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Job 1:4

The Perfect Family

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 16, 2023

The writer of Job further describes Job’s family. He was surely blessed with many sons and daughters and there seem to be good relationships in the family. Job 1:4 says, “His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.” The commentators are at odds with understanding the significance of this verse. Some want to argue that the phrase refers to a feast every day at rotating homes. Rayburn says, “The meaning of this statement, according to Rowley, is that feasts were held seven days a week throughout the year, and each brother took his turn being the host. Such excessive feasting is pictured as part of the lavish display of Job’s wealth.”[1] If this is the case it serves to expand on the blessings of Job’s wealth that extended to his family. This would make the major loss of all his goods more severe to his readers. Others will argue it refers to the blessing of the happiness and friendliness of all his children and that they would enjoy each other’s company. Many of the translations say that the celebrations, or feasts, were celebrated on their birthdays. Today’s English Version says this as does the New English Bible. Each son took his turn on his birthday to host the feast for the whole family.

Job had been blessed with 7 sons and 3 daughters. This is an interesting ratio because it seemed to address the idea that this was fullness and complete satisfaction. When Hannah was lamenting her barrenness to her husband Elkanah before the birth of Samuel, he said to her in 1 Samuel 1:8, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” It’s curious also that Job owned 7000 sheep and 3000 camels. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I can’t help but think that this is about God’s blessing on Job. It’s not about the children themselves. Job had the perfect household. Once the preparations were made for their feasts, they would invite their sisters to join them. This has caused some to argue that something unsavory is being suggested. But as Rayburn observes, “The author intends to give the impression of family harmony amid lavish consumption and is not suggesting an incestuous orgy.” It has also been suggested that the excessive partying was some kind of gluttonous affair not unfamiliar to royalty in that culture. But Ash dispenses this idea, “This is not a picture of incessant partying, but regular natural family get-togethers.  Their three sisters are presumably unmarried, for there is no mention of their husbands. So, we are to think of Job as a man in the prime of life, perhaps in contemporary terms a man in his early forties, with three unmarried daughters perhaps between eighteen and their early twenties. We do not know if the seven sons are married or not. Whatever the details, it is a picture of family harmony and innocent festivity.”[2]

The mention of his children is not to focus on them so much as to demonstrate how truly blessed Job was by God. There was plenty in the homes of his children. They were prosperous and blessed with cordial relationships. They had no fear of the future and enjoyed their lives together. As any parent knows, this is a great blessing. His children were independent and lived in harmony with each other. Job had not had any family trials or hardships to mention. But that was about to end. This is all to set the stage for the tragic death of his children that will come later. Children are not supposed to die before their parents. As one blogger wrote, they are “supposed to enjoy long life on Earth. These young ones are supposed to live long and grow old to appreciate life. But why does God allow these innocent ones to die? When an innocent child dies, the people who love him or her, especially his or her parents, siblings, and grandparents, feel and experience the most painful thing in life. Even the people who are not close to the child will feel incredible sadness when they know about the death of such a child. This is because an innocent child does nothing wrong in this world that can hurt anyone. But he or she only brings pure love, joy, and laughter to anyone close to him or her.”[3] As Job is about to learn, faith in a holy, loving God can be tested at any moment of our lives.

[1] Reyburn, William David. 1992. A Handbook on the Book of Job. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] Ash, Christopher. 2014. Job: The Wisdom of the Cross. Edited by R. Kent Hughes. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

[3] https://inspiringtips.com/why-does-god-allow-innocent-children-to-die/

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Judges 1:5-7

The Lord of Lightning!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 16, 2023

After Joshua’s death, Judah was called to lead the battle against the enemies that still occupied the land that God had given to Abraham and his descendants. Judah heeded the call. The Lord gave Judah victory over the Canaanites and the Perizzites. They joined forces with their brother Simeon, and God gave them victory. Judges 1:4-7 tells us, “Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him, and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. And Adoni-bezek said, ‘Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.’ And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.”

In his commentary, Guzik says, “Seeking the Lord, obeying His guidance, and working together as a body always produces great results. Their success was plain to see: the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek: This place where the conquered was called Bezek, and the leader of this city was Adoni-Bezek, which means ‘Lord of Lightning.’” Schley mentions this meaning also. He says, “It is possible that there was a deity, Bezek, whose name was related to the Hebrew word bāzāq, found once with the meaning of ‘lightning’ (Ezek 1:14).”[1] Guzik concludes, “This was an enemy with a fearful name, but Judah and Simeon defeated him none the less.”[2] The “Ruined Dragon” in Super Mario Odyssey, the video game, is also referred to as the “Lord of Lightning.” King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard sang a song entitled “The Lord of Lightning.” The first verse says, “Lord of Lightning shifts his gaze Points his strong finger our way, Electricity escapes, Leaves destruction in his wake.” Many pagan religions have various “storm” gods.[3] They control the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning and are often seen as the god of gods. Everything and everyone is subject to them. They do leave destruction in their wake. Adoni-Bezek considered himself the god of gods because he subjected all the surrounding kings, or lesser gods, to himself and would cut their thumbs off and let them live as his servants. Their way of living was made by eating the scraps from the King’s table. But notice his last recorded words, “As I have done, so God has repaid me.”

Psalm 135:5-7 tells us about the true “Lord of Lightning.” It says, “For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightning for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” It is interesting that regardless of the God Adoni-Bezek was referring to, he recognized that all mankind, regardless of their position in the world, would one day be held accountable to a greater and omnipotent God. We live in a world where “what goes around comes around.” The defeat and humiliation Adoni-Bezek delivered to others were delivered to him. Indeed, the law of Lex-Talionis, whatever you give, you will get, proves to be real in this life. But thankfully, the very “Lord of Lightning,” who controls the wind and the waves, came to earth in the person of Jesus and paid the penalty for all who would receive him. He fulfilled the law for us!

[1] Schley, D. G. 1992. “Adoni-Bezek (Person).” In The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, edited by David Noel Freedman, 1:74. New York: Doubleday.

[2] Guzik, David. 2013. Judges. David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible. Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.

[3] Weather god – Wikipedia

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Esther 1:5-9

The Perils of Alcohol

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 15, 2023

The writer appears to be an eyewitness to the massive party that the king threw for seven straight days after his first party. Some suggest that it could have been Mordecai who wrote this book, but there is discussion around that. Whoever wrote this, however, was well aware of all the details. Esther 1:5-9 tells us of the feasts that the king through and the queen threw her own feast that would most likely be similar in its extravagance. It says, “And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. And the drinking was according to this edict: ‘There is no compulsion.’ For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.”

It surely reminds me of the current lifestyle of the rich and famous of our days. The ornate decorations, the luxurious seating, and the elaborate drinking utensils are all described in some detail. I find it odd that the dishes that were served were not described as well. I guess Roop is right, “The account seems to focus less on food at these affairs and more on drink. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, protocol may have dictated that everyone drinks along with the king (Antiquities, 11.188). Here, however, the king puts no restraint on the consumption of alcohol.”[1] I suppose the freedom to drink as much (or as little) as one desire might be compared to an “Open Bar” today. You can have whatever you want and it’s all on the house! The focus on open drinking at this feast brings devastating results to both the queen and the king.

Not surprisingly this liberality of alcohol always does that. In College one of my favorite poets was A. E. Houseman. He wrote a poem about drinking that has never left me. In 19th Century England, malt was the most prevalent form of alcohol and he addresses it accordingly. He explains how it makes one think he knows all the answers but these answers are all wrong. He writes, “And malt does more than Milton can
To justify God’s ways to man. Ale, man, ale’s the stuff to drink For fellows whom it hurts to think: Look into the pewter pot To see the world as the world’s not.” Then he shares his personal experience with it, “Oh I have been to Ludlow fair And left my necktie God knows where, And carried halfway home, or near, Pints and quarts of Ludlow beer: Then the world seemed none so bad, And I myself a sterling lad; And down in lovely muck I’ve lain, Happy till I woke again. Then I saw the morning sky: Heigho, the tale was all a lie; The world, it was the old world yet, I was I, my things were wet, and nothing now remained to do. But begin the game anew.” The king is about to do something that he will regret for the rest of his life inspired by the alcohol in his system. I wonder if anyone in that culture gave him the same advice that Burrows gives in his commentary. “A certain king asked a philosopher how he was to behave himself, and the philosopher replied, ‘Remember always that you are a king.’ This the inebriate cannot do, for alcohol, though it may quicken the imagination, enfeebles both the will, the memory, and the judgment. The drunkard is a slave, and not a king, though he sits on a Persian throne. No drunkard can inherit the kingdom of heaven. The rich wines of earth spoil the taste so that the spirit cannot appreciate the richer wines of heaven.”[2]

[1] Roop, Eugene F. 2002. Ruth, Jonah, Esther. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.

[2] Burrows, W. 1892. Esther. The Preacher’s Complete Homiletic Commentary. New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

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Nehemiah 1:5-6, Various

WE have sinned!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 14, 2023

When Nehemiah learned of the situation in Jerusalem. He wept and then he prayed. He tells us, “And I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.” No great “name it and claim” it prayer for Nehemiah!  This begins Nehemiah’s prayer which goes on for 6 verses. It seems to be in three parts. The first part is the invocation, followed by the confession of sin, then pleads with God to remember His people Israel, and concludes with Nehemiah’s prayer for success in his endeavor to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. These two verses include the invocation and the confession of sin.

David’s prayers to God in the book of Psalms seem to be filled with invocations. David asks God to be present with him, especially during times of trial and when facing persecution. When David was in danger, he would invoke God’s presence in his prayers. In Psalm 54:2, he says, “Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.” In Psalm 55:1 he said, “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea.” When Jesus taught his disciples to pray in what we know as the Lord’s prayer, we see the same elements of invocation. Jesus teaches us to identify God as the omnipotent one capable of responding to all our needs. We pray, “Our Father in heaven.” We then ascribed glory to His name, “Hallowed be thy name.” One web commentator concludes his discussion on the invocation aspect of prayer by saying, “As Christians, we have access to the throne of God through faith in Christ (Ephesians 3:12). All our prayers of invocation should contain the elements of humility, praise, and reverence as we approach, in Jesus’ name, the One whose blessing we seek.”[1]

The next portion of Nehemiah’s prayer includes the confession of sin. As the Handbook for translators explains, “To confess sins is to openly acknowledge evil deeds that one has committed. Nehemiah admits the wrongs that the Israelites have committed against thee, that is, against God.” But confession has another element that shouldn’t be overlooked. It involves the acknowledgment of man’s sinfulness as a whole. Not only do we sin, but we are sinners. The Handbook goes on to say, “The Hebrew words used here do not refer to any single or specific kind of wrongdoing but rather to deeds that are in disobedience against God’s commandments.” The invocation identifies God as omnipotent and righteous. Then proceeds to contrast our moral standing with His. In his prayer, Nehemiah is careful not to cast the blame on anyone else, or the nation as a whole. He accepts responsibility himself. “Nehemiah shifts abruptly from speaking about the people of Israel in the third person to speaking in the first person plural. He includes himself as one of them by saying we have sinned. It includes the speaker and those with whom he identifies, but it excludes God to whom he is speaking in his prayer.” Nehemiah acknowledges that “I and my father’s house have sinned.”[2] It seems that in our political realm today, no one accepts the blame for any bad situation but blames the system, some foreign powers, the environment, or the preceding administration. This was not Nehemiah’s approach. He did not blame his fathers for the problems he faced. He identified with them and acknowledged his identity with the problem and humbly began his prayer for deliverance despite their national failure. “Leaders must not consider themselves superior to others; admission of fault will not ruin effectiveness.”[3]

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/invocation-prayer.html

[2] Noss, Philip A., and Kenneth J. Thomas. 2005. A Handbook on Ezra and Nehemiah. Edited by Paul Clarke, Schuyler Brown, Louis Dorn, and Donald Slager. United Bible Societies’ Handbooks. New York: United Bible Societies.

[3] Breneman, Mervin. 1993. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Electronic ed. Vol. 10. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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Ezra 1:5-6, Psalm 137:1-6

Going Home!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 13, 2023

Cyrus gives license to the Jewish leadership to move back to Israel and rebuild the temple. It looks like everyone wants to take part in this. Ezra 1:5-6 tells about the beginning of the preparations for the move. “Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.” It was the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin that were taken hostage 70 years earlier. The Levites, many of whom had migrated from the northern kingdom to Judah to fulfill their roles at the temple are included here. Since Simeon’s land was surrounded by Judah’s land, it’s probable that the tribe of Simeon, if there were any that had not assimilated into Judah, went into captivity with them and returned with them.

The interesting phrase in this passage is that God’s Spirit “stirred them to go up and rebuild the house.” He didn’t stir everyone’s spirit, but even those who did not go with them participated in the venture. The Handbook for Translators explains, “Not every Jewish exile returned to Jerusalem. The only people who returned were those who responded to God’s leading. Here God’s action is again made apparent in the events that are being recounted. In the same way that God had moved the heart of King Cyrus (see verse 1 above), he now moves the hearts of the people to fulfill his will. This includes the heads, the priests, the Levites, together with “everyone else whose heart God had moved.”[1] God did not move in everyone to return. But it’s interesting that “…it is always God himself who takes the initiative in moving people in their spirits to take the direction he plans for them. Those Jews who responded positively did so in spite of the fact that returning home would involve considerable sacrifice and hardship. They were not going on a holiday but were faced with a hazardous journey of some 900 miles, and the land waiting for them had been devastated, with many of its towns and villages destroyed and its temple razed to the ground. We are inclined to feel, therefore, that if God himself had not moved their spirits, they would not have moved at all! The same principle applies to the experience of Christian conversion. When people commit their lives to Christ in a meaningful and lasting way, it is not because they have made a mental decision to do so, but because God himself, by his Holy Spirit, has moved them in their spirits to respond to the message of salvation.”[2] When we come to faith in Christ, it’s very much like coming home after a long captivity.

Imagine the joy of those old people who had been taken captive in their youth to see this take place in their lives. Remember the grief they experienced at the time of their being taken into captivity? Psalm 137:1-6 shares that sorrow. “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there, our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!”

[1] Noss, Philip A., and Kenneth J. Thomas. 2005. A Handbook on Ezra and Nehemiah. Edited by Paul Clarke, Schuyler Brown, Louis Dorn, and Donald Slager. United Bible Societies’ Handbooks. New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] Williams, Peter. 2006. Opening up Ezra. Opening Up Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications.

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2 Chronicles 1:4-6

Prosperity can be our enemy

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 12, 2023

Solomon is ready to become the new king after his father, David. He begins with a show of dedication to God. The external act of faith seems to us to be an overstatement, but it wasn’t so to Solomon. He was acting on behalf of himself as well as the entire nation. He did not want there to be any confusion as to whom Solomon would serve. 2 Chronicles 1:4-6 tells us about this act of devotion, “But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out.  And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.”

The “place” that Solomon went to offer his sacrifices was Gibeon because the temple had not been built yet. We can trace the locations of the Ark of the Covenant from its creation in the wilderness to Gibeon. Joshua brought both the ark and the tabernacle to Shiloh. In the days of Eli, the ark was captured by the Philistines and taken to Kiriath-jearim, where it was destroyed. Samuel tells us that Saul restored the tabernacle at Nob, after which he moved it to Gibeon. This “high place” becomes the semi-permanent site for the tabernacle and the altar of sacrifice. Gibeon is located in the Judean hill country, about seven miles northwest of Jerusalem. Underwood says, “The text does not tell us exactly what the burnt offerings are, but likely they are animals, probably young bulls. The entire animal is burned to ashes in this offering, giving it all to God. For Solomon to do this with a thousand bulls is a large, impressive display of his wealth, devotion, and the seriousness of the occasion.”[1]

Solomon’s early devotion to Israel’s God is clearly seen in this act. As a result of this act of devotion, God sends Solomon a dream and gives him the option to choose whatever he wants, be it possessions, power or pleasure. He chooses wisdom, and God honors him with everything. We read that at the end of his life, Solomon shares his remorse over the fact that none of these things brought meaning and purpose to his life. His extraordinary wisdom did not save him from the trap that has ruined many men’s lives. MacDonald says, “His wives seduced him to idolatry. He went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. He built a high place for Chemosh, the idol of the Moabites, and for Moloch, another idol of the Ammonites. He burned incense and sacrificed unto the idols of all his strange wives. He who had built God’s temples, and his altars, now build altars to Moloch and Chemosh. He, who had offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar at Gibeon to the true God, now offers sacrifices to Ashtoreth and Milcom.”[2] How incredible that a man would show such extraordinary devotion at the beginning of his life and would end with acts of devotion to foreign gods. He wanted the whole nation to know where he stood when he offered sacrifices at Gibeah, but by the end of his life, his many sacrifices to the idols of his many wives showed that his devotion to the one true God was not all it seemed. Even with every blessing from God, Solomon got bored and looked for fulfillment and satisfaction in the things of the world. It’s interesting to me that the Messiah will sit on the throne of David, not on the throne of Solomon.

[1] Underwood, Jonathan, and Ronald L. Nickelson, eds. 2006. The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2006–2007. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing.

[2] MacDonald, James M. 1856. The Book of Ecclesiastes Explained. New York: M. W. Dodd.

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1 Chronicles 1:1, Various

Being Connected

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 11, 2023

The Chronicler, whom I believe was Jeremiah, begins his account with Adam.  He then gives us the genealogies of Genesis up to Abraham. Abraham’s line is traced to Israel’s David and the kings of Judah ending with Israel as God’s chosen people. It’s all about the connection of his present with the past. The Israelites are God’s people. Someone once said, “How odd of God to choose the Jews!” But the Chronicler corrects that and says, “how good of God to choose the Jews.” Through the Jews came the Messiah. Once they rejected him, a new genealogy began. It’s this one that matters most. Those who accept the Jew’s Messiah, Jesus, are adopted as God’s chosen people. That’s us! The true believers in Jesus can now trace their genealogies back to Noah and then back to Adam. It’s good to feel connected to the entire deposit of world history. We know this because Paul teaches us that we’ve been grafted into the genealogy. He says our lineage goes back to Abraham according to Galatians. By faith, we are God’s chosen. How arrogant!

The Church has often been criticized for its stance on its position as God’s chosen people. It’s arrogant! It’s presumptuous. It’s blatant self-centeredness. In western civilization, it’s currently not politically correct to identify so, particularly to the God of the Bible. They say that to love our neighbor as ourselves means, respecting his or her religion as an alternative way of reaching the one God, whatever name we give Him. The popular thought is that all religions lead to God, like all the different paths that lead to the top of the mountain. They are all going to the same place.  But if we understand the second greatest commandment of loving our neighbors in this way what becomes of the first commandment? Does loving our neighbor mean we have to forfeit the exclusive claims of Jesus? How can we fulfill the first and foremost commandment of loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength? As Allen asks in his commentary, “how can we love and empathize with the God in whose Word Jesus is identified as exclusively ‘the way, the truth, and the life.'”(John 14:6)? Jesus added, “No one can come to the father but through me.” Do we put the love of our disagreeing neighbors above the love for God? I don’t think so.

Like the book of Kings, the Chronicler will give us the history of how Israel and Judah failed as a people and as a nation because they tried to reverse the order of Jesus’ first two commandments. Loving our neighbor does not mean accepting their gods. It does mean that we should pray for them and live at peace with them. Paul told his young disciple Timothy, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

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2 Kings 1:4-8, various

No Other Name!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 10, 2023

Ahaziah, the King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, took a nasty fall. He sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, regarding his recovery. The messengers met Elijah on their way and were sent back to Ahaziah with a frightening message. 2 Kings 1:4-8 tells us that the messengers brought the message from God’s prophet back to Ahaziah, “Now, therefore, thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ So Elijah went. The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, ‘Why have you returned?’ And they said to him, There came a man to meet us, and said to us, Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ He said to them, ‘What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?’ They answered him, ‘He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.’ And he said, ‘It is Elijah the Tishbite.’”

Ahaziah knew Elijah the Tishbite. Elijah had been the nemesis to his father Ahab and his mother, Jezebel. The description of Elijah by the messengers was in and of itself a harbinger of bad news. Prophets that looked like that seemed to always bring word of God’s judgment and always seemed to point out sin and call for repentance. The Hebrew phrase translated as “A garment of hair” in the English Standard Version, has some discussion in the commentaries. The Handbook for translators says the phrase “is literally ‘[He was] a man master of hair.’ This expression has two possible meanings. It may mean that he was a hairy man, that is, he had a long, bushy beard and long, uncut hair. Or it may mean that he was a man wearing a cloak made of hair.”[1] Some translations say “he wore a garment made of camel hair.” This is not uncommon for prophets of this nature as we read in Zechariah 13:4. The false prophets would put on “hairy cloaks” for the purpose of deceiving people. That’s the way prophets of doom dressed. Twice in the New Testament, John the Baptist is described in very similar ways. Matthew 3:4 says, “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist.”  Just as Ahaziah knew that a condemning prophecy would come from Elijah, so too did Herod know that John would bring a condemning prophecy against him.

God’s message doesn’t often find its way to us through the majority or through the fineries of wealth and opulence. It comes it brash, harsh words at times. The prophets of the Old Testament present these messages. What the religious leaders of Jesus’ day didn’t readily understand was that John the Baptist wasn’t only addressing the sinful rulers of the day. He was addressing them as well. Jesus confirmed this when he spoke of John the Baptist in Matthew 11:8-11. Jesus inquires of the crowds who went into the wilderness to see John the Baptist, “What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing. Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” Repentance is the theme of Elijah’s call. Repentance is the theme of John’s call as well. We need to turn from our pursuit of the gods of this world and turn to the one true God for salvation. Baal-zebub cannot save us. Peter put this thought in one of his early sermons. It is recorded for us in Acts 4:12. He says, speaking of Jesus, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

[1] Slager, Donald. 2008. “Preface.” In A Handbook on 1 & 2 Kings, edited by Paul Clarke, Schuyler Brown, Louis Dorn, and Donald Slager, 1–2:699–700. United Bible Societies’ Handbooks. New York: United Bible Societies.

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