1 Kings 19, NIV emphasis in blue and green, CJB in magenta Nomads* comments in yellow, my comments in gray. *Sunday school class at UBC
[I
read the Bible to consider a perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political
philosophy. It’s partially expressed by Hebrew scholars 3900 years ago in
Genesis 1:26-28: Female&
male-human-being may and can, independent of other entities, choose to
constrain political chaos on earth. In other words, on earth, humankind
has the power to pursue the good and constrain the bad. Jesus affirmed this idea in Matthew 19:3-8,
in Matthew 5:48, and in dialogue with people. I think the next Bible canon
should include the law codes of Sumer and competing civilizations. Resulting
insights would take the heat off Judeo-Christianity, a Messiah vs Christ
conflict that egregiously* deludes Jesus’ civic influence. The broader view
could accelerate collaborative pursuit of human being (verb) and lessen baby
killing like those going on in Israel, Ukraine, and in the U.S.
*Competitive
monotheism survives on war.]
19:1 Now Ahab [Phoenician] told [wife] Jezebel everything Elijah [tribe of Gad] had done
and how he had killed all the prophets [of Baal; see 1 Kings 18] with the sword. 2 So
Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it
ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like
that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his
life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while
he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush [no fire, so far], sat
down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord [Adonai],” he said. “Take my
life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then
he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an
angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He
looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a
jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said,
“Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So
he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled
forty days and forty nights [a characteristic number in Old Testament stories, like 40 years in the
wilderness] until he reached Horeb [Sinai], the mountain of God. 9 There
he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears
to Elijah
And the word of
the Lord [Adonai] came to him: “What
are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty [Adonai the God of
armies] [not both Baal’s armies and
Israel’s armies, but the military might that decides war even among Israel’s tribes.
Yahweh Tsebaoth, which literally
means “Lord of Armies,” “Lord of Soldiers,” or “Lord of War” . . . is used over
250 times in the Scriptures, and yet very few people are familiar with it. Oct 23, 2021. I
think it is egregious that Christianity lessens the military import by interpreting
“almighty”. ]. The Israelites have rejected your covenant [the Lord’s covenant rather than
Baal’s falsity], torn down your altars, and put your prophets
to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying
to kill me too.”
11 The Lord
[He] said, “Go out and stand on the
mountain in the presence of the Lord
[Adonai], for the Lord [Adonai] is about to pass by.”
Then a great and
powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before
the Lord [Adonai], but the Lord [Adonai] was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but
the Lord [Adonai] was not in the earthquake. 12 After
the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord [Adonai] was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When
Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face [to express humility rather than fear, which might
have kept him in the cave] and went out and stood at the mouth of
the cave.
Then a voice said to
him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for
the Lord God Almighty [Adonai the God of armies]. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,
torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the
only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord
[Adonai] said to him, “Go
back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there,
anoint Hazael king over Aram [the Arameans were enemies of Israel]. 16 Also,
anoint Jehu son of Nimshi [a Judahite?] king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of
Shaphat [the tribe of Simeon] from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu
will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put
to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I
reserve [will spare] seven
thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not
kissed him.”
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son
of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving
the twelfth pair. Elijah went
up to him and threw his cloak around him. [There’s no evidence of the Lord
speaking directly to Elisha.] 20 Elisha then left
his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother
goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied.
“What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his
yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned [Is this “burning” symbolic of fire associated with the
Lord speaking? Doubtful.] the plowing equipment to cook the meat and
gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and
became his servant.
[Leader Kenneth positioned this story in the Old
Testament epic. Elijah was a prophet, and traditionally his sons would be
prophets. However, they did not choose the Lord, so Elijah ended the tradition.
Elisha represents an era of independent prophets.]
[2. This lesson is another epiphany to me.
I often write that I returned to UBC after 27 years absence to share my opinion
of Genesis 1:26-28 NIV (may rule), Jesus’s civic influence important to life,
and pursuit of the ineluctable truth.
Today, I realize I came admitting to myself: I do not know. So I need to consult
with the salt of the earth. Not having this 4th part of my message, Andy Hale
suggested I try either Nomads or Courage.
I have not the “courage” to leave Nomads. Phunn intended.]
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