“STANDING FOR GOD” I Kings 15-17

NATIONAL ELECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT! *AS THE LEADER GOES – SO GOES THE NATION! *EVERY DECISION (made by any person) HAS A MORAL COMPONENT – IT EITHER LEADS US TOWARD GOD OR IT LEADS US FROM GOD

ISRAEL BECOMES TWO NATIONS IN THE YEAR 931 B.C. THE NORTHERN KINGDOM: ISRAEL (Capitol City: Samaria) The Northern Kingdom Lasted Until 722 B.C. THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM: JUDAH (Capitol City: Jerusalem) The Southern Kingdom Lasted Until 586 B.C.

MEET THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL! (The First 7 Kings) JEROBOAM “The Lord God will give up on Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin.” (I Kings 14:16) NADAB “And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin by which he made Israel to sin.” (I Kings 15:26)

MEET THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL (The First 7 Kings) BAASHA “Baasha…became king over all Israel…and he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.” (I Kings 15:33,34) ELAH “…for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin provoking the Lord God of Israel with their idols.” (I Kings 16:13)

MEET THE KINGS OF ISRAEL (The First 7 Kings) King Zimri (not found) ZIMRI “…Because of the sins which he sinned, doing evil in the sight of the way of Jeroboam and in his sin by which he made Israel to sin.” (I Kings 16:19) OMRI “Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he did more evil than all who were before him.” (I Kings 16:25)

MEET THE KINGS OF ISRAEL (The First 7 Kings) AHAB “Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam…, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethabaal king of the Sidonians, and went served Baal and worshipped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Isrel who were before him.” (I Kings 16:30-33)

TAKE ANOTHER LOOK! Israel as a nation spiraling downward!! JEROBOAM NADAB BAASHA ELAH ZIMRI OMRI AHAB “…it became a light thing for him (Ahab) to walk in the sins of Jeroboam…” (I Kings 16:31) TOLERATION OF EVIL! PARTICIPATION OF EVIL! CELEBRATION OF EVIL!

QUESTION: WHERE IS GOD?

EL (God) I (Is my) JAH (The LORD) HELLO ELIJAH! I KINGS 17:1 “NOW ELIJAH…” EL (God) I (Is my) JAH (The LORD) “THE LORD IS MY GOD!”

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ELIJAH? HE WAS A PROPHET IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WE HAVE NO FAMILY BACKGROUND GOD USED HIM GREATLY (both with individuals and the nation) HE WAS A MAN JUST LIKE ALL OF US “Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours….” (James 5:17)

HOW DID ELIJAH STAND FOR GOD? “Now Elijah…said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before Whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (I Kings 17:1) 1. ELIJAH BELIEVED IN THE LIVING GOD – AND SAID SO! “…As the LORD, the God of Israel lives….”

HOW DID ELIJAH STAND FOR GOD? “Now Elijah…said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except by my word.’” (I Kings 17:1) 2. ELIJAH KNEW HE BELONGED TO THE COVENANT GOD OF ISRAEL! “…as the LORD, the God of Israel lives….”

HOW DID ELIJAH STAND FOR GOD? “Now Elijah…said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except by my word.” (I Kings 17:1) 3. ELIJAH WAS CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD! “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand….” (“The fear of man brings a snare….” Prov. 29:25)

HOW DID ELIJAH STAND FOR GOD? “Now Elijah…said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except by my word.’” (I Kings 17:1) 4. ELIJAH SPOKE WITH THE AUTHORITY OF GOD! “…there shall by neither dew nor rain these years….”

HOW DID ELIJAH STAND FOR GOD? “Now Elijah…said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except by my word.’” (I Kings 17:1) 5. ELIJAH LIVED HIS LIFE AS A REPRESENATIVE OF GOD – BEING GOD’S AMBASSADOR AND DOING GOD’S WILL! “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ….” (II Cor. 5:20)

TODAY! SEE YOURSELF AS AN ELIJAH! “Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours ….” (James. 1:17) SOMEONE WHO KNOWS GOD IS ALIVE! SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHO YOU BELONG TO! SOMEONE WHO IS AWARE OF GOD’S PRESENCE! SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT GOD HAS SAID - & REPEATS IT! SOMEONE WHO LIVES AS GOD’S REPRESENATIVE! STAND FOR GOD!!

STAND UP STAND TALL STAND STRONG STAND FIRM STAND AGAINST STAND FOR STAND FOR GOD STAND UP STAND TALL STAND STRONG STAND FIRM STAND AGAINST STAND FOR