OCT 31 READ 2 KINGS 18-22

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Judah #13 Hezekiah. 2 Kings 18:1-20:21 Reigned 29 years.
2 Chron 29-32; Isaiah 36-39. He celebrated the Passover for 7 days with joy as had not been done since Solomon, even extending the celebration for 7 extra days (2 Chron 30). He destroyed the high places and Asherim, and reformed the Levitical service (2 Chron 31). He rebelled against Sennacherib, the king of Assyria about 8 years after the fall of Samaria in 722 BC, and Sennacherib took 46 cities of Judah (the prism of Sennacherib tells of the siege of Lachish) in the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign. Hezekiah stopped up the water outside the city and built a tunnel from the spring of Gihon into the city (560 yards long), tried to bribe Sennacherib with silver and gold from the temple but he sieged the city anyway and sent Rabshakeh to the city walls to scare the people into surrendering. Rabshakeh mocked the God of Israel, saying Jehovah could not save them any more than the gods of the nations that the Assyrians had defeated (2 Chron 32). Hezekiah took the threatening letter of Rabshakeh and spread it out before God. Isaiah came, telling him that the Assyrians would be destroyed for mocking God. That night 180,000 Assyrians died and Sennacherib returned to Assyria, assassinated later by his own people (2 Kings 19).


1 Kings 20: Hezekiah became mortally ill with boils, and God told him that he was going to die. He prayed and wept, and God gave him 15 extra years. God gave him a sign of the sun dial shadow going backwards 10 steps (2 Kings 20). He became proud (2 Chron 32:25) and foolishly showed all the treasures of the temple to the messengers from the king of Babylon who were sent to inquire about the miracle of the sun dial. God was testing him to see what was in his heart (2 Chron 32:31). God then told him that Judah would be carried to Babylon in captivity, but not in his lifetime (2 Kings 20).

Life Lesson: Hezekiah received that life threatening letter from Rabshakeh and spread it out before God in the temple. He humbly acknowledged the hopeless situation he was in with 180,000 Assyrians sieging Jerusalem. I’m sure he was having a panic attack. But he led a humble prayer, trusting God. Have you ever got a letter like that? Maybe a letter. giving you some terrible news? Telling you about a bad medical diagnosis, about a lawsuit facing you, about being fired, about accusations from a sibling, about some financial matters? I have, and I felt hopeless and depressed when I got some of those type letters. My first reaction to such letters is to start figuring out how to deal with the bad situations. What I should do is to take that letter and spread it out before God and ask Him to show me how to deal with the situation, trusting Him to do whatever is best. This is all about who and what you put your trust in. Do you trust in your own resources and ability or do you trust in God.

Another Hezekiah life lesson is about prayer. He prayed for extra years when God told him that he was about to die. His prayer actually changed what God was planning to do. Prayer can actually change God’s mind. We tend to think that God’s will is something that can’t be changed, but it can be changed. But then be careful what you ask for. He prayed and received 15 extra years. He was about 40 years old when he received those extra years, so I can see how he felt cheated about dying at the age of 40. But it was during those 15 extra years that Hezekiah was lifted up with pride and showed the Babylonians his treasures and was given the captivity to Babylon prediction. It says God was testing him to see what was in his heart (2 Chronicles 32:31). God sees the heart. God is always testing us to see what is in our hearts, to see if we are humble, to see if we trust Him or if we trust our own resources and strength. David said in Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.” Are you really ready to ask God to do that with your heart? If you do, then the Spirit of God will help you get rid of all the negative thoughts and emotions in your heart. The Spirit will help you fulfill James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

We have a lot of archaeological proof of these events in history.

Judah #14 Manasseh. 2 Kings 21:1-18 Reigned 55 years. Hezekiah reigned 29 years. God knew that idolatry was so ingrained in Judah that even 29 years of reforms by Hezekiah would not last. His son Manasseh would follow him and would be the most evil king of Judah for 55 years, worshipping Baal, making Asherim, worshipping the hosts of heaven, passing his sons through the fire to Molech, and practicing witchcraft and sorcery (2 Chron 33). Manasseh would be carried off to Babylon captive with hooks, but he humbled himself, prayed to God (the Prayer of Manasseh in the Apocrypha), and was returned to Jerusalem and served God faithfully, destroying all the idols. There is a great lesson there. We saw a few really good kings of Judah like Asa, Uzziah, and Hezekiah whose lives ended in pride and disaster. Ironically, the worst king of Judah was very evil for most of his 55 year reign but at the end he humbled himself, did reforms, tried to undo the evil he had done, and died in favor with God. God’s grace was more than sufficient to save him. We don’t know the eternal consequences for Asa or Uzziah. Don’t ever “write someone off” as being unworthy of salvation. God can take “the chief of sinners” like Paul and save him. God’s grace was more than sufficient for Paul’s sins of killing and persecuting Christians (1 Timothy 1:12-17). John Newton was a sinful slave trader when he found the grace of God and wrote the words to the song “Amazing Grace” that tell of his spiritual journey.

Judah #15 Amon. 2 Kings 21:19-26 Reigned 2 years and was killed by his servants.

Judah #16 Josiah. 2 Kings 22:1-23:30. Reigned 31 years.
2 Chron 34-35. He began reigning at 8, began to remove all the idols in Judah at age 12. At age 26, he repaired the temple (imagine how it looked after 55 years of the evil reign of Manasseh and 2 years of Amon). In the process, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the Law (the Pentateuch) and gave it to Shaphan the scribe to take to Josiah. As Shaphan read it to the king, Josiah tore his clothes and inquired of Huldah the prophetess what to do. She told him that b/c “your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God” that the captivity of Judah would not be in his lifetime. God had commanded that all kings have a personal copy of the Law of Moses books, but obviously Josiah did not have a copy. The 55 evil years of Manasseh had apparently destroyed most of the copies of the Law. It’s’ not like every person in Judah had his own copy back then. But just b/c you have several Bibles in your house doesn’t mean that you read your Bible, that you study it and depend on it to guide you. Maybe you need to “find your Bible” that you have closed and not really studied for a long time. You might be shocked at what you read.

There is a lot more about Josiah but we stop for now after 2 Kings 22 since today’s reading stops there..

OCT 30 READ 2 KINGS 13-17

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Israel #11 Jehoahaz. 2 Kings 13:1-9 Reigned 17 years. Hazael kills many in Israel just as Elisha had predicted.

Israel #12 Jehoash (Joash). 2 Kings 13:10-14:16 Reigned 16 years.

Elisha Miracle #14: A Moabite corpse comes to life after being thrown in the grave of Elisha. A fitting end to the life of the great prophet Elisha. Take time to review all the miracles that Elisha did in the chart above. As Elisha was dying of some sickness, he told King Joash of Israel to strike the ground with arrows as a sign of how many times Joash would defeat the Arameans who were continually raiding and killing Israelites, but he only struck the ground 3 times. Elisha told him that meant that he would only defeat the Arameans 3 times and that he could have had a more complete victory if he had struck the ground 5 or 6 times.

Judah #9 Amaziah. 2 Kings 14:1-20 Reigned 29 years. He killed all the men who killed his father King Joash of Judah. He defeated the Edomites and became proud, challenging King Jehoash of Israel to battle, and was defeated by Jehoash. Jehoash captured Amaziah and took gold from the temple. Amaziah was later released and murdered back in Jerusalem.

Israel #13 Jereboam II. 2 Kings 14:23-29 Reigned 41 years. He was evil but God used him to keep Israel from being “blotted” our completely at this tie (later God would allow Israel to be taken in to captivity in Assyria in 722 BC. The prophet Jonah of Amittai predicted his victories. Jonah prophesied for many years during that period of time. That is the same prophet Jonah as in the book of Jonah so that dates the book of Jonah during the reign of Jereboam II of Israel (793-753 BC).
Amos the prophet was a sheepherder and cultivator of sycamore trees, lived in Judah, but mainly spoke to Israel from Bethel during Jereboam II (Israel #13, 790-748 BC). He told them God hated their hypocritical worship and sacrifices at Bethel (4:4-5; 5:21-24). He predicted exile for Israel for their indulgence and lack of grief over sins of greed, dishonesty, trampling the poor.
Hosea the prophet had a long ministry from 760-725 BC to Israel during Jereboam II (Israel #13) and a contemporary of Amos a short time and several years with Isaiah and Micah. He condemned Israel’s apostasy, idolatry, murder, stealing, violence, and deception (ch 4). He predicted Israel would be taken into Assyrian exile b/c of their sins (ch 11).

Judah #10 Azariah (Uzziah). 2 Kings 15:1-7. Reigned 52 years.
1. He began reigning at 16, and did right in the days of Zechariah the prophet. God helped him become very powerful, defeating all his enemies, with an elite army of 307,500 men and engines of war (catapults).2. But when he became strong, he heart was so proud that entered the temple and burned incense which only the priests could do. Azariah the priest rebuked him and he was enraged. 3. God struck him with leprosy on the spot, he died a leper. Reigned 52 years. It is sad to see a good king like Uzziah end up his reign in pride and failure. He had served God faithfully most of his 52 year reign. It is a reminder to those of us who have served God most of our lives that we can be lifted up with pride in our latter years and fall away from God. Many of us older Christians (I am 76) have material strength and assets like Uzziah that tend to make us forget God and think that we have aattained wealth and health by our own doing.

This is a good place to show the pattern used in 1,2 Kings. Uzziah reigned over Judah 52 years, so after giving all the events in his 52 years the author will then go over to the northern kingdom and cover all the kings of Israel during that 52 years before going on to the next king of Judah, Jotham.

Israel #14 Zechariah. 2 Kings 15:8-12. Began his reign in the 38th year of Uzziah’s reign. Reigned 6 months and was killed by Shallum.

Israel #15 Shallum. 2 Kings 15:10-15. Began his reign in the 39th year of Uzziah’s reign. Reigned 1 month and was killed by Menahem.

Israel #15 Menahem. 2 Kings 15:14-22. Began his reign in the 39th year of Uzziah’s reign. Reigned 10 years. He bribed Pul the king of Assyria with silver to keep Pul from attacking Israel and it worked.

Israel #16 Pekahiah. 2 Kings 15:22-26. Began his reign in the 50th year of Uzziah’s reign. Reigned 2 years and was killed by Pekah.

Israel #17 Pekah. 2 Kings 15:27-31. Began his reign in the 52nd year of Uzziah’s reign. Reigned 20 years. In the days of Pekah, Tiglath-Pilesar king of Assyria invades and captures cities in Israel.

Having caught up with all the kings of Israel during Uzziah’s 52 year reign, that author goes back to the next king of Judah, Jotham, who started his reign in the 2nd year of Pekah.


Isaiah prophesied to both Judah and Israel from 740-722 BC, and then to Judah only from 722-687 BC during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (all kings of Judah). He condemned the sins and hypocritical worship of Judah (1:10-23; ch 5).


Micah the prophet was a contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah in the days of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, but he preached to both Judah and Israel, usually referring to them by the names of their capital cities (Israel/Samaria and Judah/Jerusalem). He condemned their greed, idolatry, and oppressing the poor (ch 1).

Judah #11 Jotham. 2 Kings 15:32-38. Reigned 16 years.

Judah #12 Ahaz. 2 Kings 16:1-20. Reigned 16 years. He was very evil and made his sons to pass throug the fire to the god Molech. Rezin king of Aram (Syria) and Pekah king of Israel attached Ahaz and Ahaz bribed Tigleth-Pilesar king of Assyria to attack and kill Rezin, which he did. AI: “While visiting Damascus to meet the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III, Ahaz saw a pagan altar that caught his interest. He sent a sketch and detailed blueprints of the altar to Uriah (Urijah) the priest in Jerusalem, who built an exact replica before Ahaz returned. Upon his return, Ahaz offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings on the new altar, moving the original bronze altar of the Lord to the side. Worshipping the Gods of Damascus: 2 Chronicles 28:23 explicitly states that Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, reasoning that because the gods of Aram helped their kings, he should sacrifice to them as well.”

Israel #18 Hoshea. 2 Kings 17:1-6. Reigned 9 years and was carried captive to Assyria in 722 BC by Shalmaneser king of Assyria. Hoshea was the last king of the northern kingdom of Israel before the fall of Samaria (after a 3 year siege) and the Assyrian captivity of Israel in 722 BC. Hoshea refused to pay tribute to the Assyrians and relied on Egypt for help. The Assyrians carried tens of thousands from Israel into captivity. Assyria brought in foreign populations from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to repopulate the land. At first they did not fear the Lord and God sent lions to kill many of them. They brought in a priest from the captives to teach them how to obey Yahweh the God of Israel, but they also worshipped their false gods. Over time, these groups intermarried with the remaining Israelites to form the Samaritans. A significant number of northern Israelites fled south ahead of the Assyrian advance, integrating into the remaining Kingdom of Judah. Israel was sent into captivity b/c of their sins and idol worship. Several times it says that they refused to listen to the warning of God’s servants the prophets.

Because the northern tribes were scattered and never received an edict to return (unlike the later Babylonian exile of Judah), they became known in tradition as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Most mainstream historians and traditional consensus agree that the tribes were reabsorbed into history rather than surviving as distinct entities. Numerous global groups—including communities in Africa, Asia, and the Americas—have historically claimed descent from the lost tribes. British-Israelism: Popularized heavily from the 19th century onward (and explored in texts like Origin: Lost Ten Tribes in the West), this ideology proposed that the Anglo-Saxon and Western European peoples are literal physical descendants of the lost tribes. traditional British Israelism (also called Anglo-Israelism) most commonly teaches that Great Britain is Ephraim and the United States is Manasseh although some reverse that due to the preiminence of the US.Mainstream historians and geneticists dismiss this as a pseudohistorical narrative used to justify imperial or nationalist identity. Mormons believe that the lost 10 tribes will be regathered in the last days.

Wow, that gets us to a great stopping point on the readings up to 2 Kings 17 and the captivity of Israel in 722 BC. The rest of 2 kings will focus on the last kings of Judah only.

OCT 29. READ 2 KINGS 8-12

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Israel #9 Jehoram continued. 2 Kings 3:1-9:25 Reigned 12 years.

1 Kings 8 Let’s give the evil Jehoram a little credit. Elisha told the Shunammite woman whose son Elisha raised from he dead to go to Philistia for 7 years during the famine. When she came back to Israel, she requested that she be given her house and land back that she had left. Let’s give leprous Gehazi a little credit also. He told Jehoram about the woman and the miracle, and Jehoram gave the women her house and land. Kudos to Jerhoram and Gehazi!

Elisha later came to Damascus when Ben-hadad was sick. Ben-hadad sent Hazael to ask Elisha if he would recover. Elisha wept as he told Hazel that Ben-hadad would die. Hazael asked why he wept. Elisha wept b/c he knew that Hazael would be the next king of Syria and would kill many of the Israelites in the future. Hazael went back to Ben-hadad and told him that Elisha had said that he would recover (which was a lie). On the next day Hazael suffocated Ben-hadad and became king.

Judah #5 Jehoram 2 Kings 8:16-24 Reigned 8 years. He did evil b/c he was married to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. 2 Chronicles 21 tells us that he killed all his brothers when he became king. He died of diseased bowels b/c of all the evil he did. Notice this is another Jehoram other than the Jehoram king of Israel. A little confusing when reading.

Judah #6 Ahaziah. 2 Kings 8:24-9:29 Reigned 1 year. His mother was the evil. Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

Here is a great slide showing the intermarriage of Athaliah with Jehoram king of Judah, the son of Jehoshaphat, and her interaction with Jehoram’s descendants.

Israel #10 Jehu. 2 Kings 9:1-10:36 Reigned 28 years. Elisha had Jehu anointed as king specifically to kill Ahab, wipe out the house of Ahab, and kill Jezebel. Jehu began a series of assassinations just as God commanded him.

He chased down Jezebel. She painted her eyes and adorned her head before Jehu had her thrown out a window and she died. The dogs all all of her except her skull, feet, and palms of her hand just as Elijah had predicted. God rewarded Jehu with 4 of his sons later becoming kings of Israel. All of the kings of Israel were bad but at least he obeyed God in those assassinations.

Judah #7 Athaliah. 2 Kings 11:1-20 Reigned as queen 6 years. She was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. She was a usurper of the throne and obviously not on the line of Judah kings as were the other kings of Judah. Summary: 1. She counseled her son Ahaziah (6th king of Judah) to do wickedly and he was killed by Jehu.2. When Ahaziah died, Athaliah seized the throne and destroyed all the royal offspring of Judah. 3. Jehoshaba, king Jehoram’s (5th king of Judah) daughter hid Joash the infant son of Ahaziah for 6 years and in the 7th year Jehoida the priest (Jehoshaba’s husband) overthrew and killed Athaliah. She “reigned” 6 years.

Judah #7 Joash. 2 Kings 11:1-12:21 Reigned 40 years. More details are given in 2 Chronicles 22-24.
1. Joash began reigning at age 7 and with the guidance of Jehoida the priest he repaired the temple. 2. But when Jehoida died at 130 years old, Joash gave in to the officials of Judah and the people worshipped the Asheriim and idols. 3. God sent prophets but the people would not listen (24:19). 4. Zechariah (Mt 23:35) the son of Jehoida rebuked Joash, but Joash murdered him 5. His own servants assassinated him. Joel the prophet probably prophesied during the reign of King Joash of Judah. He predicted the locust plague as punishment for Judah’ sins but also predicted the pouring out of the miraculous Spirit in the last days of the Jewish nation (30-70 AD).

I hope you like the format I am using for the divided kingdom. If you pay attention to the years in which each king began to reign, you will see that pattern that I described for reading the divided kingdom.

OCT 28. READ 2 KINGS 3-7

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Israel #9 Jehoram. 2 Kings 3:1-9:25 Reigned 12 years.

1 Kings 3-4 Five of Elisha’s miracles.

Elisha Miracle #4 2 Kings 3 Filling the valley with water and deceiving the Moabites to think it is a valley of blood. A sad thing occurred when a desperate King of Moab offered his oldest son who was to reign after him as a burnt offering.

Elisha Miracle #5 2 Kings 4 Widow’s oil multiplied during the drought, only limited by the number of vessels that she brought to be filled. Life Lesson: Apparently she could have found many, many more vessels and they would have been filled with oil but she wasn’t thinking about maximizing the oil. She was satisfied with the vessels that she filled, and then the miraculous oil supply stopped. Isn’t that the way it is with our spiritual blessings. If you ask, the Lord will fill your vessel (you) with innumerable, limitless, spiritual blessings. Ask, seek, knock and it will be given to you. Luke 6:38: Jesus teaches a principle of reciprocity, stating that giving to others results in a return that is “pressed down, shaken together, and running over”, echoing ancient market practices where merchants compacted grain inside a measure to maximize the amount poured into a buyer’s garment. Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” Don’t be satisfied with just a minimal amount of spiritual blessings, with just going to church or saying a prayer now and then or singing praise and worship one day a week. There are so many more spiritual blessings that you can have if you ask for the.

Elisha Miracle #6 Shunemite woman given a child, as a reward for her hospitality to Elisha, giving him a place to stay, but he dies later and Elisha raised him from the dead 2 Kings 4 We see signs of weakness in Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, b/c he would not raise the child. Elisha had to come and stretch out on the child to raise him from the dead. Life Lesson: This woman was blessed for her hospitality. Often the New Testament speaks of Christian hospitality. The Bible commands and encourages hospitality as an active expression of love for strangers, fellow believers, and those in need. Hebrews 13:2 (ESV): Encourages showing hospitality to strangers, noting that some have entertained angels unaware. 1 Peter 4:9 (ESV): Advises believers to show hospitality to one another without complaining. Romans 12:13 (ESV): Calls for contributing to the needs of the saints and pursuing hospitality. When is the last time you invited someone to a meal in your home, someone who doesn’t have the resources to repay you by inviting you to their home.

Elisha Miracle #7 Poisonous stew made edible 2 Kings 4. Be careful what herbs and plants you put in your stew!

Elisha Miracle #8 Barley loaves multiplied 2 Kings 4 to feed 100 prophets. An Old Testament multiplying of the loaves.

Elisha Miracle #9 Healing Naaman’s leprosy. 2 Kings 5.
Naaman was captain of the army of the king of Aram (Syria). He had leprosy. A captive Israelite girl suggested he go to the prophet in Israel. Elisha told Naaman to dip in the River Jordan 7 times to be healed. Naaman was furious, expecting Elisha to just wave his hand and cure him; and weren’t the rivers in Damascus better than the Jordan? His servants encouraged him to just humbly do what Elisha said, and he did and was healed. Naaman makes a great confession: “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel”. Naaman offered Elisha a reward but he refused it. Naaman asked Elisha for permission to bow in the house of Rimmon his master when he returns to Syria (apparently a duty he has to perform) and Elisha grants him permission, which seems unusual. Some suggest that Elisha is not really giving permission but Others note that Elisha does not explicitly grant a formal “permission” to sin, but instead leaves Naaman in God’s hands to work out his new faith amidst a complicated pagan culture. Either way, we wish we knew how Naaman’s spiritual life went after he returned to Syria. Did he tell the king about his healing? Did he try to convert other Syrians to the one true God of Israel? Were any of his servants who were with him and encouraged him to do what Elisha said ever converted to Yahweh after seeing the miracle?

Life Lesson: Jesus said, Matthew 18:4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” The first step to becoming a child of God is humility. It is acknowledging that you can’t be saved by your works or your goodness. Naaman was not humble at first. Once he humbled himself, he was ready to do what Elisha said whether it made sense to him or not, whether it appealed to his prideful way of how he thought Elisha should have healed him. Then he dipped 7 times and was healed. This is a lesson about humility and trusting God’s word. There is a lot of discussion about water baptism in the conversion process in the New Testament. Is it essential to salvation? Does it have to be immersion? Can babies be baptized? I think the New Testament is pretty clear about that. The Greek word for “baptism” is to dip, immerse, submerge. Someone could argue, “what difference does it make if Naaman got sprinkled with water or immersed?” It makes a difference b/c Elisha told him to “dip” in the Jordan. It wasn’t the water that saved him or the amount of water (dipping as opposed to sprinkling). It was humbly obeying the word of God. It isn’t the water of baptism or the amount of water (immersion not sprinkling) that saves us, it is obeying the command, Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins”. It certainly appears in Acts 2:38 that baptism comes before receiving the remission of sins (being saved) and other New Testament passages bear that out also. Baptism was for believers: Mark 16:6 “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved”. Babies can’t believe. Babies do not inherit Adam’s sin as the Catholics and others taught, so babies don’t need to be baptized to get rid of Adam’s sin to begin with. Nor are there any babies baptized in the New Testament. I’m not saying that baptism is just a test of our humility, of our willingness to, like Naaman, obey the commands on how to be saved. It is more than that. It is a beautiful burial in water to be raised born again with new spiritual life, just as Jesus was buried and raised (Romans 6:1-6). It is not a “work” but an act of faith (Colossians 2:12). Naaman said that Elisha could have just come out and made a big public cleansing of his leprosy without the dipping, and that is true. Jesus and the apostles could have preached salvation by grace through faith without any water baptism at all, but they didn’t. They included baptism as an essential part of saving faith.

Elisha Miracle #10: 2 Kings 5 Gehazi struck with leprosy.
Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, caught up with Naaman, lied to him about 2 men just arriving who needed silver and clothes, and Naaman gave that to Gehazi. Elisha found out what Gehazi did, and gave Naaman’s leprosy to Gehazi. A great lesson on the danger of doing God’s work for money, which is what most televangelists do today. Greed can corrupt any good ministry, and often does.

Elisha Miracle #11 Lost axe head floats 2 Kings 6. When a prophet was clearing trees a borrowed axe head fell in the water. Elisha made it float and they recovered it.

Elisha Miracle #12 Syrian army blinded 2 Kings 6.Elisha warned Jehoram about Ben-hadad’s plans to kill him on several occasions and saved Jehoram’s life. Benhadad sent his army to Dothan to kill Elisha, surrounding the city. Elisha’s servant was very afraid. Elisha prayed for God to open his eyes to be able to see the Lord’s army of chariots of fire and horses in the mountains. Elisha then struck the Syrian army blind. He carried them into Samaria, and opened their eyes, but told Jehoram not to kill them. They fed them and sent them back to Syria. The marauding bands of Arameans did not come to Israel again after that.

Elisha Miracle #13: Besieged Samaria’s salvation predicted 2 Kings 7. Later, Benhadad besieged Samaria during a famine. A donkey’s head sold for 80 shekels of silver and a pint of dove’s dung sold for 5 shekels. 2 women were arguing b/c one broke their agreement to eat one of their babies on one day and the other the next. Jehoram blamed Elisha for all this (6:31), and sent to kill him. Elisha predicted that by the next day flour and barley would be very inexpensive in Samaria and the city would be spared. He also said that the royal officer, who doubted Elisha’s prediction, would die and not eat of the food. Meanwhile, 4 lepers, who normally lived outside the city on scraps, were desperate and decided to go into the Syrian camp, either to be spared or to die.
God caused the Syrians to hear a sound of chariots of a great army and they fled, leaving food and everything. The lepers came into the camp and found the army gone, and started feasting on the food. But then they felt guilty, and decided to tell the people in Samaria. Jehoram thought it was a trap and that the Syrian army was just hiding. They checked it out and saw that what the lepers said was true. The people went out and plundered the camp, trampling the royal officer in the process just as Elisha had predicted.

Life Lessons: Don’t ever doubt what God can do. You might even hear someone predict or expect God to do some great thing and you scoff b/c it just seems irrational or unbelievable. With God, all things are possible. As William Carey, the father of modern Protestant missions, said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”. Also, something the 4 lepers said to one another when they entered the deserted Syrian camp and found all the food they left: “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.” I kinda feel that way about the church today. We continuously feed on the word of God with Bible classes, small groups, and sermons. But there are millions of people out there in the world starving for the word of God, for a Bible in their own language, for children’s Bible story books. Organizations like Eastern European Missions (and others) are like the 4 lepers trying to share our rich resources here in the US with those starving people. Or maybe its the clean water that we take for granted in the US, that we waste often, that we continuously water our lawns, that we fill and refill our pools at our homes, etc. But in many foreign countries, people walk miles to get dirty water that animals also infiltrate b/c that’s all they can find. They continuously have water borne diseases and any of their children die young. How concerned are we about that? We don’t have to quit enjoying our seemingly abundant endless supply of water, but we can send money to organizations like Healing Hands (out of Nashville) who drill wells for clean water in Africa, literally saving people’s lives. But churches spend 80% of the money they collect on staff and buildings instead of using most of that money to print Bible, drill wells, and feed the poor.

OCT 27 READ 1 KINGS 20-22; 2 KINGS 1-2

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Israel #7 Ahab continued. 1 Kings 16:22-22:40. Reigned 22 years.

1Kings 20 The two Aramean (Syrian) battles. You cn read about these two battles. Even though Ahab was evil, God did not want the arrogant Arameans destroying Israel at this time. They blasphemed when they said that the God of Israel was a god of the mountains (the first attack by Benhadad kiing of Syria with 31 generals) but not a god of the plains (the 2nd attack by Benhadad). Both battles they were defeated soundly, killing 127,000 Arameans in the 2nd battle). But Ahab for some reason felt like Benhadad was a “brother” and let him go free instead of killing him. In return, Benhadad returned cities in Israel that he had captured. Then a prophet gave an object lesson. He told a fellow prophet to strike him but he didn’t, so he told him that a lion would kill him, and that happened. He then told another prophet to strike him, which he did. The prophet then told Ahab that he should have killed Benhadad when he had the chance like God had told him to do. Ahab would be punished for not obeying. Ahab went to his house in Samaria, sullen and vexed. Life Lesson: Don’t play politics with God’s word. If the word of God is obvious, then obey it. We have a serious issue with the LGBTQ in the country and even in the church. Don’t try to be “buddies” and compromise the truth with LGBTQ advocates. Don’t let them “escape” without being shown in love the clear Biblical commands on homosexuality.

1 Kings 21 Ahab covets Naboth’s vineyard. Ahab tried to buy Naboth’s vineyard but he didn’t want to sell it. Ahab went to his house “sullen and vexed” (again as in 1 Kings 20:43) and quits eating!. Ahab pouts a lot and gets angry when he doesn’t get his way! So Jezebel arranged false witnesses who said Naboth had blasphemed God and they stoned Naboth to death. Ahab got Naboth’s vineyard after all. Elijah told Ahab that the dogs would lick his blood at the same place they licked Naboth’s blood. He also predicted that the dogs would “eat” Jezebel in Jezreel. Ahab was evil but mainly b/c because Jezebel his wife incited him. So Ahab fasted despondently but apparently humbled himself for God to delay his punishment and put it on his son. 1

1 Kings 22 The 3rd Aramean battle 3 years after the 2nd one. Ahab persuaded King Jehoshaphat (son of King Asa) of Judah to go to battle with him with the Arameans at Ramoth-Gilead. Ahab’s 400 false prophets told him that he would be victorious in the battle. Jehosphaphat required that a true prophet of Yahweh be consulted. Micaiah at first mockingly went along with the false prophet’s prediction and said Ahab would be victorious, but Ahab knew was just mocking the false prophets. Kinda like Micaiah saying in a sacrastic voice, “Sure you just go on into battle and be victorious. You just go right ahead.” Ahab knew he was not really saying what God had told him to say. Micaiah then said that Ahab would be killed in the battle. Micaiah then said that it was deceiving spirits in the false prophets who predicted victory. So Ahab and Jehoshaphat went to battle. I don’t understand why Jehoshaphat asked for a true prophet who predicted defeat in the battle but then he went ahead with Ahab into the battle. AI suggests: “Jehoshaphat had already formed a close bond with the northern kingdom of Israel through a political alliance and a royal marriage (his son Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter Athaliah). Having already pledged his support to Ahab before consulting any prophets, he felt he could not back out without causing a major diplomatic rift. Jehoshaphat was generally known as a God-fearing king of Judah, but his weakness lay in making ungodly alliances with the wicked kings of Israel. In this moment, his desire to please Ahab, maintain solidarity, and avoid conflict with his neighbor outweighed his caution regarding Micaiah’s prophecy. Jehoshaphat even goes along with Ahab’s suggestion that Ahab disguise himself as a regular soldier and Jehosphaphat wear kingly robes, hoping to avoid Micaiah’s prediction that he would did in the battle. But God intervened and spared Jehoshaphat. A God-guided, random arrow pierced Ahab’s armor, mortally wounding him. He died that evening and the dogs licked his blood in Samaria.

Judah #4 Jehoshaphat. 1 Kings 22:41-50 Reigned 25 years. He began to reign back in the 4th year of Ahab’s 22 year reign so this is one of those “catching up” of kings from the southern kingdom who began their reigns during Ahab’s reign before the author goes on to give the events of the next king of Israel after Ahab. Overall Jehoshaphat was a righteous king excess for his alliance with Ahab.

Israel #8 Ahaziah. 1 Kings 22:40 – 2 Kings 1:18. Reigned 2 years. Served Baal. Ahaziah fell and was injured. He sent messengers to inquire off Baal-Zebub as to whether he would recover or not. Elijah then told him that he would not recover.

Elijah Miracle #6: 2 groups of 50 men killed with fire. Ahaziah sent 3 captains each with 50 money to arrest or kill Elijah, but the first two groups were consumed by fire from God. The 3rd captain begged for him and his men to be spared: “Hey, I’m just the messenger!” Jehoram (not a son of Ahaziah) will become king after Ahaziah died.

2 Kings 2 Elijah ascends and Elisha takes his place. Elijah had already anointed Elisha as his successor and Elisha was sticking close to him before he ascends. I don’t know if Elisha was expecting Elijah to ascend like he did.

Elijah Miracle #7 Dividing of the Jordan. They both crossed over the Jordan. Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of Elijah’s miraculous powers. Many say that Elijah did 14 miracles and Elisha did 28, but by my count Elijah did 7 miracles and Elisha did 14. Elijah’s mantle fell to him as Elijah ascended on a chariot of fire and horses of fire. The next time we will see Elijah is when he appears on the Mt of Transfiguration with Jesus (Matthew 17).

1 Kings 2 Elisha’s miracles begin.

OCT 26 READ 1 KINGS 15-19

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We begin the divided kingdom.

Many find it difficult to read 1st and 2nd Kings b/c it goes back and forth between the northern kingdom (10 tribes) and the southern kingdom (2 tribes). But there is a pattern. The author will start with a king in one of the two kingdoms and tell the events of his entire reign. Let’s suppose a king (king A) reigns 20 years. If at the end of his reign a new king has not begun to reign in the other kingdom, then the author will go to the next king after king A and give the events of his reign. But if at the end of the reign of king A a new king has begun to reign in the other kingdom, then the author will skip to the other kingdom and give the events of that king to his death. The process continues in this manner.

For example: 1 Kings 15:8 Asa became king of the southern kingdom. The author then gives all the events of the 40 year reign of Asa to his death (1 Kings 15:24). But during his reign, in the 2nd year of his reign, Nadab the son of Jereboam became king over the northern kingdom and reigned over Israel 2 years. Then Baasha reigned over Israel 24 years. Ela then became king over Israel and reigned 2 years. Then Zimri became king over Israel and reigned 7 days. Then Omri became king of Israel and reigned 12 years. Then Ahab became king over Israel and reigned 22 years. 1 Kings 16:29 says that Ahab became king in the 38th year of the 40 year reign of Asa king of Judah. Notice that the author has covered the reign of 5 consecutive kings of Israel who reigned over Israel during Asa’s 40 year reign. He then gives the events of the next king of Israel, Ahab, up to his death (1 Kings 22:40) which extends 20 years past the reign of Asa in Judah. BTW that means that 1 Kings 16-22 are all about the reign of Ahab. 1 Kings 22:40 mentions that Ahaziah becomes king of Israel after Ahab dies but doesn’t give the events of Ahaziah’s reign yet. Instead, during the 22 year reign of Ahab a new king, Jehoshaphat, arose in Judah in the 4th year of Ahab’s reign and reigned 25 years. So at the death of Ahab the author skips from the northern kingdom and reign of Ahab over to the southern kingdom and the reign of Jehoshaphat. During Jehoshaphat’s 25 year reign, in the 17th year of his reign at the death of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Israel so the author at the death of Jehoshaphat will skip back to the northern kingdom and give the events of the 2 year reign of Ahaziah up to the death of Ahaziah (2 Kings 1:17). So now you are even more confused, right? I do think this is the pattern used in 1st and 2nd kings to cover all the kings of the two divided kingdoms. I hope that helps. When I am studying or teaching just the kings of Judah, I always use 2 Chronicles 10-36 b/c that only covers kings of Judah consecutively and not the kings of Israel, so it is not as confusing as using 1 and 2 Kings. It will mention kings of Israel when they are involved in the reigns of any of the kings of Judah, but it does not cover the reigns of any of the kings of Israel like 1 and 2 Kings does.

So in our continued reading of 1 and 2 Kings, let’s use this pattern to go back and forth between the 2 kingdoms.

Judah #1 Rehoboam 1Kings 12-14 Reigned 17 years.

Judah #2 Abijam 1 Kings 15:1-7 Reigned 3 years. He did evil but for the sake of David God kept the kingly line going.

Judah #3 Asa 1 Kings 15:8-24 Reigned 41 years.

Israel #2 Nadab. 1 Kings 15:25-27 Reigned 2 years. Assassinated by Baasha who killed all of the rest of Jereboam’s household..

Israel #3 Baasha. 1 Kings 15:28-16:7 Reigned 24 years.

Israel #4 Elah. 1 Kings 16:6-14 Reigned 2 years. Zimri assassinated Elah and killed all of his household.

Israel #5 Zimri. 1 Kings 16:9-20 Reigned 7 days. Zimri also killed all of the rest of Baasha’s household. Committed suicide by burning himself in a house.

Israel #6 Omri. 1 Kings 16:15-28 Reigned 12 years. Built the city of Samaria to be the capital of the northern kingdom.

Israel #7 Ahab. 1 Kings 16:28-22:40 Reigned 22 years. Worshipped Baal and Asherah.

1 Kings 17 begins the work of Elijah the prophet. We will number and record the miracles of Elijah;

Elijah Miracle #1: He predicted a famine to last 3 1/2 years. James 5:17-18 mentions this. Ravens fed Elijah at a brook.

Elijah Miracle #2: Flour and oil for the widow at Zarepheth. She was about to prepare her last flour and oil for her and her son to eat and then die, but by faith gave it to Elijah. He gave her flour and oil during the famine. Luke 4:25-27 mentions this widow.

Elijah Miracle #3: Raised son of the widow when he died. He stretched out on him 3 times and he came to life.

1 Kings 18 begins with the prophet Obadiah who hid 100 prophets from Jezebel who had killed prophets of the Lord. Elijah got him to arrange a meeting for him and Ahab, which Obadiah reluctantly did. Elijah met with Ahab and challenged his prophets to a test on Mt Carmel . 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, all verses Elijah the true prophet of God.

Elijah Miracle #4: The defeat of the prophets of Baal and Asherah at Mt Carmel. They tried all day to call down fire from their false gods to consume the altar and Ellijah mocked them. Elijah then drenched the altar 3 times and called down fire that consumed the offering and the the altar. He then had the 450 prophets of Baal killed.

Elijah Miracle #5: He prayed and ended the drought. James 5:17-28

1 Kings 19 Elijah’s depression. Jezebel was furious when she heard that Elijah had milled 450 of her prophets of Baal. She swore to kill Elijah within one day. Elijah is obviously depressed. He goes to Mt Horeb (Mt Sinai) for 40 days and nights. Twice God asked him, “19:“What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”” As He did with Moses, the Lord passsed by but he was not in the violent wind, earthquake, or fire. Instead he was in a gentle breeze. God then told him to quit feeling sorry for himself and get back to his work as a prophet, to anoint Hazael of Syria (who would kill many in Israel), Jehu (who would kill Ahab and Jezebel), and Elisha (who would take Elijah’s place). He also told him that he was not alone in serving God, that He still had 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal. That’s not a lot percentage wise of the Israelites, but God has always been in the remnant business.

Life Lesson: Do you struggle with depression and self pity? Do you ever feel like you are the only one trying your best to do God’s will? Does it bother you when the wicked seem to have the upper hand in our society? Does it bother you when God doesn’t react to evil in some forceful way (the wind, the earthquake, the fire) but instead He just gently continues to work among men? Does it bother you when evil leaders and dictators all around the world kill God’s people and nothing happens to them? Are you running from your problems or staying and fighting, trusting in God? If so, maybe you need to go to an isolated place (like Mt Horeb) and spend some time meditating on God’s power and working, renewing your courage to get back in the fight. Get back to work using your gift to serve the Lord and let the Lord take care of vengeance.

OCT 25. READ 1 KINGS 10-14

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1 Kings 10 The Queen of Sheba. Whether the Queen of Sheba was Ethiopian depends on the historical or traditional account you reference, as her kingdom spanned both sides of the Red Sea. Mainstream archaeological and historical sources place the ancient kingdom of Sheba (Sabaʾ) primarily in southwestern Arabia, in modern-day Yemen (see the map).

Her conclusion after meeting with Solomon? The half was not told me. According to Ethiopian tradition, she bore Solomon a son named Menelik I, who later founded the Solomonic line of Ethiopian emperors. Ethiopian belief holds that when he grew up and visited Jerusalem that Menelik brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Aksum, where many still believe it resides. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church officially claims to possess the original Ark of the Covenant. The church states that the Ark is housed in a special treasury near the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in the town of Aksum (Axum), Ethiopia. It is guarded by a monk and no one is allowed to view it. That is all Ethiopian tradition. No one knows what happened to the ark. Many think the Israelites buried it under the temple so the Babylonians could not take it. AI: “When the Romans sacked and burned the Second Temple in 70 AD, the Holy of Holies contained no Ark. According to the ancient historian Flavius Josephus, who witnessed the siege, the inner sanctuary was completely empty. While the Roman soldiers did loot sacred items like the golden menorah and the table of showbread—which are famously depicted on the Arch of Titus in Rome—the Ark of the Covenant was notably absent from the list of captured treasures.”

Solomon’s wealth. The 666 talents of gold he received each year was about $3 billion today.

1 Kings 11 Solomon’s idolatry. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines mainly from countries that he subjugated. He began to worship Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Milcom, and Molech and other gods. God told him that his kingdom would be taken away from his son Rehoboam after Solomon died. He would leave Solomon one tribe, Judah, for the sake of the promises God had made to David, his father, that David’s house would be established. The rightful kings came from the tribe of Judah and the southern kingdom of Judah. Jesus would eventually come from the tribe of Judah and take his seat on the throne of David in heaven (a spiritual throne over a spiritual kingdom, the church). BTW the tribe of Benjamin, which was very small and close to Judah on the map, stayed loyal to Judah, so the southern kingdom of Judah actually had 2 tribes (Judah and Benjamin). It’s hard to believe that rhe wisest man of earth could turn to idolatry like Solomon did. The prophet Ahijah anointed Jereboam as the king of the 10 tribes that rebelled against Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Solomon tried to kill Jereboam but he fled to Egypt. Solomon ruled 40 years and died.

1 Kings 12 The kingdom divided. Rehoboam had a chance to keep the 12 tribes together if he would lessen the heavy yoke that Solomon had put on them, but he listened to his young advisors who told him to make the yoke even heavier. The 10 tribes anointed Jereboam to be their king and would come to be known as the northern kingdom of Israel (a little confusing since us to now all 12 tribes of the united kingdom was called Israel). Rehoboam assembled 180,000 men to fight the 10 tribes and force them to be loyal to him, but God told him not to fight them. Jereboam then set up 2 golden calves to worship at Dan and Bethel. He also instituted feast days and his own priesthood (not Levitical) so that the Israelites in the 10 tribes would not go back to Jerusalem for the main feasts and to worship in the temple in Jerusalem. All of the kings of the northern kingdom would be idolatrous.

1 Kings 13 The prophet sent to curse Jereboam’s altar. God sent a prophet to curse the idolatrous altar that Jereboam was burning incense on at Bethel. God told the prophet to return from Bethel to Jerusalem non-stop. An older prophet caught up to the prophet and lied to him. He told him that an angel had told him (the older prophet) to bring the prophet to his house to eat. When he did, God told the prophet that he would did b/c he disobeyed God. A lion killed him on his journey back to Jerusalem. The older prophet recovered and buried the prophet’s body.

Lesson: We might be thinking, “but the prophet was lied to”. That’s correct. But he had his instructions and he should have consulted the Lord before accepting what the older prophet told him. There is a lesson there. Many false prophets have told people that they have had angels or visions or God speaking to them. Be careful before you accept what they say as the word of God. “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God or not.” (1 John 4:1) Jesus said, “the blind lead the blind and they both fall into the ditch”. It is our responsibility to make sure someone is really telling us the word of God. Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

1 Kings 14 Jereboam’s son was sick so his wife disguised herself and went to Ahijah the prophet in Judah to find out if the boy would get well. The prophet was told by God that she was Jereboam’s wife and told her the child would die as soon as she set foot back in her house, and he did. Jereboam reigned 22 years over the northern kingdom of Israel.

Solomon’s son Rehoboam would reign over the southern kingdom of Judah for 17 years. During that time Shishak the king of Egypt came and took the gold treasure that Solomon had accumulated. Rehoboam was the son of an Ammonite mother and the people of Judah committed idolatry and sinned.

OCT 24 READ 1 KINGS 5-9

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1 Kings 5: Solomons gets cedars from Lebanon. Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre were good friends but we don’t know how that friendship was formed. This is really interesting about those cedars: AI

Cedars (specifically the Cedars of Lebanon) are mentioned frequently in the Bible—around 70 to over 100 times—because they were the most prized, durable, and majestic natural resource in the ancient Near East.

Key Reasons Cedars Appear So Often

  • Superior Building Material: Cedar wood was fragrant, reddish, straight-grained, and naturally resistant to rot, decay, and insect attacks.
  • Royal and Sacred Construction:
    • King David used cedar wood to build his palace (2 Samuel 5:11).
    • King Solomon imported massive amounts of cedar from King Hiram of Tyre to build the First Temple in Jerusalem and his own royal palace (1 Kings 5:6-10; 1 Kings 7:2–12).
    • Cedar beams were also used later when rebuilding the Second Temple (Ezra 3:7).
  • Symbol of Strength and Permanence: Growing up to 130 feet tall with deep roots and massive branches, the cedar represented physical might, majesty, stability, and enduring power (Job 40:17).
  • Spiritual Metaphors:
    • The Bible often compares the righteous to the cedars of Lebanon, noting how they grow strong, tall, and deeply rooted (Psalm 92:12).
    • Conversely, towering cedars were also used as a prophetic metaphor for human pride and arrogance that gets cut down or humbled by God (Isaiah 2:13; Ezekiel 31:3–9).
  • Divine Provision: Scripture views the cedar forests of Lebanon as a direct creation and gift from God (Psalm 104:16) (“the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted”).

Do you remember those warnings that Moses and Samuel gave about how a king would burden the people? One of the areas was making Israelites from the 12 tribes be forced labor. Solomon did that. 5:13 Now King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men. 15 Now Solomon had 70,000 transporters, and 80,000 hewers of stone in the mountains. Remember, it took 13 years to build his palace and 7 years to build his temple. That’s 20 years total, half of his 40 year reign, with forced labor. It’s a wonder that the 10 tribes waited till he died to rebel against his heavy handed way of treating them.

2 Samuel 6 Solomon builds the temple. In the 4th year of his reign he began building the temple and it took 7 years to finish. The stones for the temple were cut without iron tools (making it a lot harder) at the quarry and not on the temple site. These stones typically weighed up to 25-40 tons each and were 12-15 feet long. The quarries were located close by to Jerusalem, allowing the finished stones to be dragged or moved overland via manual labor, sleds, rollers, or ramps without requiring long-distance freight. Still a massive amount of labor hewing those stones (80,000 stonemasons) and dragging those stones (70, 000 transporters) to the temple site.

In the original ark put in the tabernacle there were two cherubim on the mercy seat on the ark facing each other, but the cherubim of Solomon’s temple stood side by side, 15 feet tall, wings toughing stretching across the full 30 feet wide holy of holies.

2 Samuel 7 Solomon’s builds his palace. Solomon’s Palace: He spent 13 years building a large personal royal complex and dwelling for himself, which included structures like the Throne Hall and the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:1–8). Pharaoh’s Daughter’s Palace: He built a separate, matching house specifically for his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 7:8).

1 Kings 8 Solomon’s puts the ark of the covenant in the temple. Before King Solomon placed the Ark of the Covenant into the newly built temple, King David housed it in a special tent (often called the Tabernacle of David) in the City of David (also known as Mount Zion) in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:17, 1 Kings 8:1). Solomon had it brought from there to the holy of holies in the new temple. 8:10 It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”

  • Setting: Solomon stood on a bronze platform before the altar of the Lord, facing the assembly of Israel, then knelt with his hands stretched toward heaven.
  • Core Acknowledgment: He confessed that the highest heavens cannot contain God, let alone a physical building, yet asked God to watch over the temple day and night and listen to prayers directed toward it.

Key Themes of the Prayer of Dedication for the Temple:

  • Praise for God’s Faithfulness: Solomon praised God for keeping His covenant and fulfilling the promise made to his father, King David, regarding the Davidic lineage.
  • Seven Petitions (Scenarios for Intervention): The prayer outlines seven specific situations where Solomon asked God to hear from heaven, grant justice, and forgive the people when they turn back to Him:
    1. Legal Disputes: When someone is charged and forced to take an oath before the altar.
    2. Military Defeat: When Israel is defeated by an enemy because of sin.
    3. Drought: When the skies are shut and there is no rain due to rebellion.
    4. Natural Calamities: Famines, plagues, blights, mildew, or locusts.
    5. Foreigners: When outsiders hear of God’s great name and pray toward the temple.
    6. War: When Israel goes into battle at God’s command.
    7. Exile: When the people sin, are taken captive to a distant or near land, and repent toward the temple.

Conclusion of the Event

  • Divine Response: Fire fell from heaven to consume the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
  • Celebration: Solomon and all Israel offered massive sacrifices (22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep) and hosted a 14-day festival of gratitude.

1 Kings 9 God’s warning to Solomon. God warned Solomon about what would happen if he or his sons (descendants from the tribe of Judah) started worshipping idols. Israel would be cut off and the temple would become a “heap of ruins”. That is exactly what happened to the temple in the period of the divided kingdom when Judah became so evil that God sent the Babylonians to destroy the temple in 586 BC. BTW Solomon gave Hiram king of Tyre 20 cities in gratitude for his cedars and his craftsmanship help. Solomon also had a fleet of ships that he used to bring in gold from the surrounding subjugated nations.

So far, so good with Solomon’s reign for the first 20 years. But then is what he falls from grace! Stay tuned.

OCT 23. READ 1 SAMUEL 24; 1 KINGS 1-4

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1Samuel 24 David sins by taking a census. This incident needs a little discussion. The Lord was already angry at the people for some sins they committed (we don’t know what). David’s numbering of the fighting men was a reaction to that. He probably feared that God would allow the Philistines to defeat Israel b/c of their sins and he put his trust in the strength of his fighting men instead of just trusting God and trying to get the people to repent. So Gods anger “incited David to number the people” and “Satan moved David to number the people” (1 Chronicles 21:1). As in the book of Job, God sometimes allows Satan to test His people. Even Joab told David he should not do the census. The census took almost 10 months and registered 1,300,000 fighting men of Israel. David’s conscience bothered him later and he asked forgiveness from God. God gave him 3 options for his punishment and David chose 3 days of pestilence. What would you have thought if your parents gave you 3 options for punishment for something bad that you did? 70,000 died in that pestilence, and the “death angel” was about to strike the people in Jerusalem when the Lord relented. David made offerings on an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah and God stopped the plague completely. You might read this punishment and think what David thought: 24:17 Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house.” But remember that the Lord was angry with the people b/c of their sins so the plague was part of their punishment also.

Life Lesson: Do you ever resort to trusting in your doctors or your money or your possessions or your physical strength instead of trusting in God? Maybe some things have been making the future look bleak so you start counting your money to see how you will fare with a monetary collapse. Perhaps a major illness hits you or someone you love and you put your faith in the medical profession instead of God. It’s ok to have money in reserve and to seek help from doctors, but the first thing we should do is trust God and ask Him for wisdom. Asa was lifted up in pride at the end of his reign and it says that only sought the aid of physicians and not God.

1 Kings 1 Adonijah tries to become king. David is about 70 years old and is on his deathbed, having been king for 40 years. But there is more “trouble in his house” as predicted by Nathan. David’s son Adonijah tries to make himself king even though David has said that Bathsheeba’s son Solomon will succeed him. Adonijah was a spoiled son. 1:6 His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.” It’s not hard to spot people like him today whose parents gave them whatever they wanted and never told them “no” or rebuked them. They become self willed and selfish. They might even turn on their parents to take their parents’ money or land or possessions. It’s not surprising that Joab tried to help Adonijah become king. He had been out of David’s favor for a long time now. Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet sided with Solomon to be king. At Bathsheeba’s urging, David had Zadok and Nathan officially anoint Solomon as the next king and have him sit on David’s throne. Adonijah had been having a feast to anoint himself as king when he heard all this, and he took hold of the horns on the corners of the altar of burnt offerings out of fear of Solomon. Solomon did not kill him at this time but sent him to his house.

1 Kings 2 David’s deathbed charge to Solomon. David charged him to punish Joab and Shimei and show kindness to the sons of Barzilli. David died at the age of 70. Solomon put Adonijah to death for asking to be given Abishag (the woman who lay with David on his deathbed to keep him warm) for his wife. Solomon than dismissed Abiathar from being high priest b/c he had supported Adonijah. Abiathar was a descendant of Eli the high priest through the lineage of Aaron’s son Ithamar. God had given the high priesthood to Aaron’s son Elezar and his descendants after Aaron died but at some undefined point in the judges it shifted to the descendants of Aaron’s son,Ithamar, which is how Eli became high priest. But now Solomon will shift the high priesthood back to the descendants of Eleazar beginning with Zadok who supported Solomon becoming king. The Zadok high priesthood remained with the descendants of Zadok (the Zadokites) for roughly 700 to 800 years, beginning in the 10th century BCE under King Solomon until it was displaced around 171–167 BCE during the rise of the Maccabees and the Hasmonean dynasty took over the high priesthood. Solomon promised not to kill Shimei as long as he remained in Jerusalem, but after 3 years he left the city and Solomon had him killed. David was not allowed to build the temple b/c he was a man of bloodshed, but Solomon had Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei killed after David died. I guess those “notches” go on David’s belt since he ordered Solomon to do that.

Life Lesson: How would you summarize David’s life. He was the only Old Testament character described as “the man after God’s own heart”. But he committed 4 sins worthy of capital punishment (for which he was forgiven) and he was a man of much bloodshed and cruelty to enemies. But only God knows the hearts, and apparently David had a very, very special heart, wanting to please God all his life (except for some really bad periods of really bad decisions). My take is that God’s grace and forgiveness is awesome if we have sincere hearts than want to please Him. We tend to judge based on how bad and how many our sins are, but God is looking at the heart. A man might have many more sins than some self-righteous church goer, and yet have a more pleasing heart for God. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector says it all. Luke 18:9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” So come clean. People might see you and comment on what a wonderful person and Christian you are. But what is really in your heart? Do you love God more than anything else in life? Is your #1 desire to please Him or to enjoy this world’s pleasures and riches? Is there evil in your heart that you are not repenting of? James 4:6 “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

1 Kings 3 Solomon’s wish granted. Solomon begins his reign well. 3:3 Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. AI: “Elevated ground reduced the distance between earth and the divine realm, making prayers, smoke from burnt offerings, and incense more visible and accessible to deities. Many ancient cultures (such as the Canaanites, Moabites, and neighboring Near Eastern peoples) linked specific mountain peaks or hilltops to storm, sky, or fertility gods like Baal. These sites typically included stone altars, upright sacred pillars (matzevot), incense altars (hammanim), and wooden poles (asherim) dedicated to fertility and nature goddesses.” Solomon making offerings on the high places was rooted in pagan worship and God tolerated it though He did no approve of it. It will be a practice of sinful Israelites centuries after the temple was built. Kings Hezekiah and Josiah are the biblical kings of Judah credited with removing the high places of pagan worship. King Hezekiah: Removed the high places, smashed sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles as part of centralizing worship in Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:4). King Josiah: Conducted a massive religious reform, destroying pagan altars, high places, Asherah poles, and shrines throughout Judah, Jerusalem, and parts of the former northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 23). Other otherwise righteous kings—such as Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Jotham—did not take them down during their reigns. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the high place at Gibeon and God offered to give him whatever he wished. Solomon is still humble and only asks for wisdom. God gives him wisdom and riches b/c of his humility. His wisdom is soon demonstrated in the settling of the argument between the 2 women when he proposed splitting the child in half (which he knew he would not have to really do that b/c the real mother would not allow that). What would you ask for if God gave you one wish? Money? Material possessions? Would you ask for wisdom to be able to help others?

1 Kings 4 Solomon’s power, wealth, and wisdom. Solomon’s kingdom matched the scope of the land promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:18–21, though the nature of the rule involved both direct control and subject tributary kingdoms. The Fulfillment (1 Kings 4:21): The text states that Solomon “ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.” The Promise (Genesis 15:18): God promised Abraham’s descendants the land “from the river of Egypt [Wadi of Egypt] to the great river, the Euphrates.” Granted, Israel did not actually live in all the land in Solomon’s kingdom. A lot of his kingdom were subjugated or vassal kingdoms of other nations who paid much tribute to Solomon. Solomon did have a massive army so the subjugation of those nations were a result of his great power. The provisions needed for Solomon’s massive army and household were massive. Each tribe had to supply the provisions for one month of each year. This was a source of great unrest that helped split the kingdom after Solomon died. God made him the wisest man on earth. Imagine 3,000 proverbs (like in the book of Proverbs) and 1,005 songs (like in the book Song of Solomon). King Solomon fulfilled almost every warning that the prophet Samuel gave in 1 Samuel 8 and broke the specific instructions for kings outlined in Deuteronomy 17. He drafted the sons of the people for his army, multiplied horses, used forced labor to build his palaces, confiscated fields and property, and taxed the people heavily for his monthly provisions. This would be 40 years of this but things were peaceful and prosperous. 4:25 So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.” They went along with it until Solomon died.

OCT 22 READ 2 SAMUEL 19-23

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2 Samuel 19 David returns to Jerusalem. Joab rebuked David for his continual grieving over the death of Absalom. He said it was offensive to those who risked their lives to keep Absalom from killing David. David finally decided to return to Jerusalem as king and made a passionate appeal to his officials to bring him back, which they did. Shimei meets David at the Jordan River and begs forgiveness for when he cursed David and threw stones at him as he was fleeing Jerusalem. David swore not to kill him even though Abishai wanted to. Later on his deathbed he would turn the fate of Shimei over to Solomon who eventually did kill Shimei. Ziba and his 15 sons met David to help him cross the Jordan. Mephibosheth also met David as he was returning to Jerusalem and explained why he did not go with David when he fled Jerusalem. He said that Ziba had lied to David when he told him that Mephibosheth had gone over to Absalom. Instead, Ziba had told him that he would saddle a donkey for him to leave with David, and then Ziba just left him in Jerusalem. Since he was lame, he could not get on a donkey and leave. I’m pretty sure David believed Mephibosheth’s version of what happened, but he had already sworn to give Mephibosheth’s land to Ziba. So David just resolved to divide the land between them. Do you remember Barzilli? He had brought much food and supplies to David at Mahanaim after he fled from Absalom. David offered to take Barzilli into Jerusalem with him and care for him but Barzilli declined due to his age (80) and a desire to die in his home town. There was a lot of angry words between 10 of the tribes (apparently Benjamin was the 11th tribe not involved here) and the men of the 12th tribe, Judah, over who would get the credit for binging the king back to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 20 Sheba’s revolt. Sheba and the Benjamites revolted against David as king. David told his main commander Amasa whom David had replaced Joab with to put down the rebellion. But Joab met Amasa and killed him. Joab is a bloodthirsty man and out of David’s control. Joab then pursued Sheba and trapped him in a city and sieged the city. A woman met with Joab and told him that the people in the city would deliver Sheba to prevent the city from being destroyed. They cut off the head of Sheba and threw it over the wall and Joab left. That ended Sheba’s rebellion. Joab is back in control as the main commander of David’s army.

2 Samuel 21 Gibeonite revenge. God told David that the famine was b/c of how King Saul had broken Joshua’s treaty with the Gibeonites (they had deceived Joshua into thinking they were from a far off city instead of the nearby cities that were to be totally destroyed) and killed man Gibeonites. David aaked them what would appease them and they asked for 7 of Saul’s descendants to be given to them to be hanged, which he did. A sad, sad story about Rizpah. The bodies of the 7 men (2 or which were Rizpah’s sons) were left out in the open. Rizpah stayed day and night, even in the rain, to keep the birds from feeding on the corpses. David heard about that and had the bones of Saul and Jonathon (that were at Jabesh-Gilead) and the bodies of the 7 hanged men buried in the grave of Saul’s father Kish. One of the descendants of Goliath tried to kill David but Abishai (Joab’s brother) killed him. David’s men killed several other Philistine giants, one of whom had 24 toes and fingers! . It makes you wonder just how many giants there were. And then we wonder where did the giants originate since everyone came from Noah and his 3 sons. Where did the DNA get in the gene pool to create all these giants?

2 Samuel 22 David’s psalm of deliverance. Psalm 18 is nearly identical to 2 Samuel 22. Both chapters record King David’s song of thanksgiving and praise to God for delivering him from his enemies (including Saul).

2 Samuel 23 is called “the last words of David” because it marks his final prophetic oracle and formal poetic testament rather than his absolute last spoken words before death. Then comes the names of the “mighty men of David”, made famous for their heroic deeds on behalf of David. You can read all their heroic deeds but one stands out to me. David was thirsty and wanted water from the well at Bethlehem where the Philistines were camped. 3 men risked their lives, broke through the Philistine camp and brought David some water from that well. David poured it out b/c he felt unworthy to drink it. I wonder what those 3 men thought when he poured it out. That might not have looked like a noble gesture to them!