1 Kings 17: God turns to a new breed of heroes- the prophets

Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.

Although the nation of Israel flourishes during its Golden Age under Solomon, in the end, the king's weaknesses seriously erodes the kingdom. His lavish public projects lay a heavy tax burden on its citizens and force him to conscript some of them as virtual slaves. His moral failures undermine the spiritual unity of the nation, and the brief, shining vision of a covenant nation gradually fades away. After Solomon's death, Israel splits into two kingdoms and begins to slide toward ruin.

The two nations will have 39 rulers between them and a couple dozen prophets besides. Although the Bible discusses all 39 rulers by name, their stories speed up into a forgettable blur after Solomon's reign. God turns instead to a new breed of heroes, the prophets.

Elijah, the wildest and woolliest prophet of all, illustrates better than anyone else the decisive change. Whereas King Solomon wore jewelry and fine clothes and lived in a gilded palace, Elijah wears a covering of black camel's hair, sleeps in the wilderness, and has to beg or pray-for handouts. He comes on the scene when Israel (the northern kingdom) is thriving politically, but floundering spiritually.

Chapter 17 shows Elijah during his fugitive days, learning utmost faith in God. First, he is fed by ravens. Then, when his water supply dries up, God orders Elijah to an unlikely place'" the home of a poverty-stricken widow. The widow, not even an Israelite, lives in evil Queen Jezebel's home territory, a dangerous place for a hunted prophet. Yet the widow shows enough faith in the prophet and his God to offer her last meager resources. The tender story of his healing of a widow's son shows that God has not forgotten the "little people." Israel's salvation will depend on how well the nation listens to prophets like Elijah.

Life Question: When was the last time that you had to turn to God in a time of physical crisis? What happened?

Well, just this past week my daughter finally confided in me that she has been absolutely miserable at school...dating back to last year. Peer pressure is just a miserable thing for adolescents, and part of me wants to wring the necks of the kids who can be so cruel at times. Long story short, Marie has asked to transfer over to St. Matthews, the school that her brother attends. She's visiting the school tomorrow, and we will all sit down this weekend to make a definitive decision. I will surely turn to God for prudence on this one...I just want what's best for my little girl.