Elisha brings dead boy to life
Emergency road trip to Elisha
The prophet brings a dead boy back to life
When a woman's young son died, she got her donkey made the all-day trip from her home in Shunem to Mount Carmel to find the prophet Elisha. He returns to her home and brings the dead boy to life. She had been infertile, when Elisha predicted she would have a child.Highlights from 2 Kings 4
When the boy grew older, he went out in the fields where his father was working. He told his father, “I have a terrible headache!” The father told one of his workers, “Carry this boy back to his mother right away.” The worker carried the child back. And the boy lay on his mother's lap until about noon, when he died. The woman took the boy up to Elisha’s guest room. She lay him on the bed, closed the door, and left.The mother races to Mount Carmel
She told her husband, “Send me one of the servants. I want a donkey. I'm going to visit the holy man, then I'll be back.” Her husband said, “Why would you go there today? This isn't the Sabbath or the New Moon Festival. ” She didn’t argue. All she said was “Shalom.”... But when she reached Elisha on the mountain, she grabbed him by his feet...She told Elisha, “As sure as you and the LORD are alive, I'm not leaving here without you.” Elisha got up and they all left...Elisha brings dead boy to boy
When Elisha reached the house, he saw the child lying dead on the bed. Elisha went in the room and shut the door on the other two. He prayed to the LORD. Then he climbed onto the bed and on top of the boy. Elisha put his mouth on the boy's mouth. And he lay with his eyes above the boy's eyes and his hands on the boy's hands. The boy grew warm again.Seven sneezes and alive again
Elisha got off the bed and walked around the room a bit. Then he lay on the boy once more. The child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha called in Gehazi and said, “Bring the woman from Shunem in here.” So Gehazi called her in. When she stepped into the room, Elisha said, “Here's your boy. You can take him." The woman dropped at Elisha’s feet and bowed, with her face to the ground. Then she got up and took her son and left.For more Bible features
Ahab’s palace at Jezreel
Ahab's palace at Jezreel
Jezebel kills for vegetables
AHAB TRIES TO BUY A VINEYARD
Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel, next to King Ahab’s getaway palace. Ahab met with Naboth and told him, “I’d like to buy your vineyard and use it to grow vegetables, since it’s so close to my palace. I’ll give you a better vineyard for it, or I’ll pay you whatever it’s worth.”AHAB DEPRESSED OVER VEGETABLES
Naboth said, “Heavens no. I can’t give you the land that has been in my family for so many generations.” Ahab went home bummed, depressed, and mad because Naboth wouldn’t give up his inherited land. The king lay in bed and sulked. He refused to eat. His wife, Jezebel, came in and said, “What’s going on here? What has you pouting like this and refusing to eat?” He said, “Oh, it’s that Naboth. I offered to buy his vineyard outright or upgrade him to a better vineyard. He wouldn’t take either offer. He said, ‘No. You can’t have my vineyard.’” Jezebel said, “Is this how a king get things done here in Israel? Get out of bed, eat, and cheer up. I’ll get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”JEZEBEL ORDERS NABOTH STONED
Jezebel wrote letters to each of Jezreel’s city leaders. She sealed the messages closed by using the king’s royal seal. She told them, “Declare a time of fasting. I don’t want anyone to eat anything until you call a meeting and seat Naboth in front of everyone. 10Seat two men across from him—men who will do whatever you say. Tell them to say this: ‘Naboth curses God and the king. We’ve heard him do it.’ Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death.” 1 Kings 21:1-10For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelAhab's palace at Jezreel
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah and Baal prophets meet on Mount Carmel
It's a battle to see which god will send fire to burn a sacrifice.
It's the God of Israel against the local god of lightening and rain
AHAB MEETS ELIJAH THE “TROUBLEMAKER”
When Ahab approached Elijah, the king said, “Israel’s troublemaker, is that you?” Elijah said, “I’m not Israel’s troublemaker. You are. You and your God-forsaken family. You quit on the LORD, and you started worshiping Baal. 19Tell the people to meet me at Mount Carmel. Bring the 950 prophets Jezebel feeds: 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah.BATTLE OF THE GODS
Ahab did just that. He brought the prophets and the people to Mount Carmel. Elijah told the people, “How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the LORD is God, act like it. If Baal is god, go ahead and try following him. But what makes you think you can do both?” No one answered... Elijah told Baal’s prophets, “So, go ahead and pick a bull and prepare your sacrifice. There are a lot of you, so go ahead and take the first turn. Don’t light the fire. Instead, ask your god to send down the fire.” They killed the bull, cut it into pieces, and laid it on the wood. Then they prayed to Baal, from morning to noon: “Baal, answer.” He didn’t. They danced a slow, rhythmic hobble around the altar they made. At noon, Elijah took a few jabs at them. “Pray louder. Maybe he’s meditating—yeah he’s in deep meditation. Or maybe he took a little walk to the outhouse. He might even be taking a power nap.” They prayed loudly. They cut themselves, too. They cut with swords, spears, and knives. They cut until the blood gushed out. This was one of their worship rituals. They kept it up until evening. That’s when it was time for the daily sacrifice just before the sun went down. No one answered themELIJAH CALLS DOWN THE FIRE
Elijah told the people, “Come close.” They crowded up around him. He repaired what had once been a stone altar to God, which someone had torn apart. He picked out 12 stones, one for each tribe of Israel—extended families descended from the 12 sons of Jacob. These are the people God named as Israel. Elijah used those stones to build an altar devoted to the LORD. He dug a trench around the altar. It would hold about three gallons of water. He stacked the wood on top of the stones, and he placed meat on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars of water and pour it all on the meat and wood.” 34When they did, he said, “Do it again.” When they did, he said, “Do it a third time.” When they did, the excess water drained into the trench and filled it. It was now time for the evening sacrifice. Elijah said, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, show these people who you are. Let then know you are the God of Israel. And let them see that I am a man of God, and that I am doing what you told me to do. Answer me, LORD, so these people will know you are God and come back to you.”GOD LIGHTS IT UP
Fire of the LORD struck the wood with heat that consumed everything it touched: meat, wood, stone, and water. When the people saw that, they were sold on God. They dropped face-down in the dirt and said, “The LORD is God. The LORD is God.” Elijah said, “Arrest the prophets of Baal. Don’t let one of them escape.” Elijah led them down the hill to the Kishon River Valley below. He killed them all there. 1 Kings 18:17-40God vs Baal on Mount Carmel
David’s kingdom of Judah
David's kingdom of Judah
David becomes king of his own tribe
The map of Israel and Judah changed after Philistines killed King Saul and most of his sons in battle. David's tribe of Judah crowned him king of the powerful tribe. The other tribes up north and east of the Jordan River stayed with Saul's son Ishbosheth. He was a weak king, easily intimated by his commanding general, who seems to have slept with one of the woman in the king's herem. Not kosher. Initially, the general, Abner, supported Ishbosheth. He even went to battle against David, to defend the crown for Saul's family. But Abner lost to David's forces, and would later broker a deal to join forces with David.Battle for Israel and Judah
That didn't work out so well, David's general, Joab, murdered him. It was revenge for Abner reluctantly killing Joab's brother in battle. After the battle, Joab's brother, Asahel, who "ran like a wild gazelle," targeted Abner, who was retreating for home.Asahel refused to fight anyone else. He kept eyes on his bullseye, the enemy commander running away. Abner looked back and yelled, “Is that you, Asahel?” He said, “You bet it’s me.” Abner said, “Go after one of these other men and take what you want.” Asahel kept gaining on him. Abner said, “Pick someone else. I don’t want to kill you. If I do, how could I ever face your brother Joab?” Asahel kept running. He ran right into the butt end of Abner’s spear. It bore through his stomach and broke through his back. Asahel, David’s nephew, dropped dead. When fellow warriors came to his body, they stood for a time in silence. (2 Samul 2:19-23)Before long, the map of Israel and Judah would change again. David would unite the tribes and use the force of his armies to pacify Israel's neighbors.
For other Bible versions see Bible Gateway. Website of Casual English Bible paraphraser and mapmaker, Stephen M. Miller.
David’s kingdom
David's kingdom
2 SAMUEL 8
DAVID THE CONQUEROR
DAVID DEFEATS PHILISTINES, MOAB
Later, David attacked a group of Philistines and captured their town of Gath and the outlying communities. He also defeated the army of the neighboring country of Moab. He executed two out of every three soldiers he captured. David ordered them to lie on the ground. Then he stretched a rope over them. He let the soldiers under one length of rope live. Then he executed the unlucky soldiers under the next two lengths of rope.SYRIANS FALL TO DAVID
David also killed the Syrian king of Zobah. His name was Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. The king was on his way to strengthen his position along a river. David captured 1,700 cavalrymen and 20,000 infantrymen. He crippled most of their horses by cutting the hamstring tendons in the thighs. But he spared enough to pull 100 chariots. In the battle, Arameans from Damascus came to reinforce Hadadezer’s army. David killed 22,000 of them. Then David set up Israelite outposts in the Aramean territory and the people paid taxes to Israel, as tribute to a superior nation. David always won. God saw to it.GOLD AND SILVER RESERVED FOR SACRED USE
David confiscated the ceremonial gold shields of Hadadezer’s officials and brought them to Jerusalem David took a lot of bronze from the towns of Betah and Berothai. King Toi from the city of Hamath heard David crushed the entire army of Hadadezer. He was happy about that because he had fought Hadadezer many times. Toi sent his son Joram to congratulate King David and to bring him gifts of gold, silver, and bronze. David reserved these gifts for sacred use, dedicated to the LORD. He did that for all the gold, silver, and bronze he collected from the surrounding nations: Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from King Hadadezer of Zobah.BECOMING THE FAMOUS CONQUEROR
David was making a name for himself. He killed 18,000 people of Edom in Salt Valley. He set up outposts throughout Edom and the people did whatever David ordered them to do. They served Israel. David won battles wherever he fought. God saw to it. For other Bible versions see Bible Gateway.Map of Samaria, city and territory
Map of Samaria, city and territory
Samaria, capital of Israel
And territory in northern Promised Land
Map of Samaria: Samaria was one of the capital cities of the northern Jewish nation that took the name of Israel when it parted company with the tribe of Judah in the south. Samaria also became the name of the territory in and around the city. In time, it became a nickname for the northern tribes. King Omri built the city of Samaria and made it his capital. He was the father of the infamous King Ahab who married the Baal-worshiping Jezebel. Omri bought a hill from a man named Shemer and paid about 150 pounds of silver for it. Omri built a new capital city on that hill. He named the town Samaria, after the former owner.Attacking Samaria
Syrian King Ben-hadad mobilized all the armies in his region. He combined the infantry, cavalry, and chariot corps of 32 kings of kingdom territories and towns. Then he took them to Israel’s capital city of Samaria and attacked. Israel’s elite corps of guards stepped forward, creating a first line of attack. Ben-hadad’s scouts saw them coming and reported back, “Men from Samaria are advancing onto our position.”Standoff then counterattack
For seven days the two armies eyed each other from their camps. Then, on day seven, they fought. Israel killed 100,000 Syrian infantrymen on that first day. The rest fled into the walled city of Aphek for protection. But the walls collapsed, killing another 27,000 of them. Ben-Hadad hid in the back room of a house. His officials said, “Listen, we’ve heard Israel’s kings show mercy. Let’s go to their king dressed in humble cloths, in sackcloth with rope belts.” He may let us live. So, wearing sackcloth with rope belts, the leaders presented themselves to the king of Israel.Invader surrenders
They said, “Ben-Hadad sends this message: “I am Ben-Hadad, your servant. Please let me live.” Ahab said, “Ah, he’s still alive? And he’s my brother now?” The captives took that as a hopeful sign. So, they said, “Yes. Yes he is. He’s your brother, Ben-Hadad.” Ahab said, “Then bring him here.” When Ben-Hadad stepped up, Ahab told him to step into his chariot with him. Ben-Hadad said, “I’m giving you back the cities my father took from your father. And I’m offering you a marketplace in Damascus, just as my father once had a market in Samaria.” Ahab said, “Agreed. Because of this peace treaty, I’ll set you free.”For more Bible features
Map of Samaria territory