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Natural Enemies Part 2 of 2

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• I want you to open your Bibles today to 1 Kings chapter 21. 1 Kings chapter 21. And for those that are visiting, this is the second part of the message that I began last week. However, I will take a few moments to review. I began a message last week which I entitled, "Natural Enemies." And we have been working down 1 Kings chapter 21, so today we're going to read verses 17 through 20. Notice if you would, 1 Kings 21 verse 17, "And the word of the LORD came unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, which is in Samaria."

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• "Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs lick the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood even thine." And Ahab said unto Elijah, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" And he answered, "I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of God."

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• So last week we began this message on natural enemies. And I pointed out in the introduction how that there are natural enemies in every realm. Not only in the animal realm, but in the insect realm, and certainly in the spiritual realm as well. We've noticed that enemies in the natural realm oftentimes not only kill, but eat the other. And sometimes they just simply kill because it's their nature to kill.

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• I remember my sister years ago, they found a baby fox and they raised that little fox. And they would feed that fox raw red meat. And he was cute as he could be, just as fine as he could be, as friendly as he could be, but he'd kill every chicken he found. And he just, it was just the fox nature in him. And he didn't eat the chicken, he'd just do the killing. And so it's like out west a lot of times the wolves will get with the sheep and they may eat one, but they'll just kill four or five and just simply leave them.

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• And everyone is familiar with this because everyone has probably had a cat. And they'll kill a mouse. But they won't eat it. They'll just bring it to you and show you what great hunters they are. And if you reject their little present, then they're very humiliated, you know. But they just simply do it because it is what they do. And I pointed out how we tend to overlook natural enemies in the spiritual realm.

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• So I want you to turn back in your Bibles, hold 1 Kings 21, but turn to 2 Corinthians 6. We read this passage last week. I want to read it again because this is a classic passage on what I would simply call natural enemies. So 2 Corinthians 6, beginning there with verse 14, look what God says. "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

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• "Wherefore, come out from among them, and be you separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons, and my daughters, saith the Lord." So God tells us there is a natural enmity that exists between righteousness and unrighteousness. I pointed out how that the light will dispel the darkness or the darkness will dispel the light. They're natural enemies.

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• And likewise, he asked, "What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" We're natural enemies. "What part hath the agreement with the temple of God with idols?" In other words, what does a Christian have in agreement with idols? Absolutely nothing. Natural enemies. And God says therefore we should understand that and be separate. Last week I covered two main points when we were talking about natural enemies. We were looking at 1 Kings 21 and of course the background is where King Ahab covets and desires and ultimately takes the vineyard of Naboth. Naboth was an individual who was a worshipper of God. Ahab was a Baal worshipper. And I pointed out two things. First of all, that natural enemies are manifested when one desires to act wickedly and the other desires to act righteously. And so when Ahab asked Naboth for his vineyard, he said, "I'll buy it from you or I'll trade you another vineyard." And Naboth answered, "God forbid it me." And I pointed out how that Naboth was not trying to get a better price.

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• He was not trying to get a better vineyard. He was just simply stating a passage of scripture where God says the land shall not be sold forever. He says because you're strangers and sojourners in the land and the land is mine. And how God forbade those people to sell their land. They could sell the fruits thereof. But even if they rented the fruits thereof at the year of Jubilee, all the land had to go back to the original family.

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• And of course, Ahab, of course, was horrified. He was mortified because he could not get his way. He could not get his will. And of course, he went back into the palace, and he turned his face to the wall and refused to eat bread. And that brought me to the second point, and that was this, that natural enemies are manifested when one uses the law unlawfully, and the other wants to use the law lawfully. And so Jezebel, Ahab's wife, simply said this, "What's wrong with you?"

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• "Aren't you king in Israel? I mean, come on. If you've got the backbone and the intestinal fortitude, you don't have to buy that land. You don't have to barter for that land. Take it. You're king. Everything exists for you. Tell you what you do, Ahab, you just let me use your seal, I will get the land for you." And of course you know how she sent word to the elders of Naboth's city, Jezreel, to proclaim a fast, set Naboth up on high, and then of course bring two men of Belial and let them witness and testify against him that yes, he's blaspheming God and the king, and then take him out and stone him.

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• Now I pointed out three things under this. I pointed out first of all how the wicked will use religion unlawfully. She said proclaim a fast. Not a feast, but a fast. And I showed you in the Bible how when a heavy burden or a heavy judgment from God was hanging upon a city, they fasted and prayed because they knew the hand of God was going to fall. And so Jezebel is saying, "Pretend like some great tragedy is about to fall, religiously speaking, and we're going to search out the problem, and the problem's going to be Naboth."

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• Then she said, "I want you to listen, bring two sons of Belial to testify against him." And I pointed out in Deuteronomy 17, Deuteronomy 19, how the law of God requires a minimum of two witnesses before the death penalty is to be executed. And the interesting thing is the wicked and the ungodly are not against using God's law as long as it benefits them or as long as it covers their crimes. And you remember that there were some worshippers of Jehovah left in the land and so probably her reasoning is this, what possible opposition could they have as long as we're following the law.

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• And then of course it was done under the color of justice, taking them and stoning them. Because he that blasphemes God and he that blasphemes the king deserves to die and deserves to have his property confiscated. So everything that Jezebel did was under the color of religion, it was under the color of law, and of course it was under the color of justice.

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• Now today we come to the final point in this message. And that is this, listen carefully, natural enemies are manifested when one seeks to rule through tyranny, despotism, and totalitarianism, and the other seeks liberty and freedom. I want you to listen to verse 14. Look at it. 1 Kings 21, beginning there verse 14 through verse 16. "Then they sent to Jezebel saying, Naboth is stoned and is dead. And it came to pass when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it." Now, I don't know if it's occurred to you, but as you read this passage, you cannot help but come away with this impression that all Naboth really wanted was to be left alone.

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• When I say that, you have to remember that Naboth had not sought any favors, recognitions, or rewards from Ahab. Naboth did not solicit or desire the king's favor. All Naboth wanted was just simply to be left alone and to enjoy that which God had promised him and what God had given him. In other words, he simply wanted the liberty and the freedom to enjoy his inheritance.

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• Now, I want you to hold 1 Kings chapter 21, but I want you to turn to 1 Kings 4 and then to the book of Micah chapter 4. Micah is a minor prophet, but we're going to 1 Kings chapter 4 and verse 25, 1 Kings 4 and verse 25, and then we're going to turn over to the little book of Micah. And I want you to see these truths. Alright, notice 1 Kings chapter 4 and verse 25.

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• The Bible says this, "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba all the days of Solomon." Now isn't that interesting? Since Solomon was a man of peace, the Bible is describing this time of peacefulness, plenty, liberty, with this illustration that every man is abiding under his vine and under his fig tree.

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• Now, I want you to turn to the book of Micah chapter 4 and look at verse 4. Because here again is the same picture with just a little bit more added. Micah chapter 4 and verse 4. The Bible says, "But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it."

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• Now the truth of sitting under one's own vine, that is your grape vine, and sitting under one's own fig tree, is a proverbial expression indicative of perfect peace, security, and rural comfort. Moreover, I want to point out this expression denotes plenty. You're right under your vine. You're right under your fig tree. It not only denotes plenty, but contentment and liberty and freedom. And God adds here in Micah chapter 4 and verse 4, "and none shall make them afraid." So here is then the suggestion not only of divine blessing, but of divine protection as well.

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• So there's no need then of hiding places. There's no need of places of defense of any kind. Why? Because under this proverbial expression, everyone is free. And they're free from hurt, they're free from intrusion, they're free from attack.

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• Now, if you would turn in your Bible, still holding 1 Kings 21, but turn back in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 26, and look at verse 6. Because you're going to see how God gives basically this same promise to those who obey His law. In the book of Leviticus chapter 26 and watch verse 6. Here's the blessings of obedience. Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 6. God says, "And I will give peace in the land and you shall lie down and none shall make you afraid. And I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land." Add to sitting under your own vine and your fig tree this blessed promise, where God says, "you shall lie down and none shall make you afraid." It's perfect peace, it's perfect liberty, it's perfect freedom. He said, "and I'll rid evil beasts out of the land, and neither shall the sword go through your land."

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• So, what God is promising is there will not be a knock on the door, and when you open it, someone is saying, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you." No? No, he says there's going to be perfect peace and perfect safety. No one's going to make you afraid whatsoever. All I'm pointing out is this was the desire of Naboth when he said to Ahab, "The Lord forbid it me."

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• I can't sell this property. God has forbidden it. And all I want to do is exercise the liberty and freedom which God has given me and enjoy my inheritance. And when you stop and think, when God says, "every man sitting under his own vine, and every man under his own fig tree, and you shall lie down in peace, and none shall make you afraid," all it is saying is the battle is already over. Victory has already been won. Freedom is here. Peace is now all that reigns, and all you have liberty and freedom to do is to enjoy the blessings of God, and enjoy those blessings in peace and prosperity. So here's Naboth. But I want you to understand that tyranny, on the other hand, is different. The tyrant does not want peace. He wants control.

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• Control is usually garnered by deception, turmoil, trouble, confusion, and war. Now listen. The goal of tyranny is the control of our lives, curtailment of our liberties, and confiscation of our lands. Pharaoh spelled this out for Joseph. You remember how Joseph was made basically second in command in Egypt? And here's what Pharaoh said in Genesis 41 and verse 44. He told Joseph, he said, "I am Pharaoh. I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." What was he saying? I have total control, and I'm going to put you second in command, and without you, unless I give them permission through you, no man will lift up a foot or a hand in all of Egypt. Now that is the ultimate goal of all tyranny.

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• I want you to understand it was tyranny that deprived Naboth of his life, liberty, and family. That may surprise you. Do you understand that if a man is killed, murdered, or dies an actual death, the property goes to his heirs? It would go to my wife or to my children if both of us died. Ah! Do you realize that Naboth had sons? I want you to hold 1 Kings 21, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 9. In fact, you might want to mark this passage because we will come back to it just a little bit later. Notice if you would in 2 Kings chapter 9, beginning there with verse 26. Notice if you would, 2 Kings 9 verse 26. "Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord. And I will requite thee in this plat, saith the Lord. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground according to the word of the Lord." Note what he said. God said, "I have seen the blood of Naboth and his sons."

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• So they did not just simply murder Naboth, they murdered his sons as well. I want you to understand that Ahab believed that he should have everything and everything that he even desired. By the way, this is the attitude of all tyrants. I don't care if you're talking about tyrants that are fascists or tyrants that are socialists, or tyrants that are communist, or tyrants that are democrats, or tyrants that are republican. They all want what they want and they think everyone should fall in line and fulfill their desires. Ahab believed, listen carefully, that Naboth lived and breathed for his benefit and for his enjoyment. Do you realize the life of Naboth and the family of Naboth meant absolutely nothing to Ahab? Listen carefully. Not only did Naboth and his family mean nothing to Ahab, the word of God meant nothing to Ahab when Naboth said, "The Lord forbid it me." The lines of inheritance meant nothing to Ahab. The only thing Ahab was concerned with was his will and his desires. If the lives of Naboth and his sons hindered and interfered with the desires of Ahab, then they must die.

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• So here we go. Life means absolutely nothing to a tyrant, except his own. Let me show you this from the Bible. I want you to turn, if you would, to 2 Kings chapter 15. 2 Kings chapter 15. As you're turning there, we're going to read, beginning with verse 13. But I want you to see this passage where King Menahem of Israel was a murderer. He assassinated King Shallum of Israel in order that he might be king. So in 2 Kings chapter 15, look at verse 13. 2 Kings 15 verse 13, "Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah, king of Judah, and he reigned a full month in Samaria." Whoopee do. He got a whole month in. Watch, "for Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead." Now how did Menahem get to be king? He murdered Shallum. He just murdered him and took over the throne.

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• So Menahem then was a usurper. He was an individual that took the kingdom by murder and by force.

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• Now let me ask you a question. Do you think everyone in the land would have been pleased with that? Do you think everyone would have gone along with Menahem? And the answer is absolutely they did not. They did not like the way he acquired the throne, and consequently, they did not open to him, that is, they did not recognize him. So I want you to skip down, if you would, to verse 16. Watch carefully. Here's what happened.

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• "Then Menahem smote Tiphsah and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah, because they opened not to him. Therefore he smote it, and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up." Wow. He took swords and knives and ripped unborn children out of the wombs of the mother, murdering the child and the mother, as well as the people. Why? Because they opened not to him.

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• They didn't recognize him as a king. They recognized him as a murderer and a usurper. All I'm showing you is life means nothing. I forget how many millions Pol Pot was supposedly killed of his own people. What about Mao Zedong? What about Joseph Stalin? Life means nothing. Years ago, everybody remembers the African dictator Idi Amin. And I saw a cartoon. It really wasn't funny. But it showed Idi Amin in the back of a jeep with a 50-caliber machine gun, and the machine gun was smoking, and he was on the phone, and he said, "Yes, I want to report an accident. One jeep and 50,000 individuals." Yeah, kill his own people. What? Life means nothing. I want you to look in the book of Amos chapter 1. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look in Amos chapter 1, and notice if you would please verse 13. To show you once again, life means nothing to individuals who are tyrannically disposed. Amos chapter 1 verse 13, "Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border."

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• What did they do? They wanted more land. So they just went and killed people, innocent people, just murdered them. To the tyrant, our life means nothing. I would recommend, it would be a very difficult book for you to read, probably. But it would be a very profitable book. If you can read Rushdoony's book, "The One and the Many," which is a philosophical treatise on nominalism and realism. And it shows you how that this antagonism has been going on down through the ages, the one and the many. The one, the government, and the many, the people. And the government's always willing to sacrifice the many to keep itself going, is what it amounts to.

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• You see, too often, when you and I think about tyranny, despotism, and totalitarianism, we tend to think of a single ruler. We think of Mao Zedong, or Stalin, or someone like them. We fail to understand and we fail to discern that totalitarianism, tyranny and despotism can be accomplished by many and not just by a single individual. It's true you could have a monarchy where a single individual rules and reigns by the divine right of kings, but you could also have an oligarchy or a plutocracy. You could have all kinds of things.

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• I don't know if you remember the line in the movie "The Patriot" when Mel Gibson said this, "Does it matter if we're ruled by one tyrant 3,000 miles away or 3,000 tyrants a mile away?" You see, tyranny is tyranny whether it's done by a king or by a president or by Congress. It doesn't matter if the tyranny is near or far away. Tyranny is still tyranny. And it doesn't matter if the tyranny is a benevolent tyranny or what you and I would call a dictatorial tyranny. It is still tyranny. The tyrant that wishes to rule for my good and my welfare is still a tyrant. The tyrant that wishes to control my life and my land and my liberty is still a tyrant whether it is done by an individual or by what is known as a democratic process. It doesn't matter.

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• I want to give you a quote. I want you to listen very carefully. The author of this quote is Karl Marx. Listen, "The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them." Isn't that true? Every two to four years, we get to choose who represses us. Who oppresses us? It doesn't matter. I hope you've already seen from the Bible that it is the habit of the tyrant, of the oppressor and the exploiter, to wrap himself in the cloak of patriotism or religion or both in order to deceive the people. If the tyrant wraps himself in the cloak of patriotism, he will say, just like some of our politicians have said recently, "It's for the good of the country. It's for the safety of the country. It's for the good of the country and the safety of the country that you're spied upon."

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• that all your emails, all your phone calls, everything is monitored. By the way, I just read yesterday where the government paid a visit to a couple, she happened to be a journalist, but she was looking for a new canner and so she googled pressure cookers. Her husband came behind her and he was looking for a backpack and he googled backpacks. And so they got a visit from the government wanting to know why they were interested in pressure cookers and backpacks. Don't tell me they're not reading your emails and whatever you do. Of course they do.

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• And you better not ever put anything in there that you're not willing to say openly, publicly, in a court of law. So all I'm saying is, here it is. It's the habit of these tyrants to cloak themselves in patriotism or religion. Many times they'll quote the Bible. Even George Bush said, "You're either for us or against us," taking the word of Christ out of context, naturally. And they do this in order to make it easier to subjugate the people because people are more easily persuaded, more easily deceived when something is done either religiously or patriotically.

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• Now, I want you to know, Ahab was absolutely thrilled to hear that Naboth was dead and the vineyard was his to claim. In fact, Ahab went down to possess the vineyard in style. In all probability, and I'm going to show you the verse which I base this upon momentarily, but in all probability, Ahab went down to possess that garden with great pomp and circumstance. He went down, undoubtedly, with many of his nobles and his captains.

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• For instance, go back in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 9. I told you we would come back there. 2 Kings chapter 9, but this time, let's begin reading with verse 25 and then we'll read the verse through verse 26. Notice 2 Kings 9 verse 25. "Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain." Now Jehu was a captain as well. But Bidkar was under Jehu. "Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain,

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• "Take up and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord laid this burden upon him. Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord. And I will requite thee in this plat, saith the Lord. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground according to the word of the Lord."

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• Now what did he say? He said, "Do you remember when I and thou rode after Ahab?"

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• Now, if you would go back in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 21 and look at verse 19, you're going to find that that specific judgment was spoken to Ahab when he went down to possess the vineyard. So evidently, Jehu and Bidkar were there, probably a host of others as well. But in 1 Kings chapter 21, look if you would please at verse 19. "And thou shalt speak unto him, saying," this is what God is telling Elijah, "Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where the dogs lick the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." So that was pronounced when Ahab went down to possess the vineyard of Naboth. So Jehu says to Bidkar, "You remember, when we were following Ahab, this was the burden that was laid upon him." So they heard it when it was said.

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• I don't know how many he had there, but undoubtedly, he was very happy to have that vineyard. And he went down with all pomp and circumstance. But all of that was about to change very quickly. So if you look in verse 17, 1 Kings 21 verse 17, "And the word of the Lord came unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise and go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, which is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs lick the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said unto Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord." Now, in this instance, this is about one of the few honest things that Ahab has revealed and said.

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• When Elijah goes down to confront him, Ahab asks, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" I want you to note several things. This is the crux of this message, so listen carefully. First of all, Ahab considered Elijah his enemy. They were not just at odds with each other. They didn't just dislike each other. They were enemies. Truth and righteousness are ever the enemies of deception and tyranny. So when Ahab asked, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" here's a classic statement of the opposition between good and evil, light and darkness, between tyranny and freedom.

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• Now we also have to ask this question. Why did Ahab consider Elijah his enemy? And the answer is very simple. Because Ahab was a worshipper and a follower of Baal. He and Jezebel had done everything they could to eradicate not just the worship of Jehovah, but all of the messengers, all of the preachers of Jehovah as well. He viewed all that opposed him and all that opposed his will as enemies. By the way, Ahab considered Elijah a troublemaker.

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• Now it is true that he caused trouble for the tyrant. But I want you to look back in 1 Kings chapter 18. You remember that there has been basically a three, three and a half year drought.

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• Finally God tells Elijah to go show himself to Ahab. Now watch. In 1 Kings 18 verse 4, Obadiah is saying, "For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water." So, that's how desperate the prophets of God were. Living on bread and water, hiding in caves. Why? Because Ahab and Jezebel were trying to kill them. Now, God has told Ahab, or Elijah to go show himself to Ahab. Now skip down to verse 16. Notice if you would. "So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" Aren't you the troublemaker? Aren't you the cause of all this drought? Watch verse 18. "And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim."

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• "Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered all the prophets together unto Mount Carmel."

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• Now, I want you to understand something. When Ahab saw Elijah, he asked him, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" And basically, Elijah said, "It's not me you wicked reprobate, it's you and your wicked wife and your father's house. And the reason is because you've forsaken God." Let me explain this. Listen carefully. Why did Ahab consider Elijah his enemy? Listen carefully. Because Elijah represented a different law system.

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• another culture and another kingdom. Think about that. Elijah represented another law system. Not Ahab's law system, not a humanistic law system, but God's law system. He represented a Christian culture, not a humanistic culture. He represented a righteous kingdom, not an unrighteous kingdom. And Elijah had dealt honestly and faithfully with Ahab. He reproved him of his sins, and he pronounced the judgments of God upon him. And also, Elijah had also demonstrated the power of God upon Mount Carmel.

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• And then he took those prophets of Baal and cut their heads off. And Ahab could not gainsay or deny the power that Elijah demonstrated on Mount Carmel.

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• Secondly, I want you to consider this. Ahab asked, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" But here's another interesting part of this question. Ahab asked, "Hast thou found me?" I am sure that Ahab did not want to see Elijah. He wanted to avoid him. And in all probability, Elijah was excluded from the palace and was considered a persona non grata. Probably there were lookouts and guards posted, "Don't let that man in here. We don't want him. Don't even let him in." Well, he may have had guards to keep him out of the palace, but the truth of the matter is Ahab has now left the palace and he's gone down to the vineyard. He's out in the open and he's fair game, so to speak. And so God tells Elijah, "You go and confront the murderer." Now I want you to watch this. I love this. The answer that Elijah gave to Ahab is also very revealing. Ahab asked Elijah, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" Elijah's answer is to the point. "I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord."

  #53 | 38:16 to 39:34 | cleaned

• Now, pay close attention to this simple fact, that Elijah acknowledged the enmity that existed between himself and Ahab. Elijah did not endeavor to water down or minimize the enmity. He did not say something like this, "Well we've had our disagreements but you know I don't really consider myself your enemy." Nor did he say, "Well you know there's a misunderstanding here. You know, if you could just change a little bit and do this and do that, we'd get along just fine." Uh-uh. "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?"

  #54 | 39:34 to 40:18 | cleaned

• "Oh yeah, I've got you. I've nailed you. Yeah, we are enemies." Ahab not only considered Elijah his enemy, Elijah considered Ahab his enemy. Ahab was a reprobate. He was a tyrant. He was a murderer. He was an idolater. He was an extremely vile and wicked person. In fact, he was so wicked that he is considered the wickedest king in the northern kingdom. He had sold himself to work wickedness. It was his work. It was his hobby. It was his pastime. It was his life.

  #55 | 40:18 to 40:53 | cleaned

• It was that for which he lived. He was the enemy of all righteousness. Look in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 21. And verse 25, 1 Kings 21 verse 25, "But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up." So Ahab had totally abandoned himself to the service of sin. Satan had become his absolute master. And Ahab had become his undivided slave. And when he said, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?"

  #56 | 40:53 to 41:31 | cleaned

• "Yep, you're right," says Elijah. "I found you." And those who give themselves up to sin will eventually be found out. Sooner or later, to their unspeakable horror and amazement, they will be discovered. Ahab is now brought to the bar, his sins are opened and revealed, and his judgment is pronounced. You must remember that Numbers 32 and verse 23 says, "Be sure your sins will find you out." Ahab is discovered and is caught. He cannot escape. He must face his sins. He must face the judgment that they bring. And Elijah denounces him and tells him all the judgment that is to befall his house. Look if you would, 1 Kings 21, beginning there at verse 21. After he says in verse 19, watch carefully, verse 19.

  #57 | 41:31 to 42:26 | cleaned

• He says, "In the place the dogs lick the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood even thine." Skip down to verse 21. He says, "Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall," that is just every male, "and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city, the dogs shall eat. And him that dieth in the field, the fowls of the air shall eat. But there was none like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up." So natural enemies exist. Not just in the animal realm and the insect realm, but in the spiritual realm as well.

  #58 | 42:26 to 43:30 | cleaned

• Natural enemies are easily manifested when you understand that when one wants to do what's right and the other wants to do what's wrong, there's enmity that exists. When one wants to do that which is lawful and the other wants to do that which is unlawful, there's enmity that exists. When one wants to be a tyrant and the other wants liberty and freedom, there's a natural enmity. We have to understand that we are in a war. And it is not just a theological war. It is a cultural war. It is indeed a war for liberty and freedom.

  #59 | 43:32 to 44:14 | cleaned

• It is humanism versus Christianity. It is God's law versus man's law. It is man's rule versus God's rule. "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" "Yea," he said, "I found you." It is a war against Christianity.

  #60 | 44:15 to 44:32 | cleaned

• Now, let me make some applications, try to tie these things together. The first one is this, listen carefully, tyranny and Christianity cannot coexist. They can't. If you will look at all the countries in this world that have tyranny, they're not Christian countries. Most are Roman Catholic, some are Muslim, or some other religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, but not Christianity. Wherever you find Christianity, you find liberty and freedom. So Christianity and tyranny cannot coexist. One will overcome and destroy the other. They are natural enemies. And we're in a war where humanism and Marxism and communism and socialism are endeavoring as hard as they can to destroy and obliterate Christianity. It's just that simple. Here's the second application. We must acknowledge that all who oppose our Lord Jesus Christ, His law and His righteousness, are the enemies of the gospel. Let that sink in. We have to acknowledge that all who oppose the Lord Jesus Christ, His law and His righteousness, are enemies of the gospel.

  #61 | 44:35 to 46:00 | cleaned

• You know what Paul said in Romans 11 verse 28, talking about the Jews? He said, "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake." And then he said in Philippians 3 and verses 18 and 19, listen now, he says, "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and even now tell you weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and they glory in their shame." You know what has happened? We have failed to view the wicked as our enemies.

  #62 | 46:01 to 46:36 | cleaned

• Consequently, we don't want to fight. We've gone AWOL. Why would you fight if you do not recognize someone as your enemy? Why would you fight for your life if you don't understand someone's trying to take your life? Why would you fight for your country if you don't think your country's in danger of being overtaken? Why would you fight for your faith if you do not believe that someone is trying to destroy your faith?

  #63 | 46:37 to 47:08 | cleaned

• You remember what the Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 12. "Fight the good fight of faith." We used to sing "Onward Christian Soldiers marching as to war." No longer. Because we don't have enemies anymore. Or at least that's the politically correct version. I want to show you something. I want to show you Elijah was not just by himself. I want you to turn to 1 Kings chapter 22, just over a page. I love this.

  #64 | 47:09 to 47:45 | cleaned

• Jehoshaphat has gone up to go with the king Ahab to Ramoth Gilead. Watch this. "And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel, and it came to pass in the third year that Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, came down to the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria? And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth Gilead?" I don't understand Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses." And Jehoshaphat said—he should have done this first—Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today." And the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about 400 men. They were false prophets. And said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle? Shall I forbear?"

  #65 | 47:47 to 48:47 | cleaned

• And they said, "Go up, go up, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king." And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides that we might inquire of him?" Watch. "And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." And Jehoshaphat says, "Let not the king say so." What did he say? "But I hate him." Why did he hate him? Because they were enemies.

  #66 | 48:47 to 49:22 | cleaned

• If you would turn very quickly to 2 Kings chapter 3. 2 Kings chapter 3. You will find that now Jehoram, the king of Israel, in 2 Kings chapter 3, and the king of Edom, and also the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, he's done it again, joins with the wicked to go to war. Watch if you would please. Here's these three kings, they're going up against Moab, verse 8, 2 Kings 3 verse 8.

  #67 | 49:23 to 49:54 | cleaned

• "And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel, who is Jehoram, the son of Ahab, so the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey, and there was no water for the host and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas, that the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat who poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel, watch, and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, Watch, what have I to do with thee?"

  #68 | 49:56 to 50:47 | cleaned

• "Get thee to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay, for the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them in the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee."

  #69 | 50:48 to 51:09 | cleaned

• Let me paraphrase that for you in good South Georgia language. If it wasn't for Jehoshaphat, I wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire. Isn't that interesting? Elisha considered Jehoram, the tyrant, his enemy. He would have nothing to do with him. You'd never get Elisha or Elijah to pray at the inauguration of the king or the president. They counted them their enemies. You see, the truth of the matter is this, folks. We do have enemies. You just need to look at the word enemies in the Bible and see how many enemies that we really truly have.

  #70 | 51:09 to 51:59 | cleaned

• Well, let me conclude with this today. I want you to understand it is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible reading and Bible believing people. The principles of the word of God lead to liberty and freedom. In fact, we're told in Galatians 5 in verse 1, "Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Stand fast.

  #71 | 51:59 to 52:31 | cleaned

• I will tell you this, I did not listen to all of it. I really did not. Because it was about 30 minutes. But on the internet, there was an ex-CIA agent, CIA agent speaking. And here is what he said. I listened about the first four or five minutes. I mentioned this to Henry last week, I think. He basically said this. Don't watch TV. He said it's propaganda. He said it's designed to control you. He said if you have to watch a program, he said you better watch it analytically and sit down and examine it, and tear it apart because he said it is the biggest propaganda tool that the enemy has going for them. I'm going to tell you something, folks.

  #72 | 52:33 to 53:31 | cleaned

• If you spend your time in the Word of God and you learn the principles of truth, you're not going to be deceived. You're going to be standing outside the camp with Christ. And everybody's going to view you as a troublemaker and as someone who's a fanatic and far off only because you know the truth. And what did our Lord say? "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."

  #73 | 53:32 to 54:06 | cleaned

• Let's have prayer, shall we? Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy today. And we ask that you would teach us, you'd build us up in the most holy faith, and you'd help us to see, Lord, that there are indeed natural enemies, enemies, Lord, that are enemies because of truth and righteousness. And help us, Lord, to stand for Thee and live for Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

  #74 | 54:07 to 54:38 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T17:30:23Z