Week 23 (Pages 565-590)

OT – We start out with King Ahab, going to war with Ben-ha’dad. He refused to listen to God, instead making a covenant with Ben-ha’dad. Then he wants a vineyard that Naboth owns. Naboth declines to give it to him, so Jezebel has him stoned to death. Ahab then takes over the vineyard as his own.

Elijah is sent to Ahab to let him know that he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Ahab repented and the Lord didn’t do evil to his generation, but will in his sons generation.

22 – Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, met with Ahab and turned to the prophets for direction. (400 of them). They all directed them to go to battle ,…. They then consulted Micaiah, another prophet, who told them not to go into battle… They go into battle and Ahab is killed. Jehoshaphat then takes over as King and does the way of the Lord. Ahab son takes over after Jehoshaphat dies and does evil in the eyes of the Lord.

2 Kings 1 – Elijah tells messengers from Ahaziah, that he will die because there was no God in Israel. 2 sets of messengers are killed by fire from heaven, and the third group ask for their lives and live as Elijah goes to give the message himself.

2 Kings 2 – Elijah goes to heaven and Elisha asks for double his spirit. Elisha then does my favorite Elisha thing. “Some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him saying, “Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of the boys.”
Whaaaaat? This is something to ponder. Any ideas?

2 Kings 3 – 4 – Elijah does a healing, helps out a woman who needed food, and then he fed the masses of people with 20 loaves of bread. 100 men were fed and there was food left over. Does this sound familiar?

2 Kings 5 – He cures Naaman of leprosy.

2 Kings 6 – He makes an army blind and leads them to Samaria.

2 Kings 7 -8 Story of the lepers and the plundering of the syrian camp.

2 Kings 9 – Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat becomes King. Jehu kills Joham, and Ahaziah, and Jezebel. AND, he had the 70 sons of Ahab killed…. according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to Elijah……. (and…..Thanks be to God)….

Psalm 122 – I was glad when they said to me “Let us go to the house of the Lord”
“to you I lift up my eyes….”
Psalm 124 – “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth”
Psalm 126 – “The Lord has done great things for us, we are glad”
Psalm 127 – “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house
your children will be like olive shoots around your table
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord”
Psalm 130 “If you O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord who could stand?

NT – Mom and I heard a CD talk from Stephen Ray. I want to share this before I summarize the New Testament.
The Gospel of Matthew was written in Hebrew. Matthew was a Jew and presented Jesus as the King to the Jews. The genealogy starts with Abraham (of course).
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest. Mark was Peters secretary. He was critical of Peter and knew all his flaws. Because he was servant Jesus, there is no genealogy. But in this Gospel, things are happening real time, immediately.
The Gospel of Luke, was written by Luke, a non-Jew. He was a Gentile, and knew Mary. Written for the Greeks, this was written for all of man-kind and the genealogy goes back to Adam.
The Gospel of John was written for the Jews and the “Church”. Jesus is God. Genealogy goes back to the beginning of life itself. “The Word was made Flesh”

This insight has helped me read and listen to the different gospels a little bit easier.

John 13 – “Truly Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me.” John ( the one that Jesus loved was lying close to Jesus. Judas leaves, and Peter is told that he will deny Jesus 3 times.

John 14 – “Do you not believe that I am in the father and the the Father is in me?”
“Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you”

John 15 – “Love one another as I have loved you”

John 16 – “ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full”
“….by this we believe you came from God”

John 17 – “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…….”

Wow, what a week. Kings is starting the repetition of good Kings and bad kings. This will all come together as we read 2 Kings. John is with Jesus as he witnesses the last supper and writes down all that Jesus said that night.

I hope you are all getting back to reading again now that summer is over. We are almost halfway done. So much more to learn….

God bless you all, Tim