Відео

As a layperson, I’m currently writing a book on Joab-undoubtedly one of the most complex figures in the Bible. 1. I appreciate the clarification regarding Amasa being made commander for life-thank you for pointing that out. 2. Commentaries offer mixed interpretations about Amasa’s movements. Some suggest he was on a forced march from Jerusalem, hurrying to catch up and take charge of the troops. If this were the case, Joab’s actions would appear even more abhorrent. Others propose that Amasa was actually returning to Jerusalem. Given that Gibeon is six miles north of Jerusalem, within Benjamin’s territory, this interpretation could indicate that Amasa’s disobedience was more severe than simply being delayed. After all, he was supposed to pass through Judah and report back within three days. 3. Some commentaries suggest that after Joab’s blade fell from its sheath, he naturally picked it up and held it in his left hand. Amasa may have noticed the blade but thought little of it, having just seen Joab retrieve it casually. 4. The detail about Amasa wallowing in the road might imply that, although the blow was ultimately fatal, it wasn’t immediately so. Thank you for your thoughtful work and insights-they’ve been incredibly helpful!

Thanks for unpacking that episode in the life of Elijah. I have always wondered how he quickly went from such a huge victory to a state of depression immediately after but in reading the accounts of many great missionaries and evangelists I find it is not uncommon to have a mountain top experience followed by the lows of a valley. Perhaps it's God's way of preventing pride from accompanying a great accomplishment through God's power. Paul talks about his thorn in the flesh that kept him dependent on God continually. In any event thank you for te lkessons learned in this chapter.

Phenomenal breakdown. Just came across this verse and I need this commentary. Many blessings

I always marveled at Elijah's ability to outrun the horse drawn chariot so thanks for clearing that up. You gave us a good lesson on what to expect when we pray. My mother was a great prayer warrior. I remember when we were living in Orillia the dog next door was always giving grief to my wife's piano students. My wife happened to mention this to my mom and she told my wife " Don't worry about it I will take the matter before the Lord and He will look after it." The next day the neighbor woke up to find their dog dead in their living room. Problem solved. Faith conquers all.

Thanks for your analysis of this great showdown. I wonder how long from that event the Israelites stayed true to the one true God Jehovah. They had a pathetic history right from the crossing of the Red Sea onward of quickly abandoning the worship of the Lord God and turning toward the heathen gods. Just wondering.

I like where you pointed out that the tremendous faith required of Elijah to stage this contest with complete confidence in his God Yahweh was a result of his previous faith building experiences up until this time. Had he not fully leaned on God in those earlier tests he would not have been prepared for this extreme undertaking. I'm sure Elijah identified with David's prayer in Psalm 25:2 " I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat." The lesson for us is to step out in unwavering faith when the time requires it in order for our faith to grow stronger. Thanks for the reminder, Ken.

The relationship between Obadiah and Ahab is similar in some ways to that between Nehemiah and Artaxerxes or Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar. We could maybe even include Joseph and Pharaoh. These were men who served God faithfully and their attitude and ability were such that their royal masters rated them above their peers and trusted them implicitly. Have we served our employers in such a way that they considered us in the same high esteem as these men were held ? I regret that I fell short of that standard during my working days.

Thanks for pointing out many things I have overlooked reading this passage. The next chapter will be jam packed with things to be learned and I am looking forward to it with great anticipation. Not only will we see how God shows His power over the spiritual enemies lurking in our dimension ( represented by Baal in this case) but we also get a look into the characters of Elijah, Ahab, and especially Jezabel whose spirit is at work in today's world in the unseen realm but inhabiting many on the world scene. We see the human weaknesses and/or strengths of those involved in the story before during and after the great showdown.Many of these principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places are busy in our world today. Unfortunately many churches refuse to delve into this subject at a time when the church badly needs to be aware of the unseen enemy in order to take up armour against it. I can't wait to have you unpack the next chapter for us.

I suppose in some small way this could be similar to one of us being asked to help out a homeless person by buying him a meal at a time when we were stressed out with our own problems. Would be willing to put aside our own overwhelming concerns and stop to help this person in need ? It reminds me of a time when I was in university, newly married and living on a tight budget. When we went shopping we added up the price of our groceries until w the total reached $10 then we stopped regardless of how much we had left on the list. One day this neighbour lady had a chance to buy a home if only she could pay the first few months payments immediately.. She could raise the money in about 3 months but the deadline was at the end of the week. We felt led to help her out and dug deep into our savings and loaned her the amount. She was very grateful and made the purchase. We never heard from her again except we found out that after having moved in she was unable to continue the monthly payments and was foreclosed on. We never recovered that money but did not regret what we did. We felt that we had given a message of love and hope to someone in need and that was all that mattered. What happened after that was up to God. That has been a guiding principle in my life.

God intended the Jews to be a witness and an example to the world of how Jehovah could bring peace, prosperity and righteousness to the world were they to follow His commandments and precepts. Elijah was considered the greatest of the prophets. It doesn't make sense that God would bring a Gentile to carry out this important task for His people. I also believe that Elijah will be one of the two Jewish witnesses during the tribulation along with Moses who will represent the law.Revelations 11 says this "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." We know that the olive tree always refers to the Hebrews and therefore the 2 witnesses will be Jewish. If you read the rest of that passage you discover that some the miracles such as the withholding of rain for 3.5 years perfectly reflect what Elijah did. So it seems obvious to me that the 2 witnesses, Elijah who represents the prophets and Moses who represents the law bring to the whole planet the combination that was given to Israel in biblical times. All that points to Elijah being Jewish. That's my blurb for today.

Wasn’t Ruth considered to be a gentile convert? 9:44

Theres a question as to which god told him to take the census. Which god? There is a qeustion there.. if you look at it subjectively.

You got me thinking about the other side of the coin. God in His infinite grace and love predestined me to be born into a godly family going back as far as three generations as far as I know. With a heritage like that I have no excuse. I have tried my best to hand this down to my kids and grandkids.

Your last clarification is an excellent one and is borne out by King David. He repented in tears of his sin with Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet told him that due to his repentant heart God would forgive him. However the consequences would remain and would p[lay out for generations that followed. The lesson for us is that we need to keep our hearts and our actions pure so that we don't bring such consequences on ourselves, our families or others. We want to spread blessings instead.

In a way, Baasha functioned similarly to Jehu who destroyed Ahab's household but later departed from God's ways after he became king. On a different note, every time I read that phrase "unto the third and fourth generation" I can't help thinking of the Kennedys how old Joe started on the wrong road and tragedy has followed the family line right to the present (fourth) generation. Maybe it's possible that someone in that family might come to know the Lord and change the future.

It seems a common theme throughout the Old Testament where some kings started out good, maybe even very good, but failed to finish the course in a way pleasing to God. This trend started early with Solomon and occurred several times. King Hezekiah is another one that comes to mind. We want to be like Paul who was able to say as he faced imminent death "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" 2Ti 4:7

Absolutely. Pun incidental. Impersonality is a distortion which manifests as a dysfunction in the human mind. The void is a distortion. Emptiness is a distortion. God is absolute and beyond what, where and when. The effect of sin upon the world is so pervasive that we can't fathom existence without it, yet it is the state our souls yearn for but can't tolerate without being reborn. The only "Godforsaken" place is the place where we deny God entry. That is the rebellious soul.

Thanka but backgroun noise is a bit much

Thank you for this exposition Sir

Thanks, Ken. I have never heard that comparison made before - our testimony of gold being replaced by a less valuable, perhaps compromised, one of bronze. That was interesting and thought provoking. How does the world see me today? Am I a shining gold testimony of God's love and grace or am I reduced to a bronze artifact due to taking on some of the aspects of the world? Thanks again, Ken, for this wake up call.

It is easy to criticize Israel and Judah for constantly abandoning God in spite of the fact that He rescued them from their troubles time and time again. Yet sometimes we forget to examine our own hearts and recall the number of times we have gone our own way and God has prevented us from bringing on personal disaster -speaking for myself here. Thanks, Ken for that reminder of my own fallibility.

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Thank you! This was great

Ephesians 6:12

You made some very good observations in this study. I took note of two examples you gave of politicians that committed self-inflicted wounds on themselves. I'll say no more other than I fully concur.

I don't think a lot of these evil kings realized that the true prophets had a "hot line" to God. They figured they were some kind of fortune teller a level above the soothsayers of the day. There are examples throughout the Old Testament where the king would punish the prophet for bringing bad tidings , not realizing that they were delivering the very message from God. Had the king realized what the prophets real commission from God was he would have asked for a healing like the king of Syria asked Elisha to do for Naaman. WE can never hide from God, nor can we treat Him like a genie out of a bottle waiting to grant our wishes. Sometimes even as Christians we lean in that direction at times.

Thanks for unpacking this sad and unfortunate as well as unnecessary event for us. I am left with 2 questions the answers to which will probably remain unknown. 1. Why did the older prophet lie to the younger prophet when he knew that God hated lying especially by one of His servants? 2. Why wasn't the older prophet punished for committing this grievous sin that resulted in the death of the younger prophet? Thanks again Ken

Thank you for sharing! I was scratching my head on this chapter. My understanding was just what you explained. However, what confused me was that my study bible at verse 14:19 has commentary that says “God gave Samson a special gift, and Samson impulsively used it for selfish purposes.“ If this was God’s will, how is Samson at fault at this verse according to the commentary here? Where the Spirit came on to Samson and he went down to Ashkelon to kill 30 men. Is he at fault for killing them if this was the Lord’s will? Please let me know your thoughts and if I misunderstood something here. Appreciate your video, thanks so much!

God didn't write the Bible Himself, He used Holy Ghost writers, so the Holy Ghost told the author of 1st Kings that the old prophet lied. The same way the Holy Ghost enabled the writers of the Gospels to include conversations in the narratives.

Good video

I wonder how many witnessed that sign at the altar. The bible doesn't tell us but I'm assuming tat were many that watched that take place since there was a prophecy delivered at the same time that would be carried by word of mouth down the centuries right up until its fulfillment. God doesn't do something like this in secret and for good reason. Similarly the prophecies that are given to us in His word whether it be the rapture the great tribulation, the comprises of the church in Rev 1-3, etc. we see ourselves moving relentlessly towards the finale. Whereas the church once saw all this as a metaphor for something in the future we now see it all taking place before our very eyes. Thanks for showing us this example from the book of Kings.

It seems that in today's culture those at the top both in Canada and south of us are doing their best to extinguish Christianity and replace it with their own form of worship. Worship of abortion (Molech), perverted sex (Ishtar), and sex slavery. Is this not the same as or worse than the golden calf ? There are people in our churches that support the LBGTQ 2+ movement and abortion and it seems to me they can't be very serious students of the Word.

There have been many instances where men have made bad choices but the results turned out to be part of God's plan. In addition to the one in this lesson some other notable examples come to mind. Abraham trying to help God out in producing a son resulted in the birth of a nation that has forever given Israel grief even up until today. But God has used them to exact the punishment on Israel that God warned would happen if they worshipped other gods. I think of Jacob stealing Esau's blessing and God used him to form the great nation of Israel. I could list many others but probably the biggest of all was the decision to crucify Jesus. Just think of what would have happened if Israel had acknowledged Jesus as Messiah and treated Him accordingly we Gentiles would have been hung out to dry unless God had a plan B for this. Thanks for the lesson, Ken

Decisions have consequences. Sometimes the results cascade down generations, decades, centuries and even millennia. Starting with Adam , then Abraham/Ishmael, David and Bathsheba, Saul and the Amalekites, Solomon and the foreign gods, Rehoboam, etc. we see the tragic results continuing down through history to today in some cases. Going for advice without seeking prayerful direction from the Holy Spirit can be a dangerous gamble. When we go advice shopping we tend to seek something pleasing to our ears, though not always. Sometimes when we are trying to find God's will we will consult deeply spiritual brothers and sisters to try and determine what God expects of us. They may give us differing advice at times but that doesn't mean we throw our hans in the air and give up. It simply means we continue in prayer and perhaps fasting and wait on God to give us positive direction. Patience also p[lays into the mixture. Thanks for the lesson, Ken

Like the leadership we have here today, Solomon and his successors lived in a bubble where they neither felt nor appreciated the hardship they imposed on the people. As they do today, he taxed them heavily with impunity.As you point out the taxation issue is only a consequence of the real problem idolatry and turning away from God. Had Solomon followed God's commands and led Israel accordingly Jehovah would have blessed themm abundantly without the unnecessary burden. We, today, have neglected to put God first in our lives influencing our family, our community and finally our culture and now we suffer the consequences. Thanks for showing us this, Ken.

That is indeed a difficult question and I must say that I don't know the answer either. Nor do I feel I can make a strong case in either direction. However, I can share how I lean in my thought process. This is not to convince anyone but only to pass on my thoughts. I believe Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes near the end of his life. He seems to be taking an objective look at his own attempts to find meaningfulness during his life outside of the fact that we were created to please God. He concludes Ecclesiastes with these words in Ecclesiastes 12:13 " Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." This resembles a death bed confession to me. Many have gone astray in life , some for many years, and yet have comeback to their first love. Is this perhaps what happened to Solomon ? I compare this path with that of Charles Templeton who, having won many souls for Christ , not only walked away from his faith but spent the rest of his life denouncing it and trying to convince people that the Bible wasn't real. I highly doubt if we will see Templeton in heaven just like we won't see Simon the sorcerer up there. We don't read anywhere in scripture where Solomon renounced Jehovah although worshiping the false gods and leading the Israelites astray were wicked actions for which he is responsible and will answer for someday. Personally I think that will take place for Solomon at the Bema not at the great white throne. That is my thinking on the matter but the bottom line is we will never know this side of heaven.

History's smartest person fails yet again. The lesson for modern man is that the greatest intelligence whether human or computer cannot defeat God's plan. Period.

All I can say is Amen ! to that well delivered admonition, Ken. Thank you.

I was studying this passage today, your video was very helpful thank you! 🙏🏻

This is a very sad turn of events in the life of Solomon and of Israel. Do we know where the 10 "lost tribes" of Israel are today ?

It is sad to see those who have fallen in their latter years and there are quite a few, well known Christian leaders among them. It is puzzling though we have never stood in their shoes and faced the temptations they have faced . Nevertheless, the advice "Take heed lest you fall" applies to us all because we never know what unseen circumstance could befall us and take us down in our arrogance. Some commentaries I have read suggest that Solomon died at about 62 years of age. I can see that with his life style which we would probably see as unhealthy today. I wonder if we will see Solomon in heaven. Hopefully the conclusions he reached in Ecclesiastes point towards a reversal of his downslide but scripture doesn't indicate one way or another I don't believe.

It is impossible to know the mind of God in giving Solomon all those riches since His ways are higher than ours. Maybe it was to show us down through history how a man endowed with wisdom beyond our imagination and given everything he could ever want was nothing without God and would eventually give in to his fallen nature unless he strove to do otherwise. Ecclesiastes sums it up rather nicely. Man by himself is as useless as the wind. We were created to serve God.

Well done, Ken. As you have pointed out, we are tasked with carrying the message. God will look after the results. That is not our responsibility. Noah preached for 100 years and had no converts. Zero. Jonah preached for several days and had hundreds of thousands of converts. Neither profit gets credit or blame for the results.

Thank you for this message brother. Praying with you

For the guy who was the smartest that ever lived, Solomon made some stupid decisions. I guess it proves that no matter how much God gifts us with we can sure mess it up when we don't call on His wisdom to guide us. Also, it has been sad watching the US force Israel's hand over the years to surrender portions of the land that God gave them supposedly to gain peace. The Us suffered natural disasters following each one of these and Israel strengthened her enemies by surrendering these territories. That was a good study lesson, Ken.

We notice that God's conditional promise to Solomon and by extension, Israel is a 2 sided coin - blessing on one side and discipline or withdrawn blessing on the other. If we look at some of God's conditional promises to us -i.e. the beatitudes, the reverse side of the coin is not so much punishment as it is the lack of blessing. Of course there are times when He has to slap us on the side of the head so to speak to get us back on track. Proverbs 3:12 tells us "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." However, this is a demonstration of love as opposed to Israel's case where worshiping other gods.brought severe punishment. We should be thankful that the Lord treats us the way He does without taking Him for granted. If we are truly saved we find it uncomfortable and miserable when we are not in fellowship with Him.

You add such life and meaning to Old Testament passages that I used to let go in one ear and out the other. I never bothered conjuring up the picture in my mind of such a massive feast and what it would take to pull it off. Furthermore it is great the way you drill down and analyze the meaning for our worship in this day and age even to the preparation and cleanup after church celebrations. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I greatly enjoy your studies, Ken. Keep it up.

Hated reading this!!!! Its why im here; seeking clarity and understanding which wasnt found. Im forever upset to find this and dont know what to do with it...... Im glad God didnt wash his hands of us all. Gods chosen will continue to fail him as I read on, yet I wonder why I never read this before, seem like for me anyways I learn something new every time I reread the Bible. Im sorry Father, we truly are not worthy

I have 2 comments to offer regarding today's lesson. Perhaps I'm a little more soft on Solomon in my observation of his prayer. Each time he talks about Israel repenting for their sins he begins with the word "IF" thus implying that God's forgiveness is conditional on their repentance rather than assumed. My second observation is that I am glad you spoke out against replacement theology which is straight from the pit of hell and is Satan's way of planting antisemitism into the church. Without the need of diving into theology, simple logic tells us that if God's chosen people can't depend on His promises, how can we not expect Him to turn His back on us if we sin. Simple logic tells us that the holy just God cannot lie or go back on His word and so His promises to the Jews will stand forever.

That was a very interesting observation you made about the wars involving the west and the possible war involving China and Taiwan. It seems our politicians don't seem to want to involve God in their decision making. George W. Bush was thought by many to be a solid Christian man, yet like other American presidents he forced Israel's hand in giving up land to the enemy in exchange for peace. This is certainly not in accordance with what God wants. I wonder if his other decisions ever involved any spiritual guidance. On the other hand, Trump, whom everyone viewed as an immoral worldly person didn't start any wars, prevented others from happening and declared some of the territory that the world labelled "occupied" as part of Israel. This just proves once again that man judges by the outside while God sees (and guides) the heart. Just sayin'