezreel, which is where the vineyard that she and King Ahab had stolen from Naboth was. Justice for Naboth took a while to come about, but did happen in the end.

God bless,
Sam

2 Kings 9:27-37

²⁷When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled in the direction of Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, saying, “Shoot him also!” And they shot him in the chariot at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. Then he fled to Megiddo, and died there. ²⁸His officers carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his ancestors in the city of David.

²⁹In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.

³⁰When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; she painted her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out of the window. ³¹As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?” ³²He looked up to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. ³³He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down; some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, which trampled on her.

³⁴Then he went in and ate and drank; he said, “See to that cursed woman and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.” ³⁵But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. ³⁶When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; ³⁷the corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung on the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’”

Elisha continues the work

Good morning sisters and brothers,
We skip ahead in our story, but you'll notice that today's passage follows up on the events we've been reading about. We read how much injustice Ahab and Jezebel encouraged as King and Queen of Israel. We also saw how the Prophet Elijah opposed them. God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor and told him he would also anoint Jehu as King of Israel. In today's reading Elijah has gone to heaven and Elisha has taken over his ministry. Elisha sends a younger prophet on a stealth mission to anoint Jehu as King of Israel.

Like when Samuel anointed David, there's great danger in anointing the next king while the current king is still ruling. In this case, part of the reason for anointing Jehu is to bring God's punishment on Ahab and his family. The best example of how Ahab and Jezebel earned God's anger is the story of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21, in which they take a vineyard from an innocent man by having him killed. The story continues in the passage below.

God bless,
Sam

2 Kings 9:1-10

Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. ²When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; go in and get him to leave his companions, and take him into an inner chamber. ³Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”

⁴So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. ⁵He arrived while the commanders of the army were in council, and he announced, “I have a message for you, commander.” “For which one of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander.” ⁶So Jehu got up and went inside; the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord the God of Israel: I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. ⁷You shall strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. ⁸For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. ⁹I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. ¹⁰The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.

Elijah and Baal

Good morning sisters and brothers,
 
Yesterday we read about a contest the Prophet Elijah arranged between God and Baal to show the people of Israel who was God. Baal's many prophets (supported by the King and Queen of Israel) tried to offer a bull to Baal, but Baal didn't respond. Today, Elijah gets his turn. The violent ending is troubling, but it reminds us that when it comes to our ultimate allegiance, there can only be one God.

Blessings on your discipleship today,
Sam

1 Kings 18:30-40

³⁰Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; ³¹Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name”; ³²with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 

³³Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” ³⁴Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, ³⁵so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water. ³⁶At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. ³⁷Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.” ⁴⁰Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” Then they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there.

Elijah and Baal

Good morning brothers and sisters,
When Ahab and Elijah meet, it is obvious the two don't care much for each other. Elijah dislikes Ahab for his worship of other gods, while Ahab feels threatened by Elijah's message. Elijah proposes a contest between God and Baal, so he assembles the people and the prophets of Baal to see which god is supreme. The first part of the contest is in today's reading; we'll finish the story tomorrow.

Blessings on the new week,
Sam

1 Kings 18:16-29

¹⁷When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” ¹⁸He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. ¹⁹Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel, with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” ²⁰So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel.

²¹Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word. ²²Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred fifty. ²³Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. ²⁴Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.” All the people answered, “Well spoken!”

²⁵Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” ²⁶So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no answer. They limped about the altar that they had made. ²⁷At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” ²⁸Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. ²⁹As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.

Elijah on the run

Good evening friends,
We skip ahead quite a bit to the divided kingdoms of Israel (Northern Kingdom with Samaria as its capital) and Judah (Southern Kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital.) Ahab has become King of Israel and, along with his wife, Jezebel, has led Israel deeper into sin. The passage refers to Jezebel killing the Lord's prophets, but doesn't tell us that story. It seems that overall, Jezebel promoted the worship of another god, Baal, and persecuted those who worshiped the Lord. At the same time, many still worshiped the God of their ancestors.

The most famous prophet of that time was Elijah. He had prophesied a drought as a sign of God's anger for Israel's unfaithfulness. When we get to this passage, it has been more than three years since the last rain. We get a sense in this passage that Elijah spent much of his life on the run, fleeing from Ahab and other rulers upset by God's judgment. There are many great stories of the prophets from this part of scripture, and this is one of them.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 18:1-16

After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.” ²So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. ³Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; ⁴when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) ⁵Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” ⁶So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

⁷As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him; Obadiah recognized him, fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” ⁸He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.” ⁹And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me? ¹⁰As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, ‘He is not here,’ he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. ¹¹But now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.’ ¹²As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the Lord from my youth. ¹³Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water? ¹⁴Yet now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here’; he will surely kill me.” ¹⁵Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” ¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

Elijah?

Good afternoon friends,
I'd like to start with a reminder about Ash Wednesday tomorrow. Ash Wednesday begins the reflective season of Lent. We'll begin the season with a short and simple worship service in the sanctuary at noon. We'll have a very similar service at 6:40 (between Supper and Scripture and Choir rehearsal) as well, also in the sanctuary. Our noon service will also be the beginning of a 24 hour prayer vigil in the sanctuary continuing until noon on Thursday. You can sign up for any hour of that that you would like. Come, pray, enjoy the silence and reflect on how you can prepare your heart for Christ's journey to the cross. I'll be at the church the whole time, so you won't be alone.

Today's reading continues yesterday's story of the transfiguration. Jesus and his disciples reflect on the traditional belief that the Prophet Elijah would return to prepare the way for the Messiah. The question is timely since they have just seen a vision of Elijah talking with Jesus. Jesus also helps them see that John the Baptist fulfills the role of Elijah, but the leaders didn't want to hear his message either. May our ears be open this season and always.
God bless,
Sam

Mark 9:9-13

⁹As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. ¹¹Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹²He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? ¹³But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.”

transfiguration

Good morning sisters and brothers,
First, I'd like to thank Jan Bruns for sending out the daily readings while I've been on vacation. I had a wonderful and refreshing vacation, and knowing people like Jan and your wonderful elders were taking care of business back home helped me relax. Now I'm excited to get back to work.

Today's reading is a strange story, though it's one we read in the church each year. Jesus is transfigured in front of three of his disciples on a mountaintop and visits with Moses and Elijah. The story reinforces that Jesus is going to his glory in Jerusalem, so we usually read it the last Sunday before Lent begins. It also reveals Jesus' glory in a striking way to his disciples to help them see he is more than a king of prophet. Maybe this story can do the same for us. Maybe we need to be reminded that Jesus isn't just another person to admire, but is the Lord of our life. So let's listen to the heavenly voice and seek Jesus today.

God bless,
Sam

Mark 9:2-8

²Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” ⁸Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

raised from the dead

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Our story of Elijah and the mother of Zarepheth continues this morning. Jesus refers to this story when he speaks in Nazareth early in his ministry. He makes the point that God often works through people who are unexpected, not even part of Israel. He uses this woman who lives in Zarepheth, which belongs to Sidon, not Israel, as an example. Perhaps not surprisingly, Jesus is almost killed for his message. The story itself is a weird healing story, but a powerful one too. God's healing power shows that the prophet speaks for God.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 17:17-24

¹⁷After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” ¹⁹But he said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰He cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?”

²¹Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” ²²The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. ²³Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” ²⁴So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

transfiguration

Good morning brothers and sisters,
The transfiguration is an odd story, partly because the story doesn't really tell us what it means that Jesus was "transfigured." At the same time, the disciples come down the mountain much more sure that Jesus is God's son than when they went up the mountain with him. Then they ask why teachers say that Elijah comes first. They are referring to a tradition that Elijah comes to earth before the Messiah to get things ready. Jesus tells them that John the Baptist was Elijah for their age, but no one recognized him. If we know Jesus is the Messiah, how does that knowledge change us?

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 17:1-13

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”



6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” 10And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; 12but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Elijah's departure

Good morning friends,
Yesterday we left Elijah and Elisha having just crossed the Jordan on dry land after Elisha parted the waters. Today Elijah gives Elisha an opportunity for a last request before he disappears. It's interesting that Elijah doesn't die but instead is taken up into heaven alive. Obviously, Elijah's in rare company in this: Enoch (Methusalah's father) and Jesus are the only other people I know who went into heaven alive. This odd ending is part of the reason people believed Elijah would return to earth to prepare the way for the Messiah.

God chose Elisha as Elijah's successor and this passage seals that succession. From this point until Elisha's death in 2 Kings 13 he is the main character in the story along with various kings of Israel, Judah and Syria. This passage is where we'll leave the story of Kings. The most famous miracle Elisha performs is healing Naaman, the Syrian general, but I thought this was a familiar enough story to pass by (you can read it in 2 Kings 5 if you want a refresher). Our Old Testament reading now turns to the prophet Amos.

Blessings,
Sam

2 Kings 2:9-15
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

13He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 15When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

Elijah's last journey

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Last week we met Elisha, whom God told Elijah to anoint as "prophet in his place." We read about Elijah's call of Elisha but we haven't heard anything since then about Elisha. Today and tomorrow we will see the end of Elijah's ministry and the beginning of Elisha's independent ministry. As you'll notice, in each of several places Elijah and Elisha go together on this last journey a "company" of prophets greets them and secretly tells Elisha the news that his master will be taken up. In that time besides the prophets we normally read about there were groups or schools of prophets in several different places. It's not exactly clear what their role was, but like the famous prophets they spoke for God. Of course being a prophet in Israel was dangerous then because Ahab and Jezebel persecuted the prophets.

The symbol of Elijah dividing the River Jordan with his mantle is powerful. It recalls not only Israel crossing the Red Sea into freedom but also Israel crossing the Jordan into the promised land forty years later. For us as Christians we think about those two events and this story when we remember Jesus being baptized by John at the Jordan. God was working in Israel to bring them to freedom and into their land. God was at work in Elijah and Elisha in their prophetic ministry. God was at work in Jesus in his ministry beginning in his baptism at the Jordan, and God is at work in our ministry as we are joined to Christ and to all the people of God in our baptism. May God guide your ministry today.

Blessings,
Sam


2 Kings 2:1-8
Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”

4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.” 6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

7Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

call and response

Good morning friends,
When Elijah hears the sound of shear silence he wraps his face in a cloak. He does this as a sign of reverence because he recognizes God's presence in the silence in a way God wasn't in the wind, earthquake or fire that came before. It's also a very practical gesture; people believed that one couldn't see God and live and Elijah is protecting himself. God's commission to Elijah is to anoint two kings and a new prophet, which doesn't seem like an inherently spiritual job, especially since one is the king of Aram (Syria). At the same time, the prophetic role is political as well as spiritual; the point is making God's will clear in the world, and that includes the political world.

He is to anoint his successor, Elisha. We haven't heard of Elisha before this, so we can imagine that Elisha is surprised to have this prophet appear at his field and throw a cloak over him. Whether he is surprised or not he says goodbye to his family, sacrifices his oxen, and takes on his new role as Elijah's servant and apprentice. What does Elisha's acceptance of this new adventure say to you today?

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 19:13-21
13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

15Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” 21He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

God answers

Good morning all,
This morning Elijah and the prophets of Baal have their religious duel. Each side gets to prepare a sacrifice and call on their God; the god who answers is really God. Elijah gives Baal's prophets more than a level playing field: there are 450 of them against one of him. Furthermore, when his turn comes he douses his wood with water to make it harder for fire to appear. That way there's no question that he has rigged the outcome. God's answer is clear; the Lord's fire no only burns the offering, it also zaps the wood and even the water.

God is still the God who answers us. We're called to be faithful and to seek God with love and devotion even when that's not the easy or popular thing to do. Call out to God whenever you're in need. Sing praises when you're joyful. God is our God, waiting to hear from us.

God bless,
Sam


1 Kings 25-40
25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no answer.
They limped about the altar that they had made. 27At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. 29As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.

30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; 31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name”; 32with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 33Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, 35so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water.

36At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. 37Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.” 40Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” Then they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there.

Lord and lord

Good morning all,
Our readings from Elijah's story so far have taken place during the drought God sent to let the Kings of Israel know God's power and anger with their idolatry. Today Elijah hears the announcement that God's drought is coming to an end. God sends him to tell the news to King Ahab. Elijah's contact person is a man named Obadiah. If you watch the word "lord" (both Lord and lord) in the story you'll see some interesting plays on how challenging loyalty can be in the real world. Obadiah works for the king and also follows the Lord. That's put him in some tough spots before because the queen led persecutions of God's prophets.

Obadiah is reverent of Elijah when he appears, but he's also scared. It's dangerous to take one's faith seriously, especially when faith brings persecution, so Obadiah fears that Elijah's appearance will make his tough balancing act even tougher. The question this passage and the few after it really focus on is "who is the Lord?" That's a question we have to answer everyday with our actions as well as our words. May we always find the courage to answer truly.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 18:1-16
After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.” 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

The famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; 4when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

7As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him; Obadiah recognized him, fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.” 9And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me? 10As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, ‘He is not here,’ he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you.

11But now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.’ 12As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the Lord from my youth. 13Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water? 14Yet now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here’; he will surely kill me.” 15Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

death and healing

Good morning all,
We've been away from Elijah since Sunday, but now we're back to that story for a little while. God sent Elijah to a woman in Zarephath and gave her an endless supply of grain and oil so she, Elijah and her son could eat during the drought. After that saving miracle Elijah moved into the house and lived there for a while. I would expect it was quite an adjustment for Elijah to live with a family after being on his own; and I'm sure it was also an adjustment for the woman and her son to have this strange prophet living with them.

At some point in Elijah's stay the son dies. In those days, and unfortunately still sometimes today, it was believed that when something bad happened it was probably because the victim had sinned. That's the woman's first guess as to why her son has died; she feels that she has sinned and the presence of a holy man like Elijah has brought that sin to God's attention. Elijah doesn't make the same assumption, but instead (in private) he yells at God for taking the boy's life. You can hear his frustration with God that he would bring suffering with him to this place he has found kindness and refuge . It's OK to let God know when you're angry with God. God can take our anger or disappointment. The more open we are with God the stronger that relationship will be.

Blessings,
Sam

1 Kings 17:17-24
17After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” 19But he said to her, “Give me your son.”

He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. 20He cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” 21Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” 24So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

drought and provision

Good morning all,
Yesterday we were introduced to King Ahab of Israel and told that his idolatry and lack of faithlessness to God were stunning. He and his wife Jezebel were huge supporters of the cults of Baal and Asherah in Israel. Baal was the Canaanite God of fertility and was in many ways God's greatest rival for worship since Baal's cult was most widespread among Israel's neighbors. Asherah was a goddess in the area who was often worshiped through sacred poles. So we met Ahab and Jezebel yesterday; today we meet Elijah, the prophet of God.

Elijah's ministry is supporting the worship of God and helping to keep Israel faithful. Obviously that's going to be a tough mission with the king and queen backing the other side. Interestingly, Ahab seems to respect Elijah, even though he is a thorn in his side, because he clearly speaks for God. Even though Ahab has turned away, he hasn't forgotten the God he knows is for Israel. In today's reading God sends Elijah to tell Ahab there will be a drought for three years to show God's power. After that announcement Elijah has to go and hide to be safe from Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah's ministry is something like guerilla warfare prophecy: he'll make a pronouncement from God and then disappear again. I pray God would use this story to encourage our courage and faithfulness.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 17:1-7
Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3“Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. 7But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

the king's idols

Good morning friends,
Over the next few weeks we're going to be switching gears a bit in the daily readings. We'll still be following Jesus in Luke's Gospel, but we'll also be reading some Old Testament stories, which we haven't done in a while, specifically we'll be following the stories of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. In these stories the land that had been the kingdom of Israel is divided into a northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah). This division first took place when King Solomon's son Rehoboam was king. One of the chief advisors, Jeroboam led the ten northern tribes to separate and established his capitol at Samaria, while Judah's capital remained Jerusalem.

The big issue throughout these cities is faithfulness to God. We'll often hear about the sin of Jeroboam, which means worshiping gods besides the LORD. Israel was generally seen as unfaithful, as we see in this passage, and the rulers were the instigators of this idolatry. Prophets were sent to call the people of Israel back to God, so that's what we'll see Elijah and Elisha doing, often at great risk. Our passage sets the stage for the stories to follow.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 16:29-34

29In the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah, Ahab son of Omri began to reign over Israel; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. 31And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as his wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him. 32He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33Ahab also made a sacred pole. Ahab did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than had all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho; he laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua son of Nun.