Jesus in 1 Kings: Unlocking God’s Provision
Jesus said, “…the Scriptures point to me!” in John 5:39 NLT. We see Jesus in 1 Kings as the book opens with the death of King David as his legacy continues having empowered Solomon to build the temple. In a resembling way Jesus died as his legacy continued having empowered sons and daughters to build the church.
Solomon’s wisdom speaks of the wisdom of God embodied in Christ. Jesus singlehandedly took on the world’s leading scholars and their enthusiastic learners leaving all of them speechless on several occasions with his incredible wisdom. Solomon built the temple as Jesus built the spiritual temple.
Elijah is an incredible type of Christ. Even in Jesus’ day some said he was Elijah. An elaborate expression of this is at the bottom of this post for those who want to go deeper.
Shortly after Solomon’s death the kingdom was divided into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah). 1 Kings follows the history of the divided kingdom. Over these 400 years the kings who reigned under God’s authority remaining faithful to the Law experienced God’s blessings. But the kings who neglected God’s perspective suffered consequences.
There are two realms to choose from. You can live by spirit or you can live by worldly standards. This is clearly revealed in the story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17.
There is drought in the land and God directs Elijah to a brook where he is fed and cared for during a difficult time. Incredible insight about God’s provision.
1 Kings 17:7-16 Some time later the brook dried up... 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him.
Sometimes your situation changes before you have understanding why. Don’t give up! Don’t get mad at God because you don’t understand!
When we feel like God doesn’t make sense we must refuse to abandon what we know because of what we don't understand. If God were small enough for you to completely understand him, he wouldn’t be big enough for you to completely trust him.
1 Kings 17:9 "Go at once to Zarephath... I have commanded a widow to supply you with food." 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread." 12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die."
In desperation she speaks of what she did NOT have. God never uses what we don’t have. He always uses what we do have!
She responds by giving sacrificially and God provides amazingly for her and her son rescuing and restoring them!
She had an amazing future ahead but she needed to move beyond a mindset of limitation.
If your revelation never gets beyond your environment you’ll always live a life of confinement.
Elijah gave her a word from God and she believed!
Every obstacle becomes an opportunity as soon as you get your attitude positioned correctly.
People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.
The attitude of faith that refuses to make excuses but chooses to find a way! Excuses are the reasoning behind our rebellion.
Ps 37:25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. NIV
GP4RL: Every day this week do something generous for somebody else. Let’s use what we do have more effectively to glorify God!
GOING DEEPER:
1 Kings 18:20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.
- Speaks of days of distinction to come where a prophetic company will address those wavering between two opinions as a way of thinking.
22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
- Speaks of the battle between evil and good.
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
- Speaks of passionate spirituality that will be introduced into our world that has no basis of truth or power.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins.
- Repaired altar speaks of Christ coming to restore humanity.
31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel."
- 12 stones speaks of the proper order of truth which is limited to that which God has revealed through the ages. Jesus is the way!
32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
- This trench speaks of the separation of the world and the altar which only Christ could bridge.
33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."
34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
- Wood speaks of humanity.
- The bull speaks of the ultimate sacrifice – it wasn’t a bird or a goat, it was a bull!
- The sacrifice was placed on the wood speaks of Christ being placed on the cross.
- Water speaks of God’s Word as Christ is the Word made flesh. Notice that the water was poured over the offering on the wood 3 times and then filled the trench. Only Christ who would be resurrected after 3 days could close the gap between the world and the altar of the Lord.
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
- Elijah taking his place of authority, dominion and boldness speaks of how he was a man just like us (James 5:17) taking our place so God turns the hearts back to him in our world. This is the hour in which we live!
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
- God is so hungry for this kind of willingness to sacrifice and stand before him that he completely consumed the sacrifice and the altar, even to the point of licking up the water in the trench.
- Not one drop of the blood of Jesus was wasted but became the ultimate sacrifice of blood shed over the mercy seat.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!"
- Many will come to the Truth of Christ when the church takes her true place in authority and dominion.
- 2 Chron 7:14 If my people who are called by my name will turn from their wicked ways…call on my name…I will heal their land.
- The problem wasn’t the sinfulness of Ninevah but the unwillingness of Jonah to take his place!
40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
- Destroy every thought that doesn’t align itself with truth.
- Wage war on every form of unrighteousness.
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." NAS says, “there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower."
- Acts 2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
- Heavy rains are coming in the latter hour of the church – in our day after the church comes together in unity as was the case in Acts 2 – all together.
42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' "
45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.
46 The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.