1/16 Amidst an idolatrous Israel, God began demonstrating himself among foreigners, Shunammite woman (4:8) Syrian Naaman (5) — God’s sovereignty is not exclusive. #TweetsfromKings

2/16 Damascus had rivers too (5:12) but God sent Naaman to Jordan. When God is at work, the obvious is not guaranteed. #TweetsfromKings

3/16 Godly influence had an impact on Elisha (2:15) but not on Gehazi, (5:20) at the end of the day, spiritual rebirth is ultimately God wrought, not human inspired, Gehazi and Judas are reminders. #TweetsfromKings

4/16 In seeing to it that his word come true (7:1) God uses will of the lepers, (7:3) the delusion of the Syrians (7:6) and the scepticism of a Samaritan King. (12) Circumstances vary, but his purposes stand. #TweetsfromKings

5/16 Judgement on a doubting Samaritan officer (7:20) came because he ultimately disobeyed Gods word, not (necessarily) Elisha’s. (7:1) #TweetsfromKings

6/16 The events of Judah and Israel, North and South, are often recounted hand in hand because one nation left Egypt (Ex 12:31) not two. #TweetsfromKings

7/16 Jehoram, a King in Judah, “walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. “ (8:18) Deuteronomy 11:19 emphasized family as agent of worship. Ahab’s wicked family influences demonstrated the alternative. #TweetsfromKings

8/16 Wicked Ahab’s lineage is extended to Judah with Jehoram marriage to Ahab’s daughter (8:18) Since flesh gives birth to flesh (John 3:6) family relations do not ultimately determine our spirituality yet may influence faith. #TweetsfromKings

9/16 King Ahab’s Judgement also came with a promise to “cut off every male in Israel.” (9:8) Judgement on Israel also meant judgement on cultural male leadership, first. #TweetsfromKings

10/16 The pattern by which God disposes of wicked Kings and their families, first Jeroboam, Baasha, now Ahab, is horrifying, (9:8-10) We appreciate salvation for what it is after we have seen sin for what it is. #TweetsfromKings

11/16 Jehu said to Joram, “What peace can there be so long as the whorrings and sorceries of your mother are so many” ? (9:22) True worship determined peace. “my peace I do not give as the world gives” (John 14:27) Jesus said. #TweetsfromKings

12/16 Jehu, freshly anointed by Elisha executed God’s judgment against Ahab’s house through a bloodbath, “in accordance with the word of the Lord” (2Kings 9:26) if you rarely think of God’s judgement as bloody, you rarely think about the cross. #TweetsfromKings

13/16 He may have been used to carry out Gods purposes but that was no guarantee of Jehu’s godliness, he did well in destroying Samaria’s Baal but not Bethel’s golden calves (10:29) and he halfheartedly heeded to entire law. (10:31) Usefulness and godliness can (sadly) be two. #TweetsfromKings

14/16 The detail in Jezebel’s death—eaten by dogs (1 Kings 21:23) according to the word of the Lord (2 Kings 9:36) shows God’s faithfulness in keeping with what he has promised, sometimes in ways least expected. Ponder Judas, “Son of perdition.” (. ) — Paul writes to believers “You were by nature children of wrath” (Eph 2:3) #TweetsfromKings

15/16 When God judged Ahab’s house, he judged it entirely,  his friends were killed in cold blood too, (10:11)  blessed is the man who does not sit in the counsel of the wicked. (Ps 1:1) #TweetsfromKings

16/16 The horrendous annihilation of Ahab’s house as a result of sin in chapter 10 will leave you terrified of God’s judgment and more importantly more cautious not to “trample the son of God all over again” (Heb 10:29)  #TweetsfromKings

Find 1 Kings Series part 1 and 2