July 3, 2012

Trampled at the Gate (7/3)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Kings 5-8.

“Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria. There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver” (2 Kings 6:24-25)

Times were desperate in Samaria. With the city under siege, food was scarce, prices were high, and people had even started resorting to cannibalism in order to survive (2 Kings 6:26-29). Elisha prophesied that conditions would soon change.
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July 2, 2012

Is It Because There is No God in Israel? (7/2)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Kings 1-4.

When Ahaziah fell sick, his decision to seek help from a false god instead of the true, living God cost him his life.

“And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, ‘Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.’ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” Now therefore thus says the Lord, “You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.”‘ Then Elijah departed” (1 Kings 1:2-4).

Ahaziah later died “according to the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 1:17).
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July 1, 2012

"The Arrogance of Your Heart Has Deceived You" (7/1)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Obadiah 1; Psalm 82-83.

Obadiah prophesied of the coming destruction of Edom because of their sin. They would be ransacked (v. 6), overpowered (v. 7), and slaughtered (v. 9).

Yet Edom, in their arrogance, refused to believe that such destruction could come upon them. They believed they were secure in their position and that no harm could befall them. While they were in a good strategic position “in the clefts of the rock” (v. 3) to defend against attacks, they were no match for God.

“‘The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in the loftiness of your dwelling place, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to earth?” Though you build high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,’ declares the Lord” (Obadiah 3-4).

Their arrogance deceived them, causing them to think they had no reason to correct their sin for fear of divine punishment. Because of this, God would bring them down.
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June 30, 2012

"Treason! Treason!" (6/30)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Chronicles 19-23.

Part of today’s reading describes a tumultuous period in the history of Judah. Jehoram reigned for eight years before dying of sickness (21:5, 18-19). He was such a miserable king that “he departed with no one’s regret” (21:20). His youngest son, Ahaziah succeeded him after his older sons were killed (22:1). Ahaziah reigned for one year before being put to death by Jehu (22:2, 7-9). The killing of Ahaziah came as a result of God’s commission to Jehu to “cut off the house of Ahab” (22:7).

Ahab had been the king of Israel. But Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah – not to be confused with another Ahaziah, Ahab’s son who reigned for two years over Israel (1 Kings 22:40). How was Ahaziah, king of Judah, connected to the house of Ahab? By marriage (2 Chronicles 18:1).

“Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned on year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri” (22:2).

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June 29, 2012

There Is One Prophet of the Lord, "But I Hate Him" (6/29)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18.

When Ahab wished to go up and fight against Ramoth-gilead, he asked the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, if he would join him. Before committing to this, Jehoshaphat wanted to first consult one of the Lord’s prophets.

“Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ‘Please inquire first for the word of the Lord.’ Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, ‘Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?’ And they said, ‘Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.’

“But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?’ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla’” (2 Chronicles 18:4-7).

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June 28, 2012

The Lord is God Over All (6/28)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Kings 20-21.

When Ben-hadad and thirty-two other kings besieged Samaria, they were defeated by a force which they greatly outnumbered. They had a theory as to why they were beaten so badly.

“Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, ‘Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they. Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place, and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.’ And he listened to their voice and did so” (1 Kings 20:23-25).

These servants of Ben-hadad were partially correct. The Israelites were victorious because of divine intervention (though not from “gods,” but from the one, true, living God). But their theory that His power was limited to the mountains proved disastrous for them. Despite fighting in the plain with a massive army that vastly outnumbered the Israelites, Ben-hadad and his allies were soundly defeated again.
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June 27, 2012

The Troubler of Israel (6/27)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Kings 17-19.

Prior to his showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah met with King Ahab. Ahab was quick to blame Elijah for the troubles that plagued the nation.

“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is this you, you troubler of Israel?’ He said, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals’” (1 Kings 18:17-18).

Ahab wanted to place the blame for Israel’s problems on the one who prophesied the truth. Elijah correctly turned the charge around on Ahab, declaring that the king had troubled the nation by rejecting the Lord and embracing a false god.
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