If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
JUNE 16
1 Kings 15:25-17:24
It is interesting to see that some of these kings reigned for decades.
In the US, a president is in office for eight years and no more. In Israel back
then it wasn't unusual for a king to reign for 20 - 40 years. If he was a good
king, that was great. If he was a bad one, it meant that a culture of
ungodliness was created. What we are witnessing here is that once evil was
introduced into the lifestyle of the people, it never went away. The northern
kingdom never had a good king. But even in Judah, if a good king appeared,
there was cultural compliance and bad things went underground during the reign
of a good king; but the ungodliness returned "bigger and better" as
soon as an evil king came into power. Israel is now on the road that will lead
to exile. God will do some pretty mighty things to prevent this, but in the
final event, the miracles will only serve to justify the judgment of God on the
people. When you see God doing amazing things, it always means that a critical
crossroads in history has been reached. Today those crossroads are reached and
one of the most famous OT prophets steps into the gap, Elijah. Elijah will be
used to try to direct the hearts of the people back to God, just as John the
Baptist would try to do the same through his preaching years later, to prepare
the people for the coming of Jesus, their Messiah.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT, p. 513, has a helpful overview of the kings and the prophets, “Kings
of Judah and Israel and the Preexilic Prophets.” (You’ll find this overview at
the end of this document.)
1 Kings 15:25-34
Notice that God used an assassin to bring judgment on the house of
Jeroboam. Just like the proverb for today, evil is repaid by evil. It is
stunning to think that an evil man like Baasha ruled for 24 years. That would
be like three presidents in the US, each filling two complete four-year terms.
Sin was now completely entrenched in the people and culture of the northern
kingdom.
1 Kings 16
V. 2 Notice who took responsibility for making Baasha the king. God
does the same today, therefore we need to be careful about bashing those in
authority. For disciples of Christ who are following Him in the US, the harvest
(not the White House) is our focus and mission.
V. 5 We'll read over and over about the mighty things these kings did.
They did, in fact, fight battles and do good things. Here, however, the point
of the history is the explanation of what drove the nation of God to ruin and
how He fought to show them grace to repent. The plan of redemption was still
moving forward, but the Lord was showing the depth of sin in people. All of
this history shows us the power of sin and the grace and wisdom of God.
V. 7 Note that God was still sending prophets.
V. 15 This guy Zimri becomes a by-word. Later Jezebel will call another
guy named Jehu, a "Zimri." Notice that he only reigned for seven
days.
V. 23 Omri only reigned 12 years, but he would introduce the most evil
of any king into the already terminally ill nation. He did this through his son
Ahab and the wife that he chose for him.
Vs. 29-34 Notice all the mentions of Baal and Asherah. This was all
very sexually driven. How could the people resist?
V. 34 Notice that Jericho was rebuilt under the influence of Ahab. As
Joshua prophesied in his curse on Jericho, the builder lost his oldest and
youngest son. There was no fear of God or regard for His Word. I'm sure the
people knew about the curse, but either thought it was all superstition or that
their gods would defeat the curse.
1 Kings 17
Enter Elijah. Now, just to understand how important this time and these
people are, look ahead and answer this question: How many chapters of 1 and 2
Kings are about Ahab and/or Elijah?
V. 1 Drought and famine were "promised" curses for
disobedience. Why this happened now was that God was giving Israel fair
warning. Apparently this drought was also a judgment on Baal who was supposed
to have brought fertility and all the elements necessary for the growth of
crops. Everyone would know that Elijah and Yahweh were responsible for this
distress, and that no amount of worship to Baal would help bring rain.
This confrontation took place face to face with Ahab, probably in the
palace in Samaria.
Vs. 2-7 Elijah's life was in danger, but God promised to care for him.
It's interesting that when a miraculous event happened that only God could
perform, people wanted to kill the messenger, as if that would make God go
away.
Elijah being fed by the birds was like Jesus’ words from the Sermon on
the Mount about observing how the Father feeds the birds and not being anxious
for our food, only sort of in reverse. We don’t know what Elijah was like
before God called him, but God was clearly building his faith for the next
steps and for the next years.
Vs. 8-16 Jesus will almost be killed for referring to this story years
later. Notice that the woman had great faith and obedience. She was at the end
of her resources, yet she had heard about Elijah and obeyed when he tested her.
This was ironic that Elijah would find this amazing degree of faith and
obedience outside of Israel. It was also ironic that God was hiding Elijah in
Jezebel’s homeland, a place where they would never look for him.
Vs. 8-9 Notice that God didn’t tell Elijah what to do until the brook
dried up. And too, Elijah was content to wait and then obey. This was a part of
his growth in faith.
Vs. 17-24 There would be many "random" miracles performed by
both Elijah and Elisha, and you wonder why, especially knowing that the people
will not repent and will be sent into exile. These acts of God were known, and
these men, during their lifetimes, were well-known messengers. The people could
have turned to these prophets of God. The miracles were evidence that God was
present and would and could do anything if the people would seek Him. The
miracles, especially with Elisha, seem very disconnected, but they accumulated
into a huge cloud of witness. When the people didn't respond to God through the
messengers He had sent, that "cloud of miracles" became a witness of
judgment against the people. God is doing this same thing today and it will be
a component of His judgment during the Tribulation.
In a way, this happens with us too, as disciples. Once we have
witnessed to our neighbors and have established friendly relationships with
them, they know something about where they can find help and get answers.
Obviously we keep praying for them and try to further the relationships and
help them, but it really is up to them. The sad reality is that if God couldn't
get people to come to Elijah and Elisha through all the things these guys did,
our neighbors wouldn't be impressed even if we did a miracle on the front lawn.
Sin is deep and only God the Father can open a person's heart to Christ. We
keep loving; and when they are ready, they'll ask.
Acts 10:23-48
Talk about a situation that the Spirit designed for God's glory.
V. 23 At this point we see that some "brothers" accompanied
Peter. Later, we'll see who they were.
V. 25 You couldn’t find anyone more sincere than Cornelius. Remember,
this guy was not just a commander, but he was also a trained and deadly soldier
of Rome.
V. 28 This shows that there was tension in the church. Peter had not
only known Christ for three years before the coming of the Holy Spirit, but
this is more than three years after the coming of the Spirit. Even as a
believer, Peter was still inwardly bound by Jewish custom and tradition.
Nowhere in the Law of Moses did it forbid Jews to enter a Gentile's house.
Peter might also have said this for the sake of the "brothers" who
were with him.
V. 33 Cornelius brought in his entire household: wife, kids, servants
and officers. This guy's heart was so open that it was another, "What must
I do to be saved?" situation.
Vs. 34-43 This is the world’s shortest sermon. Notice the elements in
it. Peter said just enough to say it all and Cornelius heard enough to believe
and be saved.
V. 35 Since Cornelius was a worshiper of Yahweh, we can assume that
when a person fears God, it is not their conception of God, but the God who
reveals Himself in the Word. Even C.S. Lewis seems to have been lured by
misunderstanding and “god thoughts” to believe in a type of universalism, that
any sincere person could be saved by worshiping their own conception of God.
There is one God and all men must believe in Him on His terms, not theirs. As
Peter has already said, there is no other name under heaven by which men must
be saved. Salvation is only in the name of Jesus.
V. 37 It seems like Peter assumed Cornelius had heard of Jesus and what
had happened in Jerusalem.
Vs. 39-43 Now, notice the elements of this short declaration of the
gospel.
Vs. 44-48 Peter hadn't even finished speaking, and they had already
believed and welcomed the truth of what he said.
V. 45 This is important. The believers from the circumcised were
amazed. It doesn't say "Jews," because they were of the Circumcision
Party, Christians who believed that a person could not be a Christian unless
they were circumcised and held the Law of Moses. There was already a party
within the Jerusalem church of red-neck fundamentalists. These are the brothers
who had gone with Peter. They would become a major stumbling block to the
church in Jerusalem, a problem in many churches Paul planted, and they would be
a hindrance in Paul's ministry. Because of this entrenched, bigoted
fundamentalism, the main hub of the early church, as it reached out to the
Gentile world, would become the city of Antioch, not Jerusalem.
Notice that because of the suddenness and the way the Holy Spirit came,
they were amazed. It is hard to be against something when you've just had your
sandals blasted off. And, Cornelius and those in his house had received the
Holy Spirit without having to be circumcised. They hadn’t even been baptized
with water. It was hard to argue that you couldn't receive the Holy Spirit
unless you were circumcised or baptized. It can be assumed that these Italians
were praising God in Hebrew, a language they didn’t know. I wonder if they still
used their hands expressively when they talked. J
This was a complete replay of what happened at Pentecost. The Jewish
Christians were hearing the Lord praised in the high Hebrew of Jerusalem and in
the “hick” Hebrew of Galilee. Notice the difference however. On Pentecost, the
unsaved unbelievers were spoken to by the miracle of hearing God proclaimed and
praised in their home (foreign) languages. Here, the "unbelievers"
are bigoted Christians who resisted believing this could happen. Paul said that
tongues was a sign for "unbelievers," but the nature of the unbelief
was a very Jewish unbelief. Jews would always be the focus of this gift in the
New Testament.
V. 47 This is a challenge by Peter to the red-necks. Notice the words, just as we have. The implication is more
"in the same way we received Him." Peter will make this clearer when
he says this tomorrow too. It may also be suggested that some of these men were
in the upper room when the Spirit came at Pentecost.
V. 48 Since Peter did the commanding, that means the
"circumcision" guys baptized the uncircumcised Gentile believers.
Cool.
Tomorrow we’ll get the rest of the story.
Just a word on being a "world" disciple: One of the most
important passages for a missionary is in 1 Corinthians 9:19-27. We are to
reach out to all people and all cultures, giving our own race and culture no
preference. The Bible, not a country or ethnicity, judges what is right and
wrong in a culture. For Paul, as a former true-blue Hebraic Jew, it was not
easy to give up his culture; but for the love of Christ he did it, giving up
himself to belong wholly to Jesus.
The reality is, if some believers in North America were to actually see
what Abraham, David, Daniel or Jesus looked like, they might be reluctant to
have them in their churches. They would have been short and dark-skinned.
Abraham and Daniel might have worn an earring…or two (the Babylonian-Persian
influence). Their garlic breath and hygiene would have probably sent us out of
the room. Our pictures of Jesus as a tall, good-looking Caucasian man (with
long hair) are horribly inaccurate and feed our racial preferences. And in
spite of what we think, none of those men read the King James Version.
One more application to 1 Corinthians 9:19ff. If those verses apply to
other cultures, they also apply to those we are trying to reach in our own
culture. As disciples of Christ in the harvest, we need to be open to the
harvest, becoming all things to all men. Unbelievers are not required to adapt
to our culture in the church. Anything unnecessary in our church culture that
keeps them from understanding Jesus and coming to Him is an unnecessary
hindrance. Paul and the Spirit say so.
Psalm 134
This sounds as if the people coming to Jerusalem are asking God's
blessing on those who serve at the temple. It's always a good idea to thank the
Lord for the people who serve. There also seems to be the encouragement to the
priests and Levites to worship God with open hearts as they serve before Him.
Proverbs 17:9-11
There is a lot of warning in these verses. So much of this is what you
see in church fights, not to mention fights everywhere else.
Going backwards,
V. 11 It seems that in a controversy, a person shows the evil in their
heart by being rebellious, in which case they encounter a punishment in keeping
with their intent. The bad get bruised by someone worse.
V. 10 In a controversy, a sensitive person suffers, but learns. The
prideful just rant, thereby showing they don’t understand the situation.
V. 9 In a controversy, a good person overlooks the ranting, trying to
make things work because they understand the love of God and the mission they
are to be pursuing for Him. Those who allow controversy to brew in their
hearts, and spread bitterness and doubt, bring disunity between people and keep
people from the truth.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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