A Light in the Darkness: Lesson 4, Day 1

Our lesson and thoughts this week will come from 1 Kings 18. First, read the chapter in its entirety.

There are three scenes in this chapter. Today, we will focus on Scene 1: verses 1 - 16. Re-read these verses with your mind on Obadiah.



I am intrigued by this man. We don't know much about him except what we read here. What do you think of him? Do you see him as one of the "good guys" or do you see him as a "compromiser"? The commentators are split on him. The name, Obadiah, was a common one in the Old Testament days. In fact, there are no less than 11 personages by that name in Scripture. This one is not the prophet that wrote the little book "Obadiah" in the Old Testament. The name itself means "worshiper" or "loyal to Jehovah". Maybe that is why we see the name used often in scripture. I can see parents placing the desires of their hearts onto their little baby boy by the choice of the name. What did you name your children? Do any of the names reflect your hopes for them?

I am personally impressed by this man, Obadiah. I see him as one of the "good guys". If you do not, you have good company. Warren Wiersbe sees Obadiah as a picture of the compromising Christian. In his commentary, he states that we need fewer Obadiah's and more Elijah's in the contemporary church. However, I see Obadiah in a different light. I think he is shining in a dark place. Consider with me ...

1. Scripture itself describes him as one who revered the Lord. (verse 3) When you compare the translations in several versions, you get a very good picture of the Hebrew word yare that is used to describe Obadiah.

a devout believer in the LORD (NIV)

feared the LORD greatly (NASB)

revered the LORD greatly (New Revised Standard)

a true follower of the LORD (New Century)

a devoted follower of the LORD (New Living Testament)

What beautiful descriptions! I long for that word to be one to describe me. What about you? Are you devoted to God? What makes someone devoted, revering the LORD greatly? Does it have to do with busy-ness for the Lord? Does it have to do with how much time in meditation and prayer you clock each day? I think it has more to do with your mindset toward God. I think it has more to do with your surrendered heart to Him. The English word, devoted, means: "zealous or ardent in attachment, loyalty, or affection" (Random House Dictionary). Apply that definition to your heart toward God. This I know, my friends ... if we want to "shine" in the world in which we live ... it begins right here. It begins by being devoted, greatly, to the LORD.

2. The second thing that impresses me about Obadiah is the fact that he is doing what he can where he is. Did you notice that he hid 100 true prophets of God during Jezebel's holocaust? Was that all of them? We don't know but I doubt it. Not only did he hide them, he then made certain that they had bread and water for survival. I suspect he had access to that amount of supplies because he was in the palace. Where else? The entire country was immersed in a terrible drought. Obadiah did what he could where he was. Years ago a book and myriad of posters and cards trumpeted the phrase "Bloom where you are planted." It's still good advice. Have you ever decided that you just can't shine for the Lord because you are in the wrong place. Either the wrong job or the wrong city or the wrong circumstances. Obadiah might tell us to hush! Get on with it. You are where you are. Now - revere the Lord your God and shine for Him. Represent Him well.

3. I also love the interchange between Obadiah and Elijah when they met on the road. Obadiah showed his respect to this man of God. But he was also open and honest with Elijah about his own fears for his personal life. He then listened to Elijah's response, believed him to be a man of his word, and proceeded to do what he was asked to do. He did not let his fear paralyze him into inactivity. Fear does that, doesn't it? Fear of whatever - real or imagined. But Obadiah acknowledged his fear, verbalized it ... and they were diminished enough for him to move out and do what Elijah asked of him. I think there is wisdom there for us. What fears are stifling you? What are the ones that are keeping you from being a "light on a hill" for our Lord? I would suggest you verbalize them to a friend - someone you trust. Getting them out into the light helps diminish them. Don't let them paralyze or inhibit you from being what God has called you to be.

Want to shine?

Devote yourself to the Lord: He is the source of light

Do what you can where you are: Don't wait for the ideal place and time - there is no such thing!

Acknowledge your fears: Don't pretend they are nonexistent or assign them too much power. You are under the Lordship of the all-powerful One!

"This little light of mine ... I'm going to let it shine."

A Light in the Darkness: Lesson 3, Day 3

Read 1 Kings 17: 17 - 24

Today we look at Scene 3 in this interesting chapter. Elijah is residing in the home of the widow to whom God sent him. Houses in that region traditionally had flat roofs. Often there was an extra room built on the roof and Elijah was staying in that extra room.

Tragedy strikes. Death enters the home. The woman's son gets sick and dies. Don't miss her immediate response. She does what so many of us do when tragedy strikes. She jumps to the conclusion that she is responsible for his death. It is somehow connected to her sin. It is a thought still prevalent in our world. In the musical, "The Sound of Music", one of the songs that Maria sings when she experiences the love of the Captain includes the words: "Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." There it is - the thought that the good and the bad that one experiences is a direct result of the one! The SELF is the cause of all. And we attempt to draw a straight line between a tragedy and a particular sin ... or a blessing and a particular behavior. It is not necessarily so. Yes, there are consequences of sin and we have both witnessed and experienced that fact. But be careful before you attempt to draw straight lines. I have heard some horrific comments attempting to draw straight lines in relationship to things like where hurricanes hit, terrorist attacks, earthquakes. Jesus warned us about that kind of thinking.

"The rabbis of Jesus' day had developed the principle that there is no suffering without sin. They were even capable of thinking that a child could sin in the womb or that its soul might have sinned in a preexistent state. They also held that terrible punishments came on certain people because of the sin of their parents. " (NIV Study Bible) Jesus plainly contradicts these beliefs ...

Read John 9: 1 - 5


Back to Elijah's story. This widow was not responsible for the death of her son. She was allowed, however, to witness the glory and wonder of God. And, I believe, it transformed her life and her "world-view". I believe, for her, Baal was now history. When Elijah returned the boy to her arms, she spoke her "testimony":

Now I KNOW that you are a man of God

and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.

Did she not believe this before? Well - she did - but. Now she KNOWS! It is plain. It is sight.

My friends, there is a day coming when our faith, our knowing, will be sight. It will be KNOWING! I am confident of that fact. Our task? Walk in faith - even if that faith may feel a bit shaky sometimes. Echo the words of that father who took his demon-possessed boy to Jesus for healing. You find the story in Mark 9: 14 - 29. Jesus asked this father: "Do you believe? And his answer has been my own on so many occasions. The father passionately replied ...

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

An honest prayer ... I do believe ... help me!

A Light in the Darkness: Lesson 3, Day 2

This week's text: 1 Kings 17: 2 - 24



Today, read 1 Kings 17: 7 - 16



We left Elijah by a wadi, getting water from it and being brought food by ravens. God is taking care of His servant. However, there is a drought in the land and the wadi dries up. God certainly could have brought water from the ground for Elijah but it seems God has something else for Elijah to do and, perhaps, to learn.

Elijah is told by God to go to the town of Zarephath, outside of Israel, in Sidon, and we watch this man of God pick up and go. I love Elijah for the picture of faithfulness that he gives us. He goes.

I would love to hear your thoughts about the widow that Elijah encounters. What can we know about her? Widowed, but we don't know how long. A mother - one son. She is not totally without because she has a house. It even has an extra room in which Elijah goes to reside. But the drought has devastated the land and the food is gone. She has reached a place of "hope lost" and has resigned herself to her own death from starvation and the death of her son. Imagine the anguish of spirit in her! Imagine her mother's heart breaking! Let her be "real" in your mind. Place yourself in her shoes. Have you ever had to walk in a place where you felt that your resources were gone? Perhaps not food ... but something else where you believed that all was "over"? On that level I can somewhat relate to her.

And here some man is asking for her help? Not much - just water and bread. But that is life - water and bread. She obviously has heard of Elijah's God by the way she addressed him. And she obviously recognized that Elijah was an Israelite and not a Sidonian. Elijah offers her a promise from Jehovah. Now put yourself in her position. What would you do? Believe him or not? This woman is asked to make an astronomical leap of faith!

Was her response out of desperation? We don't know.
Was her response from a place of "what difference does it make"? We don't know.
Was her response based on a little faith accompanied by doubt? We don't know.
Was her response totally faith driven? We don't know.
What we do know ... is that she responded to the promise of God. And it proved true.

Lessons for you and I?
Learning to trust God is not an easy task. It requires our struggle with what seems to be reality. When God's word seems to contradict what we see, which do you believe? It requires surrender and acknowledged dependence. Are you still functioning under the illusion that you are "in control"? Of anything!? It requires obedience. When you come to realize that you are not walking with God in any area of your life, what do you do?

I have lessons to learn from this widow from Zarephath. Do you?

A Light in the Darkness: Lesson 3, Day1

Welcome to Lesson 3 in our 13-week study. We began our study by recognizing how desperately our world needs light. There is darkness all around ... and God calls His people to shine light. We then thrilled to learn that God uses ordinary people to be His light. No special decrees required! No economic or intellectual or cultural requirements ... just surrendered hearts to the Lord. Last week we watched as King Ahab plummeted his country, Israel, further down the pit of idolatry - leading the way with Jezebel, his queen. We closed by affirming, alongside Elijah, that the LORD lives ... and it is before Him that we stand.

Our text this week is 1 Kings 17: 2 - 24. We were introduced to our protagonist, Elijah, without any indication of background or training in verse 1 of chapter 17. Our lesson this week will allow us to see some of the training that God uses in his life to prepare him for the task of "being light in a dark world".

Today, read 1 Kings 17: 2 - 6

God pulled Elijah out of the palace, out of the capital and into a place of solitude. It is an interesting beginning place. Remember Moses? Before God used him as a powerful liberator and leader, He had him in a wilderness place for 40 years. Remember Jesus? Before He began His ministry on this earth, God had Him in a wilderness place for 40 days. God told Elijah to go to the Wadi Cherith (or Kerith) and hide himself there. All we know is that the place was east of the Jordan River. Other than that, we do not know its exact location. It was a private place - a solitary place. No houses or markets ... no synagogues or meeting places. Only Elijah - alone with his God - the God of Israel, the LORD, before Whom Elijah stood! The wadi (which is a ravine where water runs when it rains, but is dry when there is no rain) provided water for Elijah and God directed ravens to bring him bread and meat. God provided ...

You and I are so tied to day-timers and watches, to calendars and schedules - do you wonder what in the world he did all day! It's hard to imagine a day in the life of Elijah at Cherith. We struggle to have places of stillness and quiet in our fast paced world. But it seemed to matter. It seemed to be a necessary piece for the shaping of this prophet to the work of God.

Two things stand out in my mind as we consider these verses ...

1. Elijah's quick obedience. We have no record of any discussion about it. If he questioned it all, he went anyway. If he didn't understand, he went anyway. If he was concerned about what he was going to do, he went anyway. Verse 5 simply says, "So he went ...". Obedience matters. When you know what the Lord is asking of you ... what do you do? I marvel at Elijah's quick obedience. I tend to over-analyze EVERYTHING! And sometimes fall into the trap of rationalization when I don't really want to do the thing. May we be more like Elijah ... "So he went."

2. Secondly, I am impressed again with the importance of solitude. It is no accident that early church fathers listed "solitude" as one of the spiritual disciplines. It is more than just being alone. The spiritual discipline of solitude means: "the creation of an open, empty space in our lives by purposefully abstaining from interaction with other human beings, so that, freed from competing loyalties, we can be found by God." (from The Renovare' Spiritual Formation Bible) Elijah needed time away from the noise of everyday living, away from the busy-ness of serving, so that he could learn to better "rest" in the presence of God. Even Jesus needed that.

Mark 1:35 "In the morning, while it was still very dark, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed."
Luke 5:16 "He would withdraw to deserted places and pray."

Why do we think we do not need this discipline? Is it our fear of alone-ness? Is it because we don't want to hear the things our spirits are trying to communicate to us? Do we feel more important if we are constantly "busy"? The fact that in the spiritual world solitude is described as a discipline speaks volumes! Discipline requires determination and work. I commend that work to you! I challenge myself with the necessity of that work. This week ... when will you "create an open, empty space" in your week to listen to the quiet? To be found by God?

Close your study today with these precious verses ...

Psalm 46:10a Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 62:5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him.

Light in the Darkness: Lesson 2, Day 3

Text this week: 1 Kings 16: 29 - 17:1

Today, read again 1 Kings 17:1. Although we have no introduction to the prophet, Elijah, this is where he appears on the pages of scripture. So prior to this, he has been called by God to speak for Him. He has managed to wade through the probable bureaucracy and has an audience with King Ahab. What he says to this powerful king is remarkable - quite courageous - and could be viewed as foolhardy by someone looking on. Consider his words ...

The LORD

Elijah uses the covenant name for God - Yahweh. Using the covenant name speaks to the relationship that exists between God and His covenant people, whether they recognize it or admit it.

the God

Here Elijah uses the name Elohim. Elohim is the name God uses for Himself in Genesis 1:1 when He begins to speak this world into being. It addresses God as the creator, the divine one.

the God of Israel

Elijah stresses that this God is the God over Israel. Not Baal. And Israel includes both the people and the land and the produce of the land. All - under Yahweh.

the God of Israel lives

Unlike an idol of stone, or bronze, or wood ... the God of Israel is alive

whom I serve

Elijah makes his loyalties clear.

If you are reading in the NIV, these are the words you read, "whom I serve." However, if you are reading a more literal translation (like the NASB or NRSV) of these Hebrew words, the translation reads, "before whom I stand". That phrase indicates "where one takes his/her stand". It says that the person is vertical, not bowed or prostrate. Both bowing and standing communicate respect. However, there is a difference between the two body positions. Bowing and prostration have their focus on humbleness and submission. When you bow your head in prayer ... or kneel before the Father ... or stretch yourself out prostrate before Him ... you are saying with your body that you submit to the Lordship of Yahweh.

Standing has its focus on presenting oneself for service or presenting oneself as a gift. I can see why the translators of the NIV used the phrase "whom I serve." But I love the image the original phrase portrays.

The next occasion you have to stand in an assembly and sing - a song of praise, or a song of commitment - let that image settle in your mind and spirit. You are presenting yourself before Elohim for his service. You are presenting yourself to Yahweh as a gift - freely given.

Elijah then proceeds to tell King Ahab about the coming drought. It's not random - choosing rain to be the wake-up call. Remember, Baal is the god of the storm, the god of rain and fertility of the earth. The idolatrous Israelites have adopted a world view that ascribes rain and fertility to Baal. Jehovah is about to confront their world view!

This is the God of creation - the one who holds the lightening and the thunder and the storm in His hand. Listen to His words to His servant, Job ...

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? ............... Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm,. to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew?" (Job 38:4 - 7, 22 - 28)

God is about to show these Israelites, through Elijah, that the answer to these questions is NOT Baal!

This is the God before whom EVERY knee will eventually bow. Join me as I choose to both bow and stand before THE LIVING GOD willingly ... now.

Here I am Lord ... use me.

A Light in the Darkness: Lesson 2, Day 2

Our text for this week is: 1 Kings 16: 29 - 17:1



Today look again at 1 Kings 16:34. It seems to be such a bizarre insertion of this random fact. However, we know that God is not random ... and the things in His word have purpose, even when we do not fully grasp the purpose. Let's try and put this "random" fact in the context of our study.



Remember, Israel has been on a slow, spiral decline spiritually since the days of Solomon. Even though Solomon's kingdom was splendid in the ways of the world, idolatry was setting its tentacles firmly in the hearts and minds of people, led by their king. Jeroboam, in spite of the splendid promises he had received from God (see them in 1 Kings 11: 37 - 38), fueled by fear, led the people of Israel further from God. What follows is a list of kings that led their people (actually, God's people!) on a downward spiral away from God and into the embrace of idolatry. We learn that King Ahab actually considered the "sins of Jeroboam" to be trivial, of no consequence. We watch him establish a state religion, the worship of Baal, to replace sole devotion to Jehovah, the God of Israel. He placed a temple and altar to Baal in the heart of the capital, Samaria. Was this all his own idea? I suspect not. My guess is that the ideas came from his wife, Jezebel. She was an avid, devoted Baal worshipper.



Into this scene appears verse 34. Perhaps the writer of this chronicle inserts the information about Hiel and Jericho to show the readers how far the people had gone from believing the God of Israel. Here was Jericho (which has been inhabited most of the years since its fall to the Israelites some 500 years before) with its walls still down. No one had taken it upon themselves to rebuild the magnificent walls of this fortress city.



Jericho was the first city that the Israelites conquered when they entered the land of Canaan under Joshua. If you don't know the story ... it makes interesting reading! Go to Joshua 6 and read about it. I want us to focus on verse 26 of Joshua 6. The walls are down, the city is conquered, and we read ...

At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: Cursed before the Lord

is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

'At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations;

at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates.'

Five hundred years have passed. The Israelites, if they remember their history, no longer believe that God is God ... and that God means what He says ... and that God's promises are sure. And so the words of God are forgotten or ignored, the walls of Jericho go back up. But at a terrible cost ... two sons' lives forfeited.

What do we learn for ourselves from this inserted fact? I confirm with you today ... and say alongside the people of God through the ages ... these four truths:

1. Jehovah is the one God


2. Jehovah expects my devotion and worship, and I freely give it


3. Jehovah is the epitome of "faithfulness"


4. Jehovah's promises will come to fruition - not on my time-table - but they will be.

As you close your study time today, reflect on the faithfulness of God.

Faithful: "maintaining allegiance to someone or something; constant; loyal" (New World Dictionary of the English Language)

God is "faithful" (translate 'allegiance to, constant, loyal') to ME!

Faithful: "firmness, steadiness, fidelity. The Old Testament often uses this word as an attribute of God, to express the total dependability of His character or promises." (Encyclopedia of Bible Words)

God is "faithful" ... I can totally, without reservation or question, trust His word!

Turn and read aloud ... Deuteronomy 7:9 ... then 1 Corinthians 1:9 ...

And sing with me ... "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Amen

A Light in the Darkness: Lesson 2. Day 1

We are watching Ahab, son of Omri, take the throne.
Read 1 Kings 16: 29 - 33

Ahab becomes king of Israel. As we have noted, Israel, at this time in history, is a prominent country. She is wealthy, militarily strong, known for the intersections of trade routes within her borders, and spiritually weak. It has been 62 years since the kingdom separated and Israel became its own entity. It has been a 62 year trek away from Jehovah and becoming more entrenched in idol worship. Ahab steps onto the scene. I see him as arrogant, entitled and completely confident in his powerful position. Continuing his political prowess, he forges an alliance with the country of Sidon by marrying the king's daughter, Jezebel.

Without reading any further, you already have a sense of this woman. Do you know anyone who has named her precious little daughter, Jezebel? I don't! And with good reason. If you look up the name in a dictionary, after the identification of the historical person, we find a secondary definition of the word, jezebel: "an impudent, shameless, or morally unrestrained woman." In the next few weeks, we will fully understand this definition!

Jezebel comes from a country that worships the god, Baal and his consort, Astarte (also recorded as Astoreth or Ashtaroth). And she brings those trappings with her to Samaria. King Ahab seems more than willing to bend her way.

The following passages will give you a shot-gun view of Baal worship. Just read through them ... making notes in your journal if you want. It is a gruesome picture. You will get a glimpse of how dark the spiritual climate in Israel had become. You will begin to gain understanding of how desperately God's people in Israel needed light!

1 Kings 14: 23 - 24
1 Kings 18:28
2 Kings 17: 16 - 17
2 Kings 23:7

Bleak, isn't it! Can you feel the dark shroud engulfing that small, but arrogant country? What would you do? This provides a dramatic picture of living in darkness. AND YET THE PEOPLE FELT ENLIGHTENED!!

When people close their eyes to light - nothing but darkness remains. We don't have to keep our eyes closed. We need not be engulfed by darkness.

Close your study time today by reading Ephesians 5: 1 - 10. Read it slowly, carefully. Look for the light ... then walk there!

This little light of mine ... I'm gonna let it shine!