CONFORMITY, COMPROMISE
AND CRISIS IN WORSHIP
Solomon, king of Israel, was reputedly the wisest of men, compassionate, just, brilliant of intellect and warm of heart, he began his illustrious reign at the pinnacle of greatness. He honored God and glorified his kingdom before the nations of his day. “Judah and Israel were many, . . . eating and drinking, and making merry [the economy was good!]. Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines. . . . And Judah and Israel dwelt safely. . . . God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart. . . . And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of . . . all men. . . . And his fame was in all nations round about” (1 Kings 4:20-31).
And then . . . he “threw it all away.” When he became greater and greater, he turned away from the God of his strength, married pagan wives, forgot to read and ponder God’s word, descended into the abyss of sexual immorality. He who had once been famous for a brilliant decision about awarding custody of a disputed baby now offered living children to the pagan god Molloch. He would have died in despair had he not repented as best he could in the sunset hour of his life, and he did die in disgrace, abhorred of his own people.
King Solomon led his nation, like several of our presidents have led theirs, in an orgy of sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility. He “loved many strange women” (1 Kings 11:1). The reason was that he abandoned the worship of the God who is the Creator and Redeemer of the world, and dabbled in paganism. Love is a precious gift which we receive from Jesus, that is, the kind of love that sweetens life’s bitter cup, and enables a man or woman to love one person with the kind of love wherewith Jesus loves one Bride (He is not unfaithful!).
Fidelity is an essence of love itself. The love wherewith Solomon loved “many women” was sexual lust and pathological infatuation. In the end, he was left loving no one and no one loved him, for he had atrophied his capacity to love. Bitterness was all he had. Sexual promiscuity “takes away the heart,” says Hosea 4:11, that is, destroys the capacity to love. Thereafter, life without love becomes either hopeless divorces or a cold “relationship” that one must “work at” even to have a modicum of domestic stability. Human beings who live without such fidelity-love are little happier than pagans, even though they may go to church.
“We love because [Jesus] first loved us,” says 1 Jn. 4:19. That’s why such love is “a precious gift which we receive from” Him, says a wise writer. It is its own defense against infatuating infidelity. If you love, you cannot commit adultery. Love makes infidelity impossible. That’s why the Ten Commandments, rightly understood, are ten promises for anybody who appreciates the One who says, “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Ex. 20:2), and what it cost Him to deliver us. The New Testament says repeatedly that this love comes in the same package with our faith (Eph. 6:23; Col. 1:4).
1 Kings 11:1: “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
1 Kings 11:2: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.”
1 Kings 11:3: “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.”
1 Kings 11:4: “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
1 Kings 11:5: “For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.”
1 Kings 11:6: “And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.”
1 Kings 11:7: “Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.”
1 Kings 11:8: “And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.”
1 Kings 11:9: “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,”
1 Kings 11:10: “And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.”
1 Kings 11:11: “Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes.”
1 Kings 12:25: “Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
1 Kings 12:26: “And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:”
1 Kings 12:27: “If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
Why, oh why, did ancient Israel blow it so badly? They were God’s true people! The true church of that era! The literal descendants and heir of God’s magnificent promises to Abraham that through his many descendants, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:2, 3)! But the opposite happened!
The kings of Judah (forget Jeroboam; Israel failed totally!), descended to the lowest level of national disgrace history has ever seen. They did worse than the pagan nations around them. It seemed that the very atmosphere the people in Jerusalem breathed was laden with the poison of apostasy and rebellion against God. A teensy little minority occasionally demonstrated faith in God (Jehoshaphat, for example, 2 Chron. 20), and Hezekiah (even he crashed, for he sired a son that Jeremiah declares was the sole cause of the kingdom’s utter ruin, 15:4), and poor King Josiah who thought he did everything exactly right but ended up rejecting the living demonstration of the Gift of Prophecy (2 Chron. 35). Why, oh why, did God’s true people as a nation fail so tragically? Over and over!
Conventional wisdom says: “they disobeyed.” And sure, they did. By why, oh why, did they disobey, in each succeeding generation, until finally they crucified their Messiah? And why do we disobey in each succeeding generation and end up as lukewarm and worldly as our fathers? Can we actually learn a lesson and put an end to this cycle?
Conventional Wisdom says, Just stop disobeying, period. Very simple. Adopt a “righteousness-by-faith” version of a new stricter legalism. Be severe; raise the standards.
This week millions around the world are studying about Elijah. His story is no legendary tale to be forgotten in a few days. Both Malachi and Jesus talk of God “sending Elijah” back again before the second coming of Jesus. And we are told that when “he” comes, some Christians will treat “him” as King Ahab and Jezebel did. Could we do that?
Could “Baal worship” still be with us? The name meant simply “lord.” A housewife would call to her husband, “Baal, come to lunch!” Over a century of spiritual confusion, the people sincerely thought it was another acceptable name for the God of Israel; because they were scared to pronounce His true name for it was too holy. Baal worship had developed gradually. It was “contemporary worship,” keeping up with the times, an ecumenical “outreach” to the many secular people all around them. The people of Israel liked it.
Ahab and Jezebel were the equivalent of "the anointed of the Lord” in holy office. This was plausible, for the Lord had “made Baasha prince over My people Israel,” bad as he was (1 Kings 16:2)! So much prosperity attended the reign of King Ahab that the people naturally saw him also as the divinely appointed “prince of Israel.” “Worldly”? Yes, but that’s okay.
Was Elijah sweet, humble, and gracious in his approach to the king? He strides into Ahab’s office with no appointment, right past the secretary, sets himself in front of the startled king and announces doom. Then disappears without a good-bye. Later he confronts Ahab and tells him directly he is the sole cause of the terrible drought and famine. Would any church board like to invite “Elijah” to be your guest speaker?
Jesus clears up a lot of confusion by telling us that when “Elijah” comes, “he” won’t be a man with a stern face and a white beard. “He” will be a message, an “it” (see Mt. 11:7-14).
How can you distinguish between faith and presumption? between “obeying the voice of the LORD” and fanaticism? Everything depends on the answer, because if you don’t have “faith,” you will “perish” (John 3:16). Noah had it, building a boat on dry land “at the word of the LORD.” Abraham had it, leaving his Beverly Hills home in Ur of the Chaldees to live in a tent the rest of his life; David had it, a mere stripling armed with a slingshot and 5 pebbles facing “in the name of the LORD” the well-armored Goliath, Elijah had it, drenching with water the altar on Mt. Carmel, facing certain death at the hands of Ahab if the Lord let him down with no fire to consume his sacrifice. Was Elijah a man like Jesse Ventura of Minnesota, great physical and personality stature, a knock-out boxer in the LORD’s ring? Or was he a shy, retiring, trembling human like you and I are? I’d like to see a video actually shot on location on Mt Carmel, but the best we have is what the Bible says about him, and that is that he was like you and me: “Elijah was the same kind of person as we are” (James 5:17). Tempted to be afraid to stand alone? Yes! The faith of Elijah is a million miles away from presumption; he trembled a long time before the LORD, knelt to pray about the situation, day after day, year after year until finally the Lord strengthened his conviction to distinguish between Baal and Jehovah (precious few in Israel had that discernment!), and then courage enough to go to Ahab and give him the Lord’s ultimatum—take your choice, O king: Baal worship and famine, or repentance and God’s blessing. And all during those 3 1/2 years he had to “pray earnestly” (James 5:17) continually every day or he could never have taken the stand he did on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18). There were “7000” who had “not bowed the knee to Baal,” yet not one had the courage to stand up when Elijah made his challenge, Who is on the Lord’s side?! “The people answered him not a word” (vs. 21). Blessed be the “7000,” yet all apparently still had some cowardice deep in their souls! Revelation tells us “144,000” Elijahs will each “bloom” alone where he/she is “planted,” in the last days. O Lord, give us discernment to distinguish between fanaticism and faith, and then courage to stand for the right though the heavens fall!
1 Kings 18:1: “And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.”
1 Kings 18:2: “And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.”
Many who are studying the story of Elijah misread that Elijah walked into Ahab’s office and told him there would be no rain nor dew until the Lord chose to send it. But the Bible says that the prophet told the king, “There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to MY word” (1 Kings 17:1). Several translations agree.
It’s no big deal, but the Hebrew says “my word.” And in the New Testament, James agrees. He tells how the famine was Elijah’s idea: Elijah “prayed most earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months” (5:17). Elijah loved Israel and saw they were going down to utter destruction unless something should happen to wake them up. His love for Israel was actually a love for the plan of redemption, for God had chosen Israel to be His missionary nation to the world. Elijah’s love for Israel was the same kind as God’s love for them—a love mixed with discipline. It seems that God had entrusted the fate of the nation in Elijah’s hands.
The lesson for us is that again in the close of time God entrusts into His people’s hands in partnership with Him the bringing to a close the great controversy that has raged so long:
“To the one who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:21). That’s not just for snapshots to be taken; that’s to share with Him executive authority for bringing an end to the great controversy that has raged for so long. There will be thousands of “Elijah’s” all around the world (cf. Mal. 4:5, 6; maybe 144,000?), whose hearts have at last become totally reconciled (at-one-with) Him in His ministry and in His plan of salvation.
1 Kings 18:17: And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
1 Kings 18:18: And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
1 Kings 18:19: Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
1 Kings 18:20: So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
1 Kings 18:21: And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
1 Kings 18:22: Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1 Kings 18:23: “Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under.”
The three years of no rain were a direct result of the false idea of God that permeated the minds of the people of Israel. They had been turned away from a true understanding of God by the leaders of Isreal, King Ahab, his wife and the prophets of Baal. (see 1 Kings 16,17) Their gradual slipping away from a clear idea of God had gone full circle until they were bowing down and sacrificing to stone images.
A decision must be made in the mind of the people. Would they follow God in a true knowledge of him, or follow their idea of God and worship Baal. A confrontation was called. On Mt. Carmel the prophets of Baal were given nearly all day to do their thing. And they did it! They whooped and shouted, danced and cut themselves even trying to light the sacrifice. They were under the assumption as were the Pharisees of Jesus day, that they would be heard by their prolific speeches (see Matt. 6:7).
Finally, when they were hoarse, fainting from the loss of their own blood Elijah called a halt to their frenzied demonstration. It was the time of the evening sacrifice, about 3:00 in the afternoon. Calling the people to him, he rebuilt the altar of the Lord that was broken down. Placing the ox that had been cut in two on the wood, he asked that four barrels of water be poured on the sacrifice. Then with a simple “prayer of faith” to the Living God he watched as the fire like lightening bolted from the sky totally consuming the sacrifice, wood, stones and yes the water. Elijah had faith in God’s promise simple as that. Let us take that measure of faith that God has given each of us, and believe his promises to us! We can ask Him to direct our decisions in life. Today we can ask in faith believing he hears us and that is the kind of prayer that brings results in our lives!
1 Kings 18:24: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
1 Kings 18:25: And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
1 Kings 18:26: And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
1 Kings 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
1 Kings 18:28: And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1 Kings 18:29: And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
1 Kings 18:30: And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
1 Kings 18:31: And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
1 Kings 18:32: And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
1 Kings 18:33: And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
1 Kings 18:34: And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
1 Kings 18:35: And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
1 Kings 18:36: And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
1 Kings 18:37: Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
1 Kings 18:38: Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
1 Kings 18:39: And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
Malachi 4:1:4: “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”
Malachi 4:5: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:”
Malachi 4:6: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
It’s not pretty, but there it is—the last word of the OLD Testament is “a curse” (Mal. 4:6), not so much a threat as it is the inevitable Bad News of disaster as the unavoidable consequence of sin. It’s the “curse” that came in the flood of Noah when the earth was destroyed, only this one is to be “fire” (vs. 1). It’s something God Himself cannot avoid, for “the wages of [our] sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). The human race brought it upon themselves “in the days of Noah,” and will do so again, unless somehow help can come.
The “help” that God promises is a totally impossible miracle for humans: God will “send . . . Elijah before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (4:5, 6). That domestic “turning-of-heart” is the only thing that can avert a global “curse.” It concerns marital fidelity and families. Malachi’s context is the “curse” of marital infidelity, for God says “I hate divorce” (2:11-16, NEB). The only remedy for heart alienation is a “turning-of-heart.” Marital infidelity was a prime factor in the wickedness before the flood (“they took them wives of all they chose,” Gen. 6:2). No one can “turn” his/her own “heart.” Jesus predicted that “the love [yes, marital] of many shall wax cold” and “iniquity shall abound” (Mt. 24:12, 13). When love turns cold and the fire in the coals has gone out and hearts are estranged, only “Elijah’s message” can reconcile the desolated hearts and cleanse the pollution.
But it can! God has promised to “send him” BEFORE the “seven last plagues” shall be poured out. The story of sinful humanity in the last book of the NEW Testament tells how the curse will come (Rev. 15, 16). But the Elijah message must come FIRST, perhaps has come to you already. It’s more than “promise keepers” old covenant resolutions and works; it’s a heart-turning “faith-which-works” proclamation of the cross of Jesus, of grace which abounds more than sin.
Read Ellen G. White, “Jeroboam,” pp. 99–108; “National Apostasy,” pp. 114–116; “Elijah the Tishbite,” pp. 119–128; “The Voice of Stern Rebuke,” pp. 139–142; “Carmel,” pp. 143-154, in Prophets and Kings.
“The apostasy prevailing today is similar to that which in the prophet’s day overspread Israel.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 170.
