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Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.   This sentiment of David from the 20th Psalm seems to have been lost over the years.    Read on:

 

Seeing things from another person’s perspective often adds appreciation and insight.   In this passage, I continue to see false worship from God’s perspective.

I suppose that many people can understand the attraction that strip clubs and whore houses have.  There are undoubtedly those who believe them to be a desirable part of a community.    But they haven’t ever considered this:

What a breath of fresh air Hezekiah is, I always enjoy reading about him….he is one of my favorite kings.

Most prophets spoke to/about one group of people, but Isaiah spoke to the whole region.  Rather, God spoke to the whole region through Isaiah.  That’s not the only thing that sets him apart, Isaiah speaks at length about the fall from grace, but he also has much to say about Israel’s restoration and even the second coming of Christ.

I probably should have known that the Nile river flows north…but I didn’t until I researched this passage.   That’s unique…most rivers flow south.

The main theme is the same, destruction and defeat are coming to Israel and the surrounding areas because they have rejected God and sought after false gods.   Since we know the main theme, let’s see what smaller details are included.

Rebellion and defeat go hand in hand.

Sometimes when the prophet speaks he/she blends future events with the message meant for today.   Micah is a great example of that, speaking of things that would happen immediately, in the future and even in days yet to come.  

It used to bother me that the Bible would repeat itself from time to time.  But these days when I am trying to remember what I am reading it seems to be a helpful memory aid.   Who knows, maybe that’s why God inspired the authors to write the same thing several times.

Amos was a crossover prophet.  He spoke to both Israel and Judah about the impending disaster.  It would appear that no one listened in either place.

This is what I like about a Bible reading program.  When else would you read Amos?

Isaiah has the God given ability to foresee the future, and what he shares isn’t good.  And how the people react to what he shares just makes God more angry.

Here’s something sorta neat…I have been trying to keep the names of all these kings straight in my head.  So this time when I read the first several lines of the opening of Isaiah it made sense for the first time!

I learn a couple of valuable things today.  We don’t always get the whole story when we are reading….and today in 2 Kings that is obvious.

In addition to this very popular account of Jonah, he is also responsible for another significant event that you won’t find recorded in this text.   Would you like  to know what it is?

Those who do not know (or study) their history are bound to repeat  it.    Such seems to be the case with each concurrent king.  Isn’t there a single one that is wise enough to deduce that obedience to God is necessary for success/victory?

He was raised by a godly priest, and never had any contact with his evil parents.  So when he began to rule he was righteous and God blessed him.  That however, is not the end of the story…

Here’s a quick heads up for you:  If you have been following the names of the kings from the north and south and trying to keep them straight (like I have), then today’s reading may have you as confused as I was….until I did some quick research and found out that there were kings of the same name in the north and south (like Ahaziah).   And, Jehoram and Joram might be the same person….wow.

I noticed that among all these exciting events that we read about today,  the actual name of the king of Israel wasn’t mentioned.   So I looked up who was running the kingdom when Elisha was prophesying…

Yesterday we learned how Edom would be punished for not helping, but as we read today that hasn’t happened yet.   Today we go back in time slightly to learn about two very important men in Israel.

So, Obadiah is taking issue with the people who live in the mountains  south of the southern kingdom (down beyond the Dead Sea, all the way to the Red Sea.   What could anything that Obadiah had to say to them possibly mean to me?    Let’s take a look…. 

There are two different story lines that converge in this passage.   The kingdom of the north and south come together with disastrous results.

The death of a king.  I suppose there were many people who were sad when Ahab died, but from a biblical standpoint it was not a sad event.   Ahab had done much to turn people away from God.

One of the most jaw dropping moments in today’s reading is the last several sentences of Chapter 21.   Who would have believed it?

We’ve all seen this image: the triumphant warrior or superhero standing on a high place, striking some pose that is sure to be photographed and made into posters, and hung in city squares, offices and bedrooms all over the world.

There’s probably no better example of the deep divisions between the two parts of Israel than what are displayed in these chapters

Today we focus on the southern part of the Kingdom.  It was the smaller part, but it claimed the temple and the priesthood, and the authentic line of David. 

There are a couple of details in today’s reading that weren’t included in yesterday’s rendition of the same story.

Today begins the account of the unraveling of Israel from a regional power.   Everything that happens could have been avoided if the leaders had only been obedient to God.

As I read the first two lines I laughed out loud.