Month: June 2016

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2 KINGS 15:1-16:20 | ACTS 19:13-41 | PSALM 147:1-20 | PROVERBS 18:4-5

Jeroboam and his son Zechariah were counterparts to Azariah.  While the former were father-and-son kings of Israel, the latter was king of Judah.  Next, we learn of a series of four kings of Israel:  Shallum, Mehanem, Pekahiah, and Pekah who were counterparts to Jotham, king of Judah.  Following these generations, there is Hoshea who succeeds Pekah as king of Israel, and Ahaz succeeds Jotham as king of Judah.

Ahaz’s reign is a long and noteworthy one.  He ascends the throne at the age of twenty and rules in Jerusalem for sixteen years.  Ahaz was evidently even more perverted than his ancestors in continuing with the idol and pagan worship, so much so, that it is said that he sacrificed his own son.  Furthermore, he wasn’t at peace with the king of Israel and the neighboring Arameans, and seeks the help of the Assyrian rulers to help him go to war. 

Assyria is modern day northern-Iraq.  The Assyrians help him and he attacks Damascus, defeats the people, and before he leaves, makes note of elaborate temple plans that he brings back with him to renovate the design of the temple in Jerusalem. 

I suppose stranger things have happened in the history of the people of Israel and Judah, but this would certainly rank high among them.  At any rate, Ahaz is finally succeeded by his son, Hezekiah.  It is to be seen what this king of Judah might be like.

But for now, we shall turn to our reading in the book of Acts.  We find here that while Paul has established himself as the serious preacher, teacher and even healer in every town and city that he travels to, there have been other believers and followers who appear to have falsely taken on the mantle of Paul, especially in their attempts to commit acts of sorcery and to drive out evil spirits in the name of Jesus Christ and even Paul. 

It is said that one such sorcerer encountered a most interesting man possessed by an evil spirit.  When he attempts to exorcise the demon-possessed man, it is said that the man cries out, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 

I found this to be utterly hilarious!  Well, Paul and the others get wind of this and round up the fake people and eventually put an end to this.

But soon, there is yet another uproar of a new kind:  in the city of Ephesus, a silversmith by the name of Demetrius is up in arms because the idols of the Greek goddess Artemis that he makes for a living are no longer in demand, and he isn’t too happy that his livelihood has been disrupted thanks to the likes of Paul who go about preaching that idols made by the hands of man are not worthy of worship. 

So, Demetrius organizes a protest that is soon in danger of turning into a riot.  However, the riot is closely avoided thanks to a city clerk that speaks some sense to a crowd and assures them that the city of Ephesus is indeed the home to the deity of Artemis, and if they wished to press any charges against Paul and the other preachers, they ought to do so in a civilized manner by way of approaching the courts.  This little speech apparently works to dismiss the crowds for now.

Turning now to our reading of the psalm for the day, we find a long psalm that is full of praise and thanksgiving for the provision and protection from the Almighty.  Like many a psalm, it begins and ends with the words, Praise the Lord, which in Hebrew literally reads Hallelu Yah.  Some of the verses that the psalmist has penned are words that would behoove us to read and repeat, such as these:

³ He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
   and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The LORD sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Finally, one verse from the book of Proverbs that is worthy to ruminate on:

⁴ The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

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2 KINGS 13:1-14:29 | ACTS 18:23-19:12 | PSALM 146:1-10 | PROVERBS 18:2-3

During the reign of the boy-king, Joash, who had been installed as the king of Judah, there were a number of his counterparts who served as kings of Israel.  At first, there was Jehoahaz, who was then succeeded by his son, Jehoash.  It is during Jehoash’s reign that Elisha becomes ill and soon breathes his last. 

But before he does, he informs Jehoash that Jehoash will lead Israel to victory over the Aramaens who have long been a thorn in the side of Israel.  As promised, Jehoash does indeed defeat the king of Aram and it is said that some of the towns are recovered.

On the other side, i.e., in Judah, the king at that time was Amaziah, Joash’s son.  Amaziah wishes to walk down the warpath, and challenges Jehoash, king of Israel to battle.  At first, Jehoash does not wish to engage Amaziah, but when pressed, he does, and he and his armies rout Amaziah, king of Judah.  Amaziah although spared at this battle, loses his life many years later when he is assassinated by his own officials.  This results in his son, Azariah, to succeed him on the throne as king of Judah.

Yet again, on the other side, Jeroboam II succeeds his father, Jehoash, as king of Israel, and after a reign of forty-one years, Jeroboam II is succeeded by his son, Zechariah. 

It is to be seen what might be in store for both Israel and Judah next. 

From our readings to date, on both sides, i.e., Israel and Judah, the kings have been wanting in their conduct concerning the Lord their God, Yahweh.  They have been quick to take to idolatry be it by way of Baal-worship or Asherah poles, and one truly wonders if this is a people who are capable of conceptualizing a divinity without having an idol or image to represent it.

In the midst of this long account of the kings, there is a proper mention of Elisha’s death and burial.  And there is also one other interesting account of a corpse that comes to life in the most unexpected and miraculous manner when it is inadvertently thrown into the same tomb that Elisha is buried in!

Turning now to our reading in the book of Acts, we find Paul diligently engaged in his missionary endeavors.  From Antioch, he continues on to Galatia and to other neighboring regions of Asia Minor.  There is note of one Apollo, a native Alexandrian, who is evidently a new believer and a passionate preacher in the town of Ephesus. 

Although Apollo preached Jesus to be the Messiah, his understanding of the scriptures evidently needed some fine-tuning, and this is said to have been done by Aquila and Priscilla.  Later, it is assumed that Paul also meets with Apollo as well as many others during his stay in Ephesus which lasts for a good two years.  Paul is fervent in his teaching and preaching ministry, but it appears that Paul is quite the wise man as to being a good judge for when it might be time to say farewell and part ways.  This he does when it becomes evident that some Jews within the synagogue in Ephesus had become “obstinate” and unwilling to be persuaded to the gospel. 

Also of note in this passage is the mention of Paul’s powers of healing:  ¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

Turning now to our psalm for the day, we find a psalm of great praise that extols the virtues of the Almighty. 

I daresay that many a devout Jewish person most likely prays this very prayer even to this day.  Even if they do not, it is one that I am happy to raise my voice to:

¹ Praise the LORD.

    Praise the LORD, my soul.

 ² I will praise the LORD all my life;
   I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
³ Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
⁵ Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.

 ⁶ He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
⁷ He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,
⁸ the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.
⁹ The LORD watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

 ¹⁰ The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

   Praise the LORD.

Finally, one verse from the book of Proverbs on the characteristic of a fool:

² Fools find no pleasure in understanding
   but delight in airing their own opinions.

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2 KINGS 10:32-12:21 | ACTS 18:1-22 | PSALM 145:1-21 | PROVERBS 18:1

Jehu’s time has come and gone as king of Israel, and now his son, Jehoahaz, succeeds him as king.  On the other side, Ahaziah’s mother, Athalia, takes matters into her own hands when her son Ahaziah is killed.  So power-hungry is this woman that she orders the entire family to be put to death, including Ahaziah’s own infant son, Joash.  Well, Ahaziah’s sister seems to be a sensible one, and smuggles the child out of harms’ way. 

Seven years later, this very boy is crowned king, thanks to the planning of the priest of the day, Jehoiada.  Joash is installed as king and rules for forty years, a period of time during which he repairs the temple and seems to do right by God.  But his end is not a peaceful one; he is killed in cold blood by his own officials, and his son, Amaziah, succeeds him.

Turning now to our reading in the book of Acts, we find an account of Paul’s missionary journeys.  Paul goes to Corinth where he spends time with friends, Aquila and Priscilla, who share a passion for both the gospel and the same trade as Paul, i.e., tentmaking.

Paul persists in preaching the gospel to the Jews in the synagogues, and while some are receptive, others are not.  The ones who are not are usually the trouble-makers, and there seem to be a good number of these folks in the city of Corinth. 

Paul is charged, as usual, with blasphemy, and this time, the people take their complaints to the Roman proconsul in town.  This man, Gallio, however, is not interested in trying Paul or anyone on matters concerning theology, and throws the case out. 

From here, Paul departs to Syria, then to Ephesus and then back again to Antioch. Paul is a busy man—this is his mission, and he is serious about carrying it out.

Turning now to our psalm for the day, we find a long one that bears a theme not uncommon in the psalms:  praise and thanksgiving, and an affirmation of God’s goodness.  Some verses that would ring true today to the believer even as they did to David, the psalmist, are these:

The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
   and faithful in all he does.
¹⁴ The LORD upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
¹⁶ You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

 ²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

Finally, one verse from the book of Proverbs that serves as a litmus test for friendship:

An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.