Readings:
1 Kings 16-18
Wisdom 1

1 Kings 16-18

In the previous chapter we see a man named Baasha usurp the throne and kill all the men of the previous royal house, now the prophet Jehu visits him and tells him that he is no better that the previous kings, and so his family will suffer the same fate. Eventually he dies and his son takes the throne, and after a short while another man covets the throne and fulfills the prophecy by slaying all the men of the family of Baasha.

This is all in stark contrast with how David was anointed as king, and had plenty of opportunities to kill Saul but refused because he believed it would be wrong to kill his king, especially since he was anointed by God. The kings of the northern kingdom don’t hold the same divinely appointed office, but they’re still the lords of the land and owed some measure of loyalty. But throughout the history of Israel, this loyalty will be in very short supply.

Zimri, the guy who took out the house of Baasha, doesn’t last very long. His reign was seven whole days, and the army revolted because he’d killed the king. At least some people opposed regicide. The commander of the army lays siege to the palace and zimri just burned it down with himself inside. This results in a brief civil war, but Omri is victorious and becomes king. While king he buys an area in the central hills of Israel and builds his capital of Samaria.

This is the very beginning of the New Testament Samaritans that are so often mentioned on the Gospels. The reason for the bad bald between them and the Jews of Jesus’ day is varied and much more than just this, but the very beginning of their separation and differences was when Jeroboam and Reheboam split up. The people rightly called “Jews” are called that because of the word “Judea” meaning almost all of the Jews of the New Testament world were from the southern kingdom of Judah and were descended from that tribe. This becomes clearer later on when the northern kingdom goes into exile and never returns.

When Ahab comes to power after the death of his father Omri, Israel reaches the pinnacle of its idolatry and wickedness. Ahab is the ultimate wicked king of the north and his wife jezebel is even worse. Their introduction sets up a change of pace in the book because now we are introduced to one of the most important prophets in Israel’s history.

Elijah bursts onto the scene at this point, when he prophesied to the king that rain would not fall until he commanded it. This is because the nature worshiping religion of Jezabel believes they can call on certain Canaanite gods for rain and harvests, for good hunts and fertility. By stopping the rain he shows their complete lack of power.

During this drought he is miraculously fed by ravens in the wilderness and then goes to live with a widow who has very little food. But because she obeys the words he speaks to her, the little she has does not run out. A sort of precursor to the multiplication of loaves and fish in a way. While staying with her he even brings her son back from the dead.

Elijah returns to Israel and appears to a man named Obadiah that was a sort of steward for the king. This man was a righteous man and had saved many of the prophets of Israel from the king when he sought to have them all killed. Elijah has him go tell Ahab that he wants to meet. This has been three years since he declared rain would not fall.

When Ahab comes he has the nerve to call Elijah the “troubler of Israel” but is quickly corrected. Elijah didn’t bring this drought because he was looking to inflict pain on his country, this drought is directly attributable to all the wicked kings of Israel but especially to Ahab and his wife. Elijah issues a challenge to 450 prophets of Baal and 450 prophets of Ashareh (Baal’s wife in the Canaanite pantheon).

The challenge issued by Elijah was to each cut up a bull and lay it upon an altar with wood. Then each would take turns calling on their gods and Elijah calling on God. Whoever answered would be worshiped as the true God. Of course Baal didn’t answer and when God did, that was the ballgame.

After this the rains return to Israel.

Wisdom 1

We begin another of the books know as the wisdom literature. This book is from the post exile period most likely, and it’s attribution to Solomon is only in an analogical sense. It’s most likely written by a rabbi in Jerusalem or Alexandria and under the pseudonym of Solomon because of his fame and connections to wisdom.

This book contains many allusions to Jesus that are obvious when reading it in light of the gospels. Like the other wisdom books, I’ll likely let their parables and proverbs speak for themselves without giving my own comments.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
1 Kings 19-21
Wisdom 2