YHVH (God) has a set of holy days he wants all mankind to keep. The fall set are coming up. We're hosting in Kansas City so you can come fellowship with us if you like. This page tells when and the video gives the details.
https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/holy-day-date
ELIJAH AND THE PRIESTS OF BAAL
From 1 Kings 18
Three years passed without rain in the land. One day Adonai spoke to Elijah. “Go present yourself to King Ahab,” He commanded. “Tell him that I will soon send rain upon the land.” By this time the famine was very severe in Samaria, where Ahab lived. Elijah arrived there with his message during the peak of the famine. On the way to see King Ahab, Elijah met Obadiah, the man in charge of the King’s household. Obadiah honoured Adonai in all that he did. Once when Queen Jezebel tried to murder Adonai’s prophets, Obadiah hid one hundred of them in two caves, fifty men in each cave and fed them with bread and water. On the day Elijah met Obadiah, King Ahab had started out to look for some grass. “Go throughout the land and check the streams in every valley,” he had told Obadiah, “We must find some grass so that my horses and mules will not all die.” Ahab himself went through one part of the land and Obadiah went through another part. When Obadiah saw Elijah coming, he recognized him and fell down before him with his face to the ground. “Is this really Elijah?” he asked. “Yes,” Elijah answered. “You must go now to King Ahab and tell him that I am here.” “Why do you want to send me to my death?” Obadiah argued. “Ahab has searched everywhere for you, in every kingdom. Whenever someone told him that you were not there, he made that person swear that he was telling the truth. You ask me to tell King Ahab that you are here, but as soon as I go to tell him, the Spirit of Adonai will take you to some secret place. When Ahab cannot find you, he will kill me. What have I done to deserve this? I have served Adonai since I was a young man. Haven’t you heard how I hid one hundred of Adonai’s prophets in a cave and fed them bread and water when Jezebel tried to kill them?” “As surely as Adonai is alive,” Elijah answered, “I will show myself to King Ahab today.” Thus assured, Obadiah went to tell King Ahab and Ahab came to meet Elijah. “So, it’s really you, the one who has brought such trouble upon Israel!” exclaimed King Ahab. “You are the one who has brought this trouble upon Israel,” replied Elijah. “You and your fathers turned from Adonai to worship Baal, so you have caused this famine to come. Now, assemble the people of Israel on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah whom Jezebel feeds. Ahab did as Elijah instructed him and assembled the people of Israel and the false prophets to Mount Carmel. There Elijah spoke to them as they gathered close to listen. “How long will you try to follow two gods?” Elijah demanded. “If Adonai is YHVH, follow Him. If Baal is god, then follow him.” When the people did not answer Elijah, he spoke to them again. “Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets, but I am the only prophet of Adonai,” he said. “Let us have a test. Bring two young bulls; let Baal’s prophets take one, cut it into pieces and lay it on wood with no fire under it. I will do the same with the other bull. Then they will call upon their god and I will call upon my YHVH. Whoever answers by sending fire is the true YHVH.” “That will be a good test,” the people agreed. Then Elijah spoke to the prophets of Baal. “Choose your bull first and prepare it, for there are many of you,” he said. “But build no fire under it.” The prophets of Baal chose one bull, prepared it and called all morning until noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they begged, but there was no answer. Then they began to dance around the altar which they had made. At noontime Elijah began to mock them. “Keep calling!” he urged. “You say that Baal is a god. If he isn’t listening, he must be meditating or has gone out or is away on a trip. Or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” The prophets of Baal began to shout louder and according to their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed forth. They kept doing this throughout the afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice, no answer; nothing. “Come closer to me,” Elijah told the people. The people came closer and watched as Elijah repaired the altar of Adonai which had been torn down. He remade it with twelve stones, one for each tribe of Israel, in the Name of Adonai. Then he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two bushels of seed, placed the wood on the altar, cut the remaining bull into pieces and laid it upon the wood. “Fill four large jars with water and pour it over the meat and the wood,” Elijah ordered. The people did as Elijah said. “Now do it again,” he told them. So, they did it again. “Do it once more,” said Elijah. By this time the water was running about the altar, filling the trench with water. At the time of the evening offering, Elijah stood before the altar and began to pray. “O Adonai YHVH of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, let the people know today that You are YHVH, that I am Your servant and that I have done these things because You have told me to do them. Show these people that You are YHVH by answering me and turn their hearts back to You.” Immediately fire fell from Adonai and burned the offering, the wood, the stones, the dust and even burned up the water in the trench. When the people saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground. “Adonai is YHVH! Adonai is YHVH!” they cried out. “Seize the prophets of Baal,” Elijah shouted. “Don’t let any of them escape.” The people seized the prophets of Baal and at Elijah’s order, brought them to the Kishon River, where Elijah executed them. “Now go and have a good meal,” Elijah told King Ahab. “I hear the sound of a great rain coming.” So, Ahab did as Elijah had said. Elijah himself went to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed down to the ground, placing his face between his knees. He instructed his servant, “go up higher and look toward the sea.” “I see no clouds,” the servant said. “Go again and again until you have gone seven times,” said Elijah. The seventh time the servant returned with this message, “I see a small cloud like a man’s hand, rising from the sea.” “Go to Ahab and tell him to prepare his chariot and head for home,” urged Elijah. “Tell him to hurry for the rain may stop him.” Soon the skies were dark with clouds and a great wind swept across the land with torrents of rain. Ahab headed for Jezreel in his chariot, but Adonai gave Elijah such strength that he ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to Jezreel, a distance of at least twelve miles.
COMMENTRY -- THE WORSHIP OF BAAL
Of all the Canaanite gods and goddesses, none was so powerful as Baal. According to his followers, he was the god of storms, the one who brought life-giving rain to the earth. Without his aid, the land turned dry and barren and the people starved. In Palestine, Phoenicia and Syria, nearly every village had a small hilltop shrine called the “high place.” Here Baal’s followers offered sacrifices to him. If he were not honoured properly, they thought, he would either turn against his followers or lose power and be destroyed by the gods of evil and destruction. The poorest worshipers offered fruit or vegetables. Others brought perfume, honey or wine. Young animals; kittens, puppies, lambs and kids; were common sacrifices. The most powerful was the sacrifice of a bull, the very symbol of Baal’s strength and fertility. Many shrines contained life-sized statues of Baal. In some representations, he wore a dagger at his waist, had bull horns set in his helmet and wielded a club over his head. In his other hand he held a spear that sprouted leaves. The horns meant power, the club represented thunder and the spear stood for both vegetation and lightning. So prepared, Baal; the “Rider of the Clouds”; was prepared to defend his followers. In addition to the open-air shrines, there were temples to Baal in the cities. Priests lived there, who could explain the god’s wishes to the people. These priests took a portion of all sacrifices and charged fees for special services; they often grew rich. The priests acted out ancient myths of the gods. One served to explain the changing seasons. It said that Baal was once killed by Mot, the god of death, sterility and ruin. Without rain, the earth began to die. During these parched summer months, Baal’s sister searched the underworld for him. When she found him and restored him to life, the winter rains returned and the earth flourished again. This story of life and death was performed each new year. Male and female prostitutes acted out “sacred” marriage with the worshipers, believing the ritual would increase the fertility of their soil, flocks and families. During certain other special rituals, the priests would dance before the altars and slash themselves with knives. This was meant to arouse Baal’s divine pity and bring his aid immediately. At times of great crisis or danger, when even that was not enough, the priests encouraged families to make the greatest offering of all -- the sacrifice of their infant children in the flames of the altar. Even though it often seemed that Baal was a harsh god and hard to please, many kept on believing that he alone was responsible for their lives as he brought the rain that made their crops grow and flourish from year to year.
ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH
From 1 Kings 16:28-17:24
When the evil King Omri of Israel died and was buried in Samaria, his son Ahab became king in his place. This happened during the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. Ahab turned out to be the worst king of all. He made the sins of Jeroboam look small by comparison. One of the worst things he did was to marry Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, a very wicked woman. Not long after that, he built an altar and temple in Samaria for Baal and other idols. He did more to anger Adonai than any king of Israel who had ruled before him. During Ahab’s reign a man of Bethel named Hiel, rebuilt the city of Jericho. Hiel’s oldest son Abiram died when he laid the foundation and his youngest son Segub died when he finished the city and set up the gates. Many years before, Adonai had warned through Joshua that this would happen to anyone who tried to rebuild Jericho. One day the prophet Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, brought King Ahab a warning. “As surely as the YHVH whom I worship and serve, the YHVH of Israel is alive, there will be no rain or dew for several years until I say so.” When Elijah had delivered this message, Adonai told him, “Leave here and go eastward. When you reach Cherith Brook, stay by the place to the east of the point where it enters the Jordan River. I have commanded ravens to bring food to you there and you may drink from the waters of the brook.” Elijah followed Adonai’s orders and set up camp by the brook. Each morning and evening Adonai sent ravens with bread and meat for Elijah. The brook provided water for him to drink until at last it dried up, for rain had not come to any part of the land. Then Adonai gave new orders to Elijah. “Leave this place and go to the village of Zarephath near Sidon,” He said. “You will find a widow there whom I have commanded to feed you.” Elijah left the dried-up brook and made his way to Zarephath. Arriving at the gate of the city, he saw a widow gathering sticks. “Bring me a little pot of water to drink,” Elijah asked. As the woman left to get the pot of water, Elijah called after her. “Bring me some bread to eat too,” he said. “As surely as Adonai lives,” the woman answered, “I have no bread in the house. All I have left is a handful of meal in a jar and a small amount of cooking oil in another jar. I was gathering these sticks to make a fire so that I could make one last cake of bread for my son and me before we die of starvation.” “You must not be afraid,” Elijah answered. “When you go home, bake the little cake of bread and give it to me to eat. Then you may make some for you and your son, for Adonai has promised that your jar of meal and your jar of oil will never be empty until He sends rain upon the earth again.” The widow trusted Elijah and made the little cake of bread for him. All that he said came true, for there was always food for the widow, her son and Elijah. The jar of oil and the jar of meal were never empty, as Adonai had promised through Elijah. But one day the widow’s son became sick and died. Then she cried out to Elijah. “O man of YHVH,” she said. “Why do you punish me this way for my sins? Why have you caused my son to die?” “Give me your son,” Elijah commanded. Then he carried the boy’s body to the upstairs room where he was staying and laid it upon his bed. “O Adonai my YHVH, why did you take the life of the widow’s son?” he pleaded. Elijah stretched himself over the boy’s body three times and prayed again to Adonai. “O Adonai my YHVH, let this child live again!” he asked. Adonai listened to Elijah’s prayer and the boy came back to life. Then Elijah carried him downstairs and presented him alive to his mother. “Your son is alive again!” he said. “Now I am sure that you are a man of YHVH,” the woman exclaimed. “Whatever you speak has come from Adonai.”
COMMENTRY -- RIVERS WITHOUT WATER; THE WADI
The dry gullies and ravines twisting through the countryside of Palestine are among its most striking features. These pathways are called “wadis” (pronounced “WA-dees”), an Arabic word meaning “streambed” or “watercourse.” For most of the year wadis lie empty, but with the return of the rainy season they come alive, transformed into brisk streams and slow-moving brooks. In the Negeb Desert rain is scarce and wadis may carry water only a few times a year. The soil forms a hard crust after the first rain in certain areas and will not absorb water. When rain comes again, water collects on the surface and the wadis become the paths of dangerous flash floods. Swollen streams often jump the banks, ripping open wide new gullies. But within hours the water is gone and the streambeds are again calm and dry. In the Elath hills at the southern tip of the desert, many wadis were created by the shifting of the earth centuries ago. Ravines no more than a few feet wide plunge down a thousand feet or more. Brilliant hues of red and violet sandstone line the steep rock walls. Other areas, such as Mount Carmel and the Judean hills are also cut with deep, narrow gorges. But rainfall in the central and northern regions is much greater than in the south. Wadis elsewhere usually carry water only for several days at a time, but in the north, they flow for weeks or even months. Many of these long-flowing wadis are fed by springs that collect ground water from a large area. A few flow almost the entire year, and support rich growth along their banks. Others barely manage a trickle through the summer months and some turn into puddles or stay dry during those same months. A few wadis actually do carry water the year round. Several that run into the Mediterranean Sea are dry most of their length, but flow continually the last few miles. Certain wadis are fed throughout the year from the melting snows of Mount Hermon and descend the mountain in beautiful ice-cold waterfalls.
Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.” Realizing the truth in this verse, did our Creator actually have His prophets embedded in places like Sodom and Gomorrah? Did those prophets try to warn the people of their doom as Jonah did Nineveh? If the answer is yes, then the people were so involved in their sin they completely rejected God and were judged by Him to deserve destruction.
091725 / 23rd day of the 6th month 5786
WORD FOR TODAY “these people are in heaven”: Isa 56:5 To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. Isa 56:6 "Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast My covenant;
WISDOM FOR TODAY: Pro 22:24 Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Pro 22:25 Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.
www.BGMCTV.org
Celebrate Erev Shabbath with
Sabbath Keepers Fellowship!
Every Sabbath Eve at 8:30pm Central Time we will host an informal get-together on our YouTube channel to bring-in and honor the seventh-day rest. We will have:
- A short Sabbath eve prayer service
- Greetings to all present
- Highlights of the weekly Torah parasha with some commentary
- Followed by live music and discussion with whomever wishes to bring it.
His yoke is easy and the burden light! Join us for some simple celebration and fellowship to end your week. The entirety of the service should be about 1.5 hours long. If you play an instrument or sing, contact the service admin to join in. If you don’t, just listen as others do their best to honor our Creator on His holy day.
Discover the latest meeting at:
https://www.youtube.com/@sabbathkeepersfellowship
TTN Music 
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