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September 16
To His Purpose 1 Kings 19:15-17 And the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." WE see now the first reference to Elisha, Elijah's successor in God's mission to call Israel to repentance. But before Elijah anoints Elisha, he has other anointing to do. It was common for prophets to anoint kings of Israel and Judah. But Elijah's assignment is to anoint Hazael to be a king from Damascus - a foreign power. The reason for this is that God will use Hazael to lead an army of judgment against Israel during Elisha's ministry. In a like manner, Elisha will anoint Jehu, a commander in Ahab's army, to purge evil from Israel. He will destroy Jezebel, Ahab's sons and prophets of false gods in the Lord's justice over sin. With his assignments to Elijah, God is telling Elijah to stay faithful to his calling. God is reminding Elijah that it is he, the Lord, who has control over his people. Elijah has been a faithful messenger. He has done what God has commanded him to do. But the ultimate results are not in Elijah's power. It is the Lord who causes all things to work for his glory. After God has expressed his purpose for judgment, he closes his words to Elijah with hope. He assures Elijah there is a remnant of people who have stood strong and firm for the Lord. The Word of the Lord through Elijah and others has taught the faithful in Israel to fear and obey the Lord. Elijah is no, as he has assumed, alone for God in Israel. God always does this. He tells us of our sin. He administers judgment to those who do not repent. He saves those who confess their sins and their faith in God. We can live in this hope. It may seem evil is closing in around us from all sides, but be encouraged that the Lord is on his throne. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in this beautiful passage from Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Be faithful. Be true to God's Word. He will reward you now and forever. Prayer: Lord God, we know you will destroy evil. Thank you for preserving your faithful to do your good work. In Jesus' name, amen. Comments are closed.
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AuthorBob James Archives
January 2025
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