DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHITE ROBES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHITE ROBES

"And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their division), and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen..." (II Chronicles 5:11-12)

The occasion of this ceremony was the dedication of the Temple. Everything was ready – all the utensils and furnishings of the House of the Lord. All that was lacking was the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant. Everything was ready for the coming of the presence of God, including the priests and the singers. The priests had sanctified themselves – made themselves holy. The musicians with their musical instruments and the choir had practiced and were ready to sing praises and thanks to God, saying, "He is good, For His mercy endures forever" (vs. 13). The choir was dressed in white linen. Pure white choir robes.

White linen in scripture is a picture of holiness and purity. We find in the Book of the Revelation that in heaven, there are 24 elders clothed in white robes (4:4), and there are seven angels "clothed in pure bright linen" (15:6). In His message to the Church at Smyrna, Jesus said that "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments" (Revelation 3:8), and to the Church at Laodicea, he counsels them to acquire "white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed" (Revelation 3:18). In Revelation 19, we find the Bride of Christ "arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:7-8). In heaven, there will be "a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes…." (Revelation 7:9)

Now obviously, these are all pictures which speak of the purity and righteousness of God's people. The focus is not a matter of wearing a white robe, but of being clothed with righteousness. Or, as the Apostle Paul wrote, "that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).

My own garments are filthy with the crud of sin. I am ashamed at how dirty my own clothes are. But I do not stand in my own righteousness. I stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He is the One who covers me with His righteousness, and I stand before Him in white linen, clean and bright. Jesus died on the cross for His bride so that she would be pure. "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25b-27).

What a comfort and freedom to "be found in in Him, not having my own righteousness….but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:9). It is not my righteousness, but His. These are white robes.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SEEKING GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SEEKING GOD

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever." (I Chronicles 28:9)

King David had come to the end of his reign and he gave a charge to his son, Solomon, whom would shortly be anointed as King of Israel. What words of instruction would you say to your son in this case? We can find good counsel in David's words to his son.

First, know God. David loved the Lord with all of his heart. From his youth, he had a strong faith and had seen God do mighty things.  This was not just an insignificant admonition. There are two types of knowing. One is to know about something. The other is to know personally by experience. I think David wanted Solomon to know God in the personal way that David knew God.

Secondly, to serve God with a loyal heart and willing mind. The word "loyal" indicates complete and full devotion, not divided, but with a heart fully set on serving God. A willing mind is one that really desires to serve God, not because of external pressures, but because it is pleasant and delightful.

Thirdly, David urges Solomon to seek God – to be diligent to search out God and His wisdom.

Sadly, Solomon didn't always follow these instructions, to his own damage, and we can see the results in the book of Ecclesiastes. But they

remain good instruction to us to follow: Know God in personal relationship; serve God with an undivided heart because it is pleasant and delightful; and seek God with all of our hearts. "Let the hearts of those who rejoice seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore" (Psalm 105:3b-4).

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE

We come again to II Chronicles. Solomon was now the king, and after four years, he finally got around to the task of building the Temple that his father Dad had assigned to him. It was a huge undertaking. We read in II Chronicles 2:1, "Then Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal house for himself."

Just suppose that you were Solomon with the responsibility of building a temple for God. What kind of temple would it be? Would you build one just good enough to get by? Would you use inferior material in order to save money – to get by as cheap as you could? Would you just throw a shanty together without a thought of the quality?

We get a glimpse of Solomon's attitude and motivation by what he said to Hiram, King of Tyre. " 'The temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. Who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him...'" (II Chronicles 2:5-6a)

Solomon was determined to make the temple a wonderful piece of work. The word "great" is more than just size. As the NLT translates this phrase, "This must be a magnificent temple." Solomon determined that this house of God would be a grand and glorious place. He would spare no expense. He hired the best craftsman from Tyre to work with the skillful men in Judah. He imported cedar and cypress lumber. And he was willing to pay a lot for these things.

The reason that Solomon was willing to go to all this trouble and expense was that he understood how great God is. As we have noted many times in the Gleanings, we are the Temple of the living God. How are we building this temple? Just enough to get by? Or are we making it the magnificent dwelling place of our Great God? The goal is not to make us look good so we can brag about how good we are, but to bring glory to Him. He is an awesome God. I want His temple to be as magnificent as it can be.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE KING'S BUSINESS

DAD'S RAMBINGS – DOING THE KING'S BUSINESS

"Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred able men, had the oversight of Israel on the west side of the Jordan for all the business of the LORD, and in the service of the king." (I Chronicles 26:30)

Under King David's leadership, detailed government was established, beginning with worship and the appointment of musicians and gatekeepers, and extending to the financial and political areas. There were men appointed to be over the treasuries of the temple and of the nation, the army, over agriculture and flocks and cattle, and mayors or people to rule over certain areas. Obviously, King David could not run everything, so he delegated the work to trusted people to do his business.

I once watched a secular sit-com in which the minister was giving a sermon about "Taking care of business." Although the main characters of the show misinterpreted the message of the sermon to mean that they should start their own business enterprise, the theme of the message stuck with me. We need to take care of the business that God has entrusted us with.

In God's kingdom there are levels of government. Of course, the first level is the King – the Lord Jesus. But then He has appointed government within His church, giving the church the gifts of Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders, bishops or overseers, and deacons who, in the words of our focus verse, do the "business of the Lord, in service of the King."

But, in reality, we are all engaged in doing the King's business. Maybe even though we are not preachers or evangelists in the vocational sense of the word, God has commissioned all of His followers to do His work here on earth. As the gospel song says,  I am a stranger here, within a foreign land; My home is far away, upon a golden strand; Ambassador to be of realms beyond the sea, I'm here on business for my King. It is an awesome thing to be in the service of the King. What a privilege to do the King's work.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE UNFINISHED VISION

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE UNFINISHED VISION

"Now David said, 'Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.' So David made abundant preparations before his death." (I Chronicles 22:5).

King David had it in is heart to build a house or temple for the Lord God. He wanted it to be the most magnificent building in the world. The LORD God Yahweh was worth whatever it took to make this building glorious. But even though David had this dream to build a temple for God and it was a good desire (II Chronicles 6:7-8), God said "no" because David was a man of war and had blood on his hands (I Chronicles 28:2-3). So he gave the responsibility to his son, Solomon, by the word of the LORD (I Chronicles 22:6-11).

To prepare for Solomon to build the temple, David set aside the materials needed for the task. David said to Solomon, " 'Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold …. silver … bronze … iron … wood … precious stones ... glistening stones … marble slabs in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver ….' " (I Chronicles 29:2-3).

As I pondered this, I think of dreams I have had that God did not allow me to fulfill. They were good wishes, but it was not for me to do them. Mildred and I had a desire to be missionaries to Hispanics. It never happened, but our grandson is a missionary in Spain. So we have the joy of supporting his calling.

God's plans are not limited to me or my life-time. The long-range view shows that He has plans that far surpass my own life and calling. Perhaps His purposes are for me to invest resources in someone else – perhaps even in my own off-spring – to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a world that desperately needs it.

May His will be accomplished – if not through me, then through someone who follows me.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OLD FASHIONED

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – OLD FASHIONED

"And David said to all the assembly of Israel, 'If it seems good to you, and it is of the LORD our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us; and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.' " (I Chronicles 13:2-3).

The ark of God, also known as the ark of the covenant, had been neglected for many years. You will remember that the ark had been captured by the Philistines during Samuel's leadership, and before Saul had been anointed as king of Israel (I Samuel 4-7). It was returned to Israel by the Philistines, and came to rest at Kirjath Jearim in the house of Abimilec, where it stayed during the 20 year reign of Saul. After Saul's death, David became king and ruled from his throne in Hebron. After 7 years at Hebron (II Samuel 2:11), David conquered Jerusalem, and moved His throne there. So the ark had been at Kirjath Jearim for about 30 years, and had not been the center of worship all those years. But David had a desire to bring it to Jerusalem.

So David prepared a place for the ark of God by pitching a tent for it in Jerusalem (I Chronicles 15:1), and with great rejoicing – with shouting and the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, and the music of string instruments and harps, and dancing – they brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, the city of David (vs 28). Do you catch the excitement of bringing back the past?

Perhaps it is my old age, but sometimes I long to bring back some of the fervor for the Lord that I had in my youth. I know I cannot live in the past, and I have grown in my faith in the Lord through the years. But there was an element of my faith that I long to rekindle. It is kind of like Jesus' words to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation. He commended them for their works of labor, and patience, standard of holiness, and good doctrine. But he said to them, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (Revelation 2:4). It may be old-fashioned, but I miss some of the naivety and freshness of the faith of my youth. I think I need to bring back the ark.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S MIGHTY ARMY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S MIGHTY ARMY

"Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war…" (I Chronicles 12:1)

Who were these mighty men? Let's go back to Ziklag and find out. David was running from Saul to save his own life. He had 600 men with him (I Samuel 27:2). His plan was to go to Gath, a city of the Philistines. He thought it was safer to be with the Philistines than to remain in Saul's territory– even though it was the country where Goliath came from whom David had slain. And speaking of the 600 men with him, that is 200 more than he had earlier when he first went to Gath and sought refuge with Achish, the king of Gath. At that time, he had 400 men. And who were these men? Scripture tells us. "Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about 400 men with him" (I Samuel 22:1-2). What a bunch of losers who flocked to David.

Now, David has become king, and the 400 losers who were with him at the beginning have become mighty men. What caused the difference? I suggest that it was their leader. David, as a man of character, of bravery, of godliness, instilled in them a new heart. No longer were they the rag-tag rebellious dishonorable men who first came. Now they were disciplined warriors committed to a worthy endeavor.

A leader can instill things in people who follow so that they become new people of honor and integrity. That is what Jesus does in the lives of people who follow him. Take his disciples for example. They were a rag-tag bunch of rough fishermen, rebellious zealots, dishonest tax-collectors who were transformed by the power of God to be fearless witnesses doing spiritual battle for the kingdom.

God is still in the business of taking the weak and ignoble, and those in distress, and making them into mighty warriors. "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many might, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are" (I Corinthians 1:26-28). That is the transforming power of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. We may not be mighty in the eyes of the world but we are a part of His army. We are God's people of valor.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MIGHTY MEN OF VALOR

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – MIGHTY MEN OF VALOR

The phrase mighty men of valor is repeated six times in the 7^th chapter of I Chronicles.

         "The sons of Tola were might men of valor in their generations…." (vs. 2)

          "Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor …." (vs. 5)

          "The sons of Bela….22,024 mighty men of valor" (vs. 7)

          "The sons of Beher --- 22,200, mighty men of valor (vs. 8-9).

          "The sons of Jediael … 17,200 mighty men of valor (vs. 11)

          "All these were the children of Asher, heads of their fathers' houses, choice men, mighty men of valor, chief leaders….26,000. (vs. 40).

These men all exhibited great courage in service to Israel and King David.  So, I have to ask myself, what makes a man a mighty man of valor? Scripture does not tell us the details, but we can make some educated assumptions based on what we know about people of valor.

When we think of soldiers who have been given medals to honor their courage, we can draw a portrait. The Congressional Medal of Honor is awarded for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty." For examples, PFC Richard Anderson, who hurled his body upon a grenade to save his fellow-soldiers, taking the full impact of the explosion. Or PFC Harold Angerholm,  who single-handedly evacuated approximately 45 casualties under heavy rifle and mortar fire on July 7, 1944, in the battle for the Marianas Islands. Or Sergeant Rodney Davis who, during the Viet Nam War, sacrificed his life to save several of his fellow Marines by smothering a grenade with his body.

And the list could go on and on. More often than not, it involves sacrificing oneself for the benefit of others. Valor involves courage and sacrifice. It is standing alone in the face of danger. It is the courage to take an attack head-on. It is the commitment to stand firm when threatened with personal loss.

But we don't have to be in a war to exhibit valor. I think God calls us to be spiritual men and women of valor – to stand for what is right even when the enemy seems overwhelming. Being people of valor may require us to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others and for the kingdom of God.

We need mighty men and women of valor who are willing to sacrifice themselves for Jesus and His righteousness, and will not compromise their convictions when they face tremendous odds.  As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might – and having done all to stand" (Ephesians 6:10, 13c). That is the picture of a person of valor.  We serve a great King and His kingdom.   Oh God, make me into a mighty man of valor.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- EFFECTIVE PRAYER

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – EFFECTIVE PRAYER

"Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, 'Because I bore him in pain.' And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!' So God granted him what he requested."(I Chronicles 4:9)

Like a hidden jewel buried in these chapters of genealogy is the name Jabez. It is an encouraging thing that God has included Jabez in His Holy Word. Jabez seems out of place here. There is no record of his family or parentage. We know almost nothing about the man. There is no other reference to Him in Scripture. All that we know is what we read in this text.

He seemed to come from nowhere, and there are no great accomplishments listed. He is not a Moses or Joshua. He is an ordinary man with ordinary problems and desires. He is a common – yet uncommon – man tucked away in this list of genealogies almost as an after-thought. Yet, we do know some things about Jabez.

What we do know is that he more honorable that the rest of his his family. Jabez was a man of integrity. He could be trusted. You could count on Jabez. His word was good.

Jabez had a painful life. The name Jabez means sorrow or grief – one who causes pain. Perhaps his mother had a hard delivery. Or perhaps she was sorry because she did not want any more children, and he grew up unwanted. How would you like to hear people say, "Here comes Jabez. He's a real pain." But Jabez did not want his life to be defined as a man of grief and pain. Perhaps his painful life was what caused him to not only pray for God's blessing, but also that he would not cause pain to others.

Jabez is known exclusively because of his prayer. Perhaps some of you have read "The Prayer of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson. He prayed intelligently – "He called on the God of Israel." He prayed fervently – "Oh that You would bless me indeed." He prayed ambitiously – "Enlarge my territory." He prayed specifically – "Oh that Your hand would be upon me and keep me from evil so that I would not cause pain." We know that he prayed effectually because – "God granted his request."

His prayer could be a pattern for the prayers of us nobodies who may be in a world of pain. We know that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much (James 5:16b). God can accomplish great thing through us nobodies. So let's pray.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- NAMES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – NAMES

Do you need some biblical names to suggest for your grandchildren? I Chronicles chapters 1-9 give all kinds of ideas – names like Ziph, or Ibhar, or Gazez. These names stretch all the way from Adam through King David and then through Jeconiah, the last King of Judah before captivity, and his offspring.

Actually, I like the way some Romans named their children. In the New Testament, you find names like Secundus, a Romans name from the word for second (Acts 20:4), Tertius and Quartus (Romans 16:22, 23). Those are numbers 3 and 4. If I had to do it over again, I think I would name my children Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro – One, Two, Three, and Four. Of course, I don't think it would fly. Mildred likes other names like David or Troy.

Following the genealogies can be a challenge because sometimes people go by different names. But there are some interesting things in the genealogies listed in Scripture. For example, the sons David by Bathsheba are listed –Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon (3:5). Both Nathan and Solomon are of the royal lineage of David. As it turned out in God's divine providence, the kingly line flows through Solomon and the rest of the kings of the Southern kingdom from Rehoboam to Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin, the last king of Judah before they were carried to Babylon as captives.

Now consider the lineage of the Lord Jesus. In the genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament, Mary is from the line of Solomon (Matthew 1:6) and Joseph is of the line of Nathan (Luke 2:31). Both lines were from the royal line of David, but from different branches of the tree. Jesus was not just of the royal line, but of the kingly line from David. And while Nathan was also of royal lineage, no kings ever came through his posterity. The kingly lineage of David had to be through Mary, not Joseph.

God was in charge of all the particulars, even to the royal and kingly lineage of the Lord Jesus. It was not accident. We have to remember that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. In the study of the Scriptures, names are important and they can give interesting background or color to the story line if a person is inclined to study them. So we dare not neglect the genealogies, especially of the Lord Jesus. He is a rightful King.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SYNCRETISM

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SYNCRETISM

"Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyiria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the design of the altar and its pattern, according to all its workmanship." (II Kings 16:10)

Ahaz was one of the few really bad kings of Judah. His biography says, "he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree" (II Kings 16:2b-4).

Ahaz had absolutely no reverence for God nor regard for the faith that had been passed down through the generations from King David. An incident recorded in chapter 16 shows his absolute disregard for God and His laws. The story goes like this: Rezin, king of Syria, attacked Judah's territory. So Ahaz made a pact with Tiglath-Pilezer, king of Assyria, for protection from the king of Syria.

King Ahaz traveled to Damascus to meet with Tiglath-Pilezer, and while he was there, he saw a wooden altar for a god of the Assyrians that he took a fancy to. So he made a pattern of its design and ordered Urijah, a priest in Jerusalem, to build a replica. Urijah did as he was instructed and built this altar and put it in front of the temple. King Ahaz was pleased and sacrificed offerings on it. But not only that, but he took the bronze altar which was before the Lord, and placing it on the North side of the new altar. The bronze altar became his own private altar. In other words, he combined the true faith and the heathen religion and syncretized the two. Throughout history, there has been many such attempts to combine the Gospel with worldly heathen cultures and religions.

That is something I have to be careful of. Sometimes churches try to incorporate practices and philosophies of the world system into what God has revealed as true in order to make the Gospel feel good and more appealing to the unbeliever. Adding to the Gospel only dilutes the Gospel. We can add nothing to the Gospel to improve it. It is the power of God unto salvation, and it is all we need. Beware of adding to God's truth.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- NAMES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – NAMES

Do you need some biblical names to suggest for your grandchildren? I Chronicles chapters 1-9 give all kinds of ideas – names like Ziph, or Ibhar, or Gazez. These names stretch all the way from Adam through King David and then through Jeconiah, the last King of Judah before captivity, and his offspring.

Actually, I like the way some Romans named their children. In the New Testament, you find names like Secundus, a Romans name from the word for second (Acts 20:4), Tertius and Quartus (Romans 16:22, 23). Those are numbers 3 and 4. If I had to do it over again, I think I would name my children Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro – One, Two, Three, and Four. Of course, I don't think it would fly. Mildred likes other names like David or Troy.

Following the genealogies can be a challenge because sometimes people go by different names. But there are some interesting things in the genealogies listed in Scripture. For example, the sons David by Bathsheba are listed –Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon (3:5). Both Nathan and Solomon are of the royal lineage of David. As it turned out in God's divine providence, the kingly line flows through Solomon and the rest of the kings of the Southern kingdom from Rehoboam to Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin, the last king of Judah before they were carried to Babylon as captives.

Now consider the lineage of the Lord Jesus. In the genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament, Mary is from the line of Solomon (Matthew 1:6) and Joseph is of the line of Nathan (Luke 2:31). Both lines were from the royal line of David, but from different branches of the tree. Jesus was not just of the royal line, but of the kingly line from David. And while Nathan was also of royal lineage, no kings ever came through his posterity. The kingly lineage of David had to be through Mary, not Joseph.

God was in charge of all the particulars, even to the royal and kingly lineage of the Lord Jesus. It was not accident. We have to remember that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. In the study of the Scriptures, names are important and they can give interesting background or color to the story line if a person is inclined to study them. So we dare not neglect the genealogies, especially of the Lord Jesus. He is a rightful King.

Love, Dad

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SEEKING GOD'S BLESSING

DAD'S RAMBLING – SEEKING GOD'S BLESSING

"And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask! What may I do for you before I am taken away from you:?' Elisha said, 'Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.' " (II Kings 2:9)

Elisha had one that he desired more than anything else. He wanted the spirit of Elijah to rest upon him. In fact, he wanted a double portion.

Elisha had been called by Elijah to be his disciple, and Elijah had mentored Elisha in the ways of the Lord. But now it was time for Elijah to be taken to heaven. Elijah had a test to see how determined Elisha was to receive this blessing of Elijah's spirit. It was no small thing that was required to get it.

Chapter 2 records this journey. "And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Then Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.' But Elisha said, 'As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' So they went down to Bethel." This is the first phase of their winding journey. They started at Gilgal and went down to Bethel.

When they got to Bethel, "Elijah said to him, 'Elisha, stay here, please for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.' But (Ellisha) said, 'As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' So they came to Jericho."

"Then Elijah said to him, 'Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.' But (Elisha) said, 'As the LORD lives, and as your soul live, I will not leave you!' So the two of them went on."

All of this seemingly aimless wandering could have discouraged Elisha. He might have asked himself, "Why in the world do we have to go here and there with no apparent purpose?" In addition, there were prophets along the way who tried to discourage him. I think that God was just testing Elisha to see how serious he was about receiving God's blessing.

But Elisha was persistent in his quest for God's anointing, and they finally crossed the Jordan river, where Elijah was taken up in the chariot of fire. As Elijah was taken up in the whirlwind, Elijah dropped his mantel, and Elisha picked it up. That mantel was a physical symbol of God's presence and power.

Elisha would have never received this blessing if he had not been committed to persistently follow his master, Elijah. He wound around the country from here to there, but his dedication to Elijah paid off.

Do you want God's blessing? Do you want His spirit and anointing to rest upon you? It may require some diligent, persistent seeking. It may take you places you didn't expect. It may take you through some naysayers who would try to discourage you. But persistence will pay off. It depends on how important it is to you.

Now I'm not talking about going around the country following some spiritual guru. I'm talking about the inward seeking and persistence. It's the kind of inner desire that the Psalmist wrote about – "As the deer pants after the waterbrook, so pants my soul after you, O LORD" (Psalm 42:1). It is tempting to give up and settle for God's second best. But there is reward for diligently and persistently seeking for God's spirit to rest upon us. And, it is worth it. So hang in there.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A TRUE PROPHET

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A TRUE PROPHET

"Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel (Ahab), 'Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.' The king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, 'Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?' So they said, 'Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.' And Jehoshaphat said, 'Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?' So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil; And Jehoshaphat said, 'Let not the king say such things.' " (I Kings 22:6-8)

Here's the background. Ahab, The King of Israel, wanted to wage war against the king of Syria, but he wanted the help of King Jehoshaphat and the Southern kingdom of Judah. Jehoshaphat agreed to help Ahab but wanted to see if this was the will of God. So Ahab called 400 of his prophets to inquire whether God was in this or not. They all said, "Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king." Now you would think that in the multitude of counselors, there would be safety. But something did not set right in Jehoshaphat's spirit. So he asked if there might be another prophet. There was – Micaiah – but Ahab didn't like him because he told the truth. Micaiah prophesied that they would be defeated. But Ahab and Jehoshaphat ignored him, and Ahab ended up losing his life in that battle.

People generally do not like to hear things that go against what they want to hear. We see many large churches filled with people who want to have their ears tickled with positive sermons. They do not want to hear about sin and judgment – only about how to be successful in business or how to have good families, or something to assuage their consciences to make them feel good about themselves.

God does not call the prophet to make people feel good about themselves, but to declare the whole counsel of God, which includes warnings about violating God's standards. There is much in the Bible about the joy of the Lord, and how wonderful Jesus is. However, sermons with no conviction of sin and warnings of judgment may make us feel good, but a constant diet of positive preaching does not grow us in our Christian life.

May we not be like Ahab and Jehoshaphat, and ignore God's truth. It will only lead to ultimate disaster.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE TROUBLER

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE TROUBLER

"Then it happened when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, 'Is that you, O troubler of Israel?' And he answered, 'I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commands of the LORD and have followed the Baals.'" (I Kings 18:17-18)

It has been a sorry decline for the Northern 10 tribes of Israel from Jeroboam to Ahab. The exponential disintegration of the moral state of the nation can be traced through the kings. We have noted how Jeroboam led the nation away from the God of David and Solomon. When Jeroboam died, his son Nadab became king. "And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the sin by which he had made Israel to sin" (I Kings 15:26). Nadab was assassinated by Baasha. "Baasha did evil in the sigh of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin" (vs. 34). He was followed by Elah. who was murdered by Zimri in a coup. Zimri only reigned 7 days, and was overthrown by Omri. "And Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before him" (I Kings 16:25). On the death of Omri, his son, the wicked king Ahab, ascended to the throne. ""Now Ahab, to son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him" (I Kings 16:30). "And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him" (I Kings 16:33). That's the story of sin. Unchecked, it gets worse as time goes by – "more than all who were before him." Sin piles on sin.

But into this mess, God in His grace and mercy sent a prophet by the name of Elijah. Elijah came in power – both in the miracles he performed, and also in the words he spoke. He confronted Ahab. Ahab called Elijah "the troubler of Israel" (18:17). He was indeed a troubler because he confronted people with their sin. It came to a head when Elijah challenged Ahab to a "god-duel" to see whose god was greater. As we know, Elijah's God won the day. This did not change Ahab very much, but the people recognized that Elijah's God was the winner, and "they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (vs. 38).

My prayer is that God would send a prophet – a "troubler" – to America to confront the nation and the political powers that be with spiritual power to trouble people with their sin and cause the people to proclaim, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" May it happen by God's mercy and grace.

Love, Dad

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THERE IS HOPE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THERE'S HOPE

"In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah. And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem His grandmother's name was Maacha the granddaugher of Abishalom. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David. And he banished the perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made." (I Kings 15:9-12)

As we return to the Old Testament for our Gleanings, we come to the Book of the Kings. It is helpful to remember the history behind this text.

King David died and Solomon, his son by Bathsheba, reigned in his place. Solomon reigned over the entire nation of Israel for forty years. As he came toward the end of his reign, one of his servants named Jeroboam – a mighty man of valor whom Solomon had made an officer of all the labor force of the house of Joseph – joined a rebellion against King Solomon. Jeroboam fled to Egypt when the rebellion fizzled, but it had been prophesied by the prophet Ahijah that he would become king over the 10 northern tribes of Israel.

When King Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam, became king over all of Israel. But Jeroboam returned from Egypt, and led another rebellion against Rehoboam, and the nation was divided – the northern kingdom of 10 tribes, and the Southern Kingdom of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. That civil war between the two nations would continue throughout the reign of the kings until they were taken into captivity.

Now Jeroboam was an ungodly king who led Israel – the Northern tribes – into gross idolatry by setting up golden idols in Bethel and Dan, and setting up priests for religious worship. But Rehoboam was no better, and "Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD and provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree, and there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel" (I Kings 15:22-24).

Now David and Solomon were not perfect people, and they did some things that were not good. But at least they had a heart to seek God and follow His ways. But Jeroboam and Rehoboam were of a different ilk.

The message is that it only takes one generation to take a nation away from being a god-fearing people to being ungodly, with all kinds of idol worship and perversion.

But, there is always hope, as dim as it may seem, that God will raise up another leader to bring the nation back to righteousness. That happened under a great- great grandson of David (David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa). His name was Asa. "Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David. He banished the perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made" (I Kings 15:-11-12). This was 65 years after the death King David.

So be of good cheer. There is hope. God is still on the throne, and He can bring a revival of righteousness to a wicked people. Our job is to remain faithful to living for God today and trust Him for the rest.

Love, Dad

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