Raising National Standards

God's playground is beyond individual hearts - He wants a national reach

Introduction

The Devil does not just rise as a flood to steal, kill and destroy individual lives, he aims for the destruction of nations. But as we considered in raising individual standards, the spirit of God can raise a standard at a national level. In this study, we shall consider how corruption came into the land of Israel through idolatry. If you see corruption in any country, then it's because idolatry has gained a foothold. If there is financial corruption, then the idol of the ‘love of mammon’ has got a hold. If there is sexual perversion, then there will be elements of self-idolatry and obsession with pleasure rather than pleasing God.

Let’s consider an example of great corruption at a national level.

A standard against corruption

Nearly 100 years after the reign of David, Israel was divided into two kingdoms and had gone from a land of morality under David to decadence during the time of Ahab. The evidence of decadence included

1. The lawmakers, MPs, Elders or senators of Israel were compromised with Jezebel able to wield unlimited power at will (1 Kings 21:8-16).

2. The law enforcement sector was highly corrupt killing prophets and used to carry out the bidding of the shady nation (1 Kings 19:10).

3. The worship of Baal was institutionalised with over 450 prophets, killing the worshippers of God with some exiled or hiding (1 Kings 19:18).

And so, God had to raise a standard against this system. Prior to this time, we had seen kings who disobeyed God, but no one had evil institutionalised like the government of Ahab-Jezebel. In response, God enacted a comprehensive plan and set the following standards in place

1. Economic recession (3.5 years of famine). 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1; James 5:17

2. The battle of reason (Open contest with the prophets of Baal). 1 Kings 18:20-40

3. Prophecy of restoration.

4. The testimony of the magnificent 7 (Widow of Zarephath, barren woman, the indebted widow, the servant boy, a faithful soldier, Elisha and a revived prophet)

5. The triple government of order (1 Kings 19:17)

6. The school of prophets (2 Kings 2: 3; 4:1, 38; 5:22; 6:1)

7. The alliance of king and prophet (2 Kings 4:13-16; 6:20-24)

Furthermore, it is interesting that when we analyse the timelines between the kings of Judah and Israel only during the time of Elijah and Elisha did both kingdoms have ‘Good’ kings – in all instances, the kings of both Israel and Judah were mixed bags of good or evil.

One thing is evident, the men (Elijah & Elisha) during this time availed themselves to be used to set the standards of God.

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God raised a set of standards to cater for the national problems in Israel

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So clearly, in a very short time, God used Elijah, and Elisha to disintegrate the worship of Baal, made a spectacle of Jezebel and raised a school of prophets replacing the old guard of the prophets of Baal. And God needed many hands to bring this vision to fruition – it started with the mighty works of Elijah and fully established by the acts of Elisha, Hazeal, Jehu and many other people. May God find us faithful and available to raise a national standard.

In the next article, we shall explain these 7 standards given above.

Read the first national standard: Economic recession