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Elijah – on a Prophetic Path to Gethsemane
Today, in the first of a 2-part look at ordinary men chosen as extraordinary Prophets speaking for God, we will glance briefly at Moses and Elijah.

Prophets Before Christ

Recall that true Prophets of God speak for the LORD God.

NOT every man who claims to be a be a Prophet of God truly speaks God’s word. Nor is every mortal who speaks a prophesy of God is a worshiper of the LORD.

And not every prophesy of a true Prophet is an oracle into the future or an eschatological look into the fulfillment of days.

Yet many prophesies do point us to places and times not yet seen by any man but the appointed Prophet of the LORD.

The Prophet Moses
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What could be more prophetic than the written words of the man who encountered the 'I AM' speaking the very commands of the Almighty? 
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Moses brought the Law – the very words of the LORD – to the Hebrew people.
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The LORD had called Moses, age eighty to lead the Hebrews out from Egypt. Moses was 120 years old as the Hebrews prepared to cross the Jordan.
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Before he led them from bondage in Egypt into Arabia for forty year prior to crossing the Jordan into Canaan, Moses instructed God’s chosen in the LORD’s ways and means of redemption.

So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.

“It is Yahweh your God who will cross ahead of you..

Deuteronomy 31:1,3a,5a LSB

Yet the LORD instructs Moses with a prophecy of what the Hebrews will surly do:

a Prophesy through Moses:

.. and this people will arise and play the harlot with the foreign gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have cut with them.

“Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed…

Deuteronomy 31:16c-17a LSB

When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.

Deuteronomy 32:8 BSB
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This general reference to humanity and God's 'chosen' would be worthy of your separate study, but we cannot cover it here. 
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from Canaan to Babylon

Let’s go quickly across the Jordan through the years (centuries, really) with the chosen sons until fulfillment of a foreseen time of Hebrew prophesy from Babylon.

In order to move so quickly we must overlook and pass many important scriptural milestones.

Moving past Joshua,
- the capture of much of the promised land
  - 14th c. B.C.
- a time of the Judges
  - 14th-11th c. B.C.
- a king of the people (Saul)
  - 11th c. B.C.
David King of Judah united with Israel
- David united Israel and Judah
  - ~1000 B.C.
- Solomon expands his influence back to Egypt and east to Babylon and beyond
  - 973-931 B.C.
- then, a civil war between Solomon’s sons and their heirs,
A quick glance at the timeline below will reveal the book of 1 KINGS where we will find Elijah’s story.

Old Testament Books timeline

The Prophet Elijah

~870 B.C. – 849 B.C.

Later, as prophesied:
- defeat of ISRAEL the Northern Kingdom
  - 722 B.C.
- eventual fall of JUDAH the Southern Kingdom…
  - 586 B.C.
The Man of God

The LORD sent powerful Prophets to both Israel and Judah during a divisive time when most every leader (king) “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.”
- This includes EVERY KING of ISRAEL for a little more than 200 years !
Wouldn’t a NATION claiming GOD repent — when confronted by the man of God showing great signs and even raising a man from the dead?
- Furthermore the Kings of JUDAH fared no better in their 334 years with only eight of twenty kings who “did right in the eyes of the LORD.”
Elijah was a man of God WARNING the evil LEADERS of a NATION.

Taking a brief stop on our timeline Before Christ, we proceed past Moses and beyond the break-up of the Kingdom of David to a time of evil kings infamously represented by King Ahab of Israel who reigned for about twenty years from 874 B.C. until 853 B.C. when he was killed in battle.
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Jezebel, the King's wife - arguably a head of Ahab - also proved infamous with her own evil legacy. 
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Elijah’s Prophetic proofs:

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab,

“As the LORD God of Israel lives, in whose presence I stand, there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command! ”

1 Kings 17:1 CSB
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The severest of droughts - over one thousand dry days in the land - people  and animals will die. 
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Elijah left and lived at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan.

1 Kings 17:4b CSB

So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood…

But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I don’t have anything baked — only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”

1 Kings 17:10a, 12 CSB

Drought. Famine everywhere — and for days upon end.

Have you ever considered the gravity of the fragile mortal lives of those already suffering under the evil reign of Jezebel and Ahab?

But a miracle of God through Elijah: the widow’s flour and food never ran out. But then —

Her son becomes ill and dies. (Probably a common occurrence in these desperate conditions of a three year drought.)

She said to Elijah, “Man of God, what do you have against me?

Have you come to call attention to my iniquity so that my son is put to death? ”

1 Kings 17:18 CSB

That’s some accusation from the widow who has just lost her only son. Yet note the widow’s contrite acceptance of God’s authority to punish sin (iniquity).

עָוֹן
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Note the long list of Scriptures [above] from the Law of Moses (beginning with Cain) pointing to punishment for our iniquity. 
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Elijah raises the widow’s son from the dead!

He cried out to the LORD and said, “LORD my God, please let this boy’s life come into him again! ”

So the LORD listened to Elijah, and the boy’s life came into him again, and he lived.

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and the LORD’s word from your mouth is true.”

1 Kings 17:20-22, 24 CSB

Elijah – a contest to the DEATH

Three years of drought. The King will not like this and consequently blame the righteous man of God.

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him,

“Is that you, the one ruining Israel? ”

He replied,

“I have not ruined Israel, but you and your father’s family have, because you have abandoned the LORD’s commands and followed the Baals.

1 Kings 18:17-18 CSB
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Tell me if this does not apply to Israel in this day (except that their gods are dreams of their past)? 

Tell me how King Herod and the religious rulers of Judea were so different from Ahab as the King of Israel challenged the true Prophet of the Lord? 
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Then Elijah approached all the people and said,

“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.”

But the people didn’t answer him a word.

18:21 וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלִיָּהוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר עַד־מָתַי אַתֶּם פֹּסְחִים עַל־שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים אִם־יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים לְכוּ אַחֲרָיו וְאִם־הַבַּעַל לְכוּ אַחֲרָיו וְלֹא־עָנוּ הָעָם אֹתוֹ דָּבָר׃

Much later King Ahab will publically repent! But it will be too late…

Next Contestant

~852 B.C. After the death of Ahab

“Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down! ’ ”

.. “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.”

Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

2 Kings 1:9- excerpts CSB

So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah.

“Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately! ’

“If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.”

So a divine fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

Then the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him,

“.. Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains with their companies, but this time let my life be precious to you.”

Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken.

2 Kings 1:11-17 excerpts CSB

The Ascension of Elijah.

The time had come for the LORD to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal,

2 Kings 2:1 CSB

Elijah’s departure is unique, as he is one of only two people in the Bible, along with Enoch (Genesis 5:24), who did not experience death.

The whirlwind signifies God’s powerful presence, often associated with divine intervention (Job 38:1, Nahum 1:3).

Elijah’s ascension prefigures Christ’s ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9-11), symbolizing victory over death and the promise of eternal life.

2 Kings 2:1:: Biblehub.com STUDY BIBLE commentary
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First Century A.D.
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A Son of David, the Son of Man, rides victoriously into Jerusalem now captive of Rome, challenging Jerusalem’s leaders to a duel to the death –

+ His +

– for the redemption of sinners.

“King Jesus, King Jesus, King Jesus, Hosanna!, they cry out…

And within a few days their KING of the JEWS will be crucified on a Roman cross.

An Uplifting Recollection

The Son of Man walked once more toward a familiar hillside covered with an olive grove.

What must Jesus have recalled as the Lord approached Gethsemane with His eleven dear friends one last time?

Remember?

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured in front of them, and his clothes became dazzling — extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them.

Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
Gospel of Mark 9:4 CSB

A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud:

“This is my beloved Son; listen to him! ”

Mark 9:7 CSB

.. They kept this word to themselves, questioning what “rising from the dead” meant…
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NEXT: Ezekiel 
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April 8, 2025
Psalms of a Contrite Heart Before Christ
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 51:17 LSB

Contrition: Bowed down before Almighty God

Last time on Ash Wednesday, we noted from the weeping Prophet, Jeremiah, our great sorrow in being CRUSHED by the enemy – in fact by the hand of GOD on the pestle of Jerusalem’s destruction.

Lamentations of our past in a Lenten path forward

Like Jeremiah we do NOT want to be CRUSHED by any — either the LORD or our enemy.

WE are unaccustomed to the pouring out of our spirit into a mortar of refinement.

YET it is the Lord’s will to refine those whom He will.

Be contrite or be crushed —

humble .. or humbled.

Sad Psalms of Lament

Lamentations, if sung, would be sorrowful elegies similar to some Psalms we would rather not sing. Regardless of the “how” – and we generally know our sin – contrition and humility often escape our notice on the stage of our praise.

Yet even in the Psalms we must observe the same words which the Lord has written for our worship.

Strong’s H1794 – dāḵâ – דָּכָה

to collapse (phys. or mentally):—break (sore), contrite, crouch.

We’ve all seen it — most have experienced it. And the Psalms remind us as the Lord refines us.

O Yahweh, reprove me not in Your wrath,

And discipline me not in Your burning anger.

I am faint and badly crushed;

I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

Psalm 38:1,8 LSB

Psalm 51:

51:17 (WLC 51:19) זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה לֵב־נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹהִים לֹא תִבְזֶה׃
- šāḇar rûaḥ
  - broken spirit
- šāḇar dāḵâ lēḇ
  - a broken and contrite heart
Psalm 51:17 from MASORETIC Text

IS that any way to open a post such as this or especially a WORSHIP service?
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IN FACT, the contrition of it's context pleads to Elohim for mercy. So was it ordered for corporate worship by the King.
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[[To the chief Musician,

A Psalm of David,

when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.]]

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions:

and my sin is ever before me.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken [crushed] may rejoice.

Psalm 51:1-3, 8 KJV

We have heard the whole story — confessed in a Psalm of worship!

And the King – David of Israel and Judah – before we reach v. 17 of our opening CALL to Worship today — continues with a more hopeful and familiar plea:

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God – Psalm 51 stands as an enduring testament to the power of confession, the boundless mercy of God, and the potential for spiritual renewal and transformation.

It reminds us that even in our deepest frailty, God’s love is unfailing.

Psalm 51 commentary

a Plea of the Crushed – Psalm 143

A Psalm of David
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O Yahweh, hear my prayer,

Give ear to my supplications!

Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! 

And do not enter into judgment with Your slave,

For no one living is righteous in Your sight. 

For the enemy has pursued my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me inhabit dark places, like those who have long been dead... 
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YET in our distress of being humbled (OPPRESSED, an adjective found in other Psalms) — crushed by the Lord we have hope — as nearly every Psalm ends.

Teach me to do thy will;

for thou art my God:

thy spirit is good;

lead me into the land of uprightness.

Quicken [revive] me, O LORD,

for thy name’s sake:

for thy righteousness’ sake

bring my soul out of trouble.

Psalm 143:9–10 KJV

Praying the Psalms in Gethsemane

Picture our Lord, having walked all the paths among evil men toward Gethsemane, full well knowing the charge of His Father in heaven to go forth into the valley of death…

a humble mortal, a crushed man, a prisoner to be betrayed and bound as a spectacle for evil men…

humiliated, struck on the cheek, beaten on the back and hung ignominiously on a tree by the rulers of this world and city.

.. “Sit here while I pray.” ,, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” ..

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.

excerpt from the Gospel of Mark 14

Psalm 10

1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,

who are caught in the schemes he devises…

.. He lies in wait to catch the helpless;

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

..10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;

he covers his face and never sees.”

Psalm 10:12-11 NIV
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 The Hebrew word for "crushed" can also imply being broken in spirit, indicating the deep emotional and psychological impact of such suffering. 

This aligns with the broader biblical narrative where God is portrayed as a defender of the oppressed (Psalm 9:9). 

The imagery here can also be seen as a type of Christ, who was "crushed" for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5), highlighting the ultimate sacrifice for the redemption of humanity.
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BibleHub.com Study Bible commentary

JESUS, the Son of Man, Son of David and Son of God sang and prayed such Psalms in worship in the presence of God the Father.

Do YOU?

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
March 11, 2025
a Common Era Contrition for Lent – Ash and dust
lenten series outline & Introduction

RECENT Posts in Lent 2025 C.E.

Ash Wednesday 2025 C.E. –

OUTLINE of a Scriptural path toward Christ’s walk to Gethsemane, Calvary, beyond Bethany and anticipating the Lord’s return in glory in these last days.

Previously..

Old Testament Ashes and Dust

for 2025 – a Common Era contrition

Latest in Lent 2025 CE

the path of contrition

“I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

Gospel of John 14:6

Introduction by the author

The liturgical season of Lent although having no Biblical requirement has always been a reflective time for me. I have provided some glances back for any who have not followed Talk of JESUS in previous Lenten seasons.

This YEAR – A.D. 2025 to most of you (2025 C.E. to most of our unbelieving world) – I wanted to lead you through some Old Testament Scriptures looking through Jewish eyes (yes JESUS and EVERY Apostle was Jewish). You may glance at a HEBREW organization of the BIBLE below which orders and groups our O.T. Books differently.

G_d only knows how many of the 40 days of Lent I will publish, but each will likely be briefer than my usual 5-minute READ.

Finally, beloved brother or sister in Christ,

IF you look for a connecting thread between these O.T. Scriptures and Christ you may discover a faithful Jewish thread of contrition not seen in the Gospels except in the Person of Jesus. (Think of Gethsemane, now.. and follow Him along the narrow path.)

Won’t you pray for me and comment here encouraging all?

Roger Harned – Author and Site administrator, Talk of JESUS .com

a picture of LENT from AD 2014

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Word summarizing Jewish Scripture in Matthew 22:40,

This phrase refers to the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures, known as the Tanakh, which is divided into the Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

In the context of Matthew 22:40, “the Law and the Prophets” is a shorthand for the Old Testament.

STUDY BIBLE Bible Hub .com

CLICK to ENLARGE the three sections of the Tanakh [Hebrew Scriptures]

What path will you walk this day?

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
March 5, 2025