A New Voice of Freedom

Podcast 82 Story if Elisha, “Pt 8” First, we learn something about the group called the Sons of the Prophets. 2 Kings 6: 1-3 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. Though they may be given prophecies, they are students of the prophets. They recognized Elisha as the chosen prophet of God as they recognized Elijah as the chosen prophet of God. They are devotees. It is more like a seminary. Undoubtedly they preach the words of the true prophets because Elisha willingly moves to a better location so that they can be with him. As we have learned from Isaiah, Elijah, and Elisha, prophets are called only by inspiration, revelation, and authority of God. They do not go to school to learn the prophetic trade. We know however, that they may receive revelation. Consider, for example, the following.  Before Elijah is miraculously taken up into heaven, the Sons of the Prophets say to Elisha. 2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. The Sons of the Prophets, though they received a revelation, subordinated themselves to Elisha who has especially been appointed by Elijah to follow in his footsteps. But as you recall, even then, it is dependent entirely upon Elisha’s faith.  Elisha agrees to change locations so there will be room for the Sons of the Prophets. He accompanies them. 2 Kings 6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. Elisha is noted for the many miracles he performed. One of the oddest, perhaps, is the story of the iron axe head. 2 Kings 6:5-7 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it. Did the miracle violate the laws of nature? As I write this, four astronauts just returned to earth after circling the moon. In circling the moon, they travelled into space farther than any other humans. Was that a miracle, for it had never been done before? Did they violate the laws of nature? To me it was a miracle, but no! They did not violate the laws of nature such as the law of gravity. The scientists who engineered the journey understood the laws of nature. They understood the dynamics of higher laws. Gravity is as secure as it has ever been, yet it seems to have been defied a with the axe head. The difference between a scientific experiment such as circling the moon and a miracle such as levitating the head of an iron axe is simply this. We understand the laws organized by the men and women of Nasa. We do not understand the laws organized by God to make the head of the axe float. But what is the greater miracle, circling the moon? or making an ax head float? Many perhaps would say, ‘circling the moon.’  Miracles may be defined as unexplained phenomena whose laws are unknown to man but not to God. God, the creator of the universe, works by law. He never violates law or he would cease to be God. 

Podcast 83 Story if Elisha, “Pt 9” The prophet Elijah, who had the courage of a lion, was perhaps more flamboyant and dramatic than his protégé Elisha, but the miracles of Elisha, which often parallelled the miracles of his mentor Elijah, outnumbered the miracles of Elijah.  Among Elisha’s miracles, which also paralleled some of the miracles of Jesus, are the following. ·      He saw Elijah being taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. ·      The mantle of Elijah fell upon Elisha giving him a double portion. ·      He multiplied the widow’s oil. ·      He raised the Shumammite’s son from the dead. ·      He healed the poison stew ·      He fed 100 men from a few loaves of bread and ears of corn. But one miracle of Elisha appears to stand out, perhaps because its message is so astonishing. The following line is frequently quoted for that miracle gives courage to the faithful who sometimes seem overwhelmed by the trials of life.  2 Kings 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. A peculiar set of circumstances brings about the miracle. Syria was coming against Israel to battle.  History doesn’t record exact numbers of each army, but the following scripture certainly puts it is perspective. 1 Kings 20:26-27 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. The miracle is recorded in some detail in 2 Kings 6. 2 Kings 6: 8-10 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. A prophet certainly comes in handy during time of war. It really irritated the king of Syria that his subterfuge was discovered. Not understanding prophecy, he thinks he has been betrayed by his own men.  2 Kings 6:11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? A servant of the King knows about the prophet Elisha. 2 Kings 6:12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. The ignorant king commits the folly of thinking that he can simply kill Elisha.  2 Kings 6:13-14 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. Such a large army to kill one man. The rest of the story is of such a nature that once read it cannot be forgotten.  2 Kings 6:15-16 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And there, of course, we have those strange words. Elisha and his servant are merely two unarmed men, yet a host of the king’s army has come to kill him. 

Podcast 81, Story if Elisha, “Pt 7” In the previous podcast we discussed the Story of the miracle of the healing of Naaman, the Captain of the Syrian army. In this podcast we complete that story. We learn another great lesson from the healing of Naaman. Consistent with other miracles, something is required of the person receiving the miracle. There is a law irrevocable with God that faith must precede the miracle. Without faith there can be no miracles performed. Remember the following incident in the life of the Savior himself.  Matthew 13:53-58 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Naaman appears at Elisha’s door, but Elisha doesn’t see the Captain of the Kings army himself. As a test of his faith, he sends a messenger. In context, we must remember the high station of Naaman. He is used to commanding respect. It must have been hard for him to be slighted. He didn’t expect to see a messenger. He expected to meet a prophet. Furthermore, he is very annoyed at the impertinent message. 2 Kings 5:9-11 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Now notice the logic of Naaman who does not know the ways of the true God. 2 Kings 5:12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. The Israelites were a conquered people, partially brought about by Naaman’s own skills as a Captain. You can see why Elisah did not go himself. Why he sent a messenger. Before being healed. Naaman had to be humbled. He was proud. He had no respect for Israel, for Israel’s prophet, or Israel’s God. He was used to giving commands not taking them, especially from the enemy. Elisha is so much like his mentor Elijah.  Naaman’s own servants come to his rescue. They speak with much greater wisdom than the proud Captain displayed.  2 Kings 5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Namaan is calmed from his rage. One cannot help but think that the spirit of the Lord was with his servants, for with their voice came peace. One is reminded of the proverb, ‘A soft word turneth away wrath.’  Because of his humility and obedience to a prophet’s voice, Naaman is healed. 2 Kings 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. More than being healed from leprosy happened to the humbled captain that day. He is converted to the God of Israel. What became of that we will never know, but he was a man of great authority under the king.

Podcast 80, Story if Elisha, “Pt 6” To study Elijah and Elisha is to study miracles. Their lives are defined by miracles. Remember Elisha asked for a double portion when requesting the mantle of Elijah. It may appear ironically significant that of the recorded miracles, Elisha performs twice as many as Elijah. Some Biblical scholars interpret that to mean his double portion. But one thing that is commendable in both prophets is that neither sought personal gain from their miracles. They were devoted, sincere, and true prophets of God who put their lives at risk and who lived very ascetic lives, sacrificing their comfort and security rather than seeking wealth and power. Perhaps nothing destroys religious devotion more than priestcraft. In fact, it could be said that nothing could put people in slavery faster than priestcraft. AI gave me the following definition of priestcraft: “Religion used as a tool of personal power rather than humble service to God and others.” In related terms it gave, ‘religious corruption,’ clerical abuse of power,’ spiritual exploitation,’ and false shepherding.’ I continue with the definition, “Manipulating doctrine or ritual to maintain influence over the people; claiming special spiritual authority (e.g., exclusive access to God, revelation, or forgiveness) for personal advantage; exploiting fear, superstition, or ignorance to secure obedience or material gain.” In the following miracle, Elisha condemns priestcraft which was practiced by Gehazi, his own faithful servant, through using Elisha’s miracle of healing for personal gain. It is the famous story of Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, who contracted leprosy.   2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. The Syrians, also called Aram, the people known as Arameans, were enemies to Israel. A young Israelite girl was taken captive in one of the raids. She becomes a servant to Naaman’s wife. She tells her mistress about Elisha the prophet who can perform miracles.  2 Kings 5:2-3 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. Naaman was informed of Elisha. The king of Syria himself commanded Naaman go and the king promised to send a letter to the king of Israel. With that letter he sends a fortune of gold and raiment. 2 Kings 5:4-5 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. We can see the value and regard the king of Syria held for Naaman, the captain of his army. And in a strange way we see the faith the king of Syria, declared enemy to the Israelites, held for the God of Israel. The Syrians were polytheistic, worshiping many gods. The chief god of Syria was Rimmon.  Idols have specific qualities and powers. That partly answers why there are so many. Think, for example of the Greek gods. India, whose primary god is Braman has thousands of gods. While in India, Linda and I regularly visited KGF. Nearby was a field of idols called the Kotilingeshwara Temple, a huge temple complex dedicated to Shiva. It has thousands of small stone idols called lingas, symbols of Shiva. One colossal bull, which dominates the Kotilingeshwara Temple, is several stories high. 

Podcast 79, Story if Elisha, “Pt 5” It is no coincidence that the miracles of God’s true prophets parallel those miracles that will be performed by Christ when he comes to the earth. They are meant to be interpreted that way for it is by the power of Christ that they are performed. It was a common belief among the Jews that miracles could only come from God. John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Christ was often referred to as Rabbi, which merely meant great teacher. It was not originally an ordained priesthood office until after the diaspora. Elisha, like his mentor Elijah, is defined by his many miracles. 2 Kings 4:38-41 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. Faith always comes before the miracle. In the above story, the pot is filled with poison which would bring death. Think of the faith it took for the sons of the prophets to trust in the word of Elisha. Think of the faith required of Elisha that the poison would be ameliorated by the meal. How many times did Christ say, “Thy faith hath made the whole.” The apostles didn’t ask Christ to increase their miracles. They asked Christ to strengthen their faith. Luke 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. In a heartwarming story, the Savior tests the faith of the Woman of Canaan, a gentile who had extraordinary faith in Christ. Matthew 15:22-27 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. To some perhaps the Savior’s language seems harsh, but he is testing her faith and teaching his apostles a lesson. When Christ leaves he sends the Apostles to teach the gospel among the gentiles. The woman of Canaan’s answer is priceless and for her faith she receives exactly what she asked for. Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Can anyone doubt that she became one of the first gentile Christians? 

Podcast 78, Story if Elisha, “Pt 4” The miracles performed by Elisha continue. Again, let’s consider the circumstances of the next miracle. 2 Kings 4:8-11 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. The term ‘greatness’ could refer to wealth or standing in the community. Certainly, she had great faith in God and in his prophets. She modified her home so that Elisha could abide there when he passed through. This touched Elisha greatly.  2 Kings 4:12-13 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. Elisha is not satisfied with her answer, so he asked his servant. 2 Kings 4:14-15 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. The Shunammite woman did not ask for a miracle. She required nothing of Elisha, but from the goodness of her heart she offered him food, a bed, and shelter to aid him in his travels. Because of that act, Elisha gave her the greatest desire of her heart, which she was too astonished to believe. 2 Kings 4:16-17 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. The act of the Shunammite woman is an object lesson to us all. Acts of kindness, without any expectation of reward, may often bring unexpected rewards. But, of course, it goes beyond that. We are all promised eternal rewards in heaven. All acts are before God all the time, and no act of kindness, as with the fall of the sparrow, goes unnoticed with the Lord. One can only imagine the thrill and joy the once childless woman felt only to have her joy shattered by the boy’s untimely death. 2 Kings 4:18-20 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. One can only imagine the horror the mother felt to miraculously be given a son only to have him taken from her. Of course, we cannot overlook the allusion to the miraculous birth of Christ and the grief of his mother Mary. We are meant to see the analogy. The comparison does not end with the boy’s death.  

Podcast 76, Story if Elisha, “Pt 2” About 852–850 BC all twelve tribes united against Moab. Moab, the father of the Moabites, was the son of Lot, nephew to Abraham.  2 Kings 3:1-3 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. Jeroboam 1 was of the tribe of Ephraim. He became the first king of the Northern Tribes which split from the Southern Tribes over exorbitant taxes. Jeroboam became an idol worshiper. Jehoram, the seventh king in succession of Jeroboam 1 follows in the steps of his forefathers and also becomes an idol worshiper. Jehoshaphat is king of Judah at the same time that Jehoram was king of Ephraim or Israel. The Northern Tribes and the Southern Tribes have a history of being enemies. Here Jehoram and Jehoshaphat form an alliance against Mesha king of Moab. All three groups are related by Blood through Abraham’s family. Lot’s father, of course, was Abraham’s brother. At this time the Moabites were a tributary to Israel. 2 Kings 3:4-5 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. That is when Israel and Judah form an alliance. They join with the king of Edom, of the lineage of Esau, twin brother of Jacob.  2 Kings 3:6-8 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. Immediately they are in trouble, there was no water, and they would perish in the desert. 2 Kings 3:9-10 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! Unlike Jehoram, Jehoshaphat was not an idol worshiper. He believed in Jehovah, and he seeks a solution through the newly appointed prophet Elisha. It was always the practice of righteous kings to seek counsel from the Lord’s prophets during times of trouble.  2 Kings 3:11-12 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. One of the clear messages of the Old Testament to Israel and to all Christians is to seek answers through the Lord’s chosen prophets. Traditionally Americans from the birth of the Nation sought answers in the Holy Bible. The Bible became a central part of government, of schools, of the court system. Those who claim that we are not a Christian nation overlook the role God played in the framing of this nation and in the faith of those who founded this nation. The message of the Bible is if we turn our backs on the prophets of the Holy Bible, and if we turn our backs on Christ, the Lord will turn his back on use. 

Podcast 75, Story if Elisha, “Pt 1”  We are introduced to Elisha in 1 Kings when he is called by Elijah. 1 Kings 19:19-21 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. The mantle of Elijah is symbolic of what is to come. Elijah is at the end of his first mission on earth. He is passing his mantel to Elisha. It is a symbol not only to Elisha but to all the House of Israel that they are to consider Elisha as the successor to Elijah. It is a witness that only God can call prophets, but that he does his work through prophets. No greater tragedy can occur in Christendom than to turn away from God’s true prophets. Their primary mission on earth is to bring us to Christ. We are to study the words of the prophets for they lead us to Christ. The second time the mantle falls upon Elisha is far more dramatic. 2 Kings 2: 8-13 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; As a witness to the sons of the prophets that Elisha truly has the mantle of Elijah, he performs the same miracle as Elijah by parting the waters of the Jordan River.  2 Kings 2:14-15 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. As with Elijah, Elisha performs many miracles. In fact, he doubles the number of miracles of Elijah suggesting to some that it is a witness that a double portion of Elijah’s spirit really did fall upon Elisha.  Elisha, recognized now as the successor to Elijah, is called upon to perform miracles.  2 Kings 2:19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.

Podcast 74, Story of Elijah, “Pt 8” Regardless of where Elijah is there is spectacle. No other prophet is more dramatic than Elijah. He comes in like a whirlwind and leaves in a whirlwind. He controls every situation, making kings bow to his power. The best known story of Elijah is being taken up in a chariot of fire, not tasting death. The story is recorded in 2 Kings 2. 2 Kings 2 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Elisha, another extraordinary prophet, is Elijah’s companion and protégé. Elijah, who knows that his mission as prophet to Israel is at an end has hand selected Elisha to take his place. He appears to be testing Elisha to see if he is qualified.   2 Kings 2:2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. The distance to Beth-el is about twenty miles, but it is a very hard journey on foot. Jerico is -800 ft below sea level. Bethel is about 3000 ft above sea level. The terrain is a dry desert, rocky winding trails, high temperatures and scarce water. Elisha passes the first test. He is willing to take the difficult journey with his master. They are observed by ‘the sons of the prophets.’ The “sons of the prophets” who remain nameless, do not refer to actual children of the prophets. It appears to be more like a school of the prophets. They look to Elijah and Elisha as tutors. They appear to always be in large groups who apparently give their lives to studying the prophets. They are not all genuine, however. We read in Micah. Micah 3:9-12 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. Othe other hand, many are genuine, and have revelations from God. They appear to be more like students of scripture or observers of the Lord’s anointed. 2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. Again, Elijah tests Elisha. 2 Kings 2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.  We meet more of the sons of the prophets. 2 Kings 2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. The sons of the prophets recognize the relationship between Elijah and Elisha, and they also recognize that Elijah is the chosen prophet and Elisha is his protégé.  Remember Elijah and Elisha were just in Gilgal, which is near the Jordan River, only 2 miles from Jericho. Now Elijah is retracing his steps. Elisha must think it odd; nonetheless, he does not question his master nor will he leave his master.

Elijah prophesied the gruesome deaths of Ahab and Jezebel. Now Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, because of his wickedness suffers a similar fate. Following the idolatrous reign of Ahab, Ahaziah, c. 853-852 BC reigned only 2 years.   2 Kings 1:1-2 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 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, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. Both Ahab and Jezebel worshiped Baal. The capitol of the northern tribes was Samaria. The capitol of the southern tribes was Jerusalem. Ahab reigned in Samaria for 22 years, c. 874-853 BC. In a spectacular scene, before the eyes of all Israel and Ahab, Elijah destroyed the altar of Baal and he had 450 priests of Baal killed, but that did not end idol worship. Ahaziah followed in his father’s footsteps or probably his mother’s. Just as with Ahab, the Lord sent Elijah to warn Ahaziah.  High drama always appears to follow anything done by Elijah. When the Lord calls, Elijah, who spent most of his time in hiding from the king, regardless of the danger, always immediately responds. 2 Kings 1:3-4 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 inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? 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. Elijah intercepts the messengers of Ahab. Elijah delivers the message to the men who were sent to inquire of Baalzebub. They return to the king. 2 Kings 1:5 And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?  They deliver the awful message to king Ahaziah. 2 Kings 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 inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. We get a curious physical description of the rugged Elijah. 2 Kings 1:7-8 And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? 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. In his arrogance and pride the inexperienced king Ahaziah defies God and his prophet Elijah. Rather than send an ambassador humbly inviting Elijah to his throne, he sends fifty armed soldiers to arrest Elijah and bring him by force. It was foolish. Surely Ahaziah was old enough to remember what happened on Mount Carmel when the Lord sent fire down to consume the burnt offering and what happened afterward to the priests of Baal. Perhaps, being the son of the king, he was even there to observe it for he knew Elijah. He would also have had firsthand evidence of the horrible deaths of his father and mother, but, being a protected king, he had learned nothing of the power of God. Also observe the arrogance of the soldiers. 2 Kings 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. The upstart king, through his army, ordered Elijah to report to the throne where undoubtedly Elijah would have been killed. The poor soldiers learned a harsh lesson.

Podcast 72, Story if Elijah, “Pt 6” Elijah remains a thorn in the side of Ahab and Jezebel. Whenever Elijah appears to Ahab it is to prophecy drought, death, or humiliation for Ahab. Ahab refers to Elijah as his enemy. The strangest thing about Ahab, as wicked as he is, is how he manages to escape the wrath of God. One problem is that Ahab is under the powerful influence of his wife Jezebel, the Phoenician Princess and idol worshiper. The Phoenicians introduced Baal worship to the northern tribes of Israel, and Jezebel was a religious fanatic. His marriage to Jezebel was a political alliance. Her wickedness is even greater than Ahab. She had many prophets of God murdered. Ahab has many wives as we learn from 1 Kings 20, but only Jezebel pulls the strings.  In this chapter we learn just how cold blooded Jezebel is. 1 Kings 21:1-4 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Ahab is sulking, but apparently it doesn’t enter into his mind to do mischief to the innocent Naboth. Ahab, being an Israelite, fully understood Naboth’s reluctance to give up his inheritance. In those days land was generational. They did not, with the change of jobs move from city to city or state to state. They were identified by their relationship to the land of their inheritance.  Jezebel came from a maritime culture where trading was a way of life. With Jezebel, however, who came from a royal family, if a desired item could not be taken by trade, it could be taken by force. She was unscrupulous. Murder was merely a means to an end. When she learned that Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal, she immediately retaliated. 1 Kings 19:1-2 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 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. She treated Naboth in the same fashion. Naboth’s only offence was that he wanted to keep his inheritance for his children. Jezebel talks to her husband. 1 Kings 21:5-7 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Was Ahab complicit? Certainly, by his silence. He knew what Jezebel was capable of. For example, before Jezebel, he tried to have Elijah killed.  When we first meet Elijah we find him in hiding from the king. It didn’t bother Ahab that Jezebel wanted to kill Elijah. We may assume that he simply didn’t inquire into her methods of getting the vineyard from Naboth. 

Podcast 71, Story of Elijah, “Pt 5” For King Ahab and his Phoenician wife, Jezebel who worships Baal, Elijah has become the number one force to be reckoned with. Elijah, under the power of God, has just put an end to the three-year drought; however, rather than repenting and acknowledging the hand of the Lord, Ahab supports his wife Jezebel who desires to kill Elijah for killing the 450 priests of Baal.    1 Kings 19:1-2 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 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. Elijah has no choice but to go back into hiding. Elijah had just spent the last three years out of the country hiding from the murderous Ahab.  1 Kings 19:3-4 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. There is a nobility in Elijah’s character that is inspiring. He stood alone against Ahab, king of Israel. He stood alone against the 450 priests of Baal. He stood alone against Israel who had fallen into idol worship. For his courage he spends most of his time in hiding, yet when the Lord calls him, like Daniel, he will walk into the lion’s den. That is what is unique about Elijah. He has the same fears as any man, but in the service of his God, he is fearless. His life itself is a parable, a model of faith, courage, and endurance. Miracles of an extraordinary nature follow Elijah. 1 Kings 19:5-8 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. The miracle above is just one of many. So far, under the power of God, he has caused a drought; has been fed by ravens; has miraculously provided food for the widow, her son, and himself; has raised the widow’s son from the dead; has brought fire down from heaven; has ended the drought; and now he has been nourished by only two meals for forty days and nights, and his mission is just beginning, the miracles continue, and he is destined to return to earth in the latter days just before the Second Coming of the Savior to restore all things.  Now in Mount Horeb, the Lord again speaks to Elijah.  1 Kings 19:9-10 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. The Lord is pleased with Elijah’s answer and gives him another commandment. The Lord now teaches Elijah, and in turn Elijah teaches us, the mission of the Holy Ghost and his role in revelation. 

For pure drama, Elijah is the prophet to read. A true prophet has a complex mission. First his mission is to people who fall under his domain. For example, Elijah is from the Northern Kingdom. The evil king Ahab is king of the ten northern tribes. The capitol is Samaria. Relatively speaking, in a short time, they will disappear from history and become known as The Ten Lost Tribes. The ten tribes are his immediate audience. Second, however, a true prophet speaks to all those who are under the sound of his voice. His words would reach the southern tribes which include the House of Judah, the House of Benjamin, and the rest of the House of Levi who are separated from the other priests of the north. But finally, a true prophet speaks to all the children of God regardless of where they live or when they live, for a true prophet speaks for the Lord and the Lord speaks truth; therefore, Elijah is for all time, present and future.  In fact, we have learned that before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Elijah will come again to earth and turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. Christians today, thousands of years later, love Elijah, but anyone and any religion who reads the words of Elijah can benefit. Truth does not have boundaries in time or space. Elijah understood how to communicate, not just to a poor widow but to a king, and not just to a king but to the entire house of Israel. Like Moses, Elijah is larger than life. For three years Ahab has sought Elijah’s life, yet Elijah waltzes into his throne, not as a victim but as a victor. He doesn’t wait for the king to tell him what to do. He tells the king what to do thus leading him into a trap. What better way to get their attention than gathering all the priests of Baal and slaughtering them in front of all the House of Israel. Now his audience isn’t primarily the king, his audience is the Ten Tribes of Israel who have forsaken their covenants with God and began worshiping Baal. They are in a terrible drought caused by their own wickedness. However, instead of repenting and turning to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they turn to the pagan god of rain, Baal. Elijah managed to bring about a showdown between Jehovah and Baal. It is High Noon, brilliantly orchestrated by Elijah.  1 Kings 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. This is high drama at its best. We can see the level of faith that Elijah has reached. He has already been tried by fire. But Elijah is a showman. He builds on the drama in a spectacular way, much like a gladiatorial battle in a giant arena with King Ahab and all Israel watching. Elijah literally sets up a Battle of the Gods: The Lord God Jehovah vs the Canaanite idol Baal and his thousands of worshipers. To increase the drama, we have the worshipers of Baal on one side, and we have the fearless Elijah standing alone on the other side. Elijah lays down the gauntlet. 1 Kings 18:23-24 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

 Podcast 66, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Malachi, Ch 4 B In studying the words of the prophets relating to the Millennium, we learn that a new heaven and a new earth shall be created. Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Jerusalem shall be restored to its former glory. There shall be no tears of sorrow. Isaiah 65:18-19 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. Earlier Isaiah said, speaking of the Millennium, “Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” In addition, life shall be lengthened. Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. People shall be safe. There shall be no crime. Isaiah 65:21-23 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. The Lord will always be near. Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. There shall be no fear, no violence, no predators. Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. The Millennium will be a taste of Paradise, but it will have an end. Revelation 20:7-8 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. Malachi adds another sign to the many prophecies of the Second Coming. It is a prophecy that is much talked about, but little understood. Malachi 4:4-5 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: Elijah was a remarkable prophet, but he is most noted for the remarkable way he was taken to heaven. 2 Kings 2:8-11 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Elijah, like Enoch, was taken to heaven without having to taste of death. We see Elijah again on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Podcast 65, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Malachi, Ch 4 A The birth of Christ was announced to only a few, and Christ lived his life in relative obscurity in a small corner of the world, but in his brief life he accomplished more than all mankind have accomplished over thousands of years. He saved the world and brought about the resurrection of the dead. He gave meaning to life Following his death, his devoted disciples, who themselves became martyrs, spread the good news around the world. Two events punctuate the life of Christ: The first event is his birth, life, and death which could be referred to as his First Coming. The second event is his return in the latter days which is often referred to as his Second Coming. His first event was announced quietly by angels to lonely shepherds. The second event, however, shall be announced by wars and upheavals and earthquakes and vast destruction. Following his First Coming, the Disciples were killed, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Jews were scattered to the four corners of the earth. Following his Second Coming, the earth shall be cleansed by fire and then comes the Millenium where he shall reign on the earth for a thousand years of peace.  Immediately prior to his death, Christ prophesied his own return. Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will not be alone. Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. At his Second Coming there shall be a resurrection of the just who shall also join him. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. For the wicked, however, it shall not be so pleasant. 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God…” It will be a kind of judgment. Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Immediately prior to the Second Coming of Christ will be great tribulation, referred to as “the abomination of desolation.” Matthew 24:3-14 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Podcast 64, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Malachi, Ch 3” One cannot find any book that is more fitting than the Book of Malachi to end the prophets of the Old Testament. Malachi is divided into four chapters, but it is one long beautiful poem written in the vein of Isaiah of the Old Testament and John the Revelator of the New Testament. As with most of the Old Testament and New Testament prophets, Christ is the center of the Book of Malachi. The Book of Malachi follows the familiar chiastic format: A (Chapter 1), B (Chapter 2), B (Chapter 3), A (Chapter 4). True to form the greatest emphasis falls upon B, with the climax  falling upon Chapter 3. That puts Christ in the spotlight. Consider for example the last two verses of Chapter 2 and the first three verses of Chapter Three.  Malachi 2:16-17 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? Malachi 3:1-3 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Does the Lord, through the prophet Malachi, sufficiently answer the question, “Where is the God of judgment?” If that appears insufficient, then read the next two verses of Malachi 3. Malachi 3:4-5 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi is speaking of the Second Coming of Christ. At that day the House of Israel will be refined but not entirely destroyed. Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Remember in Malachi Chapter 1 we learned who the ‘sons of Jacob’ are. They are not just the direct bloodline of Abraham. They include all, Jews and gentiles, who offer a pure offering unto Christ. Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. The Lord invites the Jews to return unto him. Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Speaking Biblically, we think of an ordinance as a prescribed practice. To Christians an Ordinance may refer to the Lord’s Supper or baptism. The Jews refer to temple ordinances and the Passover. Malachi refers to the law of tithing and other offerings as ordinances.  

Podcast 62, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Malachi, Ch 1” The opening statement of Malachi is curious. Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. Why is it a burden? It is a burden because the children of Israel have fallen away from their covenants. Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, like other prophets, must call them to repentance. They don’t listen. The Ten Lost Tribes have long since been dispersed. The only ones left are the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Tribe of Benjamin has been absorbed into the Tribe of Judah and has lost its identity. From this point on the term “Jews” referring to members of the tribe of Judah, replace the House of Israel. The Jews will not have another prophet for 400 years. That prophet, after an extended apostasy, will be John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. And then of course will come the greatest prophet the world has ever known or will ever know, who, as prophesied, comes through the tribe of Judah which comprises the seed of David, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the World.  The word of Malachi must have been very shocking to the Jews for he predicts the downfall of Judah and for the first time in Jewish history, the prophesy is made that the Blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be transferred to the gentiles. The Book of Malachi, which is centered on Christ, is about changing the ordinances and breaking the everlasting covenant spoken of by Isaiah. The House of Israel has broken their covenants with the Lord. Malachi uses the format of question & answer, a format dominant in Malachi and not uncommon in the Holy Scriptures. First Malachi declares that the Lord loved Israel. Malachi 1:2 I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, It was only through a miracle from God that Rebecca, Isaac’s wife, had children. It was a greater miracle that she had twins. Malachi reminds the Jews that Esau, the eldest son of Jacob who had the covenant by birthright, lost the covenant by frivolously bartering it away for a bowl of pottage.  Genesis 25:21-26 And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. By birthright, of course, the primary inheritance should go to the elder, which was Esau. Isaac loved Esau, a rugged hunter, and Rebecca loved Jacob. 

Podcast 61, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Jonah, Ch 4 b” Isn’t the true story of the Book of Jonah that God is creator of all things, that God created the twelve tribes of Israel, that God created the Assyrians, and that God created all the children of the earth, and that he loves them all; Furthermore, that God is no respecter of persons.  Consider the following scripture. Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods… a great God… which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward. 2 Chronicles 19:7 …for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. Job 34:19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor… Acts 10:34 Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God. So there would be food, God also created all plants and their fruit. Genesis 1:29-31 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. The story of Jonah is the story of all mankind. Jonah was an elitist. Being of the chosen race, he undoubtedly felt superior to the Assyrians and to all others who were not of the seed of Abraham. We are all somewhat narrow in our vision. It is the common lot of all mankind to feel superior over someone: educated vs uneducated, rich vs poor, famous vs the ordinary, powerful vs the weak, people of authority vs the workers. People will find something to elevate themselves above others.  Appeal to authority is one of the most dangerous fallacies among many other fallacies of reasoning. No matter how silly or illogical or even nonsensical the criteria, People will always find something to elevate themselves above others. That is the natural man vs the spiritual man.   In the Book of Jonah, God tries to expand our perspective. In his sight we are all equal. We are all children of God, and God is no respecter of persons. That same lesson had to be taught to the early Christian church. After the Lord’s resurrection and ascension into heaven, Peter, the chief apostle, received the following vision. Acts 10:9-16 9  On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Peter did not readily understand the vision for it was a foreign concept. As with Jonah, rather than teaching him through words, the Lord taught Peter by example.

Podcast 60, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Jonah, Ch 4” Notice how the parallel introductions tie the four chapters of the Book of Jonah together. Chapter 1:1 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Chapter 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, Chapter 3:1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Chapter 4:1-2 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. As you can see, Chapter 1 is parallel to Chapter 3 & Chapter 2 is parallel to Chapter 4. Being only four chapters long, that provides the framework: ABAB. The one primary character, or foil, in each chapter is Jonah. Nineveh has 120,000 people, yet Jonah requires more attention than them all. The question isn’t. ‘Why is the Lord patient with the people of Nineveh?’ The question is, ‘Why is the Lord so patient with Jonah?’ An even more important question perhaps is, ‘How much like Jonah are we?’ Are we sometimes contrary with the Lord when he tells us to do something that we do not want to do? The Lord tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah immediately hops on a ship and goes in the opposite direction. By extraordinarily strange means, the Lord is patient with Job and turns his course around. Can we relate to that?  Jonah’s response may at first seem rather strange. Jonah 4:3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Does that sound familiar? Have you ever said, “I’d rather die than endure this or that.” The Lord seldom does things our way. One would naturally think that a prophet of God would be pleased that the people repented. Jonah fully understands the purpose of prophetic warnings. As the Holy Bible teaches, when there are prophets in the land, the Lord always sends them to warn the wicked of impending disaster. The entire purpose of the Lord is to get them to repent to avert the dangers. Why did Jonah want the people of Nineveh to be destroyed? Why does Jonah want the Lord to take away his life? Why does he think it is better for him to die? We know of the tension between the Assyrians and the tribes of Israel, but at this point the Assyrians are not a huge threat. They are still struggling for an identity, and 120,000 citizens make Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria, seven times larger than Jerusalem, which is the capitol of the southern tribes, and four times larger than Samaria, which is the capital of the northern tribes.     The Lord is patient with Jonah.  Jonah 4:4 Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? By converting Nineveh, it strangely extends the life of the Ten Northern Tribes of Israel. After all, it is the Assyrians who later conquer the Northern tribes and cause them to become lost to the world. Of course, destroying Nineveh would also prevent the Assyrians from later conquering the Ten Northern tribes. This is a very complicated situation, though, at this time, neither the Assyrians nor the Israelites know what is at stake. The Lord uses the prophet Jonah to warn the Assyrians that if they don’t repent, they shall be destroyed. The Lord later uses the prophet Isaiah to warn the Israelites that if they don’t repent, they shall be destroyed. It eventually turns out that they are all either exiled or destroyed. The Assyrians play a large role in the destruction and exile of the Northern Tribes, and the Babylonians play a large role in the destruction and exile of the Southern Tribes. The Babylonians also destroy the Assyrians in 612 BC, nearly 200 years later  

The Lord is patient with Jonah. He gives Jonah a second chance. Let’s compare the beginning of Chapter 1 with the beginning of Chapter 3 for they are parallel. Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. The information is in the differences. In the first chapter the Lord commands Jonah to go into Nineveh and cry against it because they are so wicked.”  In the third chapter the Lord commands Jonah to go into Nineveh and “preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.”   Jonah disobeys the Lord the first time. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord Jonah obeys the Lord the second time. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. He prophesies of the destruction of Ninevah.  In Chapter 4 we are given the number of citizens of Nineveh as 120,000, but we don’t know the standard of measurement. Was that the total number of every man, woman, and child? Probably not. For comparison, at that time Jerusalem had only from 8,000 to 15,000 inhabitants and Samaria, the capital of the Northern Tribes, had only from 20,000 to 30,000.  We only have the text to go by, and the text is very terse. On the one hand, we can read between lines and assume that Jonah gave the full message of the Lord. The full message of the Lord is that if the people repent they will be spared. But if we go by the text alone, Jonah didn’t give them a way out. He prophesied that they were going to be destroyed, and apparently Jonah believed that they would be destroyed. Either he didn’t anticipate their repentance, or he discounted their repentance and did not consider any alternative. At any rate, as we shall see in the next chapter, Jonah got really upset when they weren’t destroyed. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Jonah’s reputation as a prophet is at stake. In fact, in Chapter 4 we learn that Jonah gets a front row seat to watch the destruction.  So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.[6] The people of Nineveh do a suprising thing. They repent.