Hope in the Midst of Evil Times: 1 Kings #17: an exposition of 1 Kings 16:29-17:1. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 12, 2015.
Intro:
“The times, they are a changing.” In 10 years we have gone from 1 state allowing same sex marriage to it being the law of the land. It’s called a moral revolution. The sign that it is more than just a call for tolerance and a genuine concern for equal treatment is the fact that what is being demanded is that you not just accept same sex marriage but that you celebrate it! What has been made clear in recent months is that this is not a matter of “live and let live” but rather you will agree with us, celebrate with us or we will bury you. That’s a moral revolution. What was once evil is now called good and what was good is now called evil. There have long been calls for churches to lose their tax exempt status now that call is gaining traction and with recent rulings seems very likely. Add to that long cherished symbols of our faith are being pushed from public view. A common attitude being espoused is that religious liberty is a fine thing, so long as it is restricted to pews, homes and hearts – far from the public arena. Politicians and activists speak of “freedom of worship” rather than “freedom of religion.” Our founding documents assure us the right of the “free exercise of religion” not the freedom to worship. I say all of this to say, “We are living in different times.” They may be unique to us but they are not unique to the people of God. Our forefathers have dealt with worse. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world are dealing with worse right now! Is there reason for concern? Of course. Yes, we should pray. We should speak out. We should vote. Yet there is no reason to panic. How are we to live when times are evil? That is the focus of our text this evening found in 1 Kings 1 Kings 16.
Text: 1 Kings 16:29-17:1
When Solomon was made king God asked, “What can I do for you?”
His reply, “Grant me wisdom that I might rule Your people well.”
God honored that request and bestowed great wisdom on Solomon.
For the most part Solomon did rule well but he also acted foolish.
God made it clear the kingdom would be torn from him but not in his lifetime.
His son proved to be very foolish and the one kingdom split into Judah and Israel.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam instituted a rival system of worship.
Judah, in the South, was just as idolatrous.
The writer of Kings gives us summaries of succeeding kingdoms from a theological perspective.
Our text marks the beginning of a new era – not in a good way.
It’s hard to overstate Ahab’s influence when 6 chapters are given to his story!
Let’s consider his introduction…
From this opening word we discover…
Thesis: Hope in the midst of evil days demands that we honestly assess the times in which we live and continue to trust God’s providential hand in all things.
There are 2 things I want to point out along the way.
- Hope demands we honestly assess the times. (16:29-34)
- Hope demands we continue to trust God’s providential hand in all things. (17:1)
Conclusion:
Herein is our encouragement. We need not despair when evil seems to triumph. Even if it seems evil is making great strides and culture has completely shifted. We are to rest assured God has already prepared His counter movement. He will, in His time, raise up His instrument. Therefore our situation is never hopeless. Whenever and wherever evil flourishes it is temporal and superficial. Thought it appeared Baalism would win the day God brought Elijah, out of nowhere, and said, “Think again!” We must never lose sight of the fact that whatever threatens to overwhelm us is already under His feet.