Heralds Digest

  “ Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people .’ ”” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭42‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ While peace accords and treaties enable friendly international trades and relationships among nations, the treaty between Samaria and Damascus in this context was treasonable to God’s agenda and plan of judgment for the king of Syria, Ben-Hadad. Unfortunately, king Ahab abused the grace of God by allowing Ben-Hadad to live, thinking that sending him away was his call to make. Even when Ahab was not any better than Ben-Hadad in uprightness, God’s choice of Ahab as agent of punishment for Ben-Hadad shouldn’t have been misinterpreted as rights or the author of peace. Likewise, every believer’s privileges with authority as parents, principals, and preachers should be treated with enormous care and caution as being the custodian of God’s truth. Fa...

  “ So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you ?”” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The 40 days journey of Elijah that led to the selection of Elisha in his room as the prophet of God teaches believers a profound lesson on the journey of faith. Elijah had fled to Beersheba on the Jezebel journey of fear, showing that believers can be confused anytime their focus is shifted from the Lord. But as soon as Elisha got the mantle of Elijah, he accepted the journey of faith with grace: “ Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you” . Likewise, to truly follow Jesus along the journey of faith, we must be courageous enou...

  “ In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Jeroboam jungle appears a patented method of sin invented by Jeroboam justification. Unfortunately, several kings who reigned after him followed the patent developed by Jeroboam, despite being used by God as the agent to destroy the king who reigned before and his entire household for the same sin. In this instance, Baasha the son of Ahijah condemned Jeroboam to occupy the Jeroboam jungle. Likewise, there is a system of sin invested for occupiers of the system of authority in this world. It is always easy for an outsider to criticize and condemn those in places of authority, influence, and power. Without a decisive transformation of the heart and courage to fight against corruption, no one is...

  “ Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin.”” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭7‬, ‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The justification of Jeroboam for making Israel to sin is that the splitting of the kingdom of Israel was God’s idea. In his mind, Israel must feast and worship on his own making of high places to keep a good distance from any idea that can reverse the ‘order from above’. Arguably, he was serving God’s interest here, wasn't he? Likewise to many, if God creates a supposed ugly scenario and we decide to use it, that should not be a problem, should it? Unfortunately, Jeroboam’s sins became the standard for the people’s unrighteousness, idolatry, and corruption in Israel. The problem is that the blessings of God, the opportunities, and His privileges in life are presented for the promotion of righteousness or th...

  “‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭12‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In the splitting of the kingdom of Israel into two, the contest between the Will of God and the ambition of man collided. The context revealed that both the resolution of Rehoboam and the justification of Jeroboam are strictly against the purpose of God. While Rehoboam would fight in high places to resolve the splitting of the kingdom, Jeroboam would feast on high places to justify or secure the splitting of the kingdom. It does shows that what we do outwardly does not really matter, as long as our hearts are neither right with God nor inclined to do according to His words. Thankfully, the word of the Lord came through Shemaiah the man of God against the Rehoboam resolution; and everyone obeye...

  “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In spite of the inspiring presentation of Solomon’s relationships with the Lord before this chapter, “ But King Solomon loved many foreign women …” implies a loose qualification on his love for the Lord. We know that this unfortunate scenario started when Solomon began to love what the Lord forbad: “ You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods ”. But how is this scenario possible for someone whose love for the Lord attracted many people, affluence, prosperity, and even those who were forbidden as marriage materials? It is a...

  “Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The summary of the Queen of Sheba’s statement after her assessment of King Solomon’s wisdom is simply that the wisdom is a service spirit from the Lord…’ because the Lord has loved Israel forever ’. How easy would it have been for all of God’s children to access and manage the gift of wisdom, if the service focus could be perpetually retained? For Solomon, his wisdom at its service was observed in the display of happiness by the people of Israel, the orderliness and motivation of the service men around the cities and palace, and the general welfare of the citizenry through the service of justice and righteousness. If the potency of Solomon’s wisdom ...