"...there is no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness"

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 “As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”  When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. ”   [1 Kings 21:15-16]

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"...there is no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness"

The scene is in Jezreel, where Ahab and Jezebel had a palace. Adjoining the palace was a vineyard owned by Naboth. Ahab desired to annex the vineyard so he could plant a vegetable garden there.  Naboth refused to sell or exchange his land, since the law of Israel decreed that property should remain in the family to which it was originally assigned.

When Jezebel found her husband vexed and sullen and learned of Naboth’s refusal to sell his vineyard, she assured Ahab that the vineyard would soon be his. The treacherous Jezebel thus framed Naboth so that it would appear he was being executed for breaking the law of God.

When Ahab was on his way to take possession of the vineyard, Elijah met him and condemned him for murder and theft. Elijah predicted that Ahab himself would be slain, that his male descendants would be slain, ending his dynasty, that the body of Jezebel would be eaten by dogs. The severity of Ahab’s punishment is explained by the extremes to which he went into idolatry—“there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness.”

When Ahab heard his doom, he humbled himself before the Lord. For this, the Lord decreed that the judgments on his wife and family would not take place until after Ahab’s death.

If we learn anything from these verses, it is that God is a God of grace and mercy. ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ [Ezekiel 33:11].




Elijah brings God's Word to King Ahab

Elijah brings the Word of God to King Ahab


 “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.  Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!” [1 Kings 21: 17-19]

 

A Crown for the King!

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 “The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”  When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,  and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.  “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”  Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. ”    [John 19:7-11]

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A Crown for the King!

It was most unjust for Pilate to scourge an innocent Person. Perhaps he hoped that this punishment would satisfy the Jews and that they would not demand the death of Jesus. Scourging was a Roman form of punishment. The prisoner was beaten with a whip or a rod. The whip had pieces of metal or bone in it, and these cut deep gashes in the flesh.

The soldiers mocked Jesus’ claim to be King. A crown for the King! But it was a crown of thorns. This would have caused extreme pain as it was pressed onto His brow. Thorns are a symbol of the curse which sin brought to mankind. Here we have a picture of the Lord Jesus bearing the curse of our sins, so that we might wear a crown of glory. The purple robe was also used in mockery. Purple was the color or royalty. But again it reminds us of how our sins were placed on Jesus in order that we might be clothed with the robe of God’s righteousness. How solemn it is to think of the eternal Son of God being slapped by the hands of His creatures! Mouths which He formed are now being used to mock Him!



Crown of thorns

Crown of thorns


 “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.  The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe  and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.” [John 19:1-3 ]

 

 

"Crucify Him!"

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 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.    “You have said so,” Jesus replied.  The chief priests accused him of many things.  So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”  But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested.  A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.  The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. ”    [Mark  15:2-8]

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"Crucify Him!"

The chief priests poured out a torrent of charges against Jesus. Pilate couldn’t get over His poise in the face of such overwhelming accusations. He asked Him why He didn’t defend Himself, but Jesus refused to answer His critics.

It was the custom for the Roman Governor to release one Jewish prisoner at this feast time—sort of a political sop to the unhappy people. One such eligible prisoner was Barabbas, guilty of rebellion and murder. When Pilate offered to release Jesus, taunting the envious chief priests, the people were primed to ask for Barabbas. The very ones who were charging Jesus with treason against Caesar were asking the release of a man who was actually guilty of that crime! The position of the chief priests was irrational and ludicrous—but sin is like that. Basically they were jealous of His popularity.

Pilate asked what he should do with the One whom they call the King of the Jews. The people chanted savagely, “Crucify Him!” Pilate demanded a reason, but there was none. Mob hysteria was rising. All they would shout was, “Crucify Him!”

And so the spineless Pilate did what they wanted—he released Barabbas, flogged Jesus and delivered Him over to the soldiers for crucifixion. It was a monstrous verdict of unrighteousness. And yet it was a parable of our redemption—the guiltless One delivered to die in order that the guilty might go free.

During His First Advent, the glory of His deity was veiled in a human body.  But when He comes again in power and great glory, the veil will be removed and everyone will know exactly who He is.

Dear friend, do you believe in the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, who died for your sins, that you might be delivered. Salvation is a gift of God. You have to receive it in faith.  “Indeed, the "right time" is now.  Today is the day of salvation.” [2 Cor. 6:2].


Jesus or Barabbas?

 

Jesus or Barabbas?


  “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate,  knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.” [Mark 15:9-11 ]

 

The LORD used the cloud to tell the Israelites when to move

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 “ On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.  That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.  Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.  At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.  When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out.  Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out.”    [Numbers 9:15-20]

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The LORD used the cloud to tell the Israelites when to move 

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they were in a hurry to get out. Four hundred years of bondage can do that to you. It seemed the Promised Land was just around the corner. Except it wasn’t.

As soon as the sacred tent was set up,  a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. The LORD used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year.

Weeks passed, then months, then years. Their sandals didn’t wear out, and most of them stayed hopeful that someday they’d be settled in a land flowing with milk and honey. But for the time being, the Israelites pitched their tents and broke them down, ready to move whenever the cloud or the fiery pillar of God’s presence let them know it was time to move on.

It’s harder to follow God when we can’t see Him.  Most of use aren’t navigating with a miracle cloud hovering over the next step in our journey. And nights without a pillar of fire can seem long and lonely indeed. But we don’t have to be summoned by cloud or fire to know He’s there because we have God’s Word, the Bible. When we remain in His presence, we can trust we’re following God. Even if it seems that we’re staying in one place, God is still accomplishing His work.


 

Pillar of Fire at night


"...the cloud ... at night ... looked like fire"

 “Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses. ” [Numbers 9:22-23 ]

 

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life..."

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 “ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”  Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?  From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”    [John 6:53-54,60-61,66-69]

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"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life..."

Jesus’ words in this passage about eating flesh and drinking blood can be understood in the metaphorical sense of feeding on the spiritual nourishment that only he can offer.

Many times Jesus spoke in parables or illustrations that challenged people. In this passage, many of the fringe followers of Jesus decided to turn away.  Their faith dedication extended only so far. It was cool to watch Jesus heal people, amazing to watch him feed the masses with just a handful of fish and bread. But stick with Jesus when his teaching required trust in him vs. trust in his miracles? That separated the casual from the committed.

It separates us too. The Bible’s words not always clear at first glance. Phenomenal truths do not always jump off the page. Instead, sometimes we’re invited to ask questions and check out resources that explain Bible texts. Sometimes we’re nudged to move from the fringe of faith—but always toward God and not away from him.

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.  Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” [John 6:63,64]



 

"I AM the Bread of Life..."


"This is the bread that came down from heaven..."

 “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.  Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” [John 6:55-58 ]

The Rich Young Ruler

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 “ Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”  So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’  ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”  Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”   [Matthew 19:16-22]

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The Rich Young Ruler

This incident provides a study in contrasts. Having just seen that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children, we will now see how difficult it is for adults to enter.

A rich man intercepted the Lord with an apparently sincere inquiry. Addressing Jesus as “Good Teacher” he asked what he had to do to have eternal life. The question revealed his ignorance of the true identify of Jesus and of the way of salvation. He called Jesus “Teacher,” putting Him on the same level as other great men. And he spoke of gaining eternal life as a debt rather than as a gift.

Our Lord probed him on these two points. In asking, “Why do you call Me good?  There is no one good but One, that is, God.” Jesus was not denying His own deity, but was providing the man with an opportunity to say, “That’s why I call You good—You are God.”

To test him on the way of salvation Jesus said, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” The Savior was not implying that man can be saved by keeping the commandments. Rather, He was using the law to produce conviction of sin in the man’s heart. The man was still under the delusion that he could inherit the kingdom on the principle of doing. Therefore, let him obey the law which told him what to do. Blind to his own selfishness, the man boasted that he had always kept these commandments.

Our Lord then exposed the man’s failure to love his neighbor as himself by telling him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. Then he should come to Jesus and follow Him.
The Lord did not mean that this man could have been saved by selling his possessions and giving the proceeds to charity. There is only one way of salvation—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But in order to be save, a man must acknowledge that he has sinned and fallen short of God’s holy requirements.  The rich man’s unwillingness to share his possessions showed that he did not love his neighbor as himself. He should have said, “Lord, if that’s what is required, then I’m a sinner. I cannot save myself by my own efforts. Therefore, I ask You to save me by Your grace.” .
Dear friend, have you asked Lord Jesus to save you and give you eternal life?


 

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..."


"..It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..."

 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” [Matthew 19:23-24 ]



Satan-The Father of Lies

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 “The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

  “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”   [Genesis 3:2-5]

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Satan-The Father of Lies

The serpent that appeared to Eve is later revealed to be none other than Satan himself.  “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” [Rev. 12:9].

Those who seek to “demythologize” the Bible believe that this account of the fall is allegorical and not literal. They cite the talking serpent as proof. Can the story of the serpent’s deceiving Eve be accepted as factual? The Apostle Paul thought so.  So did the Apostle John. Nor is this the only instance of a talking animal in Scripture.  God gave a voice to Balaam’s donkey to restrain the madness of the prophet, and the Apostle Peter accepted this as literal. Thus to reject the account of the fall as literal is to reject the inspiration of Holy Scripture.

First Satan insinuated doubt about the Word of God: “Has God indeed said?” He misrepresented God as forbidding Adam and Eve to eat of every tree.  Then Satan flatly contradicted God about the inevitability of judgment on those who disobeyed, just as his followers still deny the facts of hell and eternal punishment.

"...the devil, and ..... He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies" [John 8:44].

Satan misrepresented God as seeking to withhold from Adam and Eve something that would have been beneficial to them.  Eve yielded to the three folded temptation: the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the eyes (pleasant to the eyes), and the pride of life (a tree desirable to make one wise).  “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world” [1 John 2:16].






Adam and Eve


 The Fall

 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6 ]

God's covenant - Rainbow

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 “As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”  Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:  “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”   [Genesis 9:7-11]

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God's covenant

Noah responded to God’s saving grace by building an altar. Those of us who have been saved from the wrath to come should likewise bring to God our heartfelt worship. It is an acceptable and pleasing today as it was in Noah’s day. The Lord made a covenant that He would never again curse the ground or destroy every living thing, as He had done; also, He would provide regular seasons as long as the earth endured.

The rainbow was given as a pledge that God would never again destroy the earth with a  flood.

Again, God said to Noah and his sons:

 “ I am going to make a solemn promise to you and to everyone who will live after you. This includes the birds and the animals that came out of the boat. I promise every living creature that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood.

The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever. When I send clouds over the earth, and a rainbow appears in the sky, I will remember my promise to you and to all other living creatures. Never again will I let floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the sky, I will always remember the promise that I have made to every living creature. The rainbow will be the sign of that solemn promise.”




 



Rainbow

 “And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:  I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,  I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:12-16 ]

 

The serpent of brass was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ

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 “They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;  they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.  The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ”   [Numbers 21: 4-7]

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The serpent of brass was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ

Once again the people complained about their living conditions, with the result that God sent fiery serpents among them. Many of the people died, and many more were dying. In answer to the intercession of Moses, God commanded that a bronze serpent be lifted on a pole and promised that whoever looked at the bronze serpent would be healed of the snakebite. This incident was used by the Lord Jesus to teach Nicodemus that Christ must be lifted up on a pole (the cross), so that sinners looking to Him by faith might have everlasting life.

The serpent later became a stumbling block to the nation and was finally destroyed in the days of Hezekiah. King Hezekiah conducted a campaign against all form of idolatry, destroying even the high places and the bronze serpent. God did not want the people to make the bronze serpent as an idol. Similarly, God will not allow us to worship a cross or any idol.

Jesus quoted this Old Testament incident to illustrate how the new birth takes place.  Men and women have been bitten by the viper of sin and are condemned to eternal death. The serpent of brass was a type or picture of the Lord Jesus. Brass, in the Bible, speaks of judgment. The Lord Jesus was sinless and should never have been punished, but He took our place and bore the judgment which we deserved.

The pole speaks of the cross of Calvary on which the Lord Jesus was lifted up. We are saved by looking to Him in faith. The Savior was made sin for us, He who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ receives eternal life as a free gift.



 



 

"...the Son of Man must be lifted up..."

 “The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” [Numbers 21:8, John 3:14-15]

 

Parable of the Talents

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 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’  He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’  “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’”   [Matthew 25;20-25]

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Parable of the Talents

This parable also teaches that when the Lord returns, there will be true and false servants. It is not difficult to see that Christ is the master. After a long time the lord…came back and settled accounts with them.

This depicts the Second Advent. The first two received exactly the same commendation: “Well done, good and faithful servant…” The test of their service was not how much they earned, but how hard they tried. Each used his ability fully and earned one hundred percent. These represent true believers whose rewards is to enjoy the blessings of the Messianic kingdom.

The third servant had nothing but insults and excuses for his master. He accused him of being hard and unreasonable, reaping where he had not sown, and gathering where he had not scattered seed. He excused himself on the basis that, paralyzed with fear, he buried his talent. This servant was doubtless an unbeliever; no genuine servant would entertain such thoughts of his master.

His lord rebuked him as wicked and lazy. The master is not agreeing with the charges against him. Rather he is saying, “If that’s the kind of master you thought I am, all the more reason to have put the talent to work. Your words condemn, not excuse you.”

The unprofitable servant was cast out—excluded from the kingdom. He shared the anguished fate of the wicked.

Dear friend, are you faithful in what the Lord has entrusted you with? 

 



"...cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness.."

 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [Matthew 25:26:28]