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Tag: lent 2025

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
Leviticus – Preparation of a Priest for the Sacrifice
SEALED within the Ark of the Covenant as testimony of the LORD on Sinai — the TEN WORDS –– written in Exodus and Deuteronomy as you know, but also referenced in Leviticus.

The Office of Priest – כָּהַן

“So the priest who is anointed and ordained to minister^H3547 as^H3547 a^H3547 priest^H3547 in his father’s place shall make atonement:

he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, and make atonement for the holy sanctuary,

and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting

and for the altar.

He shall also make atonement for the priests

and for all the people of the assembly.

16:32-33 וַיִּקְרָא

Who would know more about the Altar of Sacrifice than the Priest appointed to the atonement for all worshipers of the LORD?

The LORD established certain laws of holiness for the priests in addition to the Commandments of the LORD for His chosen people.

“Then you shall bring the bull near before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. “You shall slaughter the bull before Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

… it is a sin offering.

Exodus 29:10-11,14b LSB

“For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and set it apart as holy; then the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

.. lambs each day, continuously.

Exodus 29:37,38b LSB

atonement כָּפַר

כָּפַר kâphar, kaw-far’; a primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen);
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Bitumen, also known as mineral tar, is derived from the partial distillation of crude petroleum. - source 
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figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel:—appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).

Strong’s H3722 – kāp̄ar

‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by the [soul] life.’
Leviticus 17:11 LSB

Picture it: a Priest standing between the HOLINESS of God and the Altar upon which your sins have been covered with blood of the sacrifice and the remains burned beyond recognition.

“According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall make it.

Exodus 25:9 LSB

a Blueprint for the Place of Sacrifice and Worship

Exodus 25 CSB
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A brief look at the LORD's instructions for building the Tabernacle (LIST from the CSB should help us visualize it in contemporary terms and measurements.) 

8 “They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.
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- 10 “They are to make an ark of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.
- Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it..
- 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them.
- 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them.
- 17 Make a mercy seat of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.
- 18 Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.
- 21 Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. 22 I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
IT IS A MOST HOLY PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH!

Table for the Ark of the Covenant
- 23 “You are to construct a table of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.
- 31 “Youa are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold.. 37“Make its seven lamps,and set them up so that they illuminate the area in front of it.
- 26:1 “You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains.. 2 Each curtain should be forty-two feet long and six feet wide;
- 7 “You are to make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tabernacle; make eleven of these curtains. 8 Each curtain should be forty-five feet long and six feet wide.
- 15 “You are to make upright supports of acacia wood for the tabernacle. Each support is to be fifteen feet long and twenty-seven inches wide.
- 31 “You are to make a curtain .. bring the ark of the testimony there behind the curtain, so the curtain will make a separation for you between the holy place and the most holy place.
- 34 Put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
- 35 Place the table outside the curtain.. 36 “For the entrance to the tent you are to make a screen…
Community Worship outside the HOLY Tabernacle
- Exodus 27:1 You are to construct the altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, 7 1/2 feet long, and 7 1/2 feet wide; it must be 4 1/2 feet high. 2 Make horns for it on its four corners..
- 9 “You are to make the courtyard for the tabernacle. Make hangings for.. the courtyard out of finely spun linen, 150 feet long.. 12 For the width of the courtyard, make hangings 75 feet long,, 14 make hangings 22 1/2 feet long for [each] side of the gate,
- 16 The gate of the courtyard is to have a 30-foot screen
- 18 The courtyard is to be 150 feet long, 75 feet wide at each end, and 7 1/2 feet high..
- 21 In the tent of meeting outside the curtain that is in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamp from evening until morning before the Lord.
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In addition to these for the place of worship, Exodus provides instructions related to worship and the Priests, followed by a book with more detail. 
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Leviticus – Prescription for Perfect Worship, Priestly Requirements

Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them:

Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

—Leviticus 19:2

Observe the progressive path of worship established between the people worshiping the Lord our God from beyond the tent of meeting, to the altar of sacrifice, into the more holy hidden places and before the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat and the Very Presence of the LORD — and again, atonement from the LORD via the Priest to the tent of meeting.

No man should know the significance of the sacrifice — and atonement — more than the Priest.

Think about his separation of holiness from the everyday people as you view the priests preparing for worship. Let’s look at a few of the requirements from their prescriptive handbook.

וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מֹועֵד לֵאמֹר׃

וַיִּקְרָא (Leviticus) 1:1 WLC

priest – kōhēn- כֹּהֵן
1. Instructions for Burnt offerings
2. Grain offerings
3. Peace offerings
4. Sin offerings
5. Guilt offerings
Moral and ethical laws

Holiness

Blessings and curses

Vows
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and much more... 
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A Levitical Outline for Priests
- True worship requires priests set apart in holiness
And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation…

And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

Leviticus 8:4,10 KJV

And he brought the people’s offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.

Leviticus 9:15 KJV
- True worship requires people set apart in purity
“When a case of serious skin disease may have developed on a person, he is to be brought to the priest.

Leviticus 13:9 CSB
- True worship requires propitiation in blood
Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died; and the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

Leviticus 16:1-2 NKJV

“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

Leviticus 16:15 NKJV
- True worship requires people set apart in purity
- True worship requires priests set apart in holiness
- True worship requires prescribed sacred feasts and offerings
  - Does even the most liberal of Common Era christian churches dare ignore a Holy Week or Easter Sunday? YET do we observe any fasts of preparation?
- True worship requires proper fidelity to Yahweh as a nation and personal fidelity to one’s pledge
Preparation of a Perfect High Priest

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying,

“Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Gospel of Matthew 26:26-28 ESV

Preparation of a High Priestly Prayer

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent…

Gospel of John 17:1-3 ESV

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.

John 18:1 ESV

Garden of Gethsemane

Lent 2025 C.E. – a time for contrition

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
March 28, 2025
“O altar, altar! place of slaughter, place of worship
And behold, a man of God .. cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord:

1 Kings 13:1-2 excerpt NKJV

Are you going to listen?

So SEVERE the message! And who is this anonymous Prophet? (I’ve never heard of him — and we’re in a church gathering after all..) Who is this man approaching the King?

WE worship a King and Priest with his own hill and altar of worship and praise of the People.

Will we hear God’s Voice through the true Prophet of the Almighty?

An Altar of Stone on the Stage of Worship

Surround it with towering Common Era walls of glass — or even a city built for worship of every ancient saint and yet another elevated arch–episkopos —

Stand over it and hold up so many sacrifices of the people,, stained with the Blood of unseen sins.. proclaiming the Altar on your stage for ‘Him‘ as Priest of Aaron and King over all your people..

And so.. you people gathered for a week’s sprinkling of grace.. a people of amplified praise of prepositional paraphrased worship.. have you who praise him as king who thank him as priest.. DO YOU hear the Prophet who rejects the Blood of your every sacrifice?

Prophet, Priest and King
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It's an ancient and little-noticed scenario of the present .. that of the specific roles of mortal men (yes, men) anointed as intercessors on behalf of those they lead in worship and in an ever-so-brief life in the flesh and blood of the created. 
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Have you heard this Scripture in your worship?

NOTE the roles of those involved:

1 Kings 13:

‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ”

1 Kings 13:2b NKJV
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IF you know this Scripture you will realize that I have intentionally omitted some of this introduction in order to focus on its participants. 

You most likely know that Josiah became a young King of Judah, right? 
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A Hebrew view of Scripture

Although you may recall a more famous Prophet from the book of First Kings, like me you may have wondered why the Christian Bible includes 1 & 2 Kings as O.T. History and not with the Prophets (who lived during these same historic times).

Old Testament [source]

Take a quick Jewish look back at a fallen and broken Kingdom of David.

Without noting Scriptures pointing to named authors of God’s written word in the Hebrew list of Nevi’im (Prophets) the Tanakh includes Joshua (the General of Moses), Judges, Samuel (a Priest of the God) and Kings with the former Prophets BEFORE the Exile and other books (i.e. Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet) as Post-exilic Scriptures.

Lamentations of our past in a Lenten path forward

The LEADERSHIP ROLES of GOD’s Chosen peoples have changed over time — both Before Christ and in these last days of Christ’s Chosen Church.

Has man (anthrōpos) misrepresented the WRITTEN instruction of the LORD?

Here in 1 Kings we read one (of many) Scriptural examples and warnings to worshipers of God.

(Have you heard them?)

Kings in charge (or so they thought)
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Let's examine this Scripture (or Hebrew book of the Prophets) in terms of leadership roles and relationships. 
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And behold, [in] Bethel .. Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then [the man] cried out against the altar..

1 Kings 13:1-2 excerpt

To set the scene:
- Bethel בֵּית־אֵל
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Bethel was a royal city of the Canaanites (Joshua 12:16). It appears to have been captured by Joshua (8:7), and it was allotted to Benjamin (Joshua 18:22). 

To counteract the influence of Jerusalem as the national religious center Jeroboam embarked on the policy which won for him the unenviable reputation of having "made Israel to sin." Here he erected a temple, set up an image, the golden calf, and established an imposing ritual. It became the royal sanctuary and the religious center of his kingdom.
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source
- Jeroboam יָרָבְעָם
The LORD brought Israel to ruin before Judah. The decline began from the first kings of each divided nation AND the LORD sent prophets to them again and again.

Israel’s Rebellion
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READ more (from 1 Kings 12) for the context of the LORD's curse against the altar of Jeroboam. 

And do not presume, O divided Nation of this Common Era, that WE are so free from the judgement of the Lord our God.
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So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
12:19 וַיִּפְשְׁעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבֵית דָּוִד עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ ס
- Shemaiah
But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God..

” Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD.
- Jeroboam
12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there…

31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

Jeroboam ordained a feast .. like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar.

So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made.

And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made…

So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel .. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.

1 Kings 12:33 NKJV excerpt

a Prophet from Judah
- a man of God
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Returning to 1 Kings 13 and the cursed altar where we began don't miss that an unnamed Prophet delivers this key message from the LORD.
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13:1 וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים בָּא מִיהוּדָה בִּדְבַר יְהוָה אֶל־בֵּית־אֵל וְיָרָבְעָם עֹמֵד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהַקְטִיר׃

And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord:

‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ”

3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”

4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!”

Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.

The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

1 Kings 13:5 NKJV – more

6Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.”

So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before. Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”
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Who with ears to hear does not tremble at this outcome spoken by the 'man of God' - an unnamed Prophet hearing the KING order his arrest; and yet a son of man healing the outstretched arm of Israel's King and self-appointed Priest? 

But have you even heard of such a thing in YOUR contemporary evangelical house of worship? 
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Before Christ in Gethsemane

אֱלֹהִים

And behold, a man of God…

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Matthew 5:17 NKJV –
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Jesus preached from 'the Law and the Prophets,' which includes both books of Kings. 
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He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

Matthew 12:9a,10a, 13 NKJV
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So could a man of God have healed Jeroboam's withered arm? Do you believe that JESUS could have instantly healed this man in the Synagogue? 
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Garden of Gethsemane

And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear… In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes,

“Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.

excerpt from Matthew 26 NKJV

“But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Gospel of Matthew 26:56 NKJV

a Common Era Contrition for Lent – Ash and dust

Lent 2025 C.E. – a time for contrition
March 20, 2025