1 Kings 18:21 (NIV) How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. How long hop ye about upon two boughs? This is a metaphor taken from birds hopping about from bough to bough, not knowing on which to settle. Perhaps the idea of limping through lameness should not be overlooked. They were halt, they could not walk uprightly; they dreaded Jehovah, and therefore could not totally abandon him; they feared the king and queen, and therefore thought they must embrace the religion of the state. Their conscience forbade them to do the former; their fear of man persuaded them to do the latter; but in neither were they heartily engaged; (Adam Clarke Commentary) Elijah stood before them and challenged them to end their doublemindedness, wavering between two opinions. It was not good to try to walk the fence worshiping two gods. [Bible Knowledge Commentary] Israels sin was not that of totally rejecting Yahweh, but of seeking to combine His worship with Baal worship. [Ryrie SB] Elijah reproved the people for mixing the worship of God and the worship of Baal together. Not only some Israelites worshipped God and others Baal, but the same Israelites sometimes worshipped one and sometimes the other. This he calls (v. 21) halting between two opinions, or thoughts. They worshipped God to please the prophets, but worshipped Baal to please Jezebel and curry favour at court. . . . It is dangerous to halt between the service of God and the service of sin, the dominion of Christ and the dominion of our lusts. If Jesus be the only Saviour, let us cleave to him alone for every thing; if the Bible be the world of God, let us reverence and receive the whole of it, and submit our understanding to the Divine teaching it contains. (Matthew Henrys Commentary) Why did so many people waver between the two choices? Perhaps some were not sure. Many, however, knew that the Lord was God, but they enjoyed the sinful pleasures and other benefits that came with following Ahab in his idolatrous worship. It is important to take a stand for the Lord. If we just drift along with whatever is pleasant and easy, we will someday discover that we have been worshiping a false god--ourselves. [Life Application SB] Man is made to worship and he will worship something. It ought to be Almighty God. But man is very inventive in this regard and may worship stone, wood, money, lust, another person, an idea or many other things. And what man worships, man serves. Let your service be rendered unto God Almighty. It is the only service that has eternal value and whose product will continue on throughout all eternity, to Gods glory and your benefit. Be warned, anything less than God that you serve, the product of that service will be burned up and destroyed. Today, choose to serve the Lord. [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom re Jos.24:15] James 1:8 (KJV) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 02:59:48 +0000
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