Lasso of Truth

II Kings 3-4

Chapter 3

v4,5 King of Moab rebels against the sheep tax.

v7 Jehoshaphet continues the alliance with this new king.

v9 The allies travel for 7 days, but their journey takes them away from water. Jehoshaphat sees this as a sign.

v11 Again, he wants to make sure any action is of the Lord.

v14 Elisha agrees to see them--only for Jehoshaphat's sake.

Elisha's instructions:

v16 Dig trenches in the valley.

v17 Watch them fill with water--without rain.

Drink the water.

v19 Go out and destroy the Moabites.

v21 Moab's point of view.

v22-23 They see it as a sign that victory will be theirs.

v27 The Moabite king tries one more thing to persuade the gods.  My heart aches at the thought of this.

Chapter 4

v1 The widow is desperate so that she has no choice but to cry out for God's help.

v6 Another miracle using a widow's supply of oil.

v7 Pay your debts first.  Here is evidence that financial responsibility is important to God.  He could have gotten rid of the creditors in some way, but instead He equipped the widow to pay them back.

The Shunamite Woman

v8 Made her home and her table a place where Elisha was always welcome.

v9-10 Her ministry of hospitality is so important to her that she asks her husband to build onto the house to accommodate the prophet.

v13 He wants to repay her, but she is so content, he has trouble thinking of something worthy of her service.

v15-16 He tells her she'll be having a son within the year.  This is a prize beyond her dreams.

The Shunamite woman can teach us a lesson about contentment.  Do you spend all of your prayer time asking for small conveniences that would make you happier or your life easier? The Shunamite woman didn't want any of that.  She had peace.  She lived with her people.  What more could she want?

But the Lord looked into her soul and offered her something her humble heart would never ask for.  Something she probably made peace with a long time ago and never let herself dream of now.

So much of life is about perspective and priorities.  If this woman's value had been in having her name mentioned in the king's court, God would have made that happen.  But would she have ever been blessed with a son?  Maybe not.  What unimaginable blessings could I be missing out on because I am too busy seeking fame, comfort, or convenience?  Have you ever wanted something so impossible that you couldn't even bring yourself to pray for it?  What if God gave it to you anyway?

Find contentment in the Lord's provision, and you might be surprised at the blessings He pours out on your life.

The Promised Son Grows Up:

v20 Her son dies in her arms.

v21-22 She springs into action.  I have a feeling she has no idea what's going to happen, but she has seen what God can do, and she hopes He'll do it again.

v27 Lest we start to think that Elisha has any power of his own, here we see that he had no idea what had happened.  The Lord had hidden it from him.

v31-35 Elisha's strange actions.  The boy is brought back to life.

v38-41 Elisha fixes the poisonous stew.

v42-44 A meal is extended for many.

Next time: II Kings 5-6

 

II KINGS 1-2

Hello, friends! Welcome to II Kings! I've only read ahead a tiny bit, but let me tell you that this book is full of adventure and intrigue. If you are new to the blog, there are a couple of things I want to share with you.  First, there is no such thing as being behind in this Bible Study.  And there is no need to feel like you need to "catch up."  God's Word is living, and it has a way of speaking directly to your heart, whatever state it is in.  Just join in whenever you want!

Also, I make a point to put the links to each chapter and verse that I reference (you can see them below in orange).  The links will take you to the corresponding page on BibleGateway.com, in the New American Standard version.  While I love the convenience of reading Scripture from my laptop, there is much to be gained from actually opening up your Bible and reading the words from the page.  This is a love letter written to you, and there is great value in holding it in your hand and getting to know the placement of the books, chapters, and verses.  Years from now, when you turn back to the verses we read together today, each note, wrinkle, or smudge on the page will work to remind you that God has spoken to you through His Word, and He will again.

So grab your Bible, read through the first two chapters of II Kings, and then come back here and let me know what you think!

Let's dive in with...

Chapter 1

v3 I detect a note of sarcasm in the message from Elijah.  Of course there was a God in Israel.  The One True God.  But the king is going out of his way to seek after idols, and he'll be punished for it. (v4)

v8 Elijah had a signature style and reputation.

v9 I get the feeling this isn't a friendly invitation to afternoon tea.

v10 He's not messing around.

v13 Why a third time?

v13,14 Notice the third captain didn't open with "thus says the king." He knew where the respect was due.

Chapter 2

v3 The Lord had not kept Elijah's leaving a secret from his prophets.

v2,4 Elisha is stuck to his side.

v8 Another sea parted.

v11 My wildest dreams cannot do this scene justice.

v12 Even when we know that our loved ones are with the Lord, it is okay to mourn the loss of them in our lives.  He's going to miss his friend and their fellowship. 

v16-18 Elijah's new band of supporters don't understand what's happened. They can't believe he's really gone, so they set out on an unsuccessful game of hide-and-seek.  I don't blame them for their non-belief.  There was not a body, so how could they be sure?  But faith means believing even when there is inadequate physical evidence.  We can waste a lot of time looking for proof of something our hearts already know is true.

v19-22 God's miracle: He uses salt to purify a previously un-fruitful wasteland.

I don't want to read too much into this without doing the research, but there seems to be some symbolism here. 

In my early college years I was the picture of this unfruitful wasteland.  God had set me in an environment where I should have been thriving spiritually, but I wasn't.  God used "salt"--godly women and men in my life--to turn that all around.

v23-25 Don't call names.  I need to read this one to my kids.  Put a little fear in them.

Elisha has made quite an entrance into his ministry.

Next time: II Kings 3-4

Believe Him

In reading back over my notes from I Kings, as I like to do after finishing a study on any book of the Bible, I noticed that there was one phrase I had used over and over.

Believe God.

Not believe "in" God.

Believe God.

This book is full of examples of people who either chose to believe Him or not, and what the outcome of that was.  Those who believed Him acted on their faith and obeyed, even when it didn't make sense.  But God proved Himself to them over and over through their obedience.  He kept his promise to use Solomon to build His temple.  He provided never-ending oil to the widow.  He made a soaking wet alter burst into flames.

Those who chose not to believe God, even when He spoke to them directly out of the mouth of a prophet, acted on their non-faith and disobeyed.  And God proved Himself to them anyway through their disobedience. He handed over the richest kingdom of all time to an adversary. He destroyed whole family lines. He caused a random arrow to pierce a joint in the armor of an evil king.

You'll notice that whether we chose to obey or disobey, to believe or disbelieve, God is going to prove Himself.  He cannot help but make Himself known.  He's the Famous One. 

So believe Him!  Believe God.  Believe that He keeps his promises.  Believe that He is Lord, and His will WILL be done, and that we can't do anything to change that.  Believe that He loves you.  And that He works out all things for the good of those who love Him. 

And if you're not sure what it is you believe about Him, join me on this study, and we can figure some of that out together.

Next time:

II KINGS 1-2

I Kings 20-22

Chapter 20

v3 The neighboring king makes a demand on Ahab for his silver, gold, and most beautiful wives and children.

v4 Ahab concedes.  Ick.

v6 He didn't even want them--his goal was always to bring trouble to Ahab.

v10 The threats get bigger.  Ben-hadad (the other guy) says he's going to turn Samaria to dust.  And Ahab says that's easy for him to say at the beginning of a war, but let's see how you talk when this is all over.

(I find the Message paraphrased Bible helpful with passages like this.  I didn't read these threats exactly like they did, but it helped me figure out what I think they were saying to each other.)

v13 Then you will know.

v15 Only 7000!

v20 They killed each his own man.

v23 Aram doesn't know who he's dealing with.

v27 Wonderful word picture: camped before them like two little flocks of goats.  The Arameans filled the country.

photo credit

v28 "And you shall know that I am the Lord"  This is not the first time God said this to Ahab.  It seems that God is giving him every chance to turn back his heart.

v29 One hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.

v30 The wall fell on 27,000.

v34 Ahab doesn't finish the job.

v42 And because of this, Ahab will be punished.  Ahab seemed more intimidated by this foreign king than by God.

v43 Sullen and vexed.

Chapter 21

v3 The land cannot legally be transferred between tribes, according to God's law.  Even so, this Nadab was brave to stand up for what he knew was right.  Against a king!

v4 Sullen and vexed...and he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.

Obsessed with something he can't have.

v5 Jezebel, the infamous and cunning temptress.  She has this down to a science.  First, she massages his sore ego.  "Poor Baby."  Then she pumps up his pride.  "Doesn't he realize who he's dealing with?" v7  And lastly she takes matters into her own hands. v8

v7, v13 She makes good on her wicked promise.

v16 He seems to have no concern with the man's life or how it all came about.

v19 Ahab will pay for allowing Jezebel to act in his place.

v23 Jezebel will pay her own price.

v27 Ahab responds differently than we saw him do before.  He's not "sullen and vexed".  He's not throwing a fit.  He is finally realizing the gravity of his situation. (He finally believes God.)

v29 And God shows His mercy and grace to even the most despicable man.

Chapter 22

v4 Jehoshaphat made peace between his people (Judah) and Israel.

v5 But he encouraged Ahab to seek the Lord's will first.

v6-7 Four hundred prophets, and not one of them is willing to speak the truth. Be careful the kind of people you surround you with.  Are these your real friends?  Will they tell you that you're wrong to save you from danger?  Or are they just there to tell you what you want to hear?  Ahab was the kind of man who pushed the truth-tellers out of his life.

v13-15 I see Micaiah saying, "OK, which do you want? Do you want me to speak favorably, or do you want the truth?"

v19 Now Micaiah is on a roll.  He calls out all of the other prophets.

v22-23 It's a bad day when you find out the Lord has set you up for failure.  The Living God was only one of the many "spirits" these prophets went to for information.  They didn't respect the Lord, and He didn't protect them.

v30 Some friend.

v31 The enemy is seeking only to kill Ahab.

v34 If it's your time, no disguise or precaution will be able to keep you from it.

v38 The Lord's word is fulfilled.

v52 Not surprisingly, Ahab's son and successor is an evil king.

Next time: A look back at the theme of I Kings.

The Bible Study Guilt Trip

Do you find it difficult to make time for your Bible Study?  I admit that I do.  I could get up earlier for time alone, but since I'm up at night with the baby, and up at 6:30 anyway to get Emma ready for school, any earlier seems daunting.  Experts will say that if you put your quiet time with the Lord first, everything else will fall into place.  And I know this is true.  On the days when I'm able to start with my Bible open, the rest of the day just flows in a way that could only be from Jesus. 

But what about when I'm not able to put it first?  Most days I'm able to find time between 9am and 11am, when the baby is in her swing, and Ethan is watching something on PBS. But the reason I'm starting with this subject today, is that sometimes I'm not able to find the time at all.  While I wrote my notes on chapters 20-22 in my journal almost two weeks ago, I'm only getting around to posting them today.  I have had two of the most frantic, non-stop, kids sick, dr's appointment, late night, husband out of town, husband home during the day (!), weeks of my life.  And I wasn't able to put my Bible study first.  Or even last most days. 

What do you say to yourself when you haven't opened your Bible that day?  Do you guilt trip? Do you justify? Do you shame yourself?  I've noticed that any of these options push the possibility of getting back into Scripture ever farther away.  On days (or weeks) like this, it's important to remember the spirit of the idea of "quiet time". It's not a homework assignment that we need to check off the list.  It's about abiding in Christ.  And we can do that while driving down the street, talking to our kids, and meditating on the Words that are already written on our hearts through memorization.  Don't worry about how "far behind" you are.  Just do your best to get back to it as soon as you can.  Even if all you can do today is open up that precious book and let it catch your tears of exhaustion. 

The Enemy, the Accuser, wants to separate you from God, and he'll use guilt, pride, shame, justification--anything he can to do that.  I've found the best defense for this in my life is to make goals, but to never make a reading schedule.  I try to never think about how behind I am. Because there is no such thing.  Every day I open my Bible and let it soak into my soul is progress.  And that's where I'm starting today.