Day 214 What's in a name?

One thing you can say for sure about the opening of the Book of Chronicles is names are taken seriously...you can see that evidenced in the opening chapters. The names tell a story. Our names tell a story. I am Philip the son of William and Betty. The husband of Karen. The father of Mallory, Brooke, and Haley. Most of all I have name that has descended through God's people. Wouldn't it be interesting to know the names of our heritage in the splendid detail of the Book of Chronicles?

Day 213 Signs of a new era?

With the release of Jehoichin a better day was ahead for Judah..."and in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived." II Kings ends with hope as Jehoichin is treated with respect.

Day 212 Have you ever noticed the extremes of the Bible?

Isaiah had painted such a beautiful picture of "wonderful conselor, mighty God, Prince of Peace" and also a land so peaceful a child could play near a vipor and be safe. The extreme is in today's reading..."And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,will be like Sodom and Gomorrahwhen God overthrew them. It will never be inhabitedor lived in for all generations;no Arab will pitch his tent there;no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. But wild animals will lie down there,and their houses will be full of howling creatures;there ostriches will dwell,and there wild goats will dance. Hyenas will cry in its towers,and jackals in the pleasant palaces;its time is close at handand its days will not be prolonged." What a direct contrast! Such is the Bible. Life, death; salvation, sin; hope, despair. The way of God or chaos. Babylon is not the address God's people had in mind.

Day 211 What did Hezekiah's prayer bring? Isaiah's?

Hezekiah prayed..."O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.” Hezekiah later become deathly ill. Isaiah was told to pray for his healing. What happened after the prayer? Hezekiah was given 15 more years! Another image is today's reading is the remnant growing downward so they can grow upward! Love the simple thought of going down on our knees (downward) to grow upward.

Day 210 Two Books and the Same Story?

In II Kings and Isaiah both describe the exile. There are references to Assyria in both. II Kings points to false worship and disrespect of God as the reason for exile. Isaiah does point toward a better day saying..." The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze;their young shall lie down together;and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroyin all my holy mountain;for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lordas the waters cover the sea." Powerful images like a child able to play at the hole of a cobra. Yikes, that still scares me to death.

Day 209 Where are we on the bad king good king count?

In today's reading, we have a 4 bad king and 2 good king count. Obviously, there are more kings that did evil in the sight of the Lord. Isaiah says(following exile a remnant will survive..."In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth."



On a Easter note....there is only one King that will live forever! Jesus! Happy Easter.

Day 208 Another prediction of Jesus?

Isaiah, chapter 9, speaks of the coming of one who will possess great qualities and even surpass King David. Is this Jesus? ..." For to us a child is born,to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peacethere will be no end,on the throne of David and over his kingdom,to establish it and to uphold itwith justice and with righteousnessfrom this time forth and forevermore.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." What a magnificient passage!

Day 207 What is the message of Isaiah?

The message of Isaiah is actually three messages. Chapters 1-39 is one of consequences for disobedience. Chapters 40-55 focus on the return of hope. Chapters 56-65 speak of the fulfillment of the new Zion. In chapter 8, we have a prelude of the hope..." I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him." This sounds much like Isaiah 40:1..."Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." We will still have to read through more consequences in the days ahead.

Day 206 Is Isaiah speaking of Jesus?

In a lengthy text, we find a suprise today..."Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good." Is this a foretelling of Jesus? Obviously, we know from the other side of the manger. Imagine these words before the birth of Jesus!

Day 205 Whom shall I send?

The question is always "who". Who will step up and make a difference for the Lord. The world awaits those who step out and tell the truth, seek justice, offer compassion, and change the world for the better. Who shall be sent? Isaiah answers..."Isaiah's Commission from the Lord And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Jesus also gives a command to "go" in the Great Commission. Sounds like we need to do something in changing our world!

Day 204 Where do you find the story of the floating axe?

The Bible is filled with amazing stories and a few stories that are novelty amazing stories. One such story is the lost axe off the handle that submerged in water. How did they find it? The axe floated to the top. Amazingly novel but it does remind us of the marvel of the Bible. Have you seen a floating axe lately? By the way the story is found in II Kings.

Day 203 Gesundheit?

Elisha raises a dead child. His response back to life is to sneeze seven times. Is this the most blessed sneeze ever? What a wonderful story...
"When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes."

Day 202 "What an image of leadership succession?"

How did Elijah die? He did not. One of two not to die. The other is Enoch because he walked so close to God. Elijah paved the wave for Elisha to succeed him and God took him up in a whirlwind as a chariot. What an image of leadership succession? What a story!

Day 201 What is Isaiah's better alternative?

Isaiah has a better alternative than war. What is it? ..."He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation,neither shall they learn war anymore." That, my friends, will preach!

Day 200 What to do with sin?

We read of corruption as Ahab wants Naboth's vineyard. Does this not sound like David and Uriah regarding Bathsheba? Naboth is killed as punishment for what are false accusations. Ahab is a King in need of redemption. Isaiah begins a long Old Testament Book with words that sound like Jesus..."Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;though they are red like crimson,they shall become like wool." We are going to read about sin a great deal more in Isaiah. Thanks be to God for forgiveness to clease our sins as white as snow.

Day 199 How to handle the highs and lows?

Elijah was victorious on Mt. Carmel with the Baal worshippers...but sank into depression, when he heard Jezebel was after him. How can one go from the high of victory to the low of defeat so quickly? Elijah is somewhat like many of us that are "high" and "low." How do we handle both...obviously by seeking and seeing the Lord. The broom tree may represent all of those places in our lives we "wallow" in self pity. Have we a Mt. Carmel experience? Have we a broom tree experience?

Day 198 The first weather forecast?

The forecast was no rain for three years. Elijah, in the midst of the drought gave a great challenge..."“How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" This two opinions was directed at Baal worshippers. His challenge ended with a contest of lighting wood. Baal worshippers faltered in dry burning conditions. Elijah got a sizzle even with wet wood! One of my favorite stories and a strong story of victory in worshipping God!

Day 197 Are there more bad kings than good kings?

In summation of the Books of I and II Kings and I and II Chronicles, some have advocated the story reports a series of good kings and bad kings. In today's reading, the slant is more toward the bad kings. Out of eight kings described...seven did evil in the sight of the Lord. Only Asa was given approval. I hope to keep an eye on the good king and bad king count.

Day 197 How to pray for a withered hand?

In today's reading Jeroboam's hand shrivels up (a stroke?). He ask for prayer by a man of God to restore his hand. The request or order went like this..."And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before." The man of God had nothing to do with his sinful life. He left quickly and refused fine dining. A very interesting story.

Day 196 How a crack in the door leads to a downfall?

Solomon had it all. He had looks, wisdom, prosperity, order, and much more. How did everything change to his downfall? He left the door open for other gods through his wives. Humanity has had this problem from the beginning...leaving the door open. The call to place God first in our lives and have non before Him is not negotiable. The door needs to be closed shut and kept shut. Solomon was not wise on this one!

Day 195 How to exceed expectations?

After Solomon's prayer, the Lord blessed him perhaps more than any other person in history! His blessings and wisdom were so abundant that the Queen of Sheba was breathless in taking everything in...in fact Solomon's kingdom was even exceeded her expectations. If only Solomon could have remained focused on the Lord! We will continue reading about the loyalty of Solomon.

Day 194 Was Solomon a man of prayer?

Solomon must have been faithful in prayer. We have another prayer in today's reading. He prays with a "big picture" of his leadership (succeeding his father King David) in mind and the blessing of his ornate house. Here is a sample..."“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father." He prays for the continuity of the blessings of David. I am going to pay close attention to any prayers of Solomon's, as we keep reading. I do not remember his prayers from previous readings of the Bible.

Day 193 How has architecture changed?

Does anyone feel like I do? We have advanced so much as civilization...even in the least ten years with technology. Yet...when I read of the specifications for the temple built by Solomon...I wonder if we have advanced with architecture? I know equipment has developed and speed of construction is dramatically different...but have we advanced in quality? I wonder.

Day 192 How did Solomon get so smart?

How did Solomon get so smart? Or Wise? He prayed for it. His prayer is a good model..."You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

Day 191 How old was David when he died?

How old was David when he died? I am still researching. Does anyone know? Here is how David's death is described in Kings. "Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established."

Day 190 "Are there other deeds of Jesus?"

Is everything Jesus did and taught in the Bible? No. John gives us an answer in saying..."Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."

Day 189 Do you love me?

Jesus asked Peter..."do you love me?" The circumstances are part of restoring Peter after his three denials. Jesus offers him three chances. Is Peter grieving out of feeling inadequate to be loved? To the contrary. Peter is grieved to remember his denial and contrasting the LORD'S amazing grace! Here is the complete exchange..."When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep."

Day 188 How to go fishing Jesus' way?

In a very real story, Jesus gives fishing tips. The Disciples are instructed to cast on the other side of the boat. After a night of no bites...there are too many fish for the net. What a great fishing story! What a story of turning an ordinary event into an extraordinary event! Some scholars think this message is representive of all nations coming to the Kingdom. Jesus also taught the "harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few" and the teaching about being "fishers of men."