Southwest Ohio Reformed Presbyterian

1. A story of a confusing alliance-2. A story of a confusing blessing-3. A story of Jehoshaphat's good testimony in the confusion-4. A story of Elisha's pure witness to Jehoram amidst confusion-5. How this illustrates being in the world but not of it

1. To get humanity's attention-2. To point to Christ Jesus, our heavenly transport-3. To display his bald sovereign power in the sinful world-4. To show He had everything in control-5. To encourage us, His people, to hope in Him

1. Elect prayer and not losing heart. Vs. 1-2. Secular judges and pathetic widows. Vs. 2-3-3. A secular judge compared to the holy God. Vs. 6-7-4. Election, faith and the Son of God. Vs. 8b-5. Do we believe this, or not--

1. 1 - 2 Kings details God's contest between good - evil-2. Ahaziah's dubious fall-3. Angels - prophets - God-4. The power contest begins-5. God's power brings Ahaziah's captain to his knees-6. God's Word reaches Ahaziah - he's slain

1. 1 Kings 16-34 historical reference to Jericho-2. Joshua 6-26's unexplained prophecy regarding Jericho-3. Joshua 1-6 and the symbolic role of Jericho-4. Ahab's corrupt madness in ruining Israel-5. Hiel of Bethel - his sons collision with Jehovah-6. Application- the KOG, people today - Jesus-Jericho

1. Ahab's ancestors - antecedents-2. His degrees of evil-3. Jeroboam's line hardened - apostatized through Ahab

1. Crisis-coincidence of text - time -22-39-51--2. Crisis-coincidence of two kids and two theological systems-3. Crisis-coincidence of two consequences- clarity or obscurity

1. Confronted in the midst of his evil -21-17ff--2. Confronted by God's clear condemnation -21-19--3. Confronted by a most authoritative emissary -21-20--4. Confronted by unqualified condemnation -21-21, 25--5. Yet wins respite by his sincere repentance -21-29-

1. God detains a story where none of the parties are elect-2. Yet God uses both Ben Hadad and Ahab for His purposes-3. God gives Ben Hadad over to creed, then 'blesses' Ahab temporarily - despite their common wickedness-4. In the midst of this confusion, God speaks His Word 'clearly' to witness to Ahab - who He will not save-5. God commands us to walk faithfully before Him, despite our lack of clear knowledge of His elaborate will

1. Rebuilding the ruined altar -18-30--2. Counter-intuitive measures-effective sacrifice -18-32--3. Prayer for divine display of clarity-identity -18-36--4. The altar consumed -18-38--5. Prophetic application- Baal prophets slaughtered -18-40--6. Window into the wrath poured out on Calvary

1. An old prophet abiding in a wicked culture-2. The old prophet's infidelity-3. Confusing an old prophet with the Word of God-4. The old prophet's repentance - Jeroboam's ruin-5. Comparison to Rome's errors - Jesus' temptation

1. God's Word is always sovereign and powerful-2. Such power is always available, but not usually displayed-3. The wicked are effectively ignorant of this power-4.God sometimes delights in tying His power to His Word so that mankind will be better forewarned about it

1. Chaos has ambition -11-26--2. Chaos has worldly gifts -11-28--3. Chaos lacks discernment-discretion -11-38--4. So it is with all humanistic-autonomous men-5. Solo -11-9ff-

1. Foreign-alien women -11-1--2. Intermarriage, infidelity, interdependency-3. Love after a fashion -11-2--4. Solomon apostatized -11-4, 5, 6, 7, 8--5. Solomon confronted -11-9ff-

A. Call to Rejoice -Psa. 95-1-5--B. Call to Reverence -Psa. 95-6-7a--C. Call to Respond -Psa. 95-7b-11-