← Don't Miss This Study
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Hi there. Welcome to Don't Miss this, a scripture study podcast with Dave Butler and Grace Freeman.
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Each week we point out things in the scriptures that we love and think you don't want to miss.
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Thanks for listening.
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Hi, everyone.
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I'm Dave Butler.
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I'm Grace Freeman.
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Welcome to Don't Miss this. Welcome to the table.
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That kind of seems serious. It seemed like Shark Tank. Oh, welcome. Do they say something like that?
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I don't think so.
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I don't actually watch that show, but it just felt like they should.
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Welcome to the table felt a lot less intimidating than welcome to Shark Tank. And let's vote on it. Raise your hand if you sustain me. Thank you. I can see that everyone is raising their hand. Okay, you guys, this is our scripture study time and we love the scriptures. And if it's your first time, our hope is that you find things in here that give you hope and give you encouragement in your faith journey, wherever you are. We're all more similar than we are different. So wherever you're at in your faith journey is great. And. And above all, we hope these scriptures teach you to love God and watch for him in your life. So are you ready? Today we're jumping into first Kings. Last time we ended with the story of Solomon, if you remember, and we didn't do 1 Kings, chapter 11, which is the downfall of Solomon, which I. I don't care to point out people's downfalls. It's probably why we skipped it. But, Derek, it's. You know, I know. I just. It's just a warning and it's okay
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that it's there, but I don't. Yeah, I don't need to be thinking about it all day.
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And one line I've heard about chapter 11 is that a divided heart leads to a divided kingdom. And that's what happens with Solomon. Is why you're laughing, because it came from our song. From seminary. Grace, that's. I forgot that's where it came from.
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You said it, like, really seriously. And you guys listen a long time. I'm gonna say this so fast, but they just have to know. A long time ago, David was my. Not that long. Okay. We're young. A long time ago, David was my seminary teacher. And we like, walk in one day for the Old Testament. And David is giddy. He is so excited. He says, everyone, I can't wait to show you something. I can't wait to show you something. He shows us this YouTube video. It is like a four minute, five minute long song about all the kings of Israel. It Is like not even that good.
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Like it really was. It was a two out of 10.
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We listened.
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I knew every single. I wasn't out of tune with the youth of.
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But you were trying to like really make us feel something. And we did. And we did. And we watched that. We watch that every day. I think for the whole entire year. We have every single. The reason I started laughing is because years later he said one line from that song instantly I clocked that.
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And you can sing it. And you can sing it word for word.
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I can sing it word for word. In fact, sometimes I do when I read the Old Testament.
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Yeah. In fact, we're so happy you brought that up because we have a tip in with all those kings that you could know by heart.
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If you don't, if you don't listen
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to the song, you can have the tip in which I'll bring up in just a second and say why I was showing that video about the kings in the first place to everybody. But let's just start real quick with King Solomon. That kind of leads into today, even though it's not even the best part of today by. By a long shot. Ok, But King Solomon, you know, things are great because his heart is dedicated to God. And in chapter 11, you find out that he marries all of these women and by many, I mean many, many, many hundreds and starts building temples to their pagan gods. And they're all political alliance marriages. And people begin to sacrifice to these pagan temples. And you remember in Old Testament, the sacrifice to pagan temples weren't just like going to another church. It was immoral and unjust activities. Buddhist, keep it at that. And it causes the, the just the whole kingdom to begin to tear away and think, what are you doing? And so when you get into chapter 12, Solomon has to pass on the kingdom to his son whose name is Rehoboam. Now get ready because we're about to play Dr. Seuss here with the two kings. In chapter 12, Rehoboam, his son is supposed to be the new king of Israel because it passes from father to son generally. But a prophecy is made in chapter 12 to a man named Jeroboam. Sorry that they rhyme. They're not brothers or cousins. They might be cousins, this is the Bible. But they. A prophecy is made to a gentleman named Jeroboam in a wild manner, the prophecy, the prophet comes and rips part of his coat off, which, you know, President Oaks might do that we never know what's going to happen, so rips off part of his coat and Says the kingdom is going to divide like this coat, and 10 of the tribes are going to follow you, Jeroboam, and create a new kingdom. And only two of the tribes are going to follow Solomon's son, Rehoboam, down south, which is exactly what ends up happening. Why it happens is because Rehoboam goes to the people and he says, well, first he goes, the people come to him after his dad dies and say, are you going to tax us the way your dad did? Are you going to be so terrible to us the way your dad was? And he says, let me ask, let me, let me think about it. So he goes and he actually asked the advice. It says in verse 6 of the Old men, the old wise men of the kingdom. And they said, that would be a bad idea. Your dad was off course, you have a chance to fix this and correct this. And then he goes to his buddies and he asks them, and they're like, double the taxes, triple the taxes. And so he comes back and he says, you thought my dad was bad, you ain't seen nothing. And so he starts making life so terrible in the kingdom that 10 tribes split away from Rehoboam, just like that prophecy. And they follow Jeroboam to the north. So now you have a divided kingdom, a split kingdom. It was united under King David, and now under Jeroboam and Rehoboam, we have two kingdoms, and they're going to be called Israel and Judah. Those are going to be the two names of the kingdoms. Israel kind of took the name of the old kingdom. Right. But 10 tribes up north, Northern Kingdom, two tribes down south, southern kingdom, the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel. Am I making sense? Grace for people. Okay, just checking, checking in. So that is what is. That's what's happening now. One interesting thing happens in chapter 12. And then we're going to skip to the best part of today's section. I think one thing that happens in chapter 12 is Jeroboam has this kingdom up north. Well, his problem is the temple is actually in the southern kingdom boundaries. So he's a little bit nervous that people are going to go worship in the temple and then they're going to defect to the southern kingdom. So you find out that Jeroboam sets up in his kingdom, it says in verse 25, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim went in, and he builds these two different altars to the Lord. And this is such an interesting verse in verse 28, this is why he did it. And this is what he said to the people. Whereupon the king took counsel. This is the problem with this chapter. People asking the wrong people for advice. We've just discovered this is the second time that this has happened, okay? And he took counsel, and he made two calves of gold. And he said to them this line, it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem, behold the gods which brought you out of Israel. And I'm so captured by that line where he says to him, it's too hard for you to make the trip to Jerusalem. Let me make your worship easier for you. Now, I am a person who believes that God says, give me whatever you're willing to give me, and I can make it more right. I believe that. But there is something. I think we ought to pause and think about this. That there is something that easiness cannot provide, that sacrifice can. And when he gives them an option to take away what's hard and to take away what's difficult, he robs them of the exalting principle of sacrifice. He says to him, that's too hard for you. That's someone, God, you're being asked too much. Take this easier way. And I think. I don't know, it makes me pause and just think about that. Because I am drawn to the easier way naturally. And I'm okay. I'm okay. If someone's like, that's too hard. That's too hard. That's too hard. It's like, okay, well, then do what you can. But there's something about this that is just, you know. Cause sacrifice gives you a chance to say some. This matters more to me. It's that it's worth the cost. And there's something that. Something that's difficult, something that's hard to do. Sacrifice. There's something that easiness can't bring to you that sacrifice can in a relationship.
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And I think it's important to note that it's not that it needs to be. It's not that it's not simple. It's just that they were looking for the easy route. And I think simplicity and ease are different. And that's something that I've been thinking a lot about also, actually.
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Yeah, I like that a lot.
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Just that your spirituality can be simple. But that doesn't mean that there's a difference of going after an easy route. And I do think there is something to be said that you're gonna actually enjoy it more if you give it more. Like, that's just honestly true.
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And again, I'm drawn to. I Like that you just made that distinction. Because I think simplicity is really important. But there is something about be careful. We're not taking away easy. I mean, hard. Sorry, sorry. Be careful that we're not taking away hard from. I read a post. Do you follow Kristen Anders?
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Yeah.
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She did a post like this that I'm just remembering about that, where she was tempted as a parent with her kids to say, oh, that's too hard to do that. Then let's not do it. And then she, like, just went on to say, I realized I don't. I don't want to do that as a parent because of what I robbed them of. That families sometimes are hard. You know, it's hard to, like, go to all the baptisms and all the things. And she was like, but the hard actually is like, what gives it some substance. Like, church sometimes is hard. And it'd be really easy to say like, well, then don't go. I get it. It's kind of hard on you. And relationships are awkward there sometimes. And, you know. But it's like. But no, it's in the grittiness of it. It's in the consistency of it. It is actually in the sacrifice of it that something happens inside our hearts. And I think this is a. It's a good spot. Convicted me, you know, to stop and be like, okay, hold on. Think about how you make your own decisions. Think about how you parent well.
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And my brother once was talking to a coach, and he was talking about different kinds of athletes, and he described three different kinds of athletes. And he was like, there are the orange eaters that are just there at the game because they want the oranges that come out at halftime, and they don't care about playing. They usually sit on the bench. They just eat the oranges. They're just happy to be there. They're glad to wear the jersey, but nothing else is super, like, matters to them about the game.
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And God bless. And God bless them.
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No.
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Yeah.
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And then there's the gamers who are the ones that are like, practice isn't that big of a deal, but when it's game time, they're gonna show up and they're gonna give it all, and they're gonna go out there and they're gonna do a really good job. But they never quite become the athlete that they could because they don't care to. They're just like, they're happy to go to the game and win, but practice doesn't matter. And then there's the All Stars that are like, you Know what? I'm invested in every part of this. I will eat, breathe, live this. I'm gonna go out of my way to do the very best I can. I'm a good teammate. And I was thinking about it the other day about those three different types of athletes and how that applies to, like, me living my life. And what I really thought is that I was like, you know what? All of those are good. They all bring goodness to a team. And quite frankly, every team has all three of those types of athletes. But I sat there and I thought. And I was like, but you know what? It's way more fun to be the All Star than it is to be the Orange Eater or to be the gamer. And quite frankly, there's a lot of hard that comes with that and difficulties and challenges that come with deciding to be an All Star. But it is so much more fun. You love the game more. You love your team more. You care about it a little bit more. You're more invested. The win feels so much better to the All Star than it does the Orange Eater because of how much they've invested into it. And I think that that's a really interesting way to start this section of Come Follow Me, because it almost gives you a glimpse of, like, you can choose how invested you are, and you can choose the easy route. It's really easy to be on the team and eat oranges at halftime, and that's gonna be fine. And you're needed on the team and they're not gonna kick you off, and they're glad you're there, and it's good that the gamer's there. All of that's gonna be good. But there's something about choosing the more difficult way that I think gives you the depth of a spiritual relationship that you want. There's something about choosing the hard thing that makes it better. And I think that that's gonna be true for the rest of this section.
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Yeah, there's the book, right? So anyways, this is what happens. This is kind of what leads. And then. And now, because of this, it actually leads the Northern Kingdom also into just into a lot of trouble. Like, easiness did not lead to discipleship. It led to a lot of trouble in that kingdom. And so from this point on, you have just a mess in both of the kingdoms throughout. And so then you can put this tip in. In chapter 13 that lists all the kings of Israel, Israel and all the kings of Judah. And it has next to them, whether they were good or bad. Spoiler alert. Judah has the only good ones as I'm looking at this. So now what you're getting, like some of the chapters that aren't in arena 14, 15 and 16 all talked about different kings. Then there was this king, then there was this king. You're going to find that in the book of Chronicles also. So slide that in. And you just have these kings of the divided kingdom so that when we're talking about different prophets and they mention what king is there at the time, you could look back on this in reference and be like, oh, okay, that's in Israel. And that's kind of like during the same time as, you know, this or this or that. Because we have. We're not looking at the timeline today, but if you looked at the timeline, which we will in next week, I think when you see where the kingdom divides as we move into the later part of the Old Testament, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Habakkuk, Micah. You didn't even list any. I was like playing. I was trying to play a game kind of.
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I was like, that's out of my bank. Right, okay.
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List you these prophets, the prophets at the end of the book starting, you know the ones, you know, the prophet books, they all could fit in somewhere in one of these kings. Like they're a prophet to either the northern kingdom of Israel, a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah during the reign of one of these people. And they're not in order. And so just FYI, that's how the Old Testament is put together. So we're going to get into the story of one of those prophets today, starting in chapter 17. He's someone you may have heard of before, the prophet Elijah. And you find out that in verse one, that he is a prophet at the time of Ahab, which is one of the kings of the northern kingdom. So he is dealing with Ahab and having his ministry in the northern kingdom of Israel starting in 17. And if you have your journal, I love this page in the journal for this, for this week. It is two things actually. One, the journal which is gonna go through the stories of Elijah. There's just some really well known stories and stories that teach just great lessons from the life of Elijah. And I think the overall lesson from each of these is the different ways that God comes into our story. They all kind of teach different ways that God enters into our lives and enters into our experiences. And I love that they're all right next to each other with the same person because that's just true of every one of us. God shows up in different ways. You have this in your journal. You also have this week, two for one, a tip in that goes into 1 Kings 17, that just outlines these stories so that every time you come back to the Old Testament, you'll just be like, hey, where's that story of the widow's son again? Or where's that story of the, you know, when he calls down rain? Or whatever? There are the stories of Elijah are on that tip in. And you can slide that into chapter 17. Okay, so we're going to talk about different ways that God comes into our stories with these different stories. Now, this is not on the worksheet, but I'm adding in a bonus one here. Just a mini guy to add in, because the situation at the beginning of chapter 17 is there is a famine in the land of Israel. No dew or rain for these many years. We find out in verse one. So it's not raining, which means there's no food and there's no crops and there's no any of that. And then this is so kind of gross, but interesting. Verse 4, it says, and it shall be. He says to Elijah. The Lord does. Says to Elijah, go hide yourself in verse three by the brook, cherith. And he goes, and he says, you will drink of that brook. That's how you're going to get your water. And he says, and I've commanded the ravens to feed you there. So he did. He went according to the word of the Lord and drank from the brook. And then verse five, and the ravens brought in bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. First of all, this is the nastiest doordash there ever was in the history of the earth. But also, God invented doordash. Do we think about that for a second? Yeah, he brought it with the ravens. I actually don't if I'm thinking of the right bird. I'm not a bird person, but aren't they the nasty birds, like crows?
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Like. Like, I don't know how much either, but.
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But yeah, like, why are you doing that?
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I imagine them rude too, like a raven
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or whatever. It's like, that's why you need a scarecrow, because they're gonna eat all your stuff or something.
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Oh, that seems.
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I don't know why he didn't bring a dove. Yeah, that had been more on brand with heaven for sure, but it's ravens. And I just think two things about this one. It's interesting. Okay, first lesson. God comes every morning and every evening. He is the Kind of God who brings us what we need on a daily basis. This is the manna principle being repeated. That he takes care of us a day at a time, right? That mercies renew every morning and every evening, and he's. And he's going to be there for us. But the second part is sometimes that strength, right, that. That daily nourishing comes in unexpected ways. And in this case, a raven, which is considered an unclean bird to Israelites, this would have been a really wildly unexpected way for God to take care of him. And I think that's something. When we talk about ways that God comes into our stories, I want to talk about not only the consistency, but I also wanna talk about that it might come in ways that you never expected so good.
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And in that little verse, there's just this. In that little story, there's this verse that's so interesting to me. It's verse number five. And because David already kind of explained this. But what a wild thing to, like, bank your faith on. He's like, listen, go to that brook and a raven's gonna bring you food every day. And, like, in my head, I'd be like, what do you mean?
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Like, logistically, there are so many problems with that.
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Like, I don't even know where. With my concerns. Like, that would be me. Like, immediately I would raise my hand and say, I have 18 questions. How much time do you have for me to resolve all of my concerns about your plan? And don't worry. Verse 5. So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He did not even think twice. And there's something to be said.
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Oh, he may have. Yeah, but he still did.
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But he went. But he went, but he went. And it's so interesting to me because I guess I've just been saying, stuck on that. And maybe, I don't know, I'm just like, that idea of getting off the bench and, like, living a spiritual life. And I think it's really easy to just be like, yeah, no, like, I'm gonna watch the game and, like, it's, like, fun. Like, I'm gonna be okay to be on the bench. And I'm so happy to eat oranges, and that's gonna be great. And, like, good. Sit on the bench and be on the team. We love people on the team. Like, that's gonna be perfect. But at some point, you have to get off the bench. And it feels like chapter 17 is gonna, like, walk you through what does it look like to get off the bench and live the gospel experience. The miracles that God has for you. And part of it looks like trusting when someone calls your name to go. Sometimes, like if. Especially if you're on the bench, it's a little bit like if they call your name to get in the game, sometimes you want to be like, are you sure? Because I'm actually not the best one on the team for this and there might be someone better. And I don't really know if I know the play that good. So I don't know if I trust that this is going to work. And no, he went and did according to the word of the Lord. They called his name. He went.
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And I think it's a. I know you're not saying. Let's just say that asking questions is. Is not a bad thing, you know, and to, you know, to worry about it. But it could paralyze you. It could. The questions could keep you out.
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Yeah.
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If he just sat there and maybe he wondered them. But the fact is that he still went without. Everything worked out, right. Without it being spelled out. And I think I really. That's really cool. And you know, because you could like ask questions, wonder, but also move and also go.
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And it's so interesting what happens in the rest of the story, because this isn't a one time thing. No, he's like, okay, I'm gonna do it. Like, whatever's happening with that raven, that's not my business until I get to the. Until I get to where I'm gonna drink and I'll get to the brook and I'll figure out the raven business. And it did work. And then after a while, while the brook dried up and there was no more water for him. And he started realizing, I need to do something else. And so then, don't worry, the Lord came back to him and said, here's your new plan. Get up and go. And guess what? He does. No problem. Verse 10.
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And I don't know if you're coming back to this, but I just really think that's like, that's something that I kind of noted while I was reading because things change, right? When you're living a disciple's life, when you're living a life, trying to live under the, you know, the direction of God in your life, you know, there will be this season and then. And then will come another one. The book will dry up. Right. And it was a blessing. The brook was a blessing. And it dried up. It just didn't last forever.
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And it's okay that God's plan is gonna be more than one Part. Yeah, yeah, that's gonna be fine. That's gonna be fine. And so, of course, he just arose and he went, because he already knew that worked with God. He had seen that with the raven, and he thought, okay, I can trust God now because it worked out with the raven in the brook. So if God wants me to get up and leave here, I know that he's gonna have something for me. And he gets up and goes. And while he's at the gate of the city, he sees a woman there, and she's gathering sticks. And he looks at her and he says, hey, can you go and grab me a little bit of water in that vessel so that I could have a drink, too? And as she was going to fetch it, like, he, like, calls back to her, and he's like, wait, wait, wait. Come back. Actually, I also would love if you could bring me a little bit of bread. And already, you know something about that woman, because she was in the middle of her busyness, okay? She was already fetching sticks. She had her chores, and he asked her to do something, and she just went. She was on her way doing that while he called her back. And you're seeing this pattern here of just like, okay, let me just go for it. And then he asked for bread, and then she looks at him and she says, okay, wait, wait, wait. I need you to understand that I don't have that. I don't have a cake. I only have this tiny bit of meal. Like, I don't have anything to offer you. I have a tiny bit of oil. There's nothing that I can do. And to be honest, what I was doing, what you were watching me do, is I was going to get sticks because I was gonna make our very last meal. And me and my son only have enough food for one last meal. So I. Like, I don't know what you expect from me, but I don't have enough food for me and my kid. I don't know. I don't have enough food for you. Like, I don't know what to tell you right now. And Elijah looks at her, and he must have been confident. And I can't help but think he was confident because of what he experienced with the raven and the brook, that he knew that God could do impossible things. He knew that God could provide in a way that didn't make sense. And he said, listen, don't be afraid. Just go and do that. Make me a little bit of cake first. Bring it to me. And after that, make some for you and your son. It's a bold ask. And you're kind of like, why are you being so selfish? Like, is that last lady. Like, it's her last meal with her son, and you're like, bring me something first. But I think that says less about Elijah as a person and more about the God he believed in, because he had experienced a God that gave him exactly what he needed. That there was not a doubt in his mind that God would do the same thing for her as he had done for him. And I think that's. That is such an interesting story to me, because he wasn't being selfish. He was trusting God. And he would have never asked for that first. If there was even a sliver of a doubt that God wouldn't provide for that woman. But he knew. He knew that God would. He knew that the second you get off the bench, he's like, no, God's going to provide what you need. The second you step up and go for it, God will take care of us both. I know it. And so she's like, okay, well, it's
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interesting that I'm just thinking, like, that lady doesn't know it, you know? And Elijah, maybe she. Maybe she has experiences.
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She does. She doesn't. Because, wait, this is the craziest part. But keep going.
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But then. But also coming back to, like, what we were talking about at the beginning. Could there have been, like, seven days worth of meals in the pot when, like, Elijah shows up? Yes. Clearly, God told him which day to go, so he sends him on the day that there's nothing left. So it makes you wonder, that doesn't feel coincidental. Why did you send him on that day? And I actually think the decision this lady makes with only one day left is going to do something to her heart that seven days left, like, couldn't have done.
- [25:46]
B
Absolutely. Absolutely. And you're going to see something about desperation in this story that's really intriguing to me. And you see it more as the story goes on. Like, I just, like, can't really get out of my mind. But what happens is he looks and he says, listen, if you do that for me, you will have enough. As long as there's a drought, you will have enough to eat. You're gonna be fine. You'll be taken care of. And in verse 15, it says the exact same line about her as it does about him. And she went and did, according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he and her house did eat many days, and the barrel of meal wasted not. Neither did the cruse of oil for According to the word of the Lord. And exactly what he said would happen happened. And Elijah comes, and her son actually gets really sick. And she goes back to Elijah, and she's like, hey, I thought you were gonna help my family out. And now are you just tricking me? And, like, yeah, we can eat. But now my son's gonna die either way. Like, this doesn't make sense. And Elijah's like, let me take your son. And, like, he goes. And he puts his son in his bed, and he goes and he prays over him, and it's so cute. And he cries over the Lord, and he's like, please let this boy's soul come back into his body. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived, and he goes down, and he takes the son to that sweet widow, and he says, look, he's okay. And this part is what I cannot get out of my mind. And the woman said to Elijah, now, by this, I know that you are a man of the Lord and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is. And the craziest part to me is, she did so many faithful things before that without knowing he was a man of God. And, like, what in the world that she was giving that man his last meal. And even after it worked out and she was eating, she still wasn't sure. She still wasn't convinced. Like, her heart wasn't confident that he really was a man of God until that moment. And I think there's a really beautiful lesson about faith here, that sometimes the faith, the most, like, faithful part of us happens before. Like, I don't know if I'm saying this exactly right, but what I'm trying to say is that sometimes you have to make the decision to be faithful before you have the faith to believe it. And that's what she did. And Elijah knew, and he had faith, and he was getting off the bench, and he's like, I'm gonna go wherever God asks, I'm gonna go. And she decided to also get off the bench. But before she was even 100% certain that it was a good idea, before she was even 100% certain that God was who she thought he was, before she even had a testimony, before she believed that all of the things God said were gonna work, she still got off the bench anyway. And I think that there's moments in life when we have to make the choice and say, you know what? I'm not sure how this is gonna work out. I'm not sure if I really believe that this is good. I'm not sure if this is the best choice for my life right now. I'm not sure. Not 100% confident, but I'm gonna go anyway. I'm gonna give it a chance. Maybe because of fear, maybe because of desperation, maybe because hopefulness. I think more than anything, if you look at the root of desperation and the choices we make in desperation, I think we make those choices because we're hopeful. And I think she was. She was hopeful. It worked out and it did. And I think that lately I just, like, want to look at my life and I just want to give myself a pep talk, and I just want to, you know what? Get off the bench, Grace and go out. Because there are miracles waiting for me when I'm off the bench. And even if I'm not sure how it's going to work out, even If I'm not 100% confident, even if I don't have all the knowledge, all the answers, even if I'm not sure that is the best idea, I just want to get off the bench and try. Because that's where it seems like the miracles are.
- [29:21]
A
Yeah. You know, there's something else about this story. It's just interesting that. I mean. I mean, there's. It's like, I love that you did both parts, because the first part, we usually tell it, and it's. And there's that great line where it's like in 14, and neither will the cruise of oil fail until the day that the Lord will send rain. That said, I will take care of you until the day. Until the right. Whatever day that that may be when. When everything is right again. And. And that's the promise of God in this chapter, is, I won't fail you until the day. But something happens where that boy dies. And it's so wild because, like, there was this promise that if you will trust in God, then. Then the blessing will come, and she does it, and then he dies. And I think there's so often times that we. That this happens to us where something happens in our lives. And we say. Our first response back is, this lady's is like, am I being punished for my sins? Like, I tried to do everything right. I did everything the way I was supposed to do, and things didn't work out. I mean, they did for a minute, was at a tease. And then now I lost my son. And I feel like there are people who will read this and say, oh, yeah, that's my story where we did what God asked us to do and we sacrificed and we still lost something really important to us. And in this story it's resolved pretty quickly. But I would say in most people's stories that these verses 19 through 23 are maybe a little bit longer, I think just with people I've talked to and, and, and met. But I, I, I love that the story addresses that question that so many people will ask and say did you take my son because of my sins? Am I being punished for something that I did wrong? The mom asks it and Elijah asks it in, in the story and but there's two parts that are, that are true. One is I think God can answer back. And he says no, I'm giving my son for your sins. I'm giving my son to resolve all of this. And whenever that comes that day when Elijah says in verse 23 see thy Son liveth that that day is coming for everybody who's lost someone or a something even if they've been been faithful. And this story speaks to people who do everything they're supposed to do and do sacrifice and still lose things. The promise is still true for them that God won't fail you until the day, until the day that everything is made right and your son lives again. God will not fail you. And that's true in both parts of those stories. This is such a rich story. So good, so many awesome things from it. I hope we did it some, some bit of justice. Next story, chapter 18. As you keep going. This guy's just, he's what an adventure. I was gonna say he should write a journal but we're actually reading it. He did actually don't worry because what great stories. You know to just look at his, his whole life. So many things that are just so gritty happened in his life. And chapter 18 is probably his most famous well known story of the famine has now been all this time. And the Lord sends him to the king Ahab and he goes to the king and he gets, and he says okay, it's time to just talk about this and resolve this. How, how long are you going to turn your back on the Lord? And there's that, that great verse. Where Is it verse 20 where he not only Ahab but everybody, all the, all the people of the land gather together on this mountain. It's called Mount Carmel, but we're going to call it Carmel because why would you not off as you read. So they're on top of this mount and all the people gather together and there's just been like a, there's been a, a feud between Elijah and Ahab, but particularly Ahab's wife, whose name is Jezebel. And he marries this woman and the Bible dictionary says about her, she single handedly brought down the spirituality of the entire kingdom. So like, perfect. Yeah.
- [33:49]
B
Wow, like, good resume.
- [33:52]
A
What would the Bible say about you? So there's just this feud between them. And he just finally says, when are you going to let that go? And he says to all the people in verse 20 that are all together, 21, sorry Elijah came to all the people. And he says, how long halt ye between two opinions? The new living translation that is my best says it translates this. How long will you hobble between two opinions? If Jehovah, if the Lord, Lord, it says, be God. If Jehovah is God, follow him. But if BAAL is, then follow him. Like who is it? Is it Jehovah or is it the BAAL that all of you people are worshiping? Like, let's stop hobbling between that and pick who's actually the Lord. And he says let's, and he puts together a little competition here. And he says, let's put an altar up on top of this mountain and whichever of our gods answers it with fire, let that be evidence this is the true and living God. Okay, can we do that? And they all agree to it. And he says, you go first. And he has the prophets of BAAL put up their altar and put on their cow on that altar. And then they, they sing and they dance and they call and they do their, their things to try and, and, and you know, bring down fire from heaven. And this is where Elijah really shines. Because in 27, it says came to pass about noon, he starts to mock them and he says, why don't, why don't you yell louder? Maybe he can't hear you. Or he says maybe he's on a walk or talking to someone else. Or in the King James it says maybe he's pursuing, which is, which means in the bathroom. That's just a little savage, to be honest. He says, like, maybe your God's in the bathroom.
- [35:31]
B
He does have an attitude.
- [35:33]
A
You know, listen, he's been fed by, by ravens. He has, he has permission to have so true. Some of this sass. And they, and, and they, and nothing happens. And so he says, okay, my turn. He takes 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel, which I think is awesome because he's going to call out to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And you remember that name, is a name that remembers all that he has done for the house of Israel. And he lays out the sacrifice on the altar. And he says to people, I want you to douse it with three bucket, I mean, four buckets of water and make a trench around it. And then he goes again, and they douse it with four more buckets of water. And he goes again and they douse it with four more buckets of water. In the middle of a drought, mind you, and then says, hear me, O Lord, that this people may know this is verse 37, that you are the Lord God and that you have turned their heart back again. That's what I love best about this. Not prove to them that you're real, but prove to them that you are a God who's willing to take them back again. And with that on the line, God says, you bet I'm going to answer. And he sends down it says, the first fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust. And I love this line. And it licked up the water that was in the trench. A fireball comes from heaven. And just there's no doubt in people's mind there's no. Like, that may have been a coincidence. Nope. With the trench and the water doused and on the very moment, God answers in this miraculous and bigger than life way. And I just want us all to remember that sometimes God does answer and come into our stories with fire from heaven in a way that blows your socks off. We do actually believe in a God who opens oceans and can do anything, anytime, anywhere. And sometimes, maybe it's not the most often, and in my experiences and the people I've met not. But sometimes he does answer with fire from heaven and a way that just wows you, a way that is a spectacle. And I love worshiping a fireworks kind of God.
- [38:03]
B
So good. And right after that, Elijah goes up to Ahab and he says, listen, you get up and you eat and you drink, because the sound, there is a sound of abundance of rain. That's in verse 41.
- [38:16]
A
And because remember, it's. It's been famine for three years.
- [38:19]
B
Yeah, yeah. And the best part about this is that first of all, it's like the sound of rain. And it just so you know, it's not raining yet. Like, it's just the sound. He says, the sound of rain. And it's like, it's a lot. Abundance of rain.
- [38:31]
A
And Ahab, like, he's like, a hurricane is coming.
- [38:34]
B
Yeah. And he's like, okay. He's like, great. Like. Like that's gonna be fine. And he goes. And he goes and just set one. And Elijah goes to the mountain, and he grabs one of his servants and he says, listen, go look towards the sea, because rain is coming. Like, I promise you, rain is coming. And just like, for the record, let's all remember here, I'm not a weatherman, but, like, rain's pretty obvious, okay? Like, it's like a cloud. Like, there's storms coming. Like, you could tell if it is. Like, if it's like, the middle of the afternoon and it is blue skies and sunny. Like, no one's thinking a storm is coming and a storm hasn't come. So he's like, go look, like you're gonna see the storm coming. Go look towards the sea. And the servant goes, and I'm sure on the way that servant thought, this is the word of God.
- [39:20]
A
It's gonna be good.
- [39:20]
B
It's gonna be crazy out there. And he gets to looking at the sea, and there's nothing. And he comes back and he's like, sorry, I hate to tell you what, but nothing's there. And he's like, listen, go again. Go seven times. And this sweet servant just goes back
- [39:44]
A
and goes back on time, number five. But he's like, still nothing.
- [39:53]
B
He's like, this guy is still blue. I'm not seeing a single thing.
- [39:56]
A
And Elijah's like, are you kidding me?
- [39:58]
B
No, I know. Like, what's. Poor Elijah thinks. He's like, please be real. Please.
- [40:01]
A
I put my ribs. Please be real. Yeah.
- [40:02]
B
He's like, oh, no. He's like, that guy's already celebrating. Ahab celebrated. Like. Like, make something happen. And I was just thinking about the times in our life that maybe we get a promise from God and we go to look for it, and we're so excited to look for it. And we're like, this is gonna be good. I've been waiting for this for years. And then we go and look at it. We go look, and there's nothing. And we come back and we're like, you know what? Let me give it another go. Maybe I'm gonna see the blessing now. Maybe I'm gonna see the promise fulfilled now and try two. Nothing. And try three. Nothing. And by try five, you're thinking, did I make up the promise? Was that really real? How is that gonna happen? And by try 6, you think to yourself, I look like a fool for believing, because I know that that was the word of the Lord. But maybe the Lord lied, or maybe he misspoke, or maybe I misunderstood because the Promise isn't coming. And to that I will say verse 44. And it came to pass at the seventh time that he said, behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea. And it was just small, but it was the promise they had been waiting for. And it might take longer than expected. It might take years of waiting. It might take you going back over and over and over again. And it may take a few times where you begin to doubt that it might even be possible. But the seventh try will come, and the blessing will be fulfilled. And I was thinking the other day about this time in my seminary class. In the olden days, I used to have everyone at the beginning of class write down where they saw God and the. Their life. And I noticed that one kid just never would, Never would, never would. And I went over and I said, hey, like, where have you seen God in your life? And they said, I haven't. And I said, no, just keep thinking. Just keep thinking. And then they said, I have it. I haven't. And day after day they would come in, and every day I'd go over to their desk, and I'd be like, have you seen God today? And I would give them, like, what about this? What about this? What about this? And they'd say, no, no, no. And I'd try to open their eyes and help them see. And they just said, no, no, no. And then one time they came in and I walked over to their desk, and I said, have you seen God in your life? And he looked up and he said, yes, at basketball. And I was like, oh, my gosh. And I was so excited. And then he looked and he said, but do you think that's too small of a thing? And I just think about this servant who went and he looked over the sea finally on the seventh time. And he saw the smallest storm cloud. And I wonder if half of him was so excited that there was a cloud, and the other half thought he promised an abundance of rain, and we got a little cloud. And I wonder if he wondered if that was enough. But there you go. It was. It was all the rain you could imagine. It was enough rain for the whole drought. And I just think that that story teaches me two important lessons. And the first lesson is that God keeps His promises, even if it takes seven times of looking for them. But also, when you're looking for God, it might seem like he's not there. And when he does show up, it might seem smaller than you thought it was. But the longer you look, the more you'll find Him.
- [43:23]
A
Yeah. And I just love these two stories right next to each other because there are two experiences that every disciple has. Sometimes that fireball comes down from heaven right when you ask in a spectacular way. And then the next day you're looking and see nothing until the little cloud comes. And in the nlt, my best member, I like this. It says this in 45. Soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific storm. And I like that word soon. You know, and it's relative in God's timing. But soon the black, the, you know, the heavens will be black with clouds and a terrific rainstorm will come. And then 46 says this. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. And 46. I mean, in the King James, it says, and the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, which I really, really like. But it made me want to start praying for a special strength, you know, for the times that we wait. And he's going to need it in verse 19, because then he goes. And you think after the rainstorm and after the fireball that. That would have convinced Jezebel, but no, you know what it says about her in the Bible dictionary? God bless. And she sends a messenger to Elijah and says, I, I, if my. I double down on killing you, I want you dead, and may I die if I don't kill you. Like, she just. Nothing works. And it's like, oh, my gosh. Like, that's what Elijah kind of feels like. His job, his mission is, is to bring people to the Lord. And he was like, I can't do it. Even with and rainstorms, I can't do it. And so this part is so sweet. In verse four, it says, so he went a day's journey into the wilderness, and he came and he sat under a juniper tree, and he requested for himself that he might die and said, it's enough, Lord, take away my life. I'm no better than any of my fathers. And I just. Who's been under the juniper tree is what I want to know. Who's gotten to a point where nothing's working, nothing's happening the way you wanted or thought. And finally, it's just too much. Like, he's like, that's too much for me is what he said. So he just sat down under that tree and said, I give up. I don't want to do it. And it says, and he falls asleep under that tree in verse five. And then an angel comes and touched him and says, arise and eat. And what do you know? Verse 6 says, and he Looked. And behold, there was a cake baking on the coals and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink and laid him down again. Now, y', all, this is the one time in my life I must say to you, do not read the nlt, okay? Or any other translation of the Bible. You stick to the King James on this one, because a cake technically is probably like bread, but that. I'm not doing that, okay? I'm KJV all the way on the story when the angel brings him a cake on this day.
- [46:12]
B
Way better.
- [46:13]
A
It's way better. And don't take the frosting out of my mind. And don't take the candles out of my mind. Your facts are ruining my story. And so there he is on his hardest day where he's like, I don't have enough to make it for tomorrow. And an angel shows up with a cake and a drink and a nap for him. And that's sometimes how God shows up in our lives. And it's usually the errand of angels to bring us that cake and nap and glass of milk or whatever it was to help us get through. And verse seven, it continues. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and woke him up and says, arise and eat again because the journey is too great for you. And verse eight, he did wake up and ate and drank and then went forth in the strength of that meal for 40 days and 40 nights. And I just. I believe in the God of the. Of a cake. A God who sends angels. That's how he shows up in our story sometimes. Especially on the days that feel like I don't. I can't do it anymore and I. I don't have enough. Thank God for those angels who come. It makes me think of the angel who comes in Gethsemane when Jesus says the same thing. I can't do this anymore. God just sends angels to strengthen, and he sends little cakes and naps for us because the journey is too great. No one can do this on their own. We all need the help of angels and the blessings of heaven to make it through. And this one got him through for another at least 40 days and 40 nights.
- [47:46]
B
And he finds himself in a little cave after that moment. And I do just wonder about those 40 days and 40 nights. And what he do would was thinking and sorry, I got the hiccups. That's how I was sitting so far back in my chair because I was trying not to hiccup into the microphone. I'll just do my Best everyone. And he went and he was hiding in the. Remember?
- [48:04]
A
We learned a trick for hiccups.
- [48:06]
B
I learned a trick, but it's embarrassing. I know a trick, but I can't do it. It's embarrassing.
- [48:09]
A
Okay, fine.
- [48:10]
B
You have to, like, plug your nose and plug your ears and breathe in. It's like. It's like a whole moment.
- [48:14]
A
Welcome to the table. People are at the table, Grace.
- [48:17]
B
We are. And he finds himself in a little cave. And I do wonder about those 40 days and 40 nights and what he was thinking and what was happening and what he was hoping for and what his plans were, and if he even had plans or he was just trying to do his best. And then the Lord comes to him in the cave and says, what are you doing here, Elijah? And he says, I don't even know. I'm just trying my best. I'm only the one. I'm the only one left. Like, I'm just doing my very best I can. And he says, go up to the mountain and stand before the Lord. And the Lord is going to pass by. The Lord's going to show up. If you go there, that's where you need to be. And so he goes. And I am sure on the way up that mountain, he thought to himself, I do know the Lord, and I do need him right now. Because last time I needed the Lord, he showed up with a fireball from the sky. And it was a incredible and miraculous. And I need a miracle that big. I just need, like, that type of pep talk from the Lord. I need him to remind me what he's capable of. And he goes up, and there is a great and strong wind in the mountains, so strong that it broke pieces of the rocks in front of him. And then it. And then it says this in verse 11. But the Lord was not in the wind. And I'm sure he saw that. And he saw, oh, yeah, an earthquake. This is gonna be the Lord. He is big and he is bold, and he's gonna be exactly what I need him to be. But he was wasn't in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake. And I'm sure he was like, oh, yeah, an earthquake that's big and loud. And that is how the Lord shows up for me. And then it says, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire. And that would have been familiar for him. He would have thought, yes, I've seen the Lord in fire before. This is it. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small voice. And it just is the cutest little lesson to me that the Lord might not always be where you expect him to be, but find out how he's going to speak to you. And you might have been expecting the earthquake and the rocks falling and the fire, but the Lord might not have been there for you. That doesn't mean that the Lord won't still show up. That just might mean you need to wait a little bit longer. And he will be in unexpected places and unexpected times, and you might be looking for him and have the same response, but the Lord was not there. Trust that he is still on the way. You might just need to wait for an unexpected moment. And the Lord gives him the pep talk he needs, but just know that the Lord is coming.
- [51:02]
A
Well, and I think I was just. I just noticed this, this time that the mountain that he goes to is Horeb, which is Sinai. So he's going to Moses Mountain is where he's going. And certainly he knows the story, right?
- [51:14]
B
For sure.
- [51:15]
A
He has to know that story. And. And God actually did show up with wind power, earthquake and fire at Mount Sinai with Moses. That's how he came, right? And so it's interesting that he's in this place that's in his version of the Scriptures where he's like, oh, this is what I've learned from stories of scriptures of how God shows up and earthquakes, fire and whatever, you know? And on that particular occasion, he didn't for him on that day. And he has shown up with fire before. So it's always weird. I always read this and I was like, what? He isn't a fire. He was in the last chapter and he was in the window. What are you talking about? And he's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But he was like, on that particular day, he didn't come in the ways. In those ways, but he still came. And I was just caught up as you were talking, on the fact you kept using the word still. This uses the word still. I think we say still small.
- [52:11]
B
Yeah.
- [52:11]
A
And we use small as a synonym for still. And I was trying to look it up in the. Because I was just studying again when God says to Moses to stand still at the Red Sea. And the Hebrew of that standstill is don't give up is what it is. And so I was wondering. And it was glitching. It won't work. It won't work.
- [52:32]
B
So we don't know.
- [52:33]
A
We don't know. We don't know. But I was so intrigued by the fact that you were using that word still to mean consistency. And whether that's the Hebrew of this word or not, I don't know. But it is true that God might not show up in earthquakes or fire. He might show up in quiet ways, but he still shows up. That's how I want to use that word right there. That word means consistent is what it means. Like, there's so much variety in this section. He's the God who doesn't fail your oil. And he's the God of the fireball. And he's the God of the little cloud after seven tries. And he's the God of the little cake who says it's okay to take 4, 40 days and a nap if you need to. I'll wait. And he is the God of earthquake and the wind, and he's also the God of smallness and quietness. But the thing that's true in all of this, from Moses to Elijah, is his consistency. That he is still there, still moving and working, and that he won't fail you until the day. That's what we learn about this. However he shows up, until the day he's. He's gonna be there with a. With a special strength that'll be given to you with his hand over you. So. Oh, this is such an awesome section. I'm now in love again. Okay, y', all, we'll see you next week. If you wanna follow along in everything we're doing, you can find us on Instagram, @don'tmissthis study, at this week's Grace, and @MrDaveButler.
- [54:00]
B
And if you wanna subscribe to the app or get our weekly newsletter, all of the information can be found@don'tmissthisstudy.com See you next week.