Bible In One Year Day 169 (1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 23, Song of SOlomon 8)

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Day 169: Joash is Crowned 

Agape Bible 
1 Kings 22 

Chapter 22: Another War with Aram

1 Kings 22:1-4 ~ The King of Judah visits King Ahab in Samaria

See 2 Chronicles 18:2-34 for the parallel passages to this chapter. Jehoshaphat of Judah was the son of King Asa and the great-great-great grandson of the David, king of the United Kingdom of Israel. He succeeded his father (good king Asa) as king of Judah in 870 BC; it was four years after Ahab became king of Israel. Ever since the division of the Kingdom of Israel in 930 BC, there had been intermittent fighting between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. For the first time since the division of the kingdoms, there was peace between the two kingdoms and an alliance was made that was sealed by a royal marriage: Ahab and Jezebel's daughter, Athaliah, married Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram. It was a marriage that was to have dire consequences for the Kingdom of Judah.

The peace that was established with the Aramaeans of Damascus, after the army of the Northern Kingdom beat the Aramaeans at Aphek (1 Kng 20:26-34) and after Ahab released Ben-Hadad II, lasted three years. In the third year, in c. 853 BC, Jehoshaphat of Judah paid a visit to King Ahab in Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom.

 Jehoshaphat "came down" to Ahab in verse 2 because he came from the elevation of Jerusalem (c. 2400 feet above sea level) and then traveled north to Samaria. During that visit, King Ahab suggested a military alliance to take back the lands confiscated by the Aramaeans on the east side of the Jordan River, principally Ramoth-Gilead in the Transjordan, and the king of Judah agreed. It is evidently an alliance that will serve both kingdoms by retrieving lost territory and in weakening a common enemy.

Triumph of Jehosaphat over Adad of Syria as illustrated by Jean Fouquet

1 Kings 22:5-12 ~ False prophets predict success

It was a common practice for kings to inquire of their prophets concerning the future, especially concerning military ventures (e.g., 2 Sam 2:1-2). Notice that the number of Ahab's court prophets is the same number as that given for the prophets of Baal that Elijah mentioned in 1 Kings 18:19. These court prophets are men who claim a prophetic gift in general (consulting many gods). It is unlikely that they were from among the 100 men of the brotherhood of prophets of Yahweh rescued by Obadiah (1 Kng 18:4, 13), but it is probably one of the prophets of the brotherhood, like the prophet in 20:35-43, will figure later in the story (1 Kng 22:8, 13-28).

After the court prophets gave their prediction of success, the king of Judah must have been uncomfortable as to whether they really spoke for Yahweh and requested another prophet (verse 7). Ahab then suggested Micaiah, who he admitted he "hates" because the prophet never has any good news for him, but he sent a messenger to bring the prophet.⁽³⁾

Question: What was the Law concerning the test for a true prophet of Yahweh? Dt 13:1-6; 18:20-22.
Answer: The only true prophet is one who speaks the words of Yahweh. He is always 100% accurate because God is all knowing. If he claims to speak for Yahweh and speaks falsely, the penalty was death.

1 Kings 22:13-17 ~ The message of the prophet Micaiah
At the same time the events are taking place at the threshing floor, Ahab's messenger has arrived at the house of Micaiah. The king's messenger may be giving the prophet advice in verse 13 or it may be a threat that he had better be in agreement with the court prophets. Micaiah's reply is that he can only say what Yahweh tells him "the mark of a true prophet.

Question: Who are the sheep and who is their shepherd? What does the prophecy mean?

Answer: In his prophecy, the "sheep" are the men of the army of Israel and the missing "shepherd" is Ahab. Yahweh's command that they return to their homes is because the battle is lost and Ahab is dead.

Question: Is this the first prophecy of Ahab's death? See 1 Kng 20:38-43; 21:19-20.
Answer: This is the third prophecy of his death. The first was made by one of the members of the brotherhood of prophets after Ahab released Ben-Hadad II from Yahweh's curse of destruction, and the second prophecy was delivered by Elijah after Naboth's murder.

1 Kings 22:18-23 ~ The second part of the prophecy

Ahab asked Jehoshaphat a rhetorical question to which he did not respond (verse 18), but his question shows that he has understood the prophecy as a prediction of the loss of the battle and a prophecy of his death.

In verses 19-22 the prophet describes his vision of the heavenly court. In the vision, God has made His judgment of Ahab known and asks for a volunteer to help to bring it about by encouraging Ahab to initiate the war with Aram. An unnamed "spirit" offers to encourage the prophets to give a false prophecy of victory. Notice the comparison of the two Israelite kings on their thrones in the company of their courtiers and God on His throne in the heavenly court surrounded by a host of angels.

There are divided opinions on Micaiah's vision in 1 Kings 22:19-23:

1. It is a true vision and this is the way God moves human events to bring about a desired result.
2. In order to protect himself from openly accusing the court prophets of lying, he has fabricated this story to excuse their false message. They are not responsible because it was a spirit who lied to them.
3. The spirit who volunteers to present the lie to the court prophets is Satan (the devil), the "father of lies" (Jn 8:44-45).

The scene is somewhat similar to the events that took place in the heavenly court in the Book of Job 1:6-12, although we do not know if the "spirit" is good or evil like the evil spirit of Satan in Job. In any event, the false prophets don't realize it, but they are also instruments of God who has already judged Ahab and decreed that he should die.

1 Kings 22:24-28 ~ The reaction of Micaiah's prophecy
The same prophet who made the iron horns (22:21) struck Micaiah and challenged the prophecy that is contrary to his own (probably just as Micaiah feared). King Ahab ordered for Micaiah to be imprisoned and fed a merger diet of bread and water. God's prophet, surrounded by four hundred false prophets, and the two kings and their courtiers, suffered both humiliation and physical abuse. It is the fate of all true prophets who are a Biblical "type" of Jesus Christ, God's supreme prophet, who will also suffer every kind of humiliation and abuse at His Passion.

Question: How does Micaiah defend his prophecy to Zedekiah?
Answer: The events themselves will prove or disprove the truthfulness of his prophecy and that he has spoken with the authority of God.

The Battle at Ramoth-Gilead

1 Kings 22:29-38 ~ Ahab's death at Ramoth-Gilead

Unfortunately the king of Judah was not impressed with Micaiah's prophecy of disaster and decided to go into battle against the Aramaeans with the king of Israel based on the prophecy for success by the four hundred court prophets.

Ahab was struck by the arrow in a small gap between the pieces of his scale armor. Realizing that he was wounded, Ahab commanded his chariot driver to retreat, but the battle was raging so fiercely that the driver couldn't turn the chariot around and withdraw. The driver or a third man in the chariot held Ahab up so the soldiers wouldn't realize he had been wounded and become discouraged (war chariots held two and three man teams). As the battle continued, Ahab bled to death.

When the blood was washed out of the floor of the chariot into the pool, the dogs licked up the blood in the water and the unclean cult prostitutes bathed in his blood. Dogs were unclean scavengers and the cult prostitutes were considered an abomination (Lev 18:22/19; Dt 23:18-19:17-18). These double indignities were God's judgment on Ahab in atonement for his sins. God forgave Ahab when he repented the murder of Naboth in 21:29, but forgiveness is one thing and atonement for those sins for which one has been forgiven is another matter altogether. God is merciful but He is also just (see 2 Sam 12:13-15).

1 Kings 22:39-40 ~ Summary statement of Ahab's reign

The year of Ahab's death is c. 853 BC. The story of Ahab ends with the same formula statement as the other kings of Israel in 1 Kings. The story of Ahab's son will continue in 2 Kings 8:25-29. Ahab's son Ahaziah was the son-in-law of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. The "ivory house" does not mean his palace was made of ivory but that it had costly ivory embellishments and furniture inlaid with ivory.

1 Kings 22:41-51 ~ The reign of Jehoshaphat in Judah (870-848)

The same formula summary of the reign of Jehoshaphat is given as for other Davidic kings except with the notice that, like his father Asa, he was a righteous king in God's eyes.
Question: What one failure is mentioned?
Answer: He did not abolish worship in the form of sacrifice and incense at the "high places."

This does not necessarily mean idol worship. Yahweh commanded that right worship could only be offered on His one, holy altar (Dt 12:1-14), and the people may have been erecting their own altars to Yahweh on hills and offering their own form of worship. It is another indication that right worship can only be offered at the Temple by Yahweh's ordained priesthood, and any other form of worship, even in the name of Yahweh, is illicit worship and forbidden.

1 Kings 22:52-54 ~ King Ahaziah of Israel (853-852)

Another formula summary is given for Ahaziah son of Ahab and Jezebel. He ruled for two years as the ancients counted with 853 counting as "year #1 and 852 as year #2. He is also compared to Jerobaom who first led Israel into the sin of idol worship. Ahaziah followed the sinful examples of his father and mother. His story will be continued in chapter 1 of 2 Kings in the third part of the Elijah cycle.

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A Daily Defense

DAY 169 Objections to the Contingency Argument

CHALLENGE: “The argument from contingency is flawed: (1) Everything could be fated, so nothing would be contingent; (2) we can explain how things are by their history, which could be infinite; (3) there could be multiple ultimate causes; (4) you could call the first, necessary cause something other than God; and (5) if everything needs a cause, then God also must have a cause.”

DEFENSE:

None of these objections overturn the contingency argument.

First, the argument from fate simply proposes a single, ultimate cause—fate itself—for contingent things. It doesn’t show they aren’t contingent. It is not necessary for a person to be standing the way it is necessary for a square to have four sides. People can stand or sit, but squares must have four sides. If a person is fated to stand, he could also be fated to sit, and his posture is contingent.

Second, history (and whether history might be infinite) is not part of this argument. We are asking why things are the way they are now, not what history preceded this.

Third, one could trace the chain of causes for each of the many contingent things up to higher causes, but these would not end in a multiplicity of ultimate explanations, for explanations converge as we go higher. An example is the four fundamental forces of physics (electromagnetism, the strong force, the weak force, and gravity), which explain the state of innumerable contingent physical things. An important goal of science is to find ways to unify these forces and any others that exist.

There cannot be a multiplicity of ultimate explanations. If one proposed a certain set of explanations as ultimate, then they would have to exist within some kind of framework that would allow them to relate to one another. Otherwise, they would not be able to interact to produce the contingent states of affairs we see. However, the framework would then be more fundamental than the proposed explanations, so they would not be ultimate.

Fourth, one can always reject the term “God,” but this argument shows that there is a First Cause that is a necessary Being. This does not prove the full Christian understanding of God, but it can be supplemented by other arguments.

Fifth, God would not need a cause because, per the argument, God is necessary rather than contingent.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist

Bible in One Year Day 168 (1Kings 21, 2Chronicles 21-22, Song of Solomon 7)

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Day 168: The Wicked Kings 

Agape Bible 

1 Kings 21 

Chapter 21: Naboth's Vineyard

1 Kings 21:1-7 ~ Ahab covets Naboth's vineyard

The story of the unjust death of Naboth is Part II of the Elijah cycle. Naboth is from the town of Jezreel, located in the Jezreel Valley. There is some confusion over which of the king's palaces was adjacent to the land owned by Naboth. The king's palace in Jezreel is another palace (18:45) and not the same as the palace in the capital city of Samaria (2 Kng 9:25-26). Naboth owns a vineyard near the king's palace that is part of his original ancestral lands allotted to his family in the conquest of Canaan.

1 Kings 21:8-10 ~ Jezebel's plan to take Naboth's vineyard
Jezebel understands that according to the Law her husband does not have the power to confiscate Naboth's land without threatening his throne, and so she devises a plan to manipulate the Law to bring about the death of an innocent man and secure his property for her husband. She uses her husband's official royal seal in the letter she sent to the elders of Naboth's city. The seal makes the command official and has the force of the king behind it.

Question: What law will she use to have Naboth killed? See Ex 22:27 and Lev 24:16.

Answer: Under the law it was forbidden to curse/blaspheme the name of God or His appointed ruler. The penalty for blaspheming God was death by stoning.

Question: Who does Jezebel seek to make accomplices in her evil plan?
Answer: She makes the elders and important men in Naboth's city her accomplices.

Her actions show her contempt for Yahweh's Law. If the Law will not allow her husband to behave with the rightful powers of a king, then she will abuse the Law and manipulate it to her advantage. Her statement by her actions is that she is a "law unto herself". It is the same sin committed by all men and women who believe that are above the laws of God and men.

1 Kings 21:11-16 ~ The murder of Naboth

Question: Why did the village elders and prominent men obey Jezebel's letter and cooperate in Naboth's unjust death?
Answer: Either they feared Jezebel's retribution if the failed to cooperate or they hoped to receive some royal compensation or both factors motivated them to commit this grave sin.

Naboth is unjustly accused of blasphemy and unjustly executed. It is a travesty of justice carried out by Queen Jezebel and the rulers of his city. Naboth of Jezreel can be seen as a "Biblical type" of Jesus of Nazareth. A "Biblical type" is: "a person, thing, action, or event that foreshadows new truths, new actions, or new events. In the In the Old Testament, Melchizedech and Jonah are types of Jesus Christ. A likeness must exist between the type and the archetype, but the latter is always greater. Both are independent of each other. God's call for the return of the Israelites from Pharaoh's bondage typifies the return of Jesus Christ from his flight into Egypt. In the New Testament, the destruction of Jerusalem, foretold by Christ, was the antitype of the end of the world" (Catholic Dictionary, John H. Hardon, S.J., page 441-42). Studying Biblical typology reveals to the student of Sacred Scripture the newness of God's message in Christ on the basis of the figures/types which announce Him in the deeds, words, and symbols found in the Old Testament and revealing that "The New Testament is hidden in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New", as St. Augustine taught. For example, Noah's flood and the ark in which eight people were saved prefigured salvation by Baptism, just as the manna in children of Israel ate in the desert prefigured the Eucharist, "the true bread come down from heaven" (Jn 6:32; 1 Cor 10:1-6); also see CCC 128, 130, 1094.

Question: How is Naboth a "Biblical type" of Jesus and how many comparisons do you see between Naboth's unjust death and Jesus Christ?

Answer:

Naboth of Jezreel	Jesus of Nazareth
A conspiracy was formed against Naboth because the king envied Naboth's possession of a vineyard (1 Kng 21:1-7).	The religious leaders wanted to put Jesus to death because of their envy of Jesus' influence over the "vineyard" that was Israel (Is 5:7; Mt 27:18).
Witnesses were called to give false testimony against Naboth (1 Kng 21:10, 13a).	Witnesses were called to give false testimony against Jesus (Mt 26:59-61).
Naboth was charged with the sin of blasphemy by the village elders and was condemned to death (1 Kng 21:10, 13).	Jesus was charged with the sin of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin and was condemned to death (Mt 26:65-66).
Naboth was innocent (2 Kng 21:8-14).	Jesus was innocent (Jn 18:38, 19:4, 6).
Naboth was executed outside the city (2 Kng 21:8-13).	Jesus was executed outside the city (Jn 19:20).
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2015 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.

Jezabel and Ahab (c. 1863) (Frederic Leighton)

1 Kings 21:17-26 ~ Elijah pronounces God's judgment against Ahab and Jezebel

It is interesting that Ahab didn't even try to deny his part in Naboth death when confronted by Elijah.
Question: What did we learn in verse 19 that was not revealed previously about Naboth's death?
Answer: He was even denied a proper burial.

Elijah's prophecy of Ahab's death in verses 19-20 and the prophecy of the dogs licking of his blood is fulfilled in 1 Kings 22:37-38 and takes place in Samaria. Jezebel will die in Jezreel in 2 Kings 11:30-37.

1 Kings 21:27-29 ~ Ahab repents
By this time Ahab has had enough evidence of Elijah's prophecies to believe that the judgment he has pronounced will come to pass and so he demonstrated the repentance of his sins by his actions. Yahweh brings Ahab's acts of repentance to the attention of His prophet and pronounces a reprieve in His judgment against the House of Omri.

Question: How could Yahweh so easily extend His mercy to King Ahab?
Answer: It was because God judged his repentance to be sincere; however, God has not withdrawn His judgment on the penalty Ahab must pay for the murder of Naboth.

No sin is too great that it cannot be forgiven. Yahweh's acknowledge of Ahab's repentance is another sign of God's mercy to a repentant sinner. However, God is both merciful and just. Ahab must still atone for the murder of Naboth "this is justice for Naboth. Ahab's dynasty has been spared because of his repentance, but not his life. Because of Ahab's repentance, God will grant his son the opportunity not to follow in his father's footsteps. However, if his son fails to make use of God's mercy, he will pay the full price of the judgment in the loss of the Omride dynasty.

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A Daily Defense

DAY 168 The Contingency Argument 

CHALLENGE: “How would you argue for the existence of God?”

DEFENSE:One argument proceeds from the existence of contingent things (i.e., things that could be different than they are).

1. Some things are contingent.

2. All contingent things require a current cause for why they are the way they are.

3. There cannot be an infinite regress of current causes.

4. Therefore, there must be a first, necessary (non-contingent) cause.

5. The first, necessary cause is God.

6. Therefore, God exists.

The premises of this argument are lines 1, 2, 3, and 5. The conclusions (lines 4 and 6) follow

from them.

Line 1 is true by experience. Many things could be different than they are. A person may be standing or sitting. A table may be painted red or green. A pyramid may be built or taken apart.

Line 2 is verified by experience. At any moment, there is a reason why a thing is the way it is. For example, if a person is standing, the atoms in his body are arranged a certain way and he is related to something else (e.g., the ground) so that he is standing on it. If a table is painted red, the atoms in its surface are arranged a certain way and will reflect certain frequencies of light.

Line 3 acknowledges that there can be a hierarchy of current causes. For example, the atoms in a standing person’s body may be held in place by the four fundamental forces known to physics (electromagnetism, the strong force, the weak force, and gravity). It is possible that these forces may, in turn, be based on a deeper set of presently unknown forces. However, this chain cannot go on forever in this way because in that case there would be no ultimate explanation for why the person is standing. If there is to be an ultimate explanation for why the person is standing, it must be based on something that is not, in turn, based on something else. Therefore, there must be a first cause, which is also necessary (not contingent). Proposing an infinite regress of causes for which we have no evidence also violates Occam’s Razor.

Line 5 is based on the standard understanding of God as the First Cause and as a necessary Being.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist

Bible in One Year Day 167 (1Kings 19-20, 2Chronicles 20, Song of Solomon 6)

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Day 167: Vaticum 

Agape Bible Study 
1 Kings 19 - 20 

Chapter 19: Elijah and the Aftermath of his Victory at Mt. Carmel

This section of the Elijah cycle Part I has three episodes:

1. Elijah's encounter with Jezebel and his journey to Mt. Horeb/Sinai (19:1-8)
2. Elijah's encounter with Yahweh at Horeb/Mt. Sinai (19:9-18)
3. The call of Elisha (19:19-21)

1 Kings 19:1-8 ~ Jezebel's threat and the journey to Horeb

The word "all" is repeated three times in the Hebrew text of Ahab's account of events to Jezebel. The repetition is probably to emphasis the enormity of Elijah's actions which were part of God's divine plan to call Israel to repentance.

Question: Why was Elijah fearful of Jezebel? Hadn't God protected him in the past?
Answer: Elijah and the other Biblical heroes are not cardboard saints. They were real, flesh and blood men and woman who experience all the fears and anxieties that we face, but they were called by God to extraordinary works in His name. Elijah was afraid because he was human; it is human to fear suffering and death.

In the failure of Israel to repent after his victory at Mt. Carmel, Elijah did not experience a crisis of faith but a crisis of expectation.

Elijah 

1 Kings 19:9-18 ~ Elijah's encounter with Yahweh at Mt. Sinai

When Elijah arrived at the mountain he spent the night in a cave. There is no information to confirm if it was the same cave where Moses stood. When Yahweh spoke to Elijah he asked "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (verse 9). God could be asking why Elijah felt the need to come here, or it could be a challenge asking why Elijah has abandoned his mission to call Israel to repentance.

1 Kings 19:19-21 ~ The call of Elisha

Elisha, whose name means "God is salvation," lived in a town called Abel-Meholah (19:16). The town was probably located in the Jordan Valley south or southeast of Beth-shean, but its exact location has not been identified. The assumption of its location is based on the name appearing as a designation of one of the boundaries of Solomon's fifth administrative district, in which Tannach, and Beth-shean are two of the chief towns (1 Kng 4:12).

Twelve yoke of oxen is twenty-four oxen with a pair of oxen under each of twelve yokes. The twelve pairs of oxen were plowing the field under the direction of twelve different men, Elijah with one pair of oxen and eleven other men who were either Elijah's father's servants or kinsmen who owned the field in common or joined together to plough their adjacent fields. Elisha was plowing with the last two oxen and the other pairs were in front of him.

When Elijah put his cloak over Elisha, Elisha knew exactly who he was because by this time all Israel knew about Yahweh's prophet Elijah and his victory at Mt. Carmel. He also understood that being covered with the prophet's cloak was an invitation to discipleship. The cloak symbolized the owner and his rights/authority. In addition, as we will later learn, the prophet's cloak has miraculous properties (2 Kng 2:8) and Elijah, by throwing his cloak over Elisha, apparently acquired an authority over him that Elisha is inspired to accept (although his free-will choice was still intact).

Question: What request did Elisha make?
Answer: His one request was to say goodbye to his parents.

Question: Why does it make sense that Elijah would have approved Elisha's request? See Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16.

Answer: Elijah approved because Elisha's request was in accord with the commandment to honor one's parents, and it is Elijah's mission to not only call the people to repentance but to call them to obedience to the Law.

Chapter 20: The Aramaean Wars

1 Kings 20:1-6 ~ The siege of Samaria and the demands of Ben-Hadad king of Aram

Aram was located northeast of Israel and is known today as Syria. Ben-Hadad II was the ruler of the Aramaean kingdom of Damascus and the successor of Ben-Hadad I mentioned in 1 Kings 15:18 with whom King Asa of Judah made a treaty alliance to save himself from an invasion by the Northern Kingdom. In c. 857 BC, Ben-Hadad saw an opportunity to attack the Northern Kingdom that had been weakened by famine. This was not the first time the Kingdom of Damascus had attacked Israel. In a previous conflict Ben-Hadad I had taken towns from Omri and demanded a trading mission in Samaria (see 20:34). Ben-Hadad II gathered together a coalition of 32 "kings" who were probably tribal chieftains or heads of city-states who recognized him as their overlord. He laid siege to the Northern Kingdom's capital city and demanded a tribute payment of all Ahab's gold and silver. In agreeing, Ahab was acknowledging Ben-Hadad as his overlord and accepting vassal status without a fight. When Ahab agreed so quickly, Ben-Hadad must have taken it as a sign of weakness and decided that instead of a tribute payment he would conquer the kingdom.

1 Kings 20:7-12 ~ Ahab's reply to Ben-Hadad and Ben-Hadad's response

Ben-Hadad's second demand went too far even for Ahab. With the support of his counselors, he refused the demand. Enraged, Ben-Hadad took an oath to utterly destroy Samaria. King Ahab's response was to quote what must have been a proverb of the times the purpose of which is to remind Ben-Hadad that a boast is not the same as a victory and the battle is not won until the victor takes off his armor. An overly confident Ben-Hadad received the message at his camp tent drinking with his vassals.

1 Kings 20:13-21 ~ God's message from a prophet and Israel's victory

An unnamed prophet of Yahweh arrives to deliver a message to Ahab.
Question: What is the message and why has Yahweh sent it?
Answer: God will give the Israelites victory over their enemy as another proof that only Yahweh is God.

1 Kings 20:22-25 ~ The prophet warns Ahab and the Aramaeans' battle strategy

The prophet who went to King Ahab is probably the same prophet as the one in 20:13.
Question: What warning does Yahweh's prophet give King Ahab?
Answer: Be resolute and make the effort to be ready because the Aramaeans will return in the spring.

Question: What advice did Ben-Hadad receive from his counselors?
Answer: Their suggestion is that the best strategy is a professional military. They think Yahweh is a mountain god because the prophets of Baal were defeated at Mt. Carmel and they suggest that the Aramaeans should engage the Israelites on level ground where their chariots will be an advantage.

1 Kings 20:26-30a ~ Israel's victory at Aphek

After the spring equinox which is the beginning of the Israelite liturgical year (Ex 12:1-2), when armies go to war (see 2 Sam 11:1), the armies of Israel and Aram faced each other at Aphek. In 1 Samuel 29:1 the Philistines used a place called Aphek as a site to muster their army against Israel. It is unlikely that the site of the battle between Israel and the Aramaeans is the same place, since there are numerous locations that have this name. The site is named eight times in the Old Testament or nine if the place called Aphekah in Joshua 15:23 is included; both Aphek and Aphekah mean "fortress" in Hebrew.² This Aphek is probably located in the northeast on the border between the two kingdoms east of the Sea of Galilee in the Jordan Valley on the plain near to where the river Yarmuk flows into the Jordan.

1 Kings 20:35-43 ~ Ahab's policy with Ben-Hadad is condemned

The prophets in this part of the narrative, like the prophet who first came to King Ahab to inform him that Yahweh was going to give him victory, are probably members of the community of prophets saved by Obadiah (1 Kng 18:3-4, 13). Yahweh has told the prophet to take Yahweh's pronouncement of divine judgment to Ahab in which he must assume the identity of an Israelite soldier.

Question: The fate of the second prophet who refuses to help the first prophet carry out his mission is similar to what other story in 1 Kings? See 1 Kng 13:11-25.
Answer: It is similar to the story of the "man of God' from Judah who broke the fast God commanded him to keep and was eaten by a lion as a judgment for his failure.

The second prophet refused to strike his brother prophet even though it was part of God's divine plan because it seemed wrong to him. He was going by his own understanding and not according to God's divine plan and his judgment was to be eaten by a lion. Lions as a vehicle of judgment are also found in 2 Kings 17:25 and metaphorically in Hosea 5:14.

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A Daily Defense
DAY 167 Some Who Will Not Taste Death 

CHALLENGE: “Jesus said, ‘There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power’ (Mark 9:1; cf. Matt. 16:28, Luke 9:27). But that generation died long ago and the world hasn’t ended. So Jesus’ prediction was false.”

DEFENSE: Jesus was not referring to the end of the world. 

There is a sense in which the kingdom of God comes at the end of the world (1 Cor. 15:24), but the kingdom is a complex reality that includes God’s activity before that time (1 Cor. 15:25). Jesus recognized this. Asked when the kingdom would come, he replied: “Behold, the kingdom of God is

in the midst of you” (Luke 17:21).

Thus we must ask if the passages above refer to something in his day. Luke’s version merely speaks of some not dying before seeing the kingdom, but Mark refers to them seeing it “come with power” and Matthew refers to them seeing “the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” 

This suggests we should look for an event where Jesus was manifest in a powerful, miraculous way. And there was one: the Transfiguration.

In each of the synoptic Gospels, the Transfiguration immediately follows Jesus’ announcement (Matt. 17:1–9; Mark 9:2–10; Luke 9:28–36). Jesus takes three of the disciples—Peter, James, and John—up a mountain. His clothing becomes dazzlingly bright, Moses and Elijah appear beside him, everyone is enveloped in a cloud, and God the Father speaks from heaven, identifying Jesus as his Son/his Chosen, and declaring, “Hear him!”

This manifestation is likely the coming of the kingdom “with power” Jesus referred to, and the text of each Gospel suggests this is the way the evangelists understood it. Not only does the Transfiguration happen right after the announcement, but each Gospel says it was about a week later (Matt. 17:1, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:28; the slight difference in the number of days may reflect reckoning parts of days as wholes and counting days as beginning at sunset, midnight, or dawn).

Peter, James, and John thus were the three who did not taste death before they saw the kingdom coming with power.

   

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist

Bible in One Year Day 166 (1Kings 17-18, 2Chronicles 18-19, Song of Solomon 5)

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Day 166:  Responding in Faith 

Agape Bible Study 
1 Kings 17 - 18 

Chapter 17: The Reign of Ahab of Israel and the Beginning of the Story of Elijah the Prophet

Elijah was Yahweh's zealous prophet during the reigns of Ahab and his son Ahaziah, during the first half of the ninth century BC, fighting against idolatry and injustice in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His name in Hebrew means "Yahweh is [my] God" and can be regarded as the mission of his life. His prophetic objective was to awaken Israel to the conviction that there is no other god but Yahweh—Yahweh alone is God. His dress was distinctive; he dressed in hairy animal skins and wore a leather loincloth or belt (2 Kng 1:8). His manner of dress suggests that he belonged to a family of shepherds or herdsmen in the Transjordan.

Elijah is the protagonist in three stories which Bible scholars refer to as the Elijah cycle:

1. 1 Kings 17:1-19:21 ~ The first story begins with the drought called down upon the region by Elijah in God's divine name and escalates into a contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The story ends with Elijah's encounter with Yahweh at Mt. Horeb/Sinai and the call of Elisha.
2. 1 Kings 21:1-29 ~ The second story concerns the murder of righteous Naboth in a conspiracy to claim his land, and Elijah's prophecy of doom for both King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.
3. 2 Kings 1:1-2:1-18 ~ The third story concerns the final confrontation between Ahab and Elijah, the ascension of Elijah into heaven, and the succession of Elijah by his servant Elisha.

Elijah in the Desert (Allston Washington)

1 Kings 17:1-6 ~ Elijah prophesies' a great drought

Chapter 17, in the first part of the Elijah cycle, is composed of three episodes concerning Elijah's activities during the three year drought and three miracles within that period:

1. Elijah seeking refuge in Wadi Cherith and the miracle of the ravens (17:1-7).
2. Elijah finding refuge with a Gentile widow in Sidonia and the miracle of unending supply of oil and meal (17:8-16).
3. The miracle of Elijah resurrecting a widow's son (17:17-24).

1 Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead
A number of prophets in Scripture are identified by their hometowns (e.g. Ahijah of Shiloh in 1 Kng 11:29).
Question: Where was Elijah's hometown? Consult a map and find the Gilead.
Answer: He was from Tishbe in the Transjordan region of Gilead (on the east side of the Jordan River in what is today modern Jordan).

The Gilead was a rugged region between the Arnon and Yarmuk Rivers. In antiquity this region was densely forested (see Jer 22:6), and it was a territory that was especially well-suited for herding (Num 32:2). The northern part of the Gilead was assigned to the tribe of Manasseh, but the region was lost to Israel after the Assyrian conquest in 721 BC. The town of Tishbe has never been discovered in the Gilead but Tobit 1:2 mentions a Tishbi in the Galilee. The LXX (Greek Septuagint) translation, however, reads Tishbon in Gilead. Early Christian tradition sanctified a site just north of the Jabbok River in the Transjordan and built a chapel for pilgrims.

1 Kings 17:7-16 ~ The widow at Zarephath and the miracle of the flour and the oil

The entire region of the Levant was devastated by the drought and resulting famine. God commands Elijah to leave the Transjordan region and journey to a Mediterranean coastal city in Phoenician territory to seek refuge with a widow.
Question: What is ironic concerning the new place of refuge?
Answer: Elijah's life is in danger from King Ahab who is promoting Baal worship, which Elijah has condemned through the drought judgment, yet God has sent him into the very heart of Baal worship to seek refuge.

Question: How does Elijah test the woman to see if she is the right widow? How many times does he "test" her?
Answer: First he asks her for water, and then knowing that she and her son are starving, he asks her to bake him a little cake of bread.

Question: Elijah, servant of Yahweh, testing of the widow to see if she is the one Yahweh had chosen by asking her to bring him water recalls the testing of what other woman by Abraham's servant in Genesis 24:10-20?
Answer: The incident recalls the actions of Abraham's servant who was sent to find a bride for Isaac in the Aramaean homeland of Abraham's extended family. He tested Rebekah by asking for water in Genesis 24:17 to see if she was the one Yahweh had chosen as a wife for Isaac.

In the story of Elijah and the widow and Abraham's servant and Rebekah, the sought after woman is discovered using the same tactic. Rebekah only underwent one test, but Elijah tests the widow a second time by requesting that she bake him a cake of bread. Both women were blessed by Yahweh for their generous response to a traveler's request.

1 Kings 17:17-24 ~ Elijah restores the widow of Zarephath's son to life

The woman accuses Elijah of uncovering her sins and of causing the death of her son as her judgment. The woman's understanding of suffering and hardship being a punishment for her personal sins was common for pagan peoples and for the covenant people. While it was true that sin often brings its own punishment, all suffering cannot be attributed only to sins of the afflicted person as Jesus corrected His disciples in John 9:1-3.

Chapter 18: Elijah's Victory over the Priests of Baal

1 Kings 18:1-15 ~ Elijah and Obadiah

It is now the third year of the drought and famine. God commands Elijah to present himself to King Ahab; it will be a meeting that God tells His prophet will result in God sending rain to end the drought. The conditions caused by the drought have severely reduced the fodder for the kings' horses. We know from secular sources that King Ahab maintained extensive cavalry and chariot units (from an Aramaean stele fragment). The king is so desperate that he is willing to lead a search party for fodder himself and sends his steward to lead another search party. Obadiah's name means "servant of Yahweh," and his name describes his true allegiance.

Question: How do Obadiah's actions demonstrate his allegiance to Yahweh?
Answer:

1. He did homage to Elijah and recognized him as Yahweh's true prophet.
2. At the risk of his own life, he has managed to hide and feed 100 prophets of Yahweh from Ahab, preserving their lives.

1 Kings 18:16-24 ~ Elijah confronts Ahab and proposes a contest at Mt. Carmel

Mt. Carmel is a chain of mountains that begin near the Mediterranean coast (modern Haifa, Israel) and runs about 18 miles to the south-east. At its highest point, Mt. Carmel is 1800 feet high. Imagine the scene: the ragged prophet dressed in animal skins confronting the king of Israel in his richly embroidered garments. The king verbally attacks Elijah, calling him "scourge of Israel" while the prophet, who is not intimidated by the king, answers back with equal force, saying: 18 "Not I," he replied, "I am not the scourge of Israel, you and your family are; because you have deserted Yahweh and followed Baal [Baalim = Baals]. Elijah probably uses the plural, Baals = Baalim, because the Israelites have not only offered worship to the different Canaanite manifestations of Baal but now also to the Phoenician Baal-Shamem, a storm/rain god revered under other names such as Baal-Hadad and Hadad-Rimmon in various Phoenician and Aramaean centers (for other uses of Baalim see footnote 2).

1 Kings 18:25-29 ~ The attempt of the priests of Baal

In the contest, the priests of Baal are commanded not to light the altar fire; their god must light it as a sign of his power. Elijah gave the priests of Baal, the majority party, the first opportunity to display the power of their god and patiently gave them every opportunity for success.
Question: What techniques do the priests of Baal use to attract their god's attentions?
Answer: The yell and dance around the altar they had made. As time passes their actions become more desperate and they offer ritual bloodletting.

1 Kings 18:30-40 ~ Elijah's victory over the priests of Baal

The contest took place on a slope of Mt. Carmel that had enough space to accommodate a large crowd. There had apparently been an altar to Yahweh on the site at one time that that had been destroyed but the stones remained. It may have been an altar that existed from the time of the Patriarchs when the father of every family served as a priest and built altars and offered sacrifices whenever and wherever he so desired, or it was an altar a desperate people, cut off from the Jerusalem Temple, had set up. This practice was now forbidden in the Sinai Covenant where only one altar of Yahweh was permitted and that altar was now in the Jerusalem Temple complex (Dt 12:11-14; 1 Kng 11:36 2 Chr 3:1-2). It was possible to erect a temporary altar for a special purpose, like the altar Joshua built of undressed stones for the covenant renewal ceremony after the beginning of the conquest of Canaan (Josh 8:30-31). Such altars, like the ones from the age of the Patriarchs, were not like the Bronze altar God commanded for His desert Sanctuary or the Jerusalem Temple (Ex 27:1-8; 38:1-7; 1 Kng 8:64). The other altars were built of undressed stones on four sides and filled with dirt that was packed down firmly. The wood for burning the sacrifice was placed on top of the dirt (see verse 38).

1 Kings 18:41-46 ~ The drought ends

Throughout the contest, King Ahab has remained silent. With the victory of Elijah over the prophets of Baal, there is nothing he can say, and he probably fears for his own life.
Question: Why does Elijah tell the king to leave the mountain side?
Answer: True to his word in 18:1, the drought is over and the rain will soon begin. In the torrents of rain that will fall, it will be dangerous for the horses and the king's chariot on the mountain side, and he tells the king to go home and resume his life in the knowledge that only Yahweh is God. Yahweh's mercy has been extended to the king.

For the first time we learn that Elijah has a servant. It is probably one of the prophets saved by Obadiah who has offered his services to the Elijah. While the king returns to his palace in the Jezreel Valley, Elijah climbs nearer to the top of the mountain and reverently bows down to Yahweh and makes his petition for rain to end the drought. He then sends his servant higher up the mountain and tells him to look west toward the sea. Baal, the false god of storms and rain, could not bring the rain, but Yahweh, the One True God, will bring rain and end the drought.
Question: How many times does Elijah send his servant up to the top of the mountain to look for signs of rain?
Answer: Seven times.

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A Daily Defense

DAY 166 God as an Exalted Man

CHALLENGE: “God is simply an exalted man. The Bible says we are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26–27), and it refers to the strong right arm of God (Deut. 4:34), his all-seeing eyes (Prov. 15:3), and so on.”

DEFENSE: Scripture is clear that God and man are fundamentally different.

Mormonism is known for teaching that God and man are the same species. Mormons frequently use the couplet, “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.”

By contrast, Scripture states: “God is not a man” (Num. 23:19), “he is not a man” (1 Sam. 15:29). God has always been God; he was never a man: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting thou art God” (Ps. 90:2).

There are no other gods. In Isaiah, God declares: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god” (Isa. 44:6). He also states: “Is there a God besides me? . . . I know not any” (Isa. 44:8). 

Similarly, men do not become gods. In Isaiah, God states: “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me” (Isa. 43:10).

The “image” of God that Genesis 1 says we bear is an aspect of our rational soul, which separates us from the animals, which God created in the same chapter. 

References to God’s strong arm, his eyes, and such, are metaphors referring to God’s power and knowledge. They are not to be taken literally any more than Scripture’s references to God having feathers and wings (“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge,” Ps. 91:4).

Other verses make the immaterial nature of God clear. In John 4:24 Jesus teaches, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Elsewhere he notes, “a spirit has not flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39).

There is a difference between being a spirit and having a spirit. Jesus indicates that the Father is a spirit, not that he merely has one. This means that the Father lacks a body and is entirely spiritual.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist

Bible in One Year Day 165 (1Kings 15-16, 2Chronicles 16-17, Song of Solomon 4)

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Day 165:  The Lover and the Beloved

Agape Bible Study 
1 Kings 15 - 16 

Chapters 15-16: The Reigns of the Kings of Israel and Judah from 913-853 BC

Rehoboam's son and successor is called Abijam in 2 Kings, but he is called Abijah in 1 Chronicles 3:8; 2 Chronicles 13:1-23 and in St. Matthew's genealogy in Matthew 1:7.  Abijah was a common name in this period and means "Yahweh is my father."  It was the name of a prophet (1 Kng 11:29-39; 14:1-18), the name of Rehoboam's successor (2 Chr 13:1), and the name of a leader of the tribe of Issachar (1 Kng 15:27).  This king may be called Abijam in 1 Kings to avoid confusion with the prophet Abijah who figures prominently in the Book of 1 Kings.

The next two chapters cover and parallel two kings of Judah and four kings of Israel over a period of thirty years (911-883 BC).  Their reigns are presented in a formula that is the same as that which summed up the reigns of Rehoboam and Jeroboam:

• The length of each king's reign
• The name of the king's mother, if he is a descendant of David
• A summary of the king's religious and moral conduct
• A concluding statement of his death and the name of his successor
• A reference to the Annals of the Kings of either Judah or Israel

In each account of the kings of Israel and Judah, the inspired writer is concerned with the moral and religious condition of these kings and their nations.  He compares the kings of Judah with David and the kings of Israel with Jeroboam.

1 Kings 15:1-8 ~ The reign of King Abijam/Abijah in Judah (c. 913-911)

The Absalom referred to in verse 2 is probably King David's handsome, favorite son (2 Sam 14:25-27).
Question: What happened to Absalom?  See 2 Sam 15:10-14; 18:9-15.
Answer: In his ambition to be king, he led a revolt against his father and was killed by his cousin, Joab, the commander of David's army. 

Rehoboam was married to Absalom's grand-daughter or great-granddaughter (15:10).  In Hebrew the words to define family relationships are very limited and "daughter" or "son" can also mean descendant (c.f., Mt 1:1) just as "brother" can mean full sibling, half-brother, or even kinsman or countryman.  Abijam's mother is named after her ancestress, Absalom's mother, who was the daughter of the king of Geshur (2 Sam 3:3).  2 Chronicles 11:20 records that Rehoboam loved her more than all his other wives; a marriage between cousins was common.  This woman was the new king's mother and therefore, she is the Kingdom of Judah's official "Queen Mother," in Hebrew, the Gebirah.

The "lamp" in Jerusalem is the continuing Davidic line in fulfillment of God's covenant promise to David that his royal line will endure forever (2 Sam 7:16, 29; 23:5; Sir 45:25; 47:11/13).  In Scripture, David is continually held up as the model king because of his love for Yahweh and his obedience to his God's commandments, just as Jeroboam will be held up as an example of a bad king for his failures in obedience to the Law of Yahweh, especially the introduction of idol worship. 

Asa Destroys the Idols

1 Kings 15:9-15 ~ The reign of King Asa in Judah (c. 911-870)

The parallel account of Asa's reign is found in 2 Chronicles chapters 14-16.  He is named in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 3:10 and Matthew 1:8.  There is controversy concerning the names of several of the Davidic queens between Rehoboam and Asa:

• 2 Chronicles 11:20 ~ [Rehoboam] married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah [Abijam]...
• 1 Kings 15:10b ~ His [Abijam son of Rehoboam] mother's name was Maacah descendant [daughter] of Absalom.
• 2 Chronicles 13:2 ~ In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah and reigned for three years in Jerusalem.  His mother's name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
• 1 Kings 15:10 ~ Asa became king of Judah and reigned for forty-one years in Jerusalem.  His mother's name was Maacah descendant [daughter] of Absalom.
• 2 Chronicles 15:15 ~ King Asa even deprived his mother Maacah of the dignity of Great Lady [Gebirah] for having made an obscenity for Asherah ...

Question: How does Asa stand out in the Davidic family line?

Answer: He is the first righteous king of Judah since David.

Asa's stand against pagan worship came about after an encounter with the prophet Azariah who told Asa: "Listen to me, Asa, and all you in Judah and in Benjamin: Yahweh will be with you so long as your are with him.  If you seek him, he will let you find him; but if you desert him, he will desert you ..." (see 2 Chr 15:1-7).  Asa believed the words of the prophet; he took courage and began a series of religious reforms.

Question: What were his accomplishments?
Answer:

1. He drove out the male cult prostitutes.
2. He destroyed the idols of false gods in Judah.
3. He deposed his mother/grandmother from her role as the Gebirah because she promoted idol worship.
4. He made gifts of silver and gold to the Temple of Yahweh.

1 Kings 15:16-22 ~ The wars and accomplishments of King Asa of Judah

Baasha, king of Israel, became a serious threat to Jerusalem when he captured and fortified Ramah, a Benjaminite city in Judahite territory about 5 miles north of Jerusalem on the border between Israel and Judah.
Question: What desperate measure did King Asa of Judah take to save his kingdom?
Answer: He paid tribute to the Aramean king of Damascus in order to form an alliance with him and gain the support of his army to break the blockade on Jerusalem and the power of Baasha's army.

1 Kings 15:23-24 ~ Summary statement of King Asa's reign

Asa died in c. 870 BC after ruling for 41 years.  The disease of his feet may have been a circulation problem or nerve damage caused by diabetics.  "The City" in verse 24 is Jerusalem.  The three times repeat of the word "ancestors" emphasizes that Asa had an honorable death and received an honorable burial.  He was succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat, whose name means "Yahweh establishes justice."  Jehoshaphat is named in the genealogy of David's descendants in 1 Chronicles 3:10 and St. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:8.

1 Kings 15:25-32 ~ The reign of King Nadab in Israel (c. 910-909)

Question: How is the direction of Nadab's life in verse 26 a warning to parents today?
Answer: It is a warning that the sins of parents and other family members can influence the lives of children.  The parental example for good or for evil can become a blueprint for the direction of the lives of their offspring.  In the case of Nadab, he followed his father's evil example of promoting idol worship in Israel.

1 Kings 15:33-16:7 ~ The reign of Baasha in Israel (c. 909-886)

Baasha is now the third king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  He continues the evil practices of his predecessors in promoting idol worship.  In response, God sent His prophet Jehu to warn the king of God's divine judgment against him.
Question: Verse 3 is a curse judgment against the House of Baasha; what is Yahweh's two part judgment?
Answer:

1. Baasha's family will suffer the same fate as that to which he condemned Jeroboam's family—to be annihilated.
2. The dead of his family will be denied a proper burial.

To be denied a proper burial was one of the greatest disasters for a person and his family.
Question: How is the judgment of the prophet Jehu on Baasha's family in verse 4 related to the prophet Abijah's judgment on Jeroboam's family in 1 Kings 14:11?
Answer: It is the same judgment worded in exactly the same way.

1 Kings 16:5-7 ~ Summary statement of Baasha's reign

God will use people and nations in delivering His judgments against sinners and evil nations who commit crimes against the innocent and oppressed, but when the instrument of His justice commits the same or greater unjust and evil acts, the instrument of His divine judgment will also fall under His judgment.  The children of Israel were God's instrument of justice against the Canaanites for their evil acts, but God warned them that they must only participate in holy war and must not repeat the sins of the people they were sent to conquer.  If they did, they were doomed to suffer the same fate (Lev 18:26-30; Dt 6:14-19; 7:1-6; Josh 2:1-5; also see Is 13-21 for the prophecy of the judgment against Babylon and the pagan nations).  God is merciful but He is also just. 

1 Kings 16:8-14 ~ The reign of Elah in Israel (c. 886-885)

Question: What is ironic concerning the end of Baasha's dynasty?
Answer: His son and his dynasty suffered the same fate as what Baasha had done to the previous ruling family:

1. His son was killed by a treacherous servant
2. His family was destroyed by his killer

1 Kings 16:15-20 ~ The reign of Zimri in Israel (c. 885)

Zimri's act of betrayal and his brutality in murdering the royal family initiates a counter revolt.  The people immediately proclaim the army commander, Omri, king of Israel.  When Omri and the army marched on the capital city and captured it, Zimri committed suicide.  Once again, his fate is described as Yahweh's divine punishment for his sins and he is also compared to Jeroboam, the image of a sinful king who brought a cascading cycle of sin to his people.

1 Kings 16:21-28 ~ The reign of Omri in Israel (c. 885-874)

The revolt of Zimri and the counter revolt of Omri threw the nation into a state of civil war as rival factions attempted to gain the throne.  Omri was able to conquer the competition, and he became the sixth king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the founder of the kingdom's third dynasty.  He ruled for six years from Tirzah and then moved the nation's capital to a new city he founded which he named "Samaria," ruling the Northern Kingdom for a total of twelve years.  Although Omri is only mentioned in this passage from 1 Kings, we know from ancient secular documents that he was a very successful ruler.  He brought political stability and prosperity to Israel.  He normalized relations to some extent with the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and he made alliances with neighboring states; for example, he married his son and heir, Ahab, to the daughter of the Phoenician King of Sidon, the infamous Jezebel. 

Omri is one of the few ancient kings of Israel for which we have documented historical evidence.  The name "Omri" became an established term in Assyrian documents to indicate the Israelite kings even after his death, and tablets discovered in the Assyrian archives continued to refer to Israel as the "land of Omri" a hundred years after the end of his dynasty.  For example, Shalmanesar III, king of Assyria, in a royal document referred to Jehu, who founded a new dynasty in Israel, as "the son of Omri."  The stele of Mesha, king of Moab, names Omri as gaining possession of Madaba in Transjordan.

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A Daily Defense

DAY 165 Hiding the Commandment Against Idolatry?

CHALLENGE: “The Catholic Church hid God’s commandment against idolatry by removing it from the Ten Commandments.”

DEFENSE: The Church didn’t try to hide the commandment against idolatry. In fact, it condemns idolatry.

The Ten Commandments are in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. If you look in a Catholic Bible, the prohibition is right there: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exod. 20:4–5; Deut. 5:8–9). The Catechism also forcefully condemns idolatry (CCC 2112–2114). 

What the Church does—like every Christian community—is provide short summaries of the commandments for memorization. The full text of the Ten Commandments is between 300 and 400 words long (varying by translation), so every group uses a brief, memorizable list instead.

In Catholic and Lutheran lists, the prohibition of idolatry is subsumed under the broader commandment “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3; Deut. 5:7). Some communities treat these as separate commandments, but this is a matter of choice. We are told that there are “Ten Commandments” (Exod. 34:28), but the text contains more than ten requirements and prohibitions. Interpreters must group some of them together to make the total come out to ten, but there is no single way to do this.

“The division and numbering of the Commandments have varied in the course of history. The present catechism follows the division of the Commandments established by St. Augustine, which has become traditional in the Catholic Church. It is also that of the Lutheran confessions. The Greek Fathers worked out a slightly different division, which is found in the Orthodox Churches and Reformed communities” (CCC 2066).

In the ancient world, having other gods meant worshipping idols, so it makes sense to see the prohibitions on both as bringing out different aspects of the same commandment. The common way of numbering the Ten Commandments in Jewish circles agrees and groups the prohibitions on polytheism and idolatry together in a single commandment.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist