An important remind from this reading is that we are responsible for our own actions. Amaziah could have put to death the children of those who led Judah in the wrong direction, but he didn't because the Law said that, "Fathers shall not die because of their children, nor children die because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin" (2 ... [Continue Reading]
Tossed by the Wind (2 Kings 12-13; 2 Chronicles 24)
There's really no better description for Israel and Judah than to say that they were tossed about by the wind. The direction of their leader determined the direction of their nation, and unfortunately, their leaders took them back and forth. One would be committed to the Lord, and then another would abandon the ways of the Lord. The only consistent ... [Continue Reading]
Cleaning House (2 Kings 9-11)
Elisha gave Jehu the important job of cleaning Israel's house. The problem was that it had become corrupt, and the leaders were leading the Israelites away from the Lord. So Elisha anointed Jehu the new king and gave instructions to rid the nation of Ahab's and Jezabel's evil influences. Not wasting any time, Jehu nearly followed through ... [Continue Reading]
The Promise Keeper (2 Kings 5-8)
The sins of the Israelites certainly carried a lot of consequences for the nation. Things had gotten so bad that parents were even eating children in order to survive. But even in the midst of all of the horrible things that were happening, the Bible reminds us that God preserved Judah because of His promise to David. The nation had nearly hit rock ... [Continue Reading]
Don’t Challenge God’s Call (2 Kings 1-4)
While the story of Elisha calling down a curse on the young people is somewhat comical, it really underscores something important. It's not simply a morbid Old Testament account. Truly, Elisha had been given a calling by God, and it was his responsibility to follow the through. The young men who were mocking him were challenging God's call. ... [Continue Reading]
Pride Leads to a Fall (Obadiah)
I've heard it said before that the root of all sin is pride. Whether it's true or not, pride certainly has been the cause of downfall for many people and kingdoms. The warning from Obadiah is that the pride of the heart has deceived Israel. See, pride has a way of making us believe that we know what's best for ourselves and for our lives. ... [Continue Reading]
Departures (2 Chronicles 21-23)
The death of Jehoram was anything but sad. In fact, the Bible says that "he departed with no one's regret" (2 Chronicles 21:20). I guess the idea of departure is on my mind right now because I'm preparing to depart Brazil and head back to the United States... permanently. It's Wednesday morning (this blog entry is time-delayed), ... [Continue Reading]
Whose Battle? (2 Chronicles 19-20)
There are really two types of battles that take place: those that belong to the Lord and those that belong to us. The Lord never loses a battle, but we can easily be defeated. As it was with the Israelites, as long as they were committed to obeying the Lord and following Him wholeheartedly, they never lost a battle. But when they turned from Him and ... [Continue Reading]
Silencing the Opposition (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18)
Who has the permission to speak truth into your life? For Ahab, nobody did. He was so concerned about hearing only the news that he wanted to hear, that he ignored the voices of the prophets who spoke truth to him. The problem is that it's easy to listen to the voices of people who tell us what we want to hear. But when they tell us what we ... [Continue Reading]
What is Your Price? (1 Kings 20-21)
It's too bad that Ahab never stopped to ask himself that question. God gave Ahab a second chance, but Ahab blew it and "sold himself to do what [was] evil in the sight of the Lord" (1 Kings 21:20). For him, he gained some great wealth and power. For us, we settle for far less: the acceptance of friends, a little money, a promotion. ... [Continue Reading]
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