Day 165: Micah 5-7

Another prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus, the Messiah...another one that becomes obvious only after Jesus life is lived...

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
   though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
   one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
   from ancient times.” (5:2)

There are many passages in the OT prophets that are simply hard to read. They show a side of God that we don't like to talk about...

“In that day,” declares the LORD,
   “I will destroy your horses from among you
   and demolish your chariots.
 I will destroy the cities of your land
   and tear down all your strongholds.
I will destroy your witchcraft
   and you will no longer cast spells.
I will destroy your idols
   and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
   to the work of your hands.
I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles
   when I demolish your cities.
I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
   on the nations that have not obeyed me.” (5:10-15)

When God talks about all the specific things He plans to destroy in His anger and wrath I can't help but wonder what things would be listed if He spoke through a prophet today? Everything He mentions are things that the people of the day were putting their trust in...things they relied upon...things that gave them security...things that they worshiped...in other words, these are the things that took God's place in the hearts and minds of the people. What takes the place of God in my heart and mind?

Here's what He asks of us:

With what shall I come before the LORD
   and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
   with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
   with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
   the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
   and to walk humbly with your God. (6:6-8)

Micah then closes with these beautiful thoughts...

Who is a God like you,
   who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
   of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
   but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
   you will tread our sins underfoot
   and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be faithful to Jacob,
   and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors
   in days long ago. (7:18-20)

Day 164: Micah 1-4

A few passages from the first four chapters of Micah struck me as interesting. As I read this first one I found myself thinking that it may be referring to the 400 years or so between the testaments wherein there seems to be no word at all from the Lord...

This is what the LORD says:
   “As for the prophets
   who lead my people astray,
they proclaim ‘peace’
   if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
   who refuses to feed them.
Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
   and darkness, without divination.
The sun will set for the prophets,
   and the day will go dark for them.
The seers will be ashamed
   and the diviners disgraced.
They will all cover their faces
   because there is no answer from God.” (3:5-7)

Then there's this one about how dishonest and corrupt even many of the prophets have become:

Her leaders judge for a bribe,
   her priests teach for a price,
   and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they look for the LORD’s support and say,
   “Is not the LORD among us?
   No disaster will come upon us.” (3:11)

That one made me think about how many times we make plans and strategies for the work of the Kingdom and then ask God to bless our plans. Maybe we have that backwards. Maybe we should be asking God to show us where we fit into His plans.

Once again we find the prophet looking far into the future. The captivity hasn't happened yet and he's already prophesying about their return from captivity...

“In that day,” declares the LORD,
   “I will gather the lame;
   I will assemble the exiles
   and those I have brought to grief.
I will make the lame my remnant,
   those driven away a strong nation.
The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion
   from that day and forever. (4:6-7)

Day 163: Isaiah 9-12

Yesterday I was thinking about how God says He will use the evil Assyrians to carry out His punishment on the Israelites. The Assyrians, by all accounts, were a savage people. But when God is finished using them for His purposes they will receive what they deserve...

When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says:
   “‘By the strength of my hand I have done this,
   and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
   I plundered their treasures;
   like a mighty one I subdued their kings. (10:12-13)

I couldn't help but notice that the reason they were being punished wasn't simply for their barbarism but for their pride. They took the credit for what they had done and thought it was because of their power and wisdom...but they were just a tool in the hand of the living God. It's an easy trap to fall into...to think we are the master designer when the reality is we're just a tool.

In the midst of prophesying destruction God makes sure to give the message of hope...

Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says:
   “My people who live in Zion,
   do not be afraid of the Assyrians,
who beat you with a rod
   and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
Very soon my anger against you will end
   and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.” (10:24-25)

Knowing a little of the history of what happens...that the Assyrians destroy Israel and Judah and take the Jewish people captive but eventually the Assyrians are then overrun by the Babylonians who inherit the Jews as captives...knowing this makes it a little easier to understand the prophecies made before any of it happens. But I think that if you heard it at the time it was given...before any of it came about...it would be very hard to understand what was going to happen. The only thing you would probably understand for sure was that you had really messed up and that God was angry at you enough that He was going to make something really bad happen to you. I think this may be our difficulty in reading prophecies of the end times. The only thing we can understand for sure is that God is in control...He will eventually win and when all is said and done we will be with Him. The details, however, are a little foggy until after it all plays out.

A couple more prophecies that are interpreted in the NT as referring to Jesus:

For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
   there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
   and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
   with justice and righteousness
   from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
   will accomplish this. (9:6-7)

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and of might,
   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. (11:1-3)

Day 162: Isaiah 5-8

One of the things I've been thinking for a long time is that one of the things that makes today's culture different than that of a generation ago is the denial of the idea of sin. It's not that people of a generation ago didn't sin, they did, but generally speaking there was a recognition that it was sin and they did it anyway. Today the entire concept of sin is gone. In fact, not only do people deny the idea of sin, some of the attitudes and actions that were recognized as sin in generations past are now considered virtues. I thought this was something new...a characteristic of this generation. However, it's not new at all. Listen to Isaiah...

Woe to those who call evil good
   and good evil,
who put darkness for light
   and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
   and sweet for bitter. (5:20)

Isaiah is prophesying the fall of Judah. He predicts that god will use, of all people, Assyria to carry out His plan to punish His people. Assyria (if I understand correctly) was quite possibly the most barbaric, heathen nation you could imagine. And yet they become instruments in God's hands...

In that day the LORD will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also. (7:18-20)

I suppose God can use anyone He wants to do whatever He wants...He is after all, God.

Isaiah contains many statements of prophecy that the NT writers recognize as pertaining to Jesus, the Messiah. Here are a couple from today's reading:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (7:14)

He will be a holy place;
   for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
   and a rock that makes them fall. (8:14)

Day 161: Isaiah 1-4

The ox knows its master,
   the donkey its owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
   my people do not understand. (1:3)

What an indictment! Animals know who is in charge and where to go for food. But people...the people God created...don't know who they are, where they've come from, or who is really in charge. After all they've been through....all the amazing things God has done for them...it's hard to imagine that they would ever forget.

Or is it?

Days 159&160: Hosea 6-14

So many times people make the mistake of thinking that religion is simply a matter of keeping the right rules. They think it's a system...a philosophy...but true religion is a relationship. This makes all the difference. When we sin it's not simply a matter of breaking a rule and paying a fine...when we sin we hurt Someone who loves us more than we can possibly imagine. The image Hosea paints is that when we stray from God it hurts Him in the same way a straying spouse hurts his/her lover.

Listen to God's heart...

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
   and out of Egypt I called my son.
But the more they were called,
   the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals
   and they burned incense to images.
It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
   taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
   it was I who healed them.
I led them with cords of human kindness,
   with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
   a little child to the cheek,
   and I bent down to feed them. (11:1-4)

But persisting in unfaithfulness will result in a divorce...

“You are destroyed, Israel,
   because you are against me, against your helper.
Where is your king, that he may save you?
   Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
   ‘Give me a king and princes’?
So in my anger I gave you a king,
   and in my wrath I took him away.
The guilt of Ephraim is stored up,
   his sins are kept on record. (13:9-12)

But repentance can restore the relationship. God stands ready to completely forgive and "love us freely"...

Return, Israel, to the LORD your God.
   Your sins have been your downfall!
Take words with you
   and return to the LORD.
Say to him:
   “Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
   that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
Assyria cannot save us;
   we will not mount warhorses.
We will never again say ‘Our gods’
   to what our own hands have made,
   for in you the fatherless find compassion.”  
“I will heal their waywardness
   and love them freely,
   for my anger has turned away from them. (14:1-4)

Days 157&158: Amos 6-9, Hosea 1-5

I've always found the books of the OT referred to as the Minor Prophets to be sort of tough reading. They are filled with word pictures and metaphors which sound very odd to my 21st century ears. But I believe there are some important insights in these writings if we are patient and look for them. To get the most out of them requires more study than this exercise (reading through) allows. You have to stop and do some research and digging.

However...reading through is not completely without value. You can get the big picture and start to see where these prophets and their messages fit in the flow of OT history. As we go through Amos & Hosea we start getting the first prophecies of the fall and captivity of the Israelites...they were warned, and didn't listen.

Hosea, specifically, is very graphic about why this exile was coming. In fact, Hosea's very life - his relationship with his unfaithful spouse - became a visual aid if the people would learn from it. I've always felt sorry for Hosea because of what he had to go through in order to proclaim God's message to the people...but I suppose all the prophets had there own unique burdens to bear in order to carry out their God-given mission. But, even among the prophets, it seems Hosea is unique. God told him to go and marry a prostitute...and to love her in spite of her infidelities. This was a picture of God's love for His people...in spite of all their unfaithfulness God continues to love them. Even while He is proclaiming a message of destruction to His people He continues further into the future and also predicts their restoration:

“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. (Hosea 1:10-11)

Some of the Minor Prophets sound like they were written for us today. I don't know how far to press the application but this section of Amos almost sounds as if he's writing to us here in 21st century USA:

You put off the day of disaster
   and bring near a reign of terror.
You lie on beds adorned with ivory
   and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs
   and fattened calves.
You strum away on your harps like David
   and improvise on musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful
   and use the finest lotions,
   but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
   your feasting and lounging will end. (Amos 6:3-7)

Ok, I admit the imagery isn't very modern but I think maybe the meaning behind the imagery is as current and urgent as today's headlines.

Days 155&156: Jonah 1-4, Amos 1-5

I don't know what kind of weird psychology goes on inside of us that we hate to see someone shown mercy. We know they're guilty and they get away with it...we hate that...unless, of course, I'm the one who receives mercy. If I'm the one who gets a second chance then I appreciate it. I might even think I deserve it. But if it's anyone else then I cry out for justice!

Apparently this is nothing new. Jonah was told to preach to the Ninevites and they believed him and repented and...

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. (Jonah 3:10-4:1)

He and I are so much like the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18. We tend to forget what we really deserve...and the mercy we received.

I was also really struck with a passage in Amos today. In fact I wonder if this message from God isn't appropriate for those of us who have that unforgiving attitude...

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
   your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
   I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
   I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
   I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
   righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:21-24)

I read that line about "justice rolling on like a river" and wonder if that's a threat or a promise. Is He saying, "Ok, if you would rather have justice than mercy then that's what you'll get!"?

All I know is I don't want God to reject my worship. Maybe I should show as much mercy to others as I've received.

Day 154: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27

Uzziah was a good king.

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. (2 Chronicles 26:4-5)

2 Chronicles 26 spends a lot of time describing some of his accomplishments. It seems like he gets more ink than almost any other king. (Though Joash may get more.) But Uzziah falls to that very common affliction, pride...

     But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.”
     Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him.
     King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. (2 Chronicles 26:16-21)

It seems he crossed a line. He was a good king and a leader of men...but he wasn't a priest. He made the mistake of thinking that his secular power and privilege entitled him to something spiritually.

After Uzziah's death his son Jotham (who ran things for his dad after he was struck with leprosy) took over as king. Apparently Jotham learned from his father's mistakes...

Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God. (2 Chronicles 27:6)

Day 153: 2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24

We find out at the end of 2 Kings 11 and the beginning of 2 Chronicles 24 that Joash became king in Judah at the age of seven. That's right...a seven year old king. I wonder how much power a seven-year-old would really have? If the only chapter you read about Joash was 2 Kings 12 you would get the idea that Joash was a very good king...perhaps one of the best kings Judah ever had. We read this at the beginning of 2 Kings 12:

Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. (2 Kings 12:2)

Joash implemented a plan to rehab the temple because it had fallen into such disrepair. It is amazing to me just how far the people have fallen from the worship of the one true God...the God that proves Himself to them over and over. Here is an example of the kind of thing that was going on when Joash undertook his reforms:

Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals. (2 Chronicles 24:7)

Joash did a lot of good in his reign but as I said you can't stop with 2 Kings 12...you have to read 2 Chronicles 24 to get the whole picture. There's a hint in 2 Kings 12:2, the verse I cited earlier. Notice the last part...

Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. (2 Kings 12:2)

Remember how I questioned how much power a 7 year old king could have? Well, it seems to me that maybe Jehoiada the priest was the one who was actually behind all the good that Joash was credited for. We read this in 2 Chronicles 24:

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.   (2 Chronicles 24:17-19)

Once Jehoiada was out of the way Joash was swayed by the corrupt officials..."and he listened to them".

I find myself with the impression that Joash didn't really rule at all. It seems like he was simply a figurehead. As long as he had good spiritual guidance from someone mature and faithful to the Lord he did great things...but as soon as this influence was gone others were able to gain access and influence him away from the Lord.

Joash was king for 40 years and at the age of 47 he was killed by his own officials...

His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla. The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king. (2 Kings 12:20-21)

Once again, 2 Chronicles adds a few other details:

When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. (2 Chronicles 24:25)

 It seems like Joash was king in name only...in the end he wasn't even buried in "the tombs of the kings".

Day 152: 2 Kings 9-11, 2 Chronicles 22:10- 23:21

I guess the prophets of God have always been ridiculed. Actually, I have a hard time completely understanding how the people felt about the prophets. On the one hand they held them a bit in awe because of the power they seemed to have to do the miraculous but somehow that didn't convince people to believe them completely...to really respect them.

Here's an example: Elisha sent one of his men to anoint Jehu as king and give him instructions from God...but to do so privately and then run away. When Jehu had finished his private session with the prophet we read this:

When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac come to you?” (2 Kings 9:11)

The prophet is called a "maniac". But then in the very next verse...

Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
     They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!” (2 Kings 9:12-13)

When they heard the message they responded accordingly...they believed him and took his word as truth.

How can you think someone is a maniac and trust what he says at the same time?

I suppose, now that I think about it, the prophets were either reviled or respected depending on how the people felt about their message. I'm thinking back to when Ahab says that he hates Elijah because he never says anything good about him. Never mind that there wasn't anything good to say...that he was speaking truth...Ahab didn't like it. That was all that mattered. But when a prophet speaks a positive word of prophecy to someone...like when he anoints Jehu king...then they like him.

I suppose things really aren't that much different today.

Days 150&151: 2 Kings 5-8, 2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9

This section of scripture continues the history of the divided kingdoms: Judah to the south and Israel to the north. It's interesting to me that while the book is called "Kings" - and it certainly attempts to give a record of each king of both kingdoms - it seems to me that the main character, through most of today's reading at least, is Elisha.

Elisha has no political power. Elisha is a prophet of God. He is referred to as "the man of God" or "the prophet". I think this reinforces the idea that the main thrust the Bible is not so much setting down a record of historical events but more a record of God's dealing with His creation...His people. Reading the Bible is not like reading a historian's perspective of history...it's more like we're reading God's perspective of history. Therefore, the events we read about are the ones that are important to God...not necessarily the ones that seem to be important to humans. Consequently, as we read scripture, we need to read it with a view to looking for those things that God finds important so that we can adjust our own perspective to His.

I think this is why we find each of the kings of both kingdoms evaluated along these lines:

He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. (2 Kings 8:18-19)

Here we see what was important to God about Jehoram's reign as king. We also see how God continues to be faithful to His promises even though his people are unfaithful.

Apparently there was some other book called "The Annals of the Kings of Judah" that recorded more detail from a historian's point of view.

As for the other events of Jehoram’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? (2 Kings 8:23)

This book is referred to in scripture at the death of almost every king. I think it's noteworthy that God didn't consider this book important enough to preserve.

I wonder how more modern history would read if it were written from God's perspective? If the Holy Spirit were inspiring humans to write scripture today would God spend as much time covering the same events we do? And what would He say about those events if He did cover them?

We should probably spend more energy trying to see life as it occurs from God's perspective.

Day 149: 2 Kings 1-4

Israel and her leadership seem to keep deserting God and going after false gods and idols. 2 Kings begins with this:

    After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”
     But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went. (2 Kings 1:1-4)

I've always thought it was a little weird. I mean, I don't really understand the allure of idolatry. Why in the world would Ahaziah want to consult Baal? I love the sarcasm of Elijah's words, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub?" But then I wonder if God doesn't often feel the same way about us...I mean, where do we go for advice and wisdom? Who do we consult? We have a tendency to follow the advice and trends of the society around us. Sadly, God and His word is often the last place we look...if nothing else works. Is it because there is no God that we go off to consult __________(fill in the blank)?

Day 148: 1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18-20

Ahab, king of Israel, hadn't listened to a prophet of God in a long time. He had surrounded himself with "prophets" who told him what he wanted to hear. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came to talk to Ahab about a common enemy in hopes of getting the 2 nations to work together to take care of the problem. Ahab's "prophets" were very supportive of Ahab's intentions...

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?”
     The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” (1 Kings 22:7-8)

I have to admit that I'm like that too often...but I need to learn to listen and learn from people who don't necessarily see things the same way I do. Particularly if that person is God.

Day 147: 1 Kings 20-21

        Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”
      “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’
       “And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
       “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.”
       (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
       When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
     Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” (21:20-29)

God is merciful to anyone who humbles himself and repents. Even Ahab...and "there was never anyone like Ahab."

Day 146: 1 Kings 17-19

Elijah was a brave man of faith. He calls a showdown with 450 prophets of Baal. Two altars are set up...one for Baal and one for Jehovah. A sacrifice is prepared and the altar is ready...but God (or god) is supposed to send the fire to burn up the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal chant and pray and carry on all day long with no result. Then Elijah gets his turn. He has a flair for the dramatic so he has the altar drenched in water just to make it a little more difficult. He prays a simple prayer and God sends down fire from heaven that completely consumes the sacrifice, the altar, the water and the ground around it. After this display of power the prophets of Baal are pursued and killed.

This whole episode, however, makes Jezebel (king Ahab's domineering wife) very angry. She puts out a hit on Elijah...

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”  Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. (19:1-3)

I can't figure out why Elijah had the courage to stand up in front of everyone and face down 450 false prophets but Jezebel frightens him into running for his life. I suppose Jezebel was force to be reckoned with. I also suppose it's true that we all have our ups and downs. Often, after a major event...a "mountain top experience"...we find ourselves hitting a major low. We come to a depressing realization that, even after our major victory, life goes on pretty much as it did before. And we wonder if anything has really changed. What was it worth?

The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (19:15-18)

Elijah's work wasn't finished. God's plans are really long-term, spanning generations of history, not just Elijah's lifetime...or mine.

Day 145: 1 Kings 15:25-16:34, 2 Chronicles 17

Reading the I Kings passage today was a real downer. These guys were all evil and violent. One bad king gives way to a second and the second decides he must completely eliminate the entire family of the previous king in order to secure his power...and on and on...all the while encouraging idol worship and, in short, going about as far away from God's commands as possible.

After reading about this it was refreshing to switch to 2 Chronicles and read about a good king.

The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. (2 Chronicles 17:4-6)

While the kings of Israel were trying to stay in power by eliminating the competition, Jehoshaphat was using his power to help turn the people of Judah back to God...and in so doing he became more powerful than any king of the Northern Kingdom or any other surrounding nation. He made it a priority to make sure his people knew the Word of God:

In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. (2 Chronicles 17:7-9)

Day 144: 1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13-16

Today's reading covers the reigns of Abijah and Asa, kings of Judah.

1 Kings gives the impression that Abijah was a pretty evil king:

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. (1Kings 15:3)

However, Abijah seemed to think they were WAY closer to being obedient followers of God than the guys in the Northern Kingdom. This is Abijah's boast to Jeroboam:

“As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. God is with us; he is our leader. (2 Chronicles 13:10-12)

I suppose this is a case of comparing yourself with the wrong standard. He feels pretty good because he's better than Jeroboam and the Israelites but when compared to David who came before him he doesn't measure up.

Then comes Asa. Asa was a good strong king who led many reforms:

Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest. (2 Chronicles 14:2-6)

However, toward the end of his reign he decided to make a treaty with a pagan king to protect him rather than put his trust in God. When Hanani the prophet confronted him about this he put him in prison...not the response that David would have made.

Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. (2 Chronicles 16:10)

Days 142&143: 1 Kings 12-14, 2 Chronicles 10-12

We're entering the period of the Divided Kingdom...Israel to the north and Judah to the south. This is the beginning of another pretty dark period of history for God's people. Jeroboam had rebelled and became king of the Northern Kingdom...he did some pretty bad things:

Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth. (1 Kings 13:33-34)

This is what God tells him through the prophet Ahijah:

You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.
 “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The LORD has spoken!’ (1 Kings 14:9-11)

However, it seems as if Rehoboam, Solomon's son, didn't do much better in the Southern Kingdom:

Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. (1 Kings 14:22-24)

Day 141: 1 Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 9, Proverbs 30-31

Solomon must have been a pretty impressive man. 1 Kings & 2 Chronicles describe his wealth and his lifestyle then summarizes with this brief sentence:

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. (1 Kings 10:23)

But Solomon, apparently, didn't have his father's strength of character. True, David was led astray by his lust for a woman but He repented. Solomon, on the other hand, continued to be led by his desires:

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. (1 Kings 11:1-6)

This behavior was not without consequence:

So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. (1 Kings 11:11-12)

The beauty and charm of a woman is an amazingly powerful thing. It has been the root cause of the fall of many potentially great men throughout history and all the way up to this week's newspapers.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.   (Proverbs 31:30)

Day 140: Ecclesiastes 7-12

Ecclesiastes is an interesting book. Many of the sayings found here seem sort of...well, un-Christian. Things like:

Do not be overrighteous,
   neither be overwise—
   why destroy yourself?
Do not be overwicked,
   and do not be a fool—
   why die before your time?
It is good to grasp the one
   and not let go of the other.
   Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. (7:16-18)

I'm trying to frame the book in my mind in a way that makes sense. My working theory is  that Solomon is presenting a completely secular view of life. In other words, without God this is what life looks like and this is some advice for dealing with it. I'll have to think more about this.

In the mean time I found this passage very intriguing. I sort of stopped and pondered each phrase.

It is better to go to a house of mourning
   than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
   the living should take this to heart.
Frustration is better than laughter,
   because a sad face is good for the heart.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
   but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person
   than to listen to the song of fools.
Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,
   so is the laughter of fools.
   This too is meaningless. (7:2-6)

I think there is definitely wisdom here. None of us likes times of trouble, mourning, frustration or rebuke but I believe that these are the times that build us as mature people. A person who has experience nothing but pleasure and had an easy life...well, what does that person really have to offer the rest of us?

Here's another good one:

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
   For it is not wise to ask such questions. (7:10)

I wish he had developed that a little more. For example, I'd like to know why he thinks it isn't wise to ask such questions. I can think of some reasons but I'd like to know what was in his mind when he wrote that.

Here's something I think we all know but have a tendency to forget:

I have seen something else under the sun:
   The race is not to the swift
   or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
   or wealth to the brilliant
   or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all. (9:11)

I mentioned earlier that maybe the book of Ecclesiastes is written from a secular perspective. The way he closes the book seems to support that idea in my opinion. What I mean is that since life and everything you observe is meaningless without God then this must be the thing that brings meaning...

Now all has been heard;
   here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
   for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
   including every hidden thing,
   whether it is good or evil. (12:13-14)