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 27
2 Kings 10:32-12:21
2 Kings 10:32-36
What strikes me in this summary of Jehu is the length of time he was
king. If he had been a godly king, it would have made all the difference in the
world. But that's not to say Jehu was a "bad" king. He might have
been a great administrator and good for the people. But, godliness is an
entirely different element in a person, and its absence in Jehu and Israel
affected God's working in and for Israel. Israel was shrinking.
2 Kings 11
Vs. 1-3 Now we flash back to what happened when Jehu killed Ahaziah the
king of Judah. Athaliah was the wife of Joram of Judah and the mother of
Ahaziah. She was also the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Jehoshaphat, the godly
king of Judah, had apparently made a marriage covenant with Ahab. Although
Jehoshaphat was dead and gone, the curse he brought upon Judah, by joining with
Israel and its ungodly rulers, kept on rolling. In effect, all the good
Jehoshaphat had done in Judah was now undone.
Jehosheba was a daughter of Joram, but by another wife. He apparently
had wives other than just Athaliah, just as Ahab had other wives than Jezebel.
Here, Athaliah was killing all the children of all of those wives and possibly
her own children. The point is that she wanted to rule without any rival to the
throne.
Jehosheba was married to the high priest Jehoiada. It seems that the
temple was a good hiding place, since Athaliah worshipped elsewhere. On p. 559
of the Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT, you find the “Genealogical Table
of Queen Athaliah.” (You can find this chart at the end of this
document.) By looking here
you can see the relationships, and especially the family ties between Zechariah
and Joash. This will become meaningful later.
Vs. 4-21 It took all six years of work to wrestle the power away from
Athaliah. Jehoiada the priest is the hero here. The entire action of the
rebellion seems easy as we read it, but I think that is just because God
allowed the rebellion to go easy at this point. Jehoiada was ready for a fight,
but Judah was ready for a change.
V. 14 Notice the contrast between the people and Athaliah. I hope she
did up her eyes like her mother had when she met Jehu.
V. 17 Jehoiada was a very godly priest and made sure Jehoash's
(Joash's) reign began with a commitment from him and the people to follow the
Lord.
2 Kings 12
Now this story is pretty straightforward except for a couple of strange
things.
V. 1 Notice how long Joash ruled. How old was he when he became king?
This should raise some questions. It means he died when he was 47. That's
pretty young and pretty unusual.
V. 2 If you read
this verse in another version you'll notice the because is not there. It should read, Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada
the priest instructed him (2 Kings 12:2, NIV).
Do you see the different sense of the verse? It suggests that as long
as Jehoiada was alive, Joash followed the Lord. We'll revisit this later.
V. 3 This is a constant refrain revealing a very deep weakness in the
culture of the people and worship of God. As disciples this should tell us that
if we do everything right, except one very vital and important thing, we can
build ruin into what we are accomplishing for Christ in the harvest.
Vs. 4-8 I wonder why they didn't do the repair on the temple all of
those years. It could be that the times were hard and it took a lot of money to
support the Levites and priests.
Vs. 9-16 This was a good idea. It is the first time I know of where a
collection box of any kind was associated with the temple. I wonder if this
idea developed into what we find in Mark 12:42 and the widow's mite.
Between vs. 16 and 17, the writer of Kings leaves out some very
important events.
Vs. 17-18 It is interesting that Joash was willing to give this all
away to keep the peace. In 2 Chronicles 24, we'll find out that this came as a
result of God's judgment on Joash. Judgment for what? Wait for 2 Chronicles, or
sneak a peek.
V. 20 Joash died by assassination. The examples of kings we have met
who were assassinated should raise some questions here. We won't find out why
he died like this until we read about him in 2 Chronicles 24. What is
interesting is that this account in 2 Kings makes him seem like a good guy. 2
Chronicles 24 will help you understand why v. 2 is a very conditional verse.
The death of Christ and the guilt of the generation that killed Jesus is seen
in something Joash did.
As it was, Joash was a rat. He was good as long as someone was there to
make him good. In our work in the harvest we meet people like this too,
disciples who follow as long as there are people there to "make" them
follow. Their devotion is more social than spiritual. It is dependent on the
acceptance and opinions of people and not upon walking with God alone,
following Christ in love.
Acts 18:1-22
The church at Corinth was an important church. Corinth was the leading
city of Greece financially and politically. It was a very international center
of commerce in that world. The canal was a major shortcut between the Aegean
and Adriatic Seas. Corinth also had a big Jewish community and it is one of the
few cities where God spoke to Paul and told him to stay and work. We also get
two pretty good books of the Bible from this church. Finally, this church was
almost entirely Jewish. In the book of Romans, Paul addresses the Jewish
believers in some places and the Gentile believers in other places. In 1
Corinthians, Paul never makes a distinction and talks to the leaders as though
they were fully Jewish and understood the law, 1 Corinthians 10:1, for example.
Vs. 2-4 Paul's meeting of this very important couple pinpoints the date
of Paul's arrival in Corinth to around 49 or 50 A.D. We know this because of
the Jews being thrown out of Rome. This is now about 20 years after the
resurrection. Jesus was actually crucified in about 30 A.D.
Aquila and Priscilla will be very important in the spread of the gospel
and will become lifelong friends of Paul.
Vs. 5-11 As usual, Paul worked with the Jews until they kicked him out.
In this case, he left the synagogue with a group of people and he didn't go
far.
V. 7 This will be important. Notice where the church in Corinth began.
It is next door to the synagogue. In many countries, the houses have open
gardens and courtyards in the back, separated only by a wall. That means that
if the church met outside in that courtyard, the voices would go over the wall.
This, I believe, is why the gift of tongues was so pronounced in Corinth (did
you catch the pun?).
V. 8 The leader of the synagogue came to faith. Paul says in 1
Corinthians that he personally baptized him. In Romans we'll find out that the
city treasurer was also a believer.
Vs. 9-10 God lets Paul know this is an important place for him to work.
I'm sure Paul needed the encouragement. It is interesting to note that in both
of Paul's letters to the Corinthians, he had to defend himself and he became
very emotional. I think this was a very hard assignment for him. He didn't get
beaten, but you can become worn out many different ways in the harvest.
Vs. 12-17 This is actually very important. A Roman proconsul officially
and publicly declared that Christianity was no threat to Rome or to Roman life
and worship.
V. 17 The frustrated crowd had to beat someone. Sosthenes, the new
ruler of the synagogue, was welcomed to office. Read 1 Corinthians 1:1 to see
what became of poor old beaten Sosthenes. Apparently they beat the heck out of
him. Actually, I'll bet the church reached out to him.
Vs. 18-21 In all of these verses there are some interesting things.
First, Paul apparently made a vow, like a Nazirite vow, during his time in
Corinth. Cenchreae was one of Corinth's ports. In Romans 16:1 Paul introduces
Phoebe to the Roman church as a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae.
Apparently there was more than one church in Corinth. Also, Aquila and
Priscilla followed Paul to Ephesus and remained there. Paul spoke at the
synagogue and then left, and no mention is made of founding a church. When you
read the letter to the Ephesians you realize that this church was planted
without Paul. Aquila and Priscilla were the ones who were instrumental to
founding the church in Ephesus.
V. 22 When Paul returned to Israel he landed at Caesarea, where Philip
and Cornelius lived, which apparently had a thriving church. Then he went
"up." All roads to Jerusalem went up. Then he left Jerusalem and went
"down." All roads from Jerusalem went down. Finally he arrived home in
Antioch, concluding his second missionary journey.
Psalm 145
They say that the good part of being beaten over the head with a
baseball bat is the sense of relief when it's over.
From our reading, we know David was pursued and that it was a long
time, over a decade, before he had peace. This outpouring of David's heart must
have been after the running had stopped and all of God's promises had been
fulfilled. For us as disciples, the simple truth is that in order for us to
sing this psalm as David wrote it, we have to go through our own trials and valleys
too. Then our praise will sound like this.
Again today, look for words or phrases that are repeated. Often you can
see a change in the structure or theme in a psalm by finding this repetition.
Vs. 1-3 Notice that David promises to praise the Lord forever. Verse 3
gives you the sense that David had experienced some small glimpse into God's
unsearchable plan as it unfolded in his life through all the distresses and
blessings.
Vs. 4-7 That David saw God's works over generations of men gives the
sense that he understood that God was working His plan of redemption and that
he himself was some part of it. God's awesome deeds have a purpose for the
redemption of man, not just in showing mankind how big He is.
Vs. 8-9 This sounds like how God revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus
20. Maybe David had made his copy of the law by this time and understood that
what God was doing in the history of redeeming man was also taking place in his
own life. In David's personal experience with God, he had discovered something
of God's character and love.
Vs. 10-13 The scope of what David says here sounds like a message to
all mankind. This message was supposed to go out through God's people, Israel,
to draw all mankind to the Lord. Someday it will.
Vs. 14-21 Yet on the personal side of life, even while directing the
redemption of mankind, the Lord personally cares for those who seek Him and cry
out to Him. He proves Himself strong not only in creation, but in leading and
protecting those who have come to Him for refuge. David testified that he would
praise the Lord and that all mankind would eventually bless His name forever. Notice the way the Lord structures this section.
Proverbs 18:1
I wonder if the Lord had the age of computers in mind when He wrote
this. This is as true today as it was then. We enjoy sinning privately, and
even when we know we're doing wrong, we still do it against all sanity and
reason.
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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