Jealous for the LORD God - 1 Kings 19:9-10
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INTRODUCTION
Elijah was a good man who loved the Lord. He was misguided into thinking that he was the only one remaining who cared about the things of God, but he certainly did care. He could not bare the thought of the people of God rebelling against the Lord. When the people forsook the Lord’s covenant, threw down the altars of God, and killed the prophets of God, Elijah took it personally. And he constantly pleaded with them to make things right. The apostle Paul felt the same way, but his feelings even extended to a jealousy over the people of God (2 Corinthians 11:2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
See All...). Unfortunately, few today have such a personal investment in the Lord or His people.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
- (For smaller children) Even though the word jealous is not found in these passages, we can tell by the men's actions that they were jealous for the Lord (2 Chronicles 15:16And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.
See All...; 2 Chronicles 17:3-9 [3] And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; [4] But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. [5] Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. [6] And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah. [7] Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. [8] And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. [9] And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
See All...; 2 Chronicles 34:1-7 [1] Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. [2] And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. [3] For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. [4] And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. [5] And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. [6] And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. [7] And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
See All...; 29-33). Thank God for those who teach us to do right. - Why was the work of God so important to Elijah? How could these same reasons be a solid foundation to make the work of God important to you?
- What did Paul’s jealousy for the saints drive him to do? How did he labour to keep them sound in their doctrine and faith? How should you do the same for believers today?
PRAYER NEEDS
- Ask the Lord to help you be jealous for Him.
- Ask God to give you a deeper love for His work and His people.
HYMN
A Charge to Keep I Have
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