READING FOR OCTOBER 24, 2025: 1 KINGS 19 , HEBREWS 7, PSALM 111 1 KINGS 19 When Ahab told Jezebel that Elijah killed all her priests of Baal, she took an oath to kill Elijah within 24 hours. Sensing she did not like him, Elijah escaped to the wilderness and finally settled down under a broom tree. In his extreme hopelessness, he asked for the Lord to take his life. It is notable how often after a great victory, so many people of God either fall into sin or into depression. We apparently are often most vulnerable after a mountaintop spiritual experience. After Elijah took a nap, God, in His total wisdom, sent an angel to cook a good meal for him. After his meal, he slept some more and then, at the angel’s urging, ate some more. What might be an application for us? Perhaps it is as basic and making sure we get enough food and sleep when going through stressful times. Lack of both can certainly affect our perspective negatively.
After a walk of 40 days (always a symbolically meaningful number), Elijah arrived at Mt. Horeb. Mt. Horeb is perhaps better known as Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Command- ments from God. Elijah also had a powerful encounter with God on this mountain. God draws him out by asking him what he is doing there. Elijah, still depressed, says he has served the Lord enthusiastically but now everyone wants to kill him and only he follows God. Elijah is correct in some respects, but like many of us in difficult times, sees only the worst aspects of the total reality.
God wants to give him the complete picture, but Elijah needs to be in the right place. God told him to stand on the mountain. First Elijah witnessed a powerful wind, maybe like the great wind at Pentecost (Acts 2:2). Then he witnessed an earthquake, as did the witnesses of Jesus’s crucifixion (Matt. 27:54). The third event was a fire, perhaps like the burning bush Moses saw (Ex. 3:2). But this time, God was not present in any of these natural displays. This time God chose to speak to Elijah in a gentle voice. God’s voice still speaks to us if we are in the place of his choosing and intently paying attention: “No prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Pet. 1:20-21).
Elijah repeated his lament from before. God’s first response is to give him a three-fold anoint- ing mission that would set in motion a nation-altering chain of events willed by God. Then God said that far from being alone, Elijah will have 7,000 others who haven’t worshiped Baal. Finally, he leads Elijah to Elisha, who is plowing a field (another hard-working person whom God calls into ministry). Elisha becomes Elijah’s great assistant and his successor as a mighty
READINGS FOR OCTOBER 24, 2025 (CONTINUED): NUMBERS 31, HEBREWS 7, PSALM 111 prophet. Anyone depressed? Get proper food and sleep. Tell God how you feel. Listen to His voice in the Bible. Understand God’s plan for His kingdom. Obey Him in doing our part for His Kingdom. Connect with other believers in the work of the Lord.
Hebrews 7 Several times up to this point, the writer of Hebrews has call called Jesus a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. This chapter defines what the author means by that title. First by reminding his readers of who Melchizedek is. Then, telling them how Jesus fits into that title and holds it forever. The story of Melchizedek is found in Genesis 14. Abraham has defeated the king of Elam, Kedorlaomer, and those allied with him. The king of Sodom and the king of Salem come out to meet him to celebrate. In ancient times, kingly and priestly duties were often performed by the same individual. The name, Melchizedek, means “king of righteousness”. The word “Salem” is close to the Hebrew word for “peace”. The kingdom of Salem will become the city of Jerusalem when conquered by the Israelites. The author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 110:4, where God installs David as a king-priest in the order of Melchizedek. In this sense, the order of Melchizedek is a higher order of priests than those of the Levites. The Levitical priesthood was imperfect and adhering to the Mosaic law. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, a new covenant was made with the people. In the perfection of the order of Melchizedek, Jesus will be a king-priest forever.
Psalm 111 Psalm 111 is a hymn of praise to God for God’s unfailing righteousness. It is a unique alphabetic acrostic poem. Each half-line advances through the Hebrew alphabet (i.e. Verse 1 begins with aleph (a) and the second line begins with bet (b)). The psalm begins and ends with verses that highlight the theme. It is split into two halves (Verses 2-5) and (verses 6-9). In addition, each verse in the first half has a corresponding theme in the second half (i.e. v2 – v6, v3-v7, v4-v8, v5-v9). Verses 1 and 10 – Give praise to God. Verses 2 and 6 – God has shown us great works. Verse 3 and 7 – God’s works are righteous and just. Verses 4 and 8 – God’s works are remembered Verse 5 and 9 – God remembers the covenant with God’s people forever. The psalm ends with a good reminder: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise (Psalm 111:10 NIV). When we are in awe of God, it is then that we are open to God’s wisdom. When we have shut out the possibility of God, we miss when God moves. When we ignore the truths of God, we live out of selfish desires and our family, friends, and neighbors suffer because of it.
