May 16, 2022: Day 104 – I Kings 16-19 and James 4-5

We find a lot of intruige and death and backstabbing an other events to ensure that one ruler remains ruler and another ruler and his family are completely destroyed so that no one in the family would lay claim to the throne.  It fascinates me that each person that comes up and rules over Israel does what is worse than what his ancestors does.  This culminates with the reign of Ahab and Jezebel.  Keep in mind, these chapters only talk about the kingdom of Israel, so that would be the northern kingdom.  It seems like during this whole time the southern kingdom, Judah, is reigned by Asa and while not perfect we did read last chapter in 15:11 that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

We are introduced both to Elijah and Elisha in these Scriptures for today.  The battle of the prophets is classic as is Elijah’s experience with God in the cave where a still small voice came after a series of events that one would have assumed were theophanic experiences.  But none were, except, potentially, that still small voice, that whisper.  

In James we have some great moral teachings in regards to not treating other people with preference because of their wealth or their status.