One Year Bible, Saturday, June 25th "More Evil Kings Are Deposed and Ahab and His Relatives Finally Receive Retribution" "Paul and Silas Deliver A Slave Girl Fortune Teller" "Paul and Silas Are Freed from Prison and the Philippian Jailer is Saved and Baptized Along With His Whole Household!"
The Woman from Shunem Returns Home
After the famine was over, the woman came back to Israel after living in the land of the Philistines as Elisha had instructed her. She came to the king to see if she could get her land back. Ironically right at that time Gehazi, Elisha's servant, was meeting with the King. The King had asked him to tell him stories about the deeds done by Elisha. Just as he was telling the King about the story of Elisha bringing back the woman's son from the dead, the woman stood in their midst. How is that for confirmation?
God often authenticates the things he has done through unusual circumstances just to prove this could not happen through human means.
Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad
King Ben-Hadad of Syria lay sick and asked Hazael, his servant to bring gifts to the man of God (Elisha) and ask him if he would die of this sickness. When Hazael met Elisha with the gifts, Elisha told him to tell the King he would recover, though actually knew he would die through Hazael's treachery. Elisha started weeping as he stared at Hazael, because he knew he would succeed King Ben Hadad and eventually treat the Israelites cruelly.
Sure enough after delivering the news to Ben Hadad, he took a wet blanket and suffocated the King, and so begin his evil reign.
Jehoram Rules in Judah
Jehoram did not rule as faithfully as his father, Jehoshaphat did, but followed the example of the wicked kings in Israel. He even married one of Ahab's daughters. We remember Ahab was one of the most wicked kings in Israel's history. As a result the Edomites revolted against Judah and Jehoram's army deserted him. Edom was now independent of Judah forever.
As the leaders go, so goes the church! In this case the consequences were the Edomites being freed to harass Judah once again. Sin always has consequences.
Ahaziah Rules in Judah
Ahaziah was next in line, and he didn't do any better. He was also related to Ahab and only managed to rule in Judah for 1 year. When both he and Joram king of Israel (who was also King Ahab's son) went up against King Hazael of Syria, Joram was wounded in battle, and Ahaziah went to visit him.
Jehu Anointed King of Israel
Sooner or later the many sins of Ahab, his wife, his sons, and relatives caught up with him. One of Elisha's younger prophets was sent with oil to anoint Jehu as the next king of Israel. Not only did the younger prophet anoint Jehu, but told him that the Lord had instructed him to tell Jehu to completely destroy all of the house of Jehu in retribution for their murders of the prophets, and Queen Jezebel's despicable acts.
When Jehu meets back up with his officers, he failed ot mention what the prophet had said about
You can see nothing is getting better in the succession of kings, especially in Israel. But we know as New Testament Christians, that God was keeping his promise that one day the Messiah would come from the house and line of Judah. This was his promise to King David, and God keeps His promises.
Paul and Silas in Prison
Next, we have the unbelievable story of Paul and Silas miraculously being freed from prison. Note the first sentence says, "We were going down to the place of prayer". This reminds us that Luke, the physician, wrote both Luke and Acts. The "we" is Paul, Silas, and Luke.
As they are going down to the place of prayer, they meet a slave girl, who was a fortune teller. Her profits were given to her masters. When she saw Paul, Silas, and Luke, she immediately recognized them as, "Servants of the Most High who have come to tell us how to be saved!"
She kept on bugging and bugging them so that at one point Paul blurted out, "I command you to come out of her!" Immediately the demon left her.
Note two things. This woman had legitimate spiritual power to be able to supernaturally recognize Paul and Silas, and that they were going to preach the gospel. Second, Paul addresses the demon within her personally. This gives credence that there can be individual, as well as hosts of demons (i.e. legion) that reside within a person.
It is only because of their loss of income that the wealthy slave owners drag Paul and Silas before the city officials. Obviously their money even influenced the local government. They incited a mob, and Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and thrown into prison shackled to stocks.
But around midnight Paul and Silas were praising and praying to God. Note that in the midst of persecution they relied on God alone for their deliverance. Sure enough an earthquake happened and the doors of the prison were supernaturally opened for all the prisoners to escape. Knowing the consequences of his derliction of duty, the Philippian jailer went to kill himself.
But Paul stopped him and the jailer asked, "Sirs what must I do to be saved!" Obviously Jesus had revealed himself to him in this supernatural miracle. Immediately, the man believeed and was baptized along with his whole household. Note another instance of where an entire household was baptized.
This is more scriptural evidence that infant baptism was practiced in the New Testament, as there was sure to be infants or small children in the household. Though it doesn't specifically say they were baptized, it doesn't say they weren't. Note it says, "Everyone in his household was baptized!" Does "everyone" include children? I think it is a logical conclusion to say yes! After all it could have said, "Everyone was baptized except the children!"
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