March 29 - II Kings 1-3
As we begin II Kings, allow me to remind all of us about a few guidelines for having an unhurried time with God. We read the Bible so that God can speak to us personally with insights that will help us in our lives. It is not a study of every detail. Also, it is a time to pray about what God is showing us and other things we have happening in our lives. It is more than a Bible study, as good as that is. It is meeting with God for a time of fellowship and direction. I pray that your unhurried times have been a great blessing for you.
Here in this passage we see that Ahaziah was so disoriented to the truth that when he wanted to know God's will, he turned to a pagan god instead of turning to the one true God. The Lord is the only one who knows the future, so all other efforts to discern it are futile, and it is a sin to turn to the occult. Ahaziah eventually died just like Elijah said he would and two companies of soldiers died, too, because of God's wrath against this sin. Don't get mad at Elijah for calling the fire to consume them. It was God who sent the fire, so it was God's decision to take these lives. Sometimes, it takes a lot to get people to turn to the Lord.
The account of Elijah being taken up alive to heaven speaks to me in a couple of ways. I see the faithfulness of Elisha. He would not leave his fellow prophet. He had been sent when Elijah was depressed, and he had greatly helped him. I am sure his faithful persistence played some role in helping Elijah. Then, I see Elisha asking for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. He did not just want to be like Elijah. He wanted to be twice as much as Elijah. I believe it was a good request since God granted it. He was not being proud. He was desiring to be used in an even greater way than his mentor, and he was. That is a wonderful goal in life. Do you have a mentor? Have you ever made a plea to God like this? I pray that your goal is to see God use you in a mighty and powerful way. You can be a very humble person and still make such a plea to God.
In the battle to put down the rebellion of Moab we see God's blessing because of the righteous Jehoshaphat, and we see God's disdain for the ungodly rulers of Israel. The last verse of chapter three is a bit hard to understand, but I think it is clear enough. The king of Moab saw that he was about to be killed by the army of Israel, so he sacrificed his oldest son as a burnt offering. This act inspired his men to resist even more, so Israel departed and went home. What a sad story! A father who does not care about his son, but he uses him to save his own life. I am afraid that there are many parents who do much the same thing today. They use their children to get pleasure for themselves or to aid in accomplishing their goals, but they do not have a real concern for the needs of their children. As parents we must care for our children and raise them to find God's will for their lives, because children are God's gifts to us. They are not for us to use to meet our needs.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 4-6.
Here in this passage we see that Ahaziah was so disoriented to the truth that when he wanted to know God's will, he turned to a pagan god instead of turning to the one true God. The Lord is the only one who knows the future, so all other efforts to discern it are futile, and it is a sin to turn to the occult. Ahaziah eventually died just like Elijah said he would and two companies of soldiers died, too, because of God's wrath against this sin. Don't get mad at Elijah for calling the fire to consume them. It was God who sent the fire, so it was God's decision to take these lives. Sometimes, it takes a lot to get people to turn to the Lord.
The account of Elijah being taken up alive to heaven speaks to me in a couple of ways. I see the faithfulness of Elisha. He would not leave his fellow prophet. He had been sent when Elijah was depressed, and he had greatly helped him. I am sure his faithful persistence played some role in helping Elijah. Then, I see Elisha asking for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. He did not just want to be like Elijah. He wanted to be twice as much as Elijah. I believe it was a good request since God granted it. He was not being proud. He was desiring to be used in an even greater way than his mentor, and he was. That is a wonderful goal in life. Do you have a mentor? Have you ever made a plea to God like this? I pray that your goal is to see God use you in a mighty and powerful way. You can be a very humble person and still make such a plea to God.
In the battle to put down the rebellion of Moab we see God's blessing because of the righteous Jehoshaphat, and we see God's disdain for the ungodly rulers of Israel. The last verse of chapter three is a bit hard to understand, but I think it is clear enough. The king of Moab saw that he was about to be killed by the army of Israel, so he sacrificed his oldest son as a burnt offering. This act inspired his men to resist even more, so Israel departed and went home. What a sad story! A father who does not care about his son, but he uses him to save his own life. I am afraid that there are many parents who do much the same thing today. They use their children to get pleasure for themselves or to aid in accomplishing their goals, but they do not have a real concern for the needs of their children. As parents we must care for our children and raise them to find God's will for their lives, because children are God's gifts to us. They are not for us to use to meet our needs.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 4-6.