A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

The Man of Like Passion and Power
(1 Kings 16:29-22:53; 2 Kings 1:1-2:15)
In a day in which so many speak of striving for excellence, it is to some degree difficult
to comprehend the disastrous trend among the kings of Israel. It appears that each succeeding
northern king excelled the other only in doing greater evil. The biblical commentary on each
king is that he was more evil than all that came before. But perhaps the most diabolical of these
evil men was none other than Ahab, the son and successor of Omri. The Scriptures vividly
describe the character of this king on at least two occasions. “Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil
in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16 30). Just in case the
reader missed the significance of this comment, the same writer later elaborated, noting, “But
there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because
Jezebel his wife stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according
to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the Children of Israel”
(21:25-26).
It is not surprising, therefore, that the people of Israel, like their evil kings, came to have
a low regard for the worship of Jehovah. Vast numbers of their host were eagerly willing to
engage in the worship of Jezebel’s Tyrian Baal. Perhaps the degree to which Israel had sunk is
best illustrated in the experience of one Hiel of the city of Bethel. For over 500 years the ruins of
Jericho had been left undisturbed, according to the command of God. The people understood the
prophecy of Joshua that the city would only be rebuilt at the cost of the rebuilder’s own family.
But during this dark hour of Israel’s history, Hiel chose to build what would become the
beautiful resort city of Jericho, in total disregard of Joshua’s warning. Even as his firstborn died
as the foundations of the city were laid, he continued building until the gate was complete and
his youngest son had joined his older brother in the grave.
But it is in the darkest night that the stars also shine brightest. Out of the Palestinian
wilderness, God raised up a prophet who, though he never sat on a throne, was in many respects
the leader of his era. In the New Testament, Elijah the Tishbite is described as “a man with a
nature like ours” (Tames 5:17). But the record of his life is that of a man possessing power with
God. His was the life yielded to the service of God which, in that yielded state, was effective in
changing the apparent course of human history.
ELIJAH AND THE FAMINE
(1 Kings 17-18)