Sermons
A Potent Parenthetical
Series: Days of Elijah: God’s Righteous Mountain ManA POTENT PARENTHETICAL
Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / January 21, 2018
We recently published a 2018 Church Schedule of Special Events for those who like to plan well in advance.
This schedule is now available from the back table. Please add to that schedule an upcoming event.
Several of our families with younger children have been exploring the idea of hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for kiddos.
In fact this was one of the ideas suggested at last year’s Think Tank on Church Growth.
This Spring outreach for families with young children is being planned for Saturday Morning, March 24th.
Additional details will be forthcoming.
The goal of this event is twofold: first, to provide a safe venue for this fun children’s event, and
secondly - - to increase traffic at our church building with the hope of meeting and making new friends.
Jeannie & I grew up in the south where it was commonplace for churches to host this kind of event.
Jeannie has noted that she has very fond memories of such - - some of her fondest!
We will need lots of helping hands. Sign-up sheets will soon be on the back table for those willing to assist .
®® For this morning’s sermon, please open your Bible to 1Kgs.16 ®®
As we did last Sunday, we want to focus our attention on a single verse this morning - - 1Kgs.16:34
In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; He laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram
his first-born, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son, Segub,
according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
This verse is what we might call a parenthetical.
In this case you are wondering, “what does this have to do with the story of King Ahab and Elijah?”.
Contrary to those who might think this verse is disconnected, it is QUITE SIGNIFICANT and totally integrated.
This is the last verse in chapter 16.
It is preceded by a group of verses that paint a dim picture of King Ahab and the Northern Kingdom (vss.29-33).
And then in 1Kgs.17:1, Elijah appears seemingly out of nowhere to denounce the King and make a dire prediction.
So what does 1Kgs.16:34 have to do with the overall context of the story of Elijah?
A first inclination might be to think this verse is a misplaced observation that ought to be inserted elsewhere.
But this verse is actually a strategically placed and very potent parenthetical.
To understand its importance we need to look back to Joshua chapter six.
It is the Biblical account of the conquest of Jericho.
Jericho was a well-fortified city that stood in the way of Israel’s conquering the land of Canaan.
God had assured the children of Israel that He would help them in securing the promised-land.
The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into young hand, with its king and the valiant warriors (Josh.6:2).
God gave Joshua a very unique battle plan (perhaps the most unorthodox in the annals of military warfare).
They were to march en masse silently and passively around the walls of Jericho for six days.
The only noise was to come from the horns blown by the priests. An armed guard went before the priests, who led
the procession…followed by the ark of the covenant…followed by the rear guard…and then all of the children of Israel.
Josh.6:10 / you shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed out of your mouth,
Until I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!
On the seventh day, they were told to march around the walls of the city seven times.
At the end of the seventh march seven priests were to blow their ram’s horns.
This was a signal for all of the people to heed Joshua’s command to shout with a great shout …
And the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead (Josh.6:5).
The people obeyed. They did what God said to do and
God did what He promised - - the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.
They were instructed to destroy everything in the city (Josh.6:21), except Rahab and her family
(Remember - - Rahab had aided the two spies that Joshua had sent in advance of the battle).
At the end of the battle Joshua made them all take an oath (Josh.6:26) - -
Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho;
with the loss of his first-born he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.
The battle of Jericho took place around 1,500 B.C..
Now let’s return to 1Kgs.16:32.
The time frame for the reign of King Ahab is dated 874–853 B.C..
Almost 650 years have now passed since Joshua declared a curse on the man who tries to rebuild Jericho.
The point here is that men (in this case the nation of Israel) might have a tendency to think that God has forgotten.
Or that perhaps God is pre-occupied with a host of other things.
Or even worse case scenario, to conclude that God no longer cares for us or that He is dead.
But, in actuality, GOD IS VERY ALIVE AND ALERT.
Scripture after Scripture reveals that God works in keeping with His own time frame.
Any why shouldn’t He? Is He not omniscient?
The Talmud is an ancient book (300-200 B.C.) comprised of rabbinical writings made up of two parts:
The Mishnah (a written collection of oral laws & teachings handed down) and the Gemara (commentary on Mishnah).
While it is not an inspired book (like the Bible) it is can be helpful in understanding the thinking of the Jews.
In the Talmud there is an account that states that Elijah and Ahab first met at the funeral of Hiel’s sons.
It further notes that King Ahab and the prophet Elijah argued over whether or not the death of
Hiel’s sons was a fulfillment of prophecy, with Elijah affirming that it was indeed prophecy fulfilled.
Hiel had evidently thought the land where Jericho once existed was prime real estate, ripe for development.
It was located in the Jordan valley, a bit south and midway between the hills of Samaria and the hills of Gilead.
Hiel may have been a smart businessman, but he was either ignorant of the Word of God or disbelieving.
While Hiel may have acted either in ignorance or unbelief, Elijah saw the fulfillment of this prophecy as being a sign
that God was preparing to intervene. The Talmud goes on to say that the prophet Elijah told the sinful king Ahab - -
“If the curse of the disciple (Joshua) proved effective, how much more effective will be the curse of the master (Moses).”
In case you have forgotten, Joshua had been mentored in his younger years by Moses.
In the years before the battle of Jericho Joshua would have heard Moses speak these words (Deut.11:16-17) - -
7
Beware, lest your hearts be deceived and you turn away to serve other gods and worship them.
Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain
and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving to you.
I have said, without any real evidence, that 1Kgs.17:1 makes it sound like Elijah appeared out of nowhere.
I think I should retract that statement.
Whether you put stock in the Talmud or not, I think it is safe to say that God did not send Elijah to Ahab ill-prepared.
I doubt very much that Elijah could honestly say, “I was not adequately prepared for this occasion.”
Let me conclude with three brief observations - - three things that Elijah surely knew.
(1) GOD IS ALIVE
The text of 1Kgs.17 reveals that Elijah was on speaking terms with the Almighty God.
1Kgs.17:2 / And the word of the Lord came to (Elijah) saying…
1Kgs.17:8 / Then the word of the Lord came to him saying…
It is not unreasonable to think that God spoke to Elijah in advance of 1Kgs.17:1 (before He confronted King Ahab).
And of course there is there were the deaths in Jericho, parenthetically inserted at the close of 1Kgs.16.
Even if no one else appreciated the real import of the Jericho funerals, it is clear that Elijah did.
It is indeed a very sad postscript to note that Hiel’s name means “God lives”.
If only King Omri and King Ahab had trusted in Jehovah God there would have been no marriage to Jezebel.
If they had relied upon God there would have been no need for military alliances to keep Israel safe.
(2) GOD RULES
In 1Kgs.17:1, Elijah spoke for God saying, before Whom I stand - - an acknowledgement of his role as God’s servant.
In 1Kgs.18:10, Elijah declares, I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts.
In Js.5:16b, when James points way back to Elijah as an illustration of the power of fervent prayer
in the life of the righteous, the language he employs implies that this was not a one-time prayer.
Whatever frailties Elijah may had (and he had them / Js.5:17), his life had been spent knowing God as Sovereign.
(3) GOD’S WORD IS TRUE
The British Bible expositor, A. W. Pink sates - -
“In order to be effectual, prayer must be grounded in the word of God, ‘for without faith it is impossible
to please Him’ (Heb.11:6), and ‘faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Rom.10:17).
In a few weeks, when we encounter Elijah contesting with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel,
there is a bold climax that occurs toward the end of the confrontation.
Elijah prayed (1Kgs.18:36) - - O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known
that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done these things at Thy word.
