Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 15:25–17:24, Mark 9:38–10:16, Prov 4:1–7

Today’s Theme: Salt vs Self

Today’s theme points to Jesus teaching that we should have salt in our lives and not be elitists. We should walk in humility and seek to serve God in that spirit, encouraging others who are not like us but are also serving God and walking in trust like children before God.

Our lives should be a salted sacrifice before God, not a monument to the flesh. Otherwise we leave ourselves open to the raw elements of sin and our lives will become ones that offer up our own children on the altar of our own convenience, ambition and evil.

1 Kings 15:25–17:24

Judgement will be fulfilled

And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. (1 Kings 15:29, ESV)

This is the judgement that God had promised. While the opportunity is available we are all called to repent and seek God’s mercy and grace.

God raises up leaders

“Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, (1 Kings 16:2, ESV)

God is the one who raises up leaders. We should pray for leaders in all spheres of life in this context, that they would fulfil the mandate God has given them. This includes MPs, pastors and business leaders.

God hates hypocrisy

Moreover, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it. (1 Kings 16:7, ESV)

One of the things that is sure to provoke God to anger is hypocrisy.

Drunkenness is never good

But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah, (1 Kings 16:9, ESV)

Drunkenness is never associated with anything good. This is why many faithful Christians abstain from alcohol altogether.

Moral depravity, a slippery slide

Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him. (1 Kings 16:25, ESV)

Things just seem to be going from bad to worse for Israel. The moral depravity of previous generations seems to be having a snowball effect, it will rise to a critical mass where the Northern Kingdom will be sent away into exile.

This is why we need to be lively in loving God and killing sin the moment it seeks to gain a foothold.

Wicked King Ahab

Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him. (1 Kings 16:25, ESV)

It is as though Ahab represents a new level of depravity in the kings of Israel. They all seem to model the depravity of man but he has reached the level of being not just bound by sin but committed to it and in covenant with it represented by his marriage to Jezebel the Sidonian.

Deeper depths of sin

And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. (1 Kings 16:33, ESV)

Ahab, took the sins of his father and the previous kings of Israel to a new height with the house he built for Bal and the idols he raised up. Sin is ugly, it is like a virus, if it is not burnt out it leaves its victims in a depraved and helpless state.

Don’t sacrifice your children

In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. (1 Kings 16:34, ESV)

This is a wicked man, he sacrificed his own sons to build this abomination. We must be careful that we do not sacrifice our own children when we are trying to build things in our own lives.

These children were only infants and were put into the foundations. In the depraved mind of the king, to placate the gods and ward off evil… this is the debase folly and madness of sin.

Elijah, obedient to God

So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. (1 Kings 17:5, ESV)

This may seem simple but Elijah went and did what God said, he was obedient to the Lord’s word, unlike the young prophet from an earlier reading.

A submissive woman

And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” (1 Kings 17:11, ESV)

This was a submissive servant hearted woman. The folly of the women’s liberation movement, and extremes of egalitarian thought and philosophy in the west has given women the idea that being submissive is bad when in fact it is the character God desires in all his daughters.

God provides

For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ ” (1 Kings 17:14, ESV)

This is a wonderful miracle and word, showing that God cares for and provides for His people in the midst of great adversity. Stand on that truth today… Our God provides.

Life and death, in the hands of God

And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” (1 Kings 17:20, ESV)

Elijah knew that life and death was in God’s hands (not the hands of man).

God answers prayer

And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:22, ESV)

This was not magic from Elijah, this was God hearing and answering the prophet’s prayer.

Mark 9:38–10:16

Don’t be an elitist

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” (Mark 9:38, ESV)

John has not learned the lesson of servant like service as a disciple, his question betrays a sense of entitlement, privilege and exclusion. This is alive today in the division found in the church along denominational, traditional and cultural lines.

We should rejoice when we see God using others and not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to or that our particular denomination, culture or just way of doing things is best or should be followed.

Jesus corrects this emphasis on this exorcist not following the disciples (who just failed at the work of exorcism themselves) and shows us the way is open for God to use His people in multiple ways.

We should not seek to control God’s people or God’s kingdom, God alone is God.

Resist sin

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:43, ESV)

This reminds us of two truths, firstly symbolising how radically we must resist sin and secondly the reality of Hell.

Salt in yourselves

Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50, ESV)

The salt we should have in ourselves is all that Jesus has just been teaching us about our behaviour and attitude in the world for the Lord’s sake and in our quest as disciples.

Sacrifices in the Old Testament were always given with salt. We must have the preserving element of salt in our lives as believers as we offer our lives up as a pleasing offering to God. Not concerned with our own rights and privileges (see the elitist point above) but focused on the task of discipleship to the glory of God.

Love teaching

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. (Mark 10:1, ESV)

Jesus was always teaching, this verse says it was His custom. We should be eager to hear the teachings of Jesus and have our minds trained to enjoy and apply the teachings the Lord provides for us through His ministers.

Marriage defined

‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. (Mark 10:7–8, ESV)

The foundation of marriage, it is and must be a man and woman.

The nature of marriage

What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:9, ESV)

Marriage is a sacred rite before God, not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly but reverently and in the fear of God.

Bring children to Jesus

But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:14, ESV)

We should bring children to Jesus through story time, prayer and activities. Thank God for the youth groups and Sunday Schools we have.

Trust God

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:15, ESV)

We must be trusting and faithful to God like children to enter His Kingdom.

Proverbs 4:1–7

Do you listen?

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,(Proverbs 4:1, ESV)

The younger ones should listen attentively to a father’s instruction, this is like listening on the edge of your seat.

Teach your children

he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. (Proverbs 4:4, ESV)

Lord may our children hold fast to our words.

Hold onto loving instruction

Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. (Proverbs 4:6, ESV)

Loving instruction will be like a guard in your life.

Study

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. (Proverbs 4:7, ESV)

This is why it is so important to study and to study deeply to get understanding/insight.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Mark 10