18:3-4 - FINALLY! YES! WHOOPEE! A king who actually rules with the heart of King David. A man who loves God and is willing to cleanse the country of idols! He is the first king since David ruled to proactively seek out idol worship in the country and destroy it.
18:6 - Ever wonder what your life should look like? Ever wonder how you can seek God's will? Well, you could follow this example. He held fast - he constantly sought to put himself in the presence of his Creator God - he fought with everything he had to hold on to the Lord and His commands. That is a great example of what living truly looks like.
18:32-33 - The Assyrian leader taunts the people of Israel and mocks God (Not a good idea in general). He wonders out loud to the Israelites, "Where were all the gods of the other nations I destroyed?" What he didn't understand was that those God's weren't real and this one was and is. What he also didn't understand was that every victory he had ever had, had been granted to him by the one and only God of the universe. Kinda crazy to be taunting the God who has given you everything you think your earned for yourself.
19:15/19 - I love this. Hezekiah turns to God and we see that he had a really good understanding about what is going on. He probably better than any king who has come before him sees the big picture. This whole situation is not about Israel's victory or honor...it is about God's name being dishonored...it is about God's name being glorified throughout the earth. Do you live your life with this reality in mind? Do you weigh your actions, words and decisions on a scale of whether or not they bring glory to the Name of the Most High God?
19:25-26 - Again we see that God is concerned about the entire world. He is the God of all people...He uses the kingdoms and powers from all over the world to bring about His will.
19:37 - And Sennacherib finds out exactly how powerful his own god is doesn't he? He is slaughtered in the temple of his false god Nisroch by his own son.
20:10 - We know that Hezekiah is a man of God, yet he is still flawed. After all he has seen God do, he still has his doubts. God makes the sun reverse itself to quell his fears (Or maybe he just bends the laws of nature and makes the shadow move, so as not to throw all of creation into chaos - either way...its awesome!).
20:13 - Uh oh - we are seeing more chinks in the armor of Hezekiah's character. In his arrogance, he proudly takes the Babylonian emissaries around his city and shows them all its wealth. He pride has blinded him. He has just set up Judah for future destruction at the hands of the Babylonians.
20:19 - Oh man, this is not a strong ending to a great life. How self-centered is his reaction? He is just happy that there was peace during his lifetime...he doesn't really mind that his sons and the people of Israel are going to be enslaved. Christians need to finish strong in their lives...they need to never allow themselves to settle and always push to become more and more like Christ. Older Christians should be the most wise, humble, gracious people around...because they have had more time to be shaped by the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
II Kings Chapters 15-17
15:1-5 - Azariah started ruling when he was 16 and was able to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord...that's a great challenge to Christian teenagers to know their beliefs and where they stand. Unfortunately, he didn't allow his beliefs to spur him into action...he didn't remove the idols from Judah.
15:10/14/25/30 - We see the beginning of the end for the Kingdom of Israel (The end of this stage of their existence that is). Chaos - conspiracies - in fighting - murder - assassinations...over and over. They are a godless nation and they look like it. They rule by the standards of the world...the rulers seek only power and glory for themselves and ignore the greater good of the country and their relationship with God (That doesn't sound at all like the path it seems our American political system is headed down...oh wait).
15:7 - On an interesting side note...the death of Azariah/Uzziah is about the time that Isiah is called to become a prophet of God. When we get to the book of Isaiah, you will see him challenging the kings described in the next few chapters and prophesying about the destruction of Israel and Judah.
16:3ff - This could be a description of child sacrifice, or it could be a ceremony where they passed their infant children quickly through fire to offer them fully to the false god. Either way it is vile. Either they are sacrificing the life of the child, or they are promising to raise the child up as a follower of a false god. Sick! Christian parents today have to be very wary of whether or not they are offering their children up to the idols of this world, by pressuring them to offer their lives fully to things that are inconsequential in the big scheme of things.
16:7 - Instead of trusting God, Ahaz puts his trust in worldly power. He does not seek God, he seeks the help of a pagan ruler. Isaiah routinely calls out Ahaz for his lack of trust in God. Do you ever have the same problem? I know I do. Turning to myself or human strength instead of the limitless resources and strength of God.
16:10-20 - This does not necessarily mean that Ahaz turned the temple into a place of pagan worship (The high priest Uriah assists in the remodeling), but he does allow pagan values to be the driving force behind the renovations. Another king has a bigger, better altar, so Ahaz wants one for God. Other kings have personal areas where they alone can worship their gods, so Ahaz wants one for himself. His view of God is so small and disrespectful. God loves the people of Israel because He chose them, not because they built Him a beautiful temple. The worship of Israel is twisted by worldly values of wealth and power and we constantly see the same kind of thing in churches in America.
17:6ff - Israel is overrun and the people of God are exiled, just like the prophesies said. Over and over, God sent judges and prophets to call the people back to Himself, but they chose to reject Him.
17:15/17 - They consistently turn from God and become like everyone else around them. They call themselves followers of God, but look exactly like the people from the pagan cultures around them (Always a problem with Western Christians like myself). Heartbreakingly, their depravity is constant and colossal!
17:24 - Israel is repopulated with people from other cultures that bring their own false idols into Israel and try to create a universal religion where all the gods are covered, to make everybody happy. God doesn't look to kindly on this.
17:33/41 - I was reading this and thought, "This could be a description of the out "Christian Nation." The people say they fear God, but they don't change anything about the way they live their lives. They say they believe in God, but they continue to follow idols that go against everything God has called people to stand for.
15:10/14/25/30 - We see the beginning of the end for the Kingdom of Israel (The end of this stage of their existence that is). Chaos - conspiracies - in fighting - murder - assassinations...over and over. They are a godless nation and they look like it. They rule by the standards of the world...the rulers seek only power and glory for themselves and ignore the greater good of the country and their relationship with God (That doesn't sound at all like the path it seems our American political system is headed down...oh wait).
15:7 - On an interesting side note...the death of Azariah/Uzziah is about the time that Isiah is called to become a prophet of God. When we get to the book of Isaiah, you will see him challenging the kings described in the next few chapters and prophesying about the destruction of Israel and Judah.
16:3ff - This could be a description of child sacrifice, or it could be a ceremony where they passed their infant children quickly through fire to offer them fully to the false god. Either way it is vile. Either they are sacrificing the life of the child, or they are promising to raise the child up as a follower of a false god. Sick! Christian parents today have to be very wary of whether or not they are offering their children up to the idols of this world, by pressuring them to offer their lives fully to things that are inconsequential in the big scheme of things.
16:7 - Instead of trusting God, Ahaz puts his trust in worldly power. He does not seek God, he seeks the help of a pagan ruler. Isaiah routinely calls out Ahaz for his lack of trust in God. Do you ever have the same problem? I know I do. Turning to myself or human strength instead of the limitless resources and strength of God.
16:10-20 - This does not necessarily mean that Ahaz turned the temple into a place of pagan worship (The high priest Uriah assists in the remodeling), but he does allow pagan values to be the driving force behind the renovations. Another king has a bigger, better altar, so Ahaz wants one for God. Other kings have personal areas where they alone can worship their gods, so Ahaz wants one for himself. His view of God is so small and disrespectful. God loves the people of Israel because He chose them, not because they built Him a beautiful temple. The worship of Israel is twisted by worldly values of wealth and power and we constantly see the same kind of thing in churches in America.
17:6ff - Israel is overrun and the people of God are exiled, just like the prophesies said. Over and over, God sent judges and prophets to call the people back to Himself, but they chose to reject Him.
17:15/17 - They consistently turn from God and become like everyone else around them. They call themselves followers of God, but look exactly like the people from the pagan cultures around them (Always a problem with Western Christians like myself). Heartbreakingly, their depravity is constant and colossal!
17:24 - Israel is repopulated with people from other cultures that bring their own false idols into Israel and try to create a universal religion where all the gods are covered, to make everybody happy. God doesn't look to kindly on this.
17:33/41 - I was reading this and thought, "This could be a description of the out "Christian Nation." The people say they fear God, but they don't change anything about the way they live their lives. They say they believe in God, but they continue to follow idols that go against everything God has called people to stand for.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
II Kings Chapters 12-14
12:2 - Hey..it's one of the few kings with a positive description. We should really soak this in (Although he still doesn't take the bold steps to remove the idolatry of the high places - kinda like a nice Christian kid who doesn't stand up for people getting picked on because he doesn't want to bring the wrath of the crowd on himself...good kid - just controlled by fear).
12:6 - Joash tries to get the priest to use some of their share of the offering money to repair the temple, but years go by and they don't do anything. The newness of the temple has worn off and the priests aren't as motivated to fix it up. His plan fails, so the king starts to think outside the box (And creates the first Israelite offering box!).
12:9 - Offering boxes - YAY! The plan works...when the box is full of offerings, they take the money and give it to repairmen to fix up the temple. Now the lazy priests don't have to pay for the repairs or fix it themselves...they should be happy. But there is some fallout - the offering boxes take one of the priestly duties away from them (receiving offerings from people) and the priests become less important in the religious process. They don't like that.
12:18ff - Joash takes the sacred objects from the temple and gives them to Syria as a payoff. It keeps the Syrians at bay, but also widens the gap between Joash and the priesthood. Trouble is a brewin'!
12:20 - 2 Chronicles 24 tells us a little more about why Joash is assassinated. Jehoiada, the priest who trained Joash in the ways of faith, dies and his son becomes the next high priest. The son starts getting in people's faces with his teachings and Joash has him killed! That is the final straw between the king and the priests and somebody hires a couple of foreign assassins to kill the king. His rule started out so well, and ends with this...sad.
13:2-6 - Here we go again! Jehoahaz is evil (shocking!). Even after he begs the Lord for help and gets it, he again turns away and not only sins himself, but leads his people into a period of prolific sinning (To understand how God feels about leaders like this check out Romans 1:32). How do we do it? How do we as human beings justify our unrighteous actions when again and again we have seen the faithfulness of God? How do I do it?
13:11 - Deja Vu all over again.
13:14 - I cracks me up (not really, though) that people who reject God always come running back when everything is falling apart. Joash comes crying to Elisha, who is on his death bed, about the destruction of the Israelite army.
13:21 - Elisha's ministry begins in death when the bears maul the young men who doubted his prophetic position, and his ministry ends with life giving power beyond the grave. If those bookends aren't proof that that he was God's priest, I don't know what it. P.S. - they ought to make the next Indianan Jones movie about trying to find the bones of Elisha that have life giving power.
13:23 - This is so comforting...God remains faithful even when His people are not.
14:3 - Yay! Not a man after God's heart like David, but not evil either! We gotta take what we can get with these guys. But we will see shortly that he is still pretty stupid.
14:8 - Amaziah starts feelings pretty good about the victories that God has been giving him, so he decides to take on big brother. When he tells Joash that he wants to meet face to face, it's kinda like saying, "Let's take this outside - your army against mine." I know it seems like it comes out of the blue, but he most likely wants to fight because of border disputes (Some of which will be explained better through the Chronicles).
14:9 - I always love ancient smack talk.Joash actually tries to talk Amaziah out of the fight. He says, "Hey thistle-boy...if you try to comes mess with the cedars, you are gonna get crushed." Which is the ancient version of, "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch."
14:11 - Amaziah pushes ahead with the war and get humiliated totally. Joash defeats him, captures him, drags him to his own capital and makes him watch as they pillage the entire city. I don't think things turned out like Amaziah expected them to!
14:19-20 - The people never forgive him for the humiliation at the hands of the Israelites and even when he runs away, they track him down and kill him. On a kinder note, they do bring his body back to Judah to be buried with honor. I think I'd take the living over the honored burial, but you gotta find the silver lining.
14:21 - I know this all seems out of order, but what this verse implies is that while Amaziah was still alive, he was replaced as king by his 16 year old son. Talk about a humbling experience. We are not sure why, but maybe he was still being held captive by Joash. Amaziah never again regains the respect of the people. His entire story serves as a powerful illustration for leaders of any kind. Even leaders with great beginnings and great potential can come crashing down to earth bringing to people they lead with them, if they don't live honorably and listen to voices of wisdom around them. Both kings in today's reading who were described as good rulers, had their reigns ended with assassination because they alienated the people they led.
12:6 - Joash tries to get the priest to use some of their share of the offering money to repair the temple, but years go by and they don't do anything. The newness of the temple has worn off and the priests aren't as motivated to fix it up. His plan fails, so the king starts to think outside the box (And creates the first Israelite offering box!).
12:9 - Offering boxes - YAY! The plan works...when the box is full of offerings, they take the money and give it to repairmen to fix up the temple. Now the lazy priests don't have to pay for the repairs or fix it themselves...they should be happy. But there is some fallout - the offering boxes take one of the priestly duties away from them (receiving offerings from people) and the priests become less important in the religious process. They don't like that.
12:18ff - Joash takes the sacred objects from the temple and gives them to Syria as a payoff. It keeps the Syrians at bay, but also widens the gap between Joash and the priesthood. Trouble is a brewin'!
12:20 - 2 Chronicles 24 tells us a little more about why Joash is assassinated. Jehoiada, the priest who trained Joash in the ways of faith, dies and his son becomes the next high priest. The son starts getting in people's faces with his teachings and Joash has him killed! That is the final straw between the king and the priests and somebody hires a couple of foreign assassins to kill the king. His rule started out so well, and ends with this...sad.
13:2-6 - Here we go again! Jehoahaz is evil (shocking!). Even after he begs the Lord for help and gets it, he again turns away and not only sins himself, but leads his people into a period of prolific sinning (To understand how God feels about leaders like this check out Romans 1:32). How do we do it? How do we as human beings justify our unrighteous actions when again and again we have seen the faithfulness of God? How do I do it?
13:11 - Deja Vu all over again.
13:14 - I cracks me up (not really, though) that people who reject God always come running back when everything is falling apart. Joash comes crying to Elisha, who is on his death bed, about the destruction of the Israelite army.
13:21 - Elisha's ministry begins in death when the bears maul the young men who doubted his prophetic position, and his ministry ends with life giving power beyond the grave. If those bookends aren't proof that that he was God's priest, I don't know what it. P.S. - they ought to make the next Indianan Jones movie about trying to find the bones of Elisha that have life giving power.
13:23 - This is so comforting...God remains faithful even when His people are not.
14:3 - Yay! Not a man after God's heart like David, but not evil either! We gotta take what we can get with these guys. But we will see shortly that he is still pretty stupid.
14:8 - Amaziah starts feelings pretty good about the victories that God has been giving him, so he decides to take on big brother. When he tells Joash that he wants to meet face to face, it's kinda like saying, "Let's take this outside - your army against mine." I know it seems like it comes out of the blue, but he most likely wants to fight because of border disputes (Some of which will be explained better through the Chronicles).
14:9 - I always love ancient smack talk.Joash actually tries to talk Amaziah out of the fight. He says, "Hey thistle-boy...if you try to comes mess with the cedars, you are gonna get crushed." Which is the ancient version of, "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch."
14:11 - Amaziah pushes ahead with the war and get humiliated totally. Joash defeats him, captures him, drags him to his own capital and makes him watch as they pillage the entire city. I don't think things turned out like Amaziah expected them to!
14:19-20 - The people never forgive him for the humiliation at the hands of the Israelites and even when he runs away, they track him down and kill him. On a kinder note, they do bring his body back to Judah to be buried with honor. I think I'd take the living over the honored burial, but you gotta find the silver lining.
14:21 - I know this all seems out of order, but what this verse implies is that while Amaziah was still alive, he was replaced as king by his 16 year old son. Talk about a humbling experience. We are not sure why, but maybe he was still being held captive by Joash. Amaziah never again regains the respect of the people. His entire story serves as a powerful illustration for leaders of any kind. Even leaders with great beginnings and great potential can come crashing down to earth bringing to people they lead with them, if they don't live honorably and listen to voices of wisdom around them. Both kings in today's reading who were described as good rulers, had their reigns ended with assassination because they alienated the people they led.
Friday, April 2, 2010
II Kings Chapters 9-11
9:3 - Why are they told to flee immediately? Because there is already a king ruling Israel (Joram). It's dangerous work to be anointing kings on top of other kings. Remember what Saul did to the priests that helped David, when David was a king on the run? (He slaughtered them) So these guys anoint and run.
9:11 - Again we see how tenuous the situation is. Jehu doesn't even feel that he can share his new found kingship with his fellow soldiers, because he doesn't know how they are going to react. He tells them, "Oh you know...he said a little this...said a little that...prophet stuff." The other men don't accept his answer and so he tells them the truth. God has anointed him the king, so everything works out for Jehu.
9:22 - I love his answer to their question of his intentions. He tells them that there can be no pace in Israel when thy continue to prostitute themselves to false gods. They are waging war against the Most High God and their hope for peace is an impossibility. Kinda like people who cannot find personal peace with Gd who have not yet quelled their own rebellion against His will.
9:24 - That verse is just cool - Jehu is one bad dude!
9:26 - I like that Jehu, the military man, has all of Elijah's prophecies memorized. He immediately knows what he must do to partner with Go in bringing the prophecy to life.
9:32 - I find it interesting that throughout this story, Jehu never tries to use deception to get the advantage. They always ask if he has come to make peace, and he always shoots straight. He doesn't even acknowledge Jezebel here, he simply asks fr faithful servants of God and those men step up and promptly throw her out the window. Jehu knows what God has called him to do and h is unrelenting and aggressive in his pursuit of God's will.
9:36 - The prophecy of Jezebel is fulfilled. Her legacy of rebellion and idol worship that has led multiple generations of Israelite people away from God has finally caught up to her. She is thrown from a window, trampled by horses and eaten by dogs.
10:9-10 - Jehu makes sure that the people understand that they are not guilty of rebellion against God's anointed king. Joram was not God's king. Jehu is the anointed king. Everything that has happened is God's will. Jehu says that not a single word from the Lord will fall to the ground unfulfilled.
10:16ff - Great leadership! He calls on the people to follow him and witness his passion for the Name of the Lord. Jehu is willing to go to any extreme to bring honor to God's Name. There is a fine line between zeal and arrogance, but we need more Christians who are willing to live passionately to bring honor to the name of God.
10:27 - They make the house of Baal into a toilet. The men of Israel finally give the false god Baal an offering that s worthy of his name - excrement.
10:31 - NOOOOOOOOOO! After all of that passion and zeal for the Name of the Lord...after calling people to follow him and act immediately to purge the country of idol worship...Jehu turns away from God! You can see this happen all the time. A God follower sets up the sins of others as more vile than any of his own and focuses so much on other peoples' sin that he doesn't see the hidden sin in his own life slowly destroying him. Heartbreaking.
11:1 - That is one opportunistic lady - she sees the power vacuum and kills all her own kin to take power as the first sole ruling queen in Judah. Very grandmotherly behavior, huh?
11:17ff - They renewed the covenant with God, offered themselves completely to His will and immediately took steps to remove the unrighteousness from there lives. Sounds like the picture of repentance to me.
11:20 - All the people were quiet at the death of Athaliah - meaning they were happy to see her go...there was no weeping in the country for her.
9:11 - Again we see how tenuous the situation is. Jehu doesn't even feel that he can share his new found kingship with his fellow soldiers, because he doesn't know how they are going to react. He tells them, "Oh you know...he said a little this...said a little that...prophet stuff." The other men don't accept his answer and so he tells them the truth. God has anointed him the king, so everything works out for Jehu.
9:22 - I love his answer to their question of his intentions. He tells them that there can be no pace in Israel when thy continue to prostitute themselves to false gods. They are waging war against the Most High God and their hope for peace is an impossibility. Kinda like people who cannot find personal peace with Gd who have not yet quelled their own rebellion against His will.
9:24 - That verse is just cool - Jehu is one bad dude!
9:26 - I like that Jehu, the military man, has all of Elijah's prophecies memorized. He immediately knows what he must do to partner with Go in bringing the prophecy to life.
9:32 - I find it interesting that throughout this story, Jehu never tries to use deception to get the advantage. They always ask if he has come to make peace, and he always shoots straight. He doesn't even acknowledge Jezebel here, he simply asks fr faithful servants of God and those men step up and promptly throw her out the window. Jehu knows what God has called him to do and h is unrelenting and aggressive in his pursuit of God's will.
9:36 - The prophecy of Jezebel is fulfilled. Her legacy of rebellion and idol worship that has led multiple generations of Israelite people away from God has finally caught up to her. She is thrown from a window, trampled by horses and eaten by dogs.
10:9-10 - Jehu makes sure that the people understand that they are not guilty of rebellion against God's anointed king. Joram was not God's king. Jehu is the anointed king. Everything that has happened is God's will. Jehu says that not a single word from the Lord will fall to the ground unfulfilled.
10:16ff - Great leadership! He calls on the people to follow him and witness his passion for the Name of the Lord. Jehu is willing to go to any extreme to bring honor to God's Name. There is a fine line between zeal and arrogance, but we need more Christians who are willing to live passionately to bring honor to the name of God.
10:27 - They make the house of Baal into a toilet. The men of Israel finally give the false god Baal an offering that s worthy of his name - excrement.
10:31 - NOOOOOOOOOO! After all of that passion and zeal for the Name of the Lord...after calling people to follow him and act immediately to purge the country of idol worship...Jehu turns away from God! You can see this happen all the time. A God follower sets up the sins of others as more vile than any of his own and focuses so much on other peoples' sin that he doesn't see the hidden sin in his own life slowly destroying him. Heartbreaking.
11:1 - That is one opportunistic lady - she sees the power vacuum and kills all her own kin to take power as the first sole ruling queen in Judah. Very grandmotherly behavior, huh?
11:17ff - They renewed the covenant with God, offered themselves completely to His will and immediately took steps to remove the unrighteousness from there lives. Sounds like the picture of repentance to me.
11:20 - All the people were quiet at the death of Athaliah - meaning they were happy to see her go...there was no weeping in the country for her.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
II Kings Chapters 6-8
6:5-6 - This seems like such a random miracle. Floating ax heads? What is that all about? Well, verse 5 makes it very clear that the ax was borrowed (begging is implied)...the prophet is distraught because he has begged a firend to loan him an ax and the he accidentally threw it int he river. The fact that God miraculously makes the ax head float so that they can retrieve it, shows us how much God cares about integrity even in the little things. God cares that we do what we say we are going to do. God cares that we respect others and follow through on the little things of life.
6:22 - Elisha is following the wisdom of Solomon from Proverbs 25:21-22 in his treatment of the Syrians. The king wants to slaughter them all, but Elisha (who gets the final word because he is the capturing general) orders for the prisoners to be given food and water. The act of mercy brings peace tot he border wars instead of continuing the cycle of violence. Novel idea that loving your enemies thing.
6:28-30 - Talk about tragic and disgusting! Eating their own children! The part that truly diguisted me was that the woman complains to the king, not out of pain from eating her child, but because the other woman won't give up her baby to eat! She shows no remorse for cooking and eating her own child and only cares for her own survival. That is the epitome of what it means to be inhuman. That kind of blindign selfishness is what brings evil t the world on so many differnt levels. How different would the world be if we had the guts to truly put others before ourselves?
7:9 - I found the predicament of the lepers pretty interesting. They were caught between a rock and a hard place. Lepers, as we have already read, were forced to live outside of the general population of Israelite cities. So these men are trapped outside the city, between two armies. In desperation, they decide to try to find mercy from the Syrians, but instead they find an empty campground full of food! They are some of the more honorable men in the story, because they choose to inform the people who have rejected them that the Syrians are gone and food is plentiful. Pretty caring and non-vindictive, huh?
8:11-12 - Why does Elisha just sit there and weep? Why doesn't he just kill the guy who is going to do that to the Israelites? Because he is willing to accept the will of God even when it is hard. He knows that God will use this man to bring judgement upon the rebellious people of Israel, but he also knows that they need to be brought to their knees so that they will turn back to God. As hard as it is, there are times when we have to accpet that God's will is sometimes painful and trust that He is doing what is best for His people.
6:22 - Elisha is following the wisdom of Solomon from Proverbs 25:21-22 in his treatment of the Syrians. The king wants to slaughter them all, but Elisha (who gets the final word because he is the capturing general) orders for the prisoners to be given food and water. The act of mercy brings peace tot he border wars instead of continuing the cycle of violence. Novel idea that loving your enemies thing.
6:28-30 - Talk about tragic and disgusting! Eating their own children! The part that truly diguisted me was that the woman complains to the king, not out of pain from eating her child, but because the other woman won't give up her baby to eat! She shows no remorse for cooking and eating her own child and only cares for her own survival. That is the epitome of what it means to be inhuman. That kind of blindign selfishness is what brings evil t the world on so many differnt levels. How different would the world be if we had the guts to truly put others before ourselves?
7:9 - I found the predicament of the lepers pretty interesting. They were caught between a rock and a hard place. Lepers, as we have already read, were forced to live outside of the general population of Israelite cities. So these men are trapped outside the city, between two armies. In desperation, they decide to try to find mercy from the Syrians, but instead they find an empty campground full of food! They are some of the more honorable men in the story, because they choose to inform the people who have rejected them that the Syrians are gone and food is plentiful. Pretty caring and non-vindictive, huh?
8:11-12 - Why does Elisha just sit there and weep? Why doesn't he just kill the guy who is going to do that to the Israelites? Because he is willing to accept the will of God even when it is hard. He knows that God will use this man to bring judgement upon the rebellious people of Israel, but he also knows that they need to be brought to their knees so that they will turn back to God. As hard as it is, there are times when we have to accpet that God's will is sometimes painful and trust that He is doing what is best for His people.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
II Kings Chapters 3-5
3:14 - Elisha only concedes to offer a Word from the Lord because Jehoshaphat, a man of God, is with the armies. He has no respect for Jehoram who still follows the ways of the Baal cult.
3:15 - I find it interesting that Elisha calls for music to be played as he seeks a Word from the Lord. There is power in music and worship, something that speaks deeply to the soul. A powerful musical worship experience on Sunday mornings basically cultivates as prepares my mind and heat for the Word of God I will hear afterwards. (See also: I Samuel 10:5-6 where Saul is overcome by worship to connect with God).
3:27 - This is a really strange turn of events. With nowhere left to turn, the king of Moab sacrfices his own son to the wall of his city. He was probably sacrificing him to the false Moabite god Chemosh. Here is what I think happens next...the Israelites see the sacrifice and freak out. Many of them are God followers, but they also still believe that there are other gods in other countries. I believe that they lose heart because they think that Chemosh is about to start fighting for the Moabites. Ironically, their beliefs are self-fulfilling because when they start to doubt the one and only true God, His wrath is turned against them and they are scattered. So they do lose the battle because of Chemosh, but it is only because of their false belief in the non-exsitant god's exsoitance. Get it? The only God at work in that story is YAHWEH...when they Israelites doubt His power, He forces them to withdraw with a hollow victory.
4:1 - Wow, does this tell alot about the spiritual state of Israel?! The widow of a prophet of God is about to have her children taken into slavery because of her husbands debts...whatever happened to caring for the widows and orphans? We see God's heart for the poor and oppressed as He provides (Through Elisha) for the poor widow. What are some of the ways you feel the Christian Church does not reflect the heart of Jesus Christ today? What can we do to change that?
4:10 - The Shunammmite woman shows great hospitality and respect to Elisha. Part of the reason that she creates the room for him, is so that he will not get to close to the family. I know this sounds weird, but she wants to allow him the psace to remain separate as a holy man. He is set apart as God's voice to the people of Israel and she allows him to be in her house and still set apart. It is very respectful.
4:26 - I find it interesing that she refuses to speak to Gehazi. She wants to go directly to the person she believes is the source of the problem - Elisha. She thinks Elisha has duped her and given her a child, just so it could be taken away from her. The Shunammite woman holds Elisha responsible for his death and she has come to confront him.
4:27 - Even Elisha seems shocked by the turn of events. He says, "I have not heard anything from God about your son dying?" Like the woman, he is confused and surprised. Even the most faithful followers of God do not always know exactly what God is doing through the events in their lives. We have to make sure that even through our pain, dispair, anger, fear, confusion (All of which are perfectly resonable and acceptable to feel) that we maintain our faith and try to remember that even when we don't know what God is doing - He does.
4:31 - What is up with the staff thing? Well, Gehazi can probably move a little more quickly than Elisha and he runs ahead to place the staff over the boy's body as a symbol that Elisha is on his way. It probably also gives Elisha some time to go to God and figure out what he is supposed to do. Always a good idea to take a step back and consult God before making and rash decisions.
4:33 - What is the first thing he does after closing the door. He goes to God in prayer. That is the most powerful thing he could do right there. He has plugged himself into the only true power source in the universe. Laying on the boy is all well and good...he is intercedeing for the boy with God. But the power comes from his humble acknowledgement that God is going to be the one bringing the healing. Intercession is an often neglected form of prayer. When people cannot or will not pray for themselves, we can intercede on their behalf...a humbling and powerful experience that really allows you to put yourself in another persons shoes and cry out for them to God.
4:44 - We see example after example in these chapters - God will provide. Money for the widow. Life for the boy. Food for the prophets. God is in control.
5:7 - The king is a faithless man. Instead of trusting that God will be able to heal Namaan, he throws a fit because he thinks that Namaan is trying to trap him into going to war. The Israelite slave girl who tells Namaan to go to Israel has more faith than the king of Israel - a man who is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the country...that is sick!
5:11 - I like this part...Namaan gets visibly angry because he wanted a big show. He came all the way to Israel, just to have Elisha walk up and say, "Go bath yourself in the Jordan."? He wants pomp and circumstance. He wants singing and dancing and mystical artistry. What he gets is just raw, humble faith in God. This is a good lesson for all of us - God doesn't want the fancy stuff, He doesn't want show...he wants people to simply trust Him, to place their faith in Him.
5:15 - How cool is this? Namaan, a general of Syria, has now become a sold out God follower. God's name will now be made great to anyone Namaan comes in contact with. He also instantly wants to start changing the way he lives his life. It's a beautiful tranformation.
3:15 - I find it interesting that Elisha calls for music to be played as he seeks a Word from the Lord. There is power in music and worship, something that speaks deeply to the soul. A powerful musical worship experience on Sunday mornings basically cultivates as prepares my mind and heat for the Word of God I will hear afterwards. (See also: I Samuel 10:5-6 where Saul is overcome by worship to connect with God).
3:27 - This is a really strange turn of events. With nowhere left to turn, the king of Moab sacrfices his own son to the wall of his city. He was probably sacrificing him to the false Moabite god Chemosh. Here is what I think happens next...the Israelites see the sacrifice and freak out. Many of them are God followers, but they also still believe that there are other gods in other countries. I believe that they lose heart because they think that Chemosh is about to start fighting for the Moabites. Ironically, their beliefs are self-fulfilling because when they start to doubt the one and only true God, His wrath is turned against them and they are scattered. So they do lose the battle because of Chemosh, but it is only because of their false belief in the non-exsitant god's exsoitance. Get it? The only God at work in that story is YAHWEH...when they Israelites doubt His power, He forces them to withdraw with a hollow victory.
4:1 - Wow, does this tell alot about the spiritual state of Israel?! The widow of a prophet of God is about to have her children taken into slavery because of her husbands debts...whatever happened to caring for the widows and orphans? We see God's heart for the poor and oppressed as He provides (Through Elisha) for the poor widow. What are some of the ways you feel the Christian Church does not reflect the heart of Jesus Christ today? What can we do to change that?
4:10 - The Shunammmite woman shows great hospitality and respect to Elisha. Part of the reason that she creates the room for him, is so that he will not get to close to the family. I know this sounds weird, but she wants to allow him the psace to remain separate as a holy man. He is set apart as God's voice to the people of Israel and she allows him to be in her house and still set apart. It is very respectful.
4:26 - I find it interesing that she refuses to speak to Gehazi. She wants to go directly to the person she believes is the source of the problem - Elisha. She thinks Elisha has duped her and given her a child, just so it could be taken away from her. The Shunammite woman holds Elisha responsible for his death and she has come to confront him.
4:27 - Even Elisha seems shocked by the turn of events. He says, "I have not heard anything from God about your son dying?" Like the woman, he is confused and surprised. Even the most faithful followers of God do not always know exactly what God is doing through the events in their lives. We have to make sure that even through our pain, dispair, anger, fear, confusion (All of which are perfectly resonable and acceptable to feel) that we maintain our faith and try to remember that even when we don't know what God is doing - He does.
4:31 - What is up with the staff thing? Well, Gehazi can probably move a little more quickly than Elisha and he runs ahead to place the staff over the boy's body as a symbol that Elisha is on his way. It probably also gives Elisha some time to go to God and figure out what he is supposed to do. Always a good idea to take a step back and consult God before making and rash decisions.
4:33 - What is the first thing he does after closing the door. He goes to God in prayer. That is the most powerful thing he could do right there. He has plugged himself into the only true power source in the universe. Laying on the boy is all well and good...he is intercedeing for the boy with God. But the power comes from his humble acknowledgement that God is going to be the one bringing the healing. Intercession is an often neglected form of prayer. When people cannot or will not pray for themselves, we can intercede on their behalf...a humbling and powerful experience that really allows you to put yourself in another persons shoes and cry out for them to God.
4:44 - We see example after example in these chapters - God will provide. Money for the widow. Life for the boy. Food for the prophets. God is in control.
5:7 - The king is a faithless man. Instead of trusting that God will be able to heal Namaan, he throws a fit because he thinks that Namaan is trying to trap him into going to war. The Israelite slave girl who tells Namaan to go to Israel has more faith than the king of Israel - a man who is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the country...that is sick!
5:11 - I like this part...Namaan gets visibly angry because he wanted a big show. He came all the way to Israel, just to have Elisha walk up and say, "Go bath yourself in the Jordan."? He wants pomp and circumstance. He wants singing and dancing and mystical artistry. What he gets is just raw, humble faith in God. This is a good lesson for all of us - God doesn't want the fancy stuff, He doesn't want show...he wants people to simply trust Him, to place their faith in Him.
5:15 - How cool is this? Namaan, a general of Syria, has now become a sold out God follower. God's name will now be made great to anyone Namaan comes in contact with. He also instantly wants to start changing the way he lives his life. It's a beautiful tranformation.
Monday, March 29, 2010
I Kings Chapter 22, II Kings Chapter 1 and 2
22:8 - We see clearly where Ahab is coming from here. He only wants to hear what his prophets have to say. He doesn't consult the priests of God...he goes to 400 corrupt prophets. They have remained prophets during the reign of the corrupt king Ahab, by telling him whatever he wants to hear, whenever he wants to hear it. They are ancient "yes men." He hates Micaiah, because he speaks the truth no matter how ugly it is for Ahab to hear. We always need to make sure we have people in our lives who will speak truthfully to us...not just tell us what we want to hear.
22:15 - This part is kinda strange. The prophets of Ahab tell Micaiah to confirm what they have already told the king. Micaiah knows they have not spoken the truth, but he confirms what they have to say because he knows that God will is for Ahab to die for his rebellion.
22:16 - BUT...Ahab doesn't believe him. Ahab finally gets Micaiah to say something hat supports what he wants to do and he doesn't believe him (Ironically, he is absolutely right not to believe Micaiah!). What this tells me, is that even before going into battle, Ahab knows that what he is going to do is not God's will. He knows that a true prophet of God will tell him that he will lose the battle. So he pushes Michaiah for the truth and gets it.
22:19ff - Okay, this part is a little bit crazy. What we have to understand is that Micaiah is describing a vision he has seen. Remember the vision the ruler of Egypt had that Joseph decoded? Starving cows eating healthy cows...that didn't really happen, but it represented 7 years of feasting followed by 7 years of famine. This vision is about a big meeting in heaven to determine how they can get Ahab to die for his rejection of God. The vision is not necessarily an actual event, but it does confirm that the 400 prophets are lying and that God allows them to lie in His name so that His will, will be done. This whole section is about God's sovereignty. He doesn't make the prophets lie, but they do and He will use it to bring about His plan. He doesn't force Ahab to listen to the lies, but he does, which will lead to his doom...also fitting into God's plan.
22:31-34 - More sovereignty. The king of Syria uses good battle strategy, try to take out the king of Israel with his best troops. The Syrian King chooses this way, but God uses it in His plan. When they cannot find the king (Because he is dressed as a regular soldier), one of the charioteers chooses to shoot a random soldier in the battle, which happens to be the king of Israel. The soldier chose to shoot at random, and God used that choice to fulfill His prophecy. We can choose to join in with God on His master plan for all eternity, or we can choose to go our own path - either way, our good or bad choices will be weaved into the plan that God is working out to get as many people to Him as possible. I'd much prefer to be one of the Elijahs than one of the Ahabs.
22:38 - The prophecy of Elijah is fulfilled.
1:2 - Baal-Zebub means "lord of the flies." Probably because flies were often associated with rotting, dying bodies and so the "lord of the flies" would be able to drive disease and death away. It seems that Ahaziah has followed int he footsteps of his father and mother (That worked out so well for them).
1:9ff - They try to come in force to arrest Elijah, but he is having none of it. God consumes the enemy soldiers with fire - TWICE! It brings to mind the way that Jesus always evaded capture, until the time was right for him to allow himself to be arrested. Eventually God tells Elijah to go down the mountain with the soldiers to confront Ahaziah.
1:16 - I love the uncompromising nature of Elijah. In this time period is Israel, it seems that you can find thousands of people who will go along with whatever the king wants and just want to "fit in." No matter who is king, Elijah stands up and stays true to the Word of God. Again he faces off with, and humiliates the false god Baal...he tells the king, "Why are you sending for the lord of the flies, isn't there already a real king in Israel? Well, He tells me that because you have rejected Him, you are never going to leave that bed alive." Today in our culture, there are so many people (even Christians) who are willing to just go along with the tide of cultural acceptance...unwilling to make a stand for God. As followers of Christ, we should be uncompromising in our adherence to his way.
2:2-3 - Elisha knows that Elijah is about to be taken away from him, so he refuses to leave his side (Partially because he loves his master, but also because he wants confirmation that he is supposed to be the prophet that takes Elijah's place). He snaps at the other prophets, "I know - be quiet!" because of the tension of the moment and all the conflicting feelings. He is probably sad about losing Elijah. Excited about what God wants to do with him. Scared about what it means to be the number one voice of God to the people of God. Unsure if he has what it takes. He running through all the human emotions and fears.
2:9-10 - Let's clear something up here...when he says he wants a double portion of Elijah's spirit, he is not asking for twice as much spirit as Elijah had. He isn't arrogantly trying to get super-God powers. The double portion is a reference to the portion of inheritance given to the firstborn sons of Israelite families. Basically, Elisha is asking for his prophetic birthright. He wants to inherit the position and power of Elijah...it is a sign of respect - he is saying, "I want to be like you." We should all find people that we can learn from...people that can challenge us, to help us grow...people that can pass down the inheritance of their godly knowledge. We should also find people that we can challenge and raise up as leaders to leave behind us as a legacy of honoring God with our lives.
2:8 and 14 - Elijah slaps the water where the other prophets can see, given Elisha the perfect opportunity to later show that he is taking the place of Elijah. Elisha comes back and slaps the water, the water parts, and everyone can see that he has taken over the role as chief prophet.
2:23ff - What? That sounds a little harsh. A bunch of kids get mauled by bears because they called somebody "baldy?" Wow - talk about harsh! Well, let's clarify a few things. These juveniles, were most likely young men, who knew better than to verbally accost a prophet of God. Secondly, they don't just randomly call him "baldy" - they are calling into question his right and power as a prophet of God. Elijah was always associated with being covered in hair...when these young men say that Elisha is bald, they are basically saying they do not believe that he is God's prophet. Well the she-bears gnawing on their limbs probably showed them differently. God doesn't mes around when people doubt the way He chooses to work in the world...don't forget that.
22:15 - This part is kinda strange. The prophets of Ahab tell Micaiah to confirm what they have already told the king. Micaiah knows they have not spoken the truth, but he confirms what they have to say because he knows that God will is for Ahab to die for his rebellion.
22:16 - BUT...Ahab doesn't believe him. Ahab finally gets Micaiah to say something hat supports what he wants to do and he doesn't believe him (Ironically, he is absolutely right not to believe Micaiah!). What this tells me, is that even before going into battle, Ahab knows that what he is going to do is not God's will. He knows that a true prophet of God will tell him that he will lose the battle. So he pushes Michaiah for the truth and gets it.
22:19ff - Okay, this part is a little bit crazy. What we have to understand is that Micaiah is describing a vision he has seen. Remember the vision the ruler of Egypt had that Joseph decoded? Starving cows eating healthy cows...that didn't really happen, but it represented 7 years of feasting followed by 7 years of famine. This vision is about a big meeting in heaven to determine how they can get Ahab to die for his rejection of God. The vision is not necessarily an actual event, but it does confirm that the 400 prophets are lying and that God allows them to lie in His name so that His will, will be done. This whole section is about God's sovereignty. He doesn't make the prophets lie, but they do and He will use it to bring about His plan. He doesn't force Ahab to listen to the lies, but he does, which will lead to his doom...also fitting into God's plan.
22:31-34 - More sovereignty. The king of Syria uses good battle strategy, try to take out the king of Israel with his best troops. The Syrian King chooses this way, but God uses it in His plan. When they cannot find the king (Because he is dressed as a regular soldier), one of the charioteers chooses to shoot a random soldier in the battle, which happens to be the king of Israel. The soldier chose to shoot at random, and God used that choice to fulfill His prophecy. We can choose to join in with God on His master plan for all eternity, or we can choose to go our own path - either way, our good or bad choices will be weaved into the plan that God is working out to get as many people to Him as possible. I'd much prefer to be one of the Elijahs than one of the Ahabs.
22:38 - The prophecy of Elijah is fulfilled.
1:2 - Baal-Zebub means "lord of the flies." Probably because flies were often associated with rotting, dying bodies and so the "lord of the flies" would be able to drive disease and death away. It seems that Ahaziah has followed int he footsteps of his father and mother (That worked out so well for them).
1:9ff - They try to come in force to arrest Elijah, but he is having none of it. God consumes the enemy soldiers with fire - TWICE! It brings to mind the way that Jesus always evaded capture, until the time was right for him to allow himself to be arrested. Eventually God tells Elijah to go down the mountain with the soldiers to confront Ahaziah.
1:16 - I love the uncompromising nature of Elijah. In this time period is Israel, it seems that you can find thousands of people who will go along with whatever the king wants and just want to "fit in." No matter who is king, Elijah stands up and stays true to the Word of God. Again he faces off with, and humiliates the false god Baal...he tells the king, "Why are you sending for the lord of the flies, isn't there already a real king in Israel? Well, He tells me that because you have rejected Him, you are never going to leave that bed alive." Today in our culture, there are so many people (even Christians) who are willing to just go along with the tide of cultural acceptance...unwilling to make a stand for God. As followers of Christ, we should be uncompromising in our adherence to his way.
2:2-3 - Elisha knows that Elijah is about to be taken away from him, so he refuses to leave his side (Partially because he loves his master, but also because he wants confirmation that he is supposed to be the prophet that takes Elijah's place). He snaps at the other prophets, "I know - be quiet!" because of the tension of the moment and all the conflicting feelings. He is probably sad about losing Elijah. Excited about what God wants to do with him. Scared about what it means to be the number one voice of God to the people of God. Unsure if he has what it takes. He running through all the human emotions and fears.
2:9-10 - Let's clear something up here...when he says he wants a double portion of Elijah's spirit, he is not asking for twice as much spirit as Elijah had. He isn't arrogantly trying to get super-God powers. The double portion is a reference to the portion of inheritance given to the firstborn sons of Israelite families. Basically, Elisha is asking for his prophetic birthright. He wants to inherit the position and power of Elijah...it is a sign of respect - he is saying, "I want to be like you." We should all find people that we can learn from...people that can challenge us, to help us grow...people that can pass down the inheritance of their godly knowledge. We should also find people that we can challenge and raise up as leaders to leave behind us as a legacy of honoring God with our lives.
2:8 and 14 - Elijah slaps the water where the other prophets can see, given Elisha the perfect opportunity to later show that he is taking the place of Elijah. Elisha comes back and slaps the water, the water parts, and everyone can see that he has taken over the role as chief prophet.
2:23ff - What? That sounds a little harsh. A bunch of kids get mauled by bears because they called somebody "baldy?" Wow - talk about harsh! Well, let's clarify a few things. These juveniles, were most likely young men, who knew better than to verbally accost a prophet of God. Secondly, they don't just randomly call him "baldy" - they are calling into question his right and power as a prophet of God. Elijah was always associated with being covered in hair...when these young men say that Elisha is bald, they are basically saying they do not believe that he is God's prophet. Well the she-bears gnawing on their limbs probably showed them differently. God doesn't mes around when people doubt the way He chooses to work in the world...don't forget that.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I Kings Chapters 19-21
19:3 - After all Elijah has seen God do, he is still afraid? Are you and I so different?
19:9/13 - God asks, "What are you doing here?" Again, I'm feeling a little introspective...how many times has God asked me the same thing? He has gifted me with the life I have and made me unique from anyone who has ever lived (Just like you), to do a specific ministry within His will that only I can do, and yet I often find myself totally off track getting distracted by meaningless endeavors. I wonder how many times God has looked at the rabbit trails I've followed and asked, "What are you doing here?"
19:10ff/14ff - Excuses and whining from a follower of God! I've never heard of such behavior! Oh wait, that's right, I see it all the time from myself and basically every other Christian I come in contact with. I love the realism and humanity that the men and women of the bible are painted with...they were messed up, quirky people just like you and me that didn't always know how to do the "following God" thing very well. If that applies to you, you've got some good company in the bible.
19:12 - I love that God is not in the huge, elemental shows of power, but in the quiet whisper or as the ESV offers as a secondary translation, "the thin silence." That term reminds me about a Celtic Christian idea called "the thin place" - sacred places they believed that the veil between the spiritual and physical worlds were the thinest and they could more easily connect with God. The thin silence is there...God is calling to us...speaking His love into our hearts, but do we allow the "noise" of this world and our lives to drown out His quiet whispers? More often than not...I think so.
20:13 - God gives Ahab a chance to change. He clearly states that He is bringing Ahab victory so that he will know that God is the Lord. Unfortunately, we see that it doesn't change Ahab's heart. Yet, Ahab's failure to change does nothing to take away the mercy of God.
20:36 - Probably a good idea to listen tot he prophets of God, huh?
20:42 - Ahab refused to finish the task that God set him to. Remember, God was bringing about the destruction of the Syrians to show the world that He was the only God. In ancient times, a king was the god's right hand man...when Ahab allowed Ben-Hadad to walk, he allowed the Syrian "god" a minor victory. Ahab's choice brought dishonor to God - not good.
21:13 - Jezebel's sick plan only works in a corrupt community where people will listen to the voices of two worthless men.
21:29 - Is this fair? Ahab is off the hook and his children will have to pay for his crimes? It seems clear from everything we have read in the bible so far that God is always willing to forgive. Look a Ahab himself...God cals destruction down on his head, yet shows mercy when Ahab repents. If Ahab's children die is disaster, it will be because of their own rejection of God.
19:9/13 - God asks, "What are you doing here?" Again, I'm feeling a little introspective...how many times has God asked me the same thing? He has gifted me with the life I have and made me unique from anyone who has ever lived (Just like you), to do a specific ministry within His will that only I can do, and yet I often find myself totally off track getting distracted by meaningless endeavors. I wonder how many times God has looked at the rabbit trails I've followed and asked, "What are you doing here?"
19:10ff/14ff - Excuses and whining from a follower of God! I've never heard of such behavior! Oh wait, that's right, I see it all the time from myself and basically every other Christian I come in contact with. I love the realism and humanity that the men and women of the bible are painted with...they were messed up, quirky people just like you and me that didn't always know how to do the "following God" thing very well. If that applies to you, you've got some good company in the bible.
19:12 - I love that God is not in the huge, elemental shows of power, but in the quiet whisper or as the ESV offers as a secondary translation, "the thin silence." That term reminds me about a Celtic Christian idea called "the thin place" - sacred places they believed that the veil between the spiritual and physical worlds were the thinest and they could more easily connect with God. The thin silence is there...God is calling to us...speaking His love into our hearts, but do we allow the "noise" of this world and our lives to drown out His quiet whispers? More often than not...I think so.
20:13 - God gives Ahab a chance to change. He clearly states that He is bringing Ahab victory so that he will know that God is the Lord. Unfortunately, we see that it doesn't change Ahab's heart. Yet, Ahab's failure to change does nothing to take away the mercy of God.
20:36 - Probably a good idea to listen tot he prophets of God, huh?
20:42 - Ahab refused to finish the task that God set him to. Remember, God was bringing about the destruction of the Syrians to show the world that He was the only God. In ancient times, a king was the god's right hand man...when Ahab allowed Ben-Hadad to walk, he allowed the Syrian "god" a minor victory. Ahab's choice brought dishonor to God - not good.
21:13 - Jezebel's sick plan only works in a corrupt community where people will listen to the voices of two worthless men.
21:29 - Is this fair? Ahab is off the hook and his children will have to pay for his crimes? It seems clear from everything we have read in the bible so far that God is always willing to forgive. Look a Ahab himself...God cals destruction down on his head, yet shows mercy when Ahab repents. If Ahab's children die is disaster, it will be because of their own rejection of God.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Sorry I'm so lame!!!
Hey everybody, all the different portions of my life's schedule have come together this week to create the perfect storm. I have two major papers for class due. I am leaving with a group of 50 people to build houses in Mexico on Sunday - it is crazy! So that is why I haven't been posting. It takes me an hour to an hour and a half to blog through three chapters and I just can't do it right now. Sorry. I'll be back to blogging in two weeks.
Brando
Brando
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
I Kings Chapters 16-18
16:11 - When people with authority and power (i.e. fathers, mothers, leaders, etc.), they don't only affect their own lives, but the lives of the people in realtionships with them. These kings have the blood of their children on their hands because of their failure to lead as godly men. Out lives and choices are not simply about ourselves - we have to remember that the consequences of our actions an choices are far reaching and involve far more than ourselves.
16:24 - The king makes a pretty shrewd strategic move. He moves to a place that he has built up (so nobody is goin to try to kill him). Samaria is on high ground overlooking a major trade route. This is the Samaria that eventually gets overrun and destroyed by foregin armies and eventually becomes the home to the half-Jewish, half-Gentile Samaritan people often referred to in the NT.
16:30ff - Ahab is the worst king yet. The text says that he views the sins of the kings that came before him as nothing - he easily walks in rebellion against the Lord with no regrets. That is dangerous ground to tread. There are many times that I see Christians (myself included) who are more willing to make excuses for sin in their lives than they are willing to combat it with everything they have. Again, dangerous ground to tread.
16:34 - The curse given by Joshua after the conquest of Jericho falls harshly on the family of Hiel who is rebuilding the destroyed city at the order of Ahab. All his children are killed during the building process. It is possible (Though not proven) that Hiel may have even used the pagan building practice of placing his infant children in jars and cementing them into the foundation of Jericho, to ward off evil spirits. If it is true - it is just another example of how far the leadership in Israel had fallen.
17:1 - "Tishbe" means settler. This verse basically tells us that Elijah, one of the greatest prophets in Israel's history, was not an Israelite! Very cool. When Elijah calls down the drought in the name of the Lord, he is directly challeneging the false god Baal. Baal was known as the "rider of clouds" - he was the god of fertility and rain...God has thrown down the gauntlet.
17:5ff - God takes care of Elijah like he did the Israelites in the desert.He looks out for his faithful.
17:8-9 - Another challenge to the Baal worshippers. Elijah is told to go to Zarephath which is in the heart of Baal country. There the prophet of the one and only God is kept alive by a foreign woman in the land of Baal worship. Clearly, God is in control.
17:15-16 - The widow trusts the Lord so much, that she is willing to give out of her poverty and she is rewarded for her faith - God takes care of her.
17:21 - Elijah stretches himself out over the boy. This is not a magic trick or anything...he is interceding for the boy. He is going against Israelite law and touching a dead body - he is associating himself with the boy's death and offering himself to God in the boy's place (metaphorically). It is similar to the time when Moses asked God to blot his name out from the book of life so that the other Hebrew people would be saved. It is also a picture of the death that Jesus was willing to take on for all of our sins. It is clear from these passages that God is the giver of water, food and life...Baal is nothing.
18:17-18 - Ahab blames Elijah for the problems that his own sins have brought upon the kingdom. Typical, huh? He lives in denial seraching for someone to shift the blame to other than himself. We would never do anything like that, would we? It also shows that Ahab is faithless even in his rebellious worship of Baal...because if Baal was real (And if Ahab actually believed that) Elijah would have no power, right? He has put his trust in a god he knows is false and will let him down. Again, doesn't sound like soemthign we would ever do, right? Oops.
18:21 - I love that verse! My version says, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" The people are being spiritually crippled because they are trying to serve two masters. Elijah makes it clear that you cannot serve God and anyone else...trying to do so destroys your worship, your life, your heart - everything!
18:27 - LOL! Is your god going to the bathroom? Is your god taking a little nap? Elijah's reference to Baal sleeping is a sarcastic way of saying that Baal is dead. Elijah mocks their foolishness. How can a god that never existed be dead - he was never alive!
18:30-37 - 12 stones...12 jars of water poured on top. What could that possibly represent? Everything Elijah is doing points towards a restoration of the nation of Israel. God is about to destroy the Baal worship cult and set his people free from their bondage. Very similar to the freedom he offered them from the Egyptians - this time they are freed from spirutal bondage.
18:40 - They act decisively to destroy the sinful influences in their lives. There are times when you and I need to act decisively and harshly in removing sin from our own lives (I wouldn't suggest slaughter though). If you struggle with porn - get rid of the internet. If you keep have sex with a boyfriend/girlfriend, break up with them. Be willing to act decisively in the best interest of your realtionship with God.
18:46 - There are some people that think that Elijah hiked of his robes and ran off with super-human - God-given speed, outrunning Ahab's chariot. Thsi could be the case and it would be really cool (God created the universe with a few words...I think he can make a guy run fast!). But the phrase "ran before" and "go before" is a term referring to servants who would go before their masters. It seems like Elijah is willing to go before Ahab and serve as his advisor is restoring Israel to God worship. Unfortunately Jezebal has a little something to say about that in the next chapter!
16:24 - The king makes a pretty shrewd strategic move. He moves to a place that he has built up (so nobody is goin to try to kill him). Samaria is on high ground overlooking a major trade route. This is the Samaria that eventually gets overrun and destroyed by foregin armies and eventually becomes the home to the half-Jewish, half-Gentile Samaritan people often referred to in the NT.
16:30ff - Ahab is the worst king yet. The text says that he views the sins of the kings that came before him as nothing - he easily walks in rebellion against the Lord with no regrets. That is dangerous ground to tread. There are many times that I see Christians (myself included) who are more willing to make excuses for sin in their lives than they are willing to combat it with everything they have. Again, dangerous ground to tread.
16:34 - The curse given by Joshua after the conquest of Jericho falls harshly on the family of Hiel who is rebuilding the destroyed city at the order of Ahab. All his children are killed during the building process. It is possible (Though not proven) that Hiel may have even used the pagan building practice of placing his infant children in jars and cementing them into the foundation of Jericho, to ward off evil spirits. If it is true - it is just another example of how far the leadership in Israel had fallen.
17:1 - "Tishbe" means settler. This verse basically tells us that Elijah, one of the greatest prophets in Israel's history, was not an Israelite! Very cool. When Elijah calls down the drought in the name of the Lord, he is directly challeneging the false god Baal. Baal was known as the "rider of clouds" - he was the god of fertility and rain...God has thrown down the gauntlet.
17:5ff - God takes care of Elijah like he did the Israelites in the desert.He looks out for his faithful.
17:8-9 - Another challenge to the Baal worshippers. Elijah is told to go to Zarephath which is in the heart of Baal country. There the prophet of the one and only God is kept alive by a foreign woman in the land of Baal worship. Clearly, God is in control.
17:15-16 - The widow trusts the Lord so much, that she is willing to give out of her poverty and she is rewarded for her faith - God takes care of her.
17:21 - Elijah stretches himself out over the boy. This is not a magic trick or anything...he is interceding for the boy. He is going against Israelite law and touching a dead body - he is associating himself with the boy's death and offering himself to God in the boy's place (metaphorically). It is similar to the time when Moses asked God to blot his name out from the book of life so that the other Hebrew people would be saved. It is also a picture of the death that Jesus was willing to take on for all of our sins. It is clear from these passages that God is the giver of water, food and life...Baal is nothing.
18:17-18 - Ahab blames Elijah for the problems that his own sins have brought upon the kingdom. Typical, huh? He lives in denial seraching for someone to shift the blame to other than himself. We would never do anything like that, would we? It also shows that Ahab is faithless even in his rebellious worship of Baal...because if Baal was real (And if Ahab actually believed that) Elijah would have no power, right? He has put his trust in a god he knows is false and will let him down. Again, doesn't sound like soemthign we would ever do, right? Oops.
18:21 - I love that verse! My version says, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" The people are being spiritually crippled because they are trying to serve two masters. Elijah makes it clear that you cannot serve God and anyone else...trying to do so destroys your worship, your life, your heart - everything!
18:27 - LOL! Is your god going to the bathroom? Is your god taking a little nap? Elijah's reference to Baal sleeping is a sarcastic way of saying that Baal is dead. Elijah mocks their foolishness. How can a god that never existed be dead - he was never alive!
18:30-37 - 12 stones...12 jars of water poured on top. What could that possibly represent? Everything Elijah is doing points towards a restoration of the nation of Israel. God is about to destroy the Baal worship cult and set his people free from their bondage. Very similar to the freedom he offered them from the Egyptians - this time they are freed from spirutal bondage.
18:40 - They act decisively to destroy the sinful influences in their lives. There are times when you and I need to act decisively and harshly in removing sin from our own lives (I wouldn't suggest slaughter though). If you struggle with porn - get rid of the internet. If you keep have sex with a boyfriend/girlfriend, break up with them. Be willing to act decisively in the best interest of your realtionship with God.
18:46 - There are some people that think that Elijah hiked of his robes and ran off with super-human - God-given speed, outrunning Ahab's chariot. Thsi could be the case and it would be really cool (God created the universe with a few words...I think he can make a guy run fast!). But the phrase "ran before" and "go before" is a term referring to servants who would go before their masters. It seems like Elijah is willing to go before Ahab and serve as his advisor is restoring Israel to God worship. Unfortunately Jezebal has a little something to say about that in the next chapter!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)