There is only one God of Israel

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Joanna Moss:

What did I like about today’s passage?

Reading through the lineage of Israel’s kings from chapter 15-17, it feels a bit like reading through a Game of Thrones book crossed with a soap opera. With all the killing, mass family murders and military coups, it’s tricky to keep up with who’s actually in power. Putting it altogether, I found it interesting that over the 41 years that Asa, one of the few good kings, reigned over Judah (the fragment of Israel left to David’s ancestors), Israel went through a likely tumultuous time of 7 different kings, all of whom sinned greatly and refused to follow God.

And it’s into the mess of Israel’s sin and continual rejection of God that Elijah enters. God uses Elijah to speak truth to King Ahab and to Israel, and I love how blunt Elijah is with them. He is pushing them to make a commitment – do you follow Baal or God? Stop limping between the two and choose! It reminds me how good it is to have people around me who aren’t afraid to speak God’s truth into my life, especially in the moments where I need it most but want it the least.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

It showed me God’s immense power. In Elijah’s test of my God vs yours (potential new game show idea?), I love how Elijah raises the stakes at each stage. First, he pits himself as one man against 400, then he gives the Baal worshippers a whole day to pray to their God and only the evening for himself, then he drenches his altar and the surrounding ground in water, saturating it to point that any fire would struggle to light and take hold.

And this leads to big finale as God’s power and authority as the one true God is revealed to Ahab and the priests of Baal and they have no choice but concede that Elijah’s Lord is God.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

We may not have golden calves or Asherah poles today, but I can think of several things that I sometimes put ahead of God, leaving my loyalty and commitment split. It reminds me of something Jesus said in Matthew 6, ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other’. In this instance, Jesus is referring to the love of money, but I think it works well for any idol we may acquire. And I know this is to be true as when I choose to keep different parts of my life from God, I can feel the tension it brings to my faith and relationship with God. As I walk with God, I want to be more aware of the little seeds of idolatry that start in my heart and more proactive at uprooting them before they affect my relationship with God.

Who am I going to share this with?

Those that I am accountable with – I want to make sure that together we can be speaking truth into each other’s lives, even when it’s tricky and awkward.