2 Kings 1

WEEK  16                                           2  Kings 1

MONDAY  Reflections

It is easy to focus on God's vengeance on Ahaziah and the soldiers. After the conflict with the prophets of Baal and the record of Elijah, it would seem that if you need a prophecy, God through Elijah would be the place to go. Ahaziah probably didn't want the truth but reassurance and sent for the person who would give it to him.  We can miss the real danger Elijah was in from soldiers sent by the king (they weren't chosen because they were gentle). One can guess that Elijah wasn't being sent for so he could be treated to a banquet. His pronouncement that the king would die could be thought of as treason. The soldiers were going to kill him. The first two captains didn't understand or appreciate the danger they were going into. Elijah, in the past, had called down fire from heaven. Obadiah understood that the Spirit of God could supernaturally translocate Elijah. There was reason to fear facing Elijah. The third captain realized this danger and called for mercy. God, as always, responded in kind. God's mercy is what I want to highlight in this chapter.


2Ki 1:1-18
(1)  Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
(2)  And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
(3)  But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
(4)  Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
(5)  And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?
(6)  And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
(7)  And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
(8)  And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
(9)  Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
(10)  And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
(11)  Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
(12)  And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
(13)  And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
(14)  Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
(15)  And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
(16)  And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
(17)  So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.
(18)  Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

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Lamentations 1

WEEK 15                                        Lamentations 1

SATURDAY  Reflections

We can't see it in English but four of the chapters of Lamentations are an acrostic. They lay out a case of desperation for those who have seen their homeland destroyed.

 

The first part of verse 21 stands out to me, as I have seen many people in grief. The writer says there isn't anyone to offer comfort. In fact, the author says those around are glad to see them, as they are. This is the way it feels at times in life. Even for those who know that God is watching over them. There are times they/I have felt all alone.

 

Lamentations reminds me that God is okay with people grieving. He is not offended when people cry out in pain. If you look at the garden of Gethsemane you see Jesus crying out to God. God is not just not offended, he understands. If anyone can comfort, it is God. Yet at times he knows we need to cry it out before we can receive comfort.

Lam 1:1-22
(1)  How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!
(2)  She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
(3)  Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.
(4)  The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
(5)  Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.
(6)  And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.
(7)  Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.
(8)  Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.
(9)  Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.
(10)  The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.
(11)  All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.
(12)  Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
(13)  From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.
(14)  The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.
(15)  The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.
(16)  For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
(17)  Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
(18)  The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
(19)  I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.
(20)  Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
(21)  They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.
(22)  Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

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Jeremiah 52

WEEK  15                                            Jeremiah 52

FRIDAY  Reflections

To end the book of Jeremiah, we are taken back to the destruction of Jerusalem. The book is seeming to end with the end of the nation. The destruction of the city, the temple, and the children of the king are laid out. The numbers of captives are listed but the book doesn't end there. The book ends with the king of Judah taken out of prison and set at the Babylonian king's table. It ends with hope, the sad tale of Judah ends not with its destruction but with a hint, something more is coming, the line of David hasn't ended. There is hope the king will return to Jerusalem.

Jer 52:1-34
(1)  Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
(2)  And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
(3)  For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
(4)  And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.
(5)  So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
(6)  And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
(7)  Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.
(8)  But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
(9)  Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.
(10)  And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
(11)  Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
(12)  Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,
(13)  And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:
(14)  And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.
(15)  Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.
(16)  But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.
(17)  Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.
(18)  The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
(19)  And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.
(20)  The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
(21)  And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.
(22)  And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.
(23)  And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.
(24)  And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
(25)  He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.
(26)  So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
(27)  And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.
(28)  This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:
(29)  In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:
(30)  In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
(31)  And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,
(32)  And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
(33)  And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
(34)  And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

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Matthew 15

WEEK  15                                             Matthew 15

THURSDAY  Reflections

In this chapter, there are three great truths. The first is that the cause of sin (uncleanness) is not what is on the outside but what is on the inside. The second is the great faith of a Canaanite woman who came to Jesus the Jewish Messiah for healing. The final is the feeding of the 4000, a great sign to those who wanted to doubt Jesus (but that is for the next chapter).

 

All three events teach great truths, yet the truth I want to look at today is what is happening to the Canaanite woman. This woman has been dismissed by the disciples. They actually want her to be sent away. The people, who believe this woman doesn’t deserve help, are actually the disciples, as we see Jesus in other places freely giving a healing hand to those outside the Jewish community. Jesus here is, according to Saint Charles(me), isn’t correcting the woman by saying he was only sent to the Israelites, but was actually both correcting the disciples and demonstrating the faith of this woman. She according to the traditions of the day, had no right to claim anything of Jesus, yet she comes to him not just as a healer but she is claiming he is the Messiah. There must have been something which made her realize that the Messiah would not only help his own but also help those who were considered “dogs” by the Jewish culture. She had the courage to stand on her faith about who and what Jesus was, even though those around her dismissed and discouraged her. This is great faith.

 

My prayer is that you will have the strength of faith to stand firm in Christ though those around you dismiss and discourage you. 

Mat 15:1-39
(1)  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
(2)  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
(3)  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
(4)  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
(5)  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
(6)  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
(7)  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
(8)  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
(9)  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
(10)  And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
(11)  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
(12)  Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
(13)  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
(14)  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
(15)  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
(16)  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
(17)  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
(18)  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
(19)  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
(20)  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
(21)  Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
(22)  And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
(23)  But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
(24)  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
(25)  Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
(26)  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
(27)  And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
(28)  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
(29)  And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
(30)  And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
(31)  Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
(32)  Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
(33)  And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
(34)  And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
(35)  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
(36)  And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
(37)  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
(38)  And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
(39)  And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

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Ecclesiastes 12

WEEK   15                                     Ecclesiastes 12

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

So ends Ecclesiastes, with the words of not the Teacher(preacher), but the writer. However, both conclude with the same admonition, obey God. The writer says that fearing God and keeping his commands is what lasts. Though this is true it isn't the whole truth in light of the New Testament. The whole truth is Jesus came not to just obey but to make us like him, to make us part of God's family. You might say Jesus came to make obeying natural to us and to have us not afraid of God but to love Him. 

If we refuse what Jesus has to offer, then we need to remember "God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (verse 14, NIV).

Ecc 12:1-14
(1)  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
(2)  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
(3)  In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
(4)  And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
(5)  Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
(6)  Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
(7)  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
(8)  Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
(9)  And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
(10)  The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
(11)  The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
(12)  And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
(13)  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
(14)  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

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