The Gentle Blowing of God (1 Kings 20)
1 Kings 20 (1-15)
Most recently in our study of the Kings we have talked about
The REVIVAL that God began through the prophet Elijah.
WE SAW FIRE FALL ON MT. CARMEL
But then Elijah made a critical miscalculation.
After the great victory,
Elijah was just certain that he knew where God was headed.
So much so that Elijah actually out ran God to Jezreel.
Elijah didn’t find the revival he expected, he found a death threat.
Then came a significant point of training for Elijah:
1 Kings 19:11-13 “So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Although Elijah was looking for a literal “Fire-Fall” type of revival,
He learned that revival doesn’t commonly come that way.
The true revival of God is not best explained
By an explosion, or a storm, or even a “firefall”.
All that fire-fall produced where some Half-Hearted, Momentary Converts who departed as quickly as they converted.
A TRUE REVIVAL OF GOD IS MUCH MORE THOROUGH THAN THAT
I recently read an article by John MacArthur entitled: “Practical Thoughts on an Enduring Ministry”
“Humble patience with people may be the most important virtue you’ll every exercise. After all, your goal as a pastor should be to bring the convictions of your congregation into line with the full message of God’s Word, and their lives to spiritually maturity. And this is a process of sanctification that takes time (decades not just months or years). It only comes from trusting the Spirit’s power in using His Word as it is faithfully proclaimed week after week, year after year.”
The point is that the truest revivals of God
Don’t occur as a flash in a pan, but in a slow cooking oven.
God works continually and thoroughly over time
To completely change hearts and build the convictions of those
Who have genuinely chosen to follow Him.
We are certainly learning that here in 1 Kings.
Elijah’s “revival” on Mt. Carmel was certainly short-lived
BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN GOD IS NOT BRINGING REVIVAL
In fact, God promised Elijah that true revival was coming.
1 Kings 19:15-18 “The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. “It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
God was going to completely and thoroughly remove Baal from Israel.
God was going to bring revival, but not in one afternoon.
In fact, it wouldn’t even fully occur in Elijah’s lifetime.
God was bringing revival, but it is a thorough process
That could not be rushed.
It is that process that we see unfolding in our text this morning.
God is working in the heart of Ahab.
You and I know that God has already begun to work in Ahab’s life.
GOD GAVE HIM:
1) A Drought to Suffer Under (3 ½ years)
2) A Defeat to Acknowledge (Baal lost on Mt. Carmel)
This morning we see four more areas
In which God will “gently blow” to get Ahab’s attention.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE:
The subtle ways that God works in our lives in order to get our attention.
I believe God is working revival in our midst,
But I don’t want you to miss it
Simply because you are waiting for the fire to fall.
Let me show you what the “gentle blowing” of God looks like in a life,
So that you will recognize it in yours and turn to God as He desires.
You will see this morning 4 times that God gently blows in Ahab’s life.
They are the four times that God speaks in this chapter.
Coupled with the previous two, here are four more ways in which God was working to Get Ahab’s attention.
#1 A DELIVERANCE TO ENJOY
1 Kings 20:1-15
Allow me to paraphrase:
• Ben-hadad is king of Aram and he is an arrogant man.
• He is now seeking to grow his kingdom by destroying Israel.
• He is purposely trying to pick a fight by asking for more than Ahab would give.
First he asks for Ahab’s wives
(which Ahab actually gives)
Next he asks for anything he or his servants want
Ahab realizes that he is only looking for trouble, and refuses.
This gave Ben-hadad the excuse he needed to declare war.
(10) “Ben-hadad sent to him and said, “May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
In other words, you wouldn’t give my servants anything they want,
So I am about to give them handfuls of your dust.
I am about to pound Samaria into rubble.
Ahab responds
(11) “Then the king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.’”
Two soldiers may put on their armor with the intention of winning,
But only the one who is able to take off his armor
Is the one who truly was victorious.
BUT YOU SEE AHAB’S PREDICAMENT.
He is faced with a battle that he cannot escape…
He is faced with a danger that he cannot defeat…
And it is at this point that God enters the scene
With a “gentle blowing” for Ahab.
(13) “Now behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver them into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'”
DOES THAT SEEM STRANGE TO YOU?
Ahab and God are not exactly allies.
Yet here God, without any prompting at all,
Just turns and freely offers deliverance to Ahab.
We call it mercy, and God is using it to try and get through to Ahab.
“and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
Sometimes God just does something inexplicably good in our lives
Simply to reveal to us that His plans for us are good.
• Maybe He heals a sickness…
• Maybe He provides financially…
• Maybe He allows a success…
He just does something good to show us that He loves us
And would like to play a bigger part in our lives.
The intention is that we would perceive and turn to Him completely
REMEMBER THIS ACCOUNT:
Matthew 20:29-34 “As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
It was just an act of undeserved mercy,
And it caused the recipient to follow.
I WONDER IF YOU WOULD NOTICE GOD DOING THIS IN YOUR LIFE?
• Can you recognize the good that God has done for you?
• Can you see His provision, or His hand of healing in your life?
• Can you see that everything you have is because of Him?
The INTENTION is that you will see that He is good
And would determine to follow Him.
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Let the mercy of God in your life
Motivate you to serve Him whole-heartedly.
That is how God was working in Ahab’s life.
First, a deliverance to enjoy
#2 A DELIMMA TO PONDER
1 Kings 20:16-22
Now of course you will notice that God
Came through with the deliverance just as he promised.
Ahab was able to perform a great slaughter of Aram.
But there is no record of Ahab’s repentance, or worship
So God allows for another chance to get Ahab’s attention.
You notice in verse 20 that “Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.”
This prompted yet another visit from God’s messenger.
(22) “Then a prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.”
Here God allows for Ahab to see a coming dilemma
And then gives him time to sweat it out and ponder on it.
Certainly Ahab would have rejoiced in his victory,
But because he failed to worship God his rejoicing would be short lived.
GOD WOULD NOT ALLOW HIM TO ENJOY VICTORY FOR LONG
This is a “gentle blowing” from God to allow Ahab to worry
So he might turn to the God who has already delivered him once.
“see what you have to do”
This was a command for Ahab to recognize his need for God’s help
SOMETIMES GOD WORKS LIKE THIS IN OUR LIVES AS WELL.
He allows hardships to throw us into turmoil and anxiety
So that we will be motivated to turn to Him.
Last week we saw it as: “Wilderness University”
Elijah was a great example of one who took his dilemma to God.
Let me give you another example.
King Hezekiah, when Assyria sent a letter threatening to destroy them.
2 Kings 19:14-19 “Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. “Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. “Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. “Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”
He understood what to do with a dilemma, he turned back to God.
I WONDER IF YOU HAVE EVER RECOGNIZED THIS IN YOUR LIFE?
• God allows you to see a potential problem…
• God allows you to sweat something out a little…
He doesn’t do it to harm you,
He does it to cause you to depend upon Him.
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
This is certainly what God wanted from Ahab,
But as you can see, there was no such response.
So God continues to work.
First through a Deliverance to Enjoy
Second through a Dilemma to Ponder
#3 A DEMONSTRATION TO CONSIDER
1 Kings 20:23-30
You will notice that Ben-hadad is more serious this time.
This time he had exchanged his politicians for soldiers
And he has mustered an army of well over 120,000.
You know the odds are against Israel, for look at verse 27:
“The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country.”
Once again, defeat for Israel looks certain.
And then God’s prophet shows up
With another “gentle blowing” from the LORD.
(28) “Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Arameans have said, “The LORD is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'”
This time God is not delivering simply to show mercy to Ahab.
WHY IS GOD DELIVERING?
He is avenging His name on those who think
He is only a God of the mountains.
And He points that out to Ahab.
You would not turn and worship Me because I am merciful,
So maybe you will turn and worship Me because I am powerful.
God puts on a powerful display,
Which is also meant to get Ahab’s attention.
“and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
REMEMBER WHEN JESUS DID THIS?
Matthew 8:23-27 “When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Remember what Jesus said to Nathanael?
John 1:50-51 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Jesus also said:
John 5:36 “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”
They are all moments God uses to cause us to submit to Him
Because of His great power.
We are to see that He alone is God,
And that He alone is worthy of worship.
John 14:11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”
PERHAPS GOD HAS WORKED LIKE THIS IN YOUR LIFE
• A near death experience…
• A miraculous deliverance…
• Sometimes just a lightning storm, or a loud clasp of thunder…
Those times are meant by God to show you that He is God
And He is not to be messed with.
BUT AHAB STILL FAILED TO GET THE MESSAGE
First A Deliverance to Enjoy
Second A Dilemma to Ponder
Third A Demonstration to Consider
#4 A DISCIPLINE TO ANTICIPATE
1 Kings 20:31-43
Ahab obviously did not learn a thing,
For he turned loose the man God had delivered into his hand.
Verse 34 says, “he made a covenant with him and let him go.”
He should have been making a covenant with God,
Instead he is making it with the man who cursed God.
Ahab is not getting it.
This brings on a little dramatic parable,
The prophet pretends to be a man who has lost one given to his care.
Ahab reveals that his life should be given in exchange.
Then we hear the fourth time God speaks to Ahab in this chapter.
(42) “He said to him, “Thus says the LORD, Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.”
Here is another “gentle blowing” in Ahab’s life.
God is yet again trying to get Ahab’s attention,
By now promising Ahab of a coming destruction.
Sometimes God results to drastic measures to get a person’s attention
• It can be a promise of judgment in Scripture…
• It can actually be a hardship or tragedy…
• It can be a literal punishment with consequences…
God is forced to reveal to a person exactly where they are headed
So that they might turn to Him in repentance and worship.
Jesus did this at times:
Matthew 11:20-24 “Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”
Jesus threatened judgment to get us to fear Him and repent.
Remember this parable?
Luke 13:6-9 “And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'”
John the Baptist said:
Matthew 3:10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
When God threatens you with judgment (i.e. lays the axe at your root)
Then pay attention and start to please Him.
That is precisely what God is doing here to Ahab.
Unfortunately he still has not worked.
(43) “So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria.”
Instead of repenting, he started pouting.
Now I know this was a long chapter,
But it was necessary to see it all in order to get the idea.
LOOK AT ALL THE WAYS GOD WAS “GENTLY BLOWING”
A Drought to Learn from
A Defeat to Acknowledge
A Deliverance to Enjoy
A Dilemma to Ponder
A Demonstration to Consider
A Discipline to Anticipate
And every time the King has turned a deaf ear,
And is only moving deeper into depravity.
BECAUSE OF HIS OBSTINANCE HE IS NOT ONLY DELAYING REVIVAL,
BUT IS HEAPING JUDGMENT UPON HIMSELF
HERE IS THE POINT:
I want you to open your eyes to see all the various ways
In which God has been at work in your life.
I want you to see the DROUGHTS He has allowed…
To cause you to RETURN to Him
I want you to see the DEFEATS He has allowed…
To cause you to TRUST only Him
I want you to see the DELIVERANCES He has performed…
To cause you to LOVE and SERVE Him
I want you to see the DILEMMAS He has brought your way…
To cause you to INQUIRE of Him
I want you to see the DEMONSTRATIONS of power He has shown you…
To cause you to BE IN AWE of Him
I want you to see the DISCIPLINES He promises for rejecting Him…
To cause you to FEAR Him
I want you to see the hand of God in your life.
GOD DESPERATELY WANTS FOR YOU TO TURN TO HIM
He wants from you what He wanted from Ahab,
For “you to know that I am the LORD.”
I believe with all my heart
That God is working for revival in this church.
It is not occurring as a fire flash on a mountain side.
But it is occurring as a gentle blowing through our midst.
Some in our midst are responding to God
Some in our midst are not
And all the while God is calling, God is working, God is moving…
Quietly, softly, subtly, but continually and thoroughly
Now if God is not working in your life,
I am not asking for a thing from you.
But if He is, I am asking is that you recognize it, and submit to Him.
Don’t be like Ahab, stubborn and obstinate,
But be willing to acknowledge God at work, and turn to Him.
Revival is on it’s way.
Hebrews 3:7-11 “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. “THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'”
