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JULY 2
2
Kings 20:1-22:2
2 Kings 20
It should seem unusual that
suddenly we have three whole chapters having to do with Hezekiah. We have had
little detail regarding kings like Asa and Uzziah, but here we are being
treated to some in-depth treatment of Hezekiah. A person's importance, for good
or for bad, is often signaled by the amount of space they receive. Hezekiah was
a great king; but his world and his faith got "rocked," and he
slipped and fell. This story is here for us as disciples so that we don't slip
and fall too.
Vs. 1-11 This appears to have
happened just after God delivered Jerusalem from Assyria. Look at 2 Kings
18:13. So this is probably happening later that year. This should have been the
time to celebrate. The prospect of dying seems to have challenged Hezekiah's
faith. Also, if this happened in Hezekiah's 14th year and he was 25 when he
became king, he was now dying as a young man of 39. Many people would find this
to be a bitter turn of affairs. Many of us would do the same thing if we were
in the same circumstances. The point is, as strong as our faith and walk is as
disciples, we don't know how something unexpected might hit us. For one person,
impending death doesn't shake them. For another person it shakes them to their
foundation. It could be anything - death, threat, financial ruin, sexual
temptation, the need for recognition, money, constant aggravation with
something, loss of a job, loss of someone we love. In the kings of Judah, we
see almost all of these. How these things challenged or ruined their faith are
recorded, so that we can learn from them.
V. 3 Not to judge, but I think
Hezekiah thought he deserved to live.
V. 8 Why did Hezekiah have to
ask for a sign? Did that show how precious his life was to him?
V. 11 I don't know much about
physics, but unless this was a trick with angels holding flashlights or
mirrors, God did something pretty amazing here. I'll bet He didn't even break a
sweat and He didn't break the world.
Vs. 12-15 There may have been
several reasons for this visit. Now, it could have been that they cared for
Hezekiah, but it might be too that the sun going backwards really got their
attention. We will see that the Babylonians were interested in heavenly signs.
The other reason these men came to visit Hezekiah was because the Assyrian army
had been decimated in trying to attack Jerusalem. They were not only thankful,
but they were kind of scouting out the territory. Babylon would become the
first great empire in that part of the world. Jerusalem was a long way from
Babylon, but it was located strategically between Egypt, Syria and Assyria.
V. 14 Up to this point, we don't
have any idea that something might be wrong. In 2 Chronicles 32:23-31 we'll see
that Hezekiah really tripped and fell here. What is written in 2 Chronicles
ought to strike some fear into any serious disciple.
Vs. 16-19 Although this might
seem harmless, we know from other accounts of this event that Hezekiah's words
in v. 19 indicate that something was wrong. He was betraying the next
generation for peace and comfort in his life. This is something for us to
learn. God allowed him 15 more years, so he died at 54.
2 Kings 21
V. 1 Note that Manasseh was 12
when he began to reign. How many years did God grant to Hezekiah when he turned
to the wall and wept bitterly? That's right, there would have been no Manasseh
if he had died. I heard Walter Martin mention this in a sermon and then he
broke into a Yiddish accent and said, "Sometimes, better you should
die."
Vs. 1-16 Manasseh brought a
curse of judgment upon Judah that God would not forgive. Ironically, Manasseh
was the longest reigning king of Israel, northern or southern kingdom. How
unbelievable. How tragic. And as much as we have here that is said about
Manasseh, there is still more to be said, especially about the shedding of
innocent blood. Tradition has it that Manasseh put Isaiah to death by cutting
him in two. A magic trick gone bad? The innocent blood was from those who spoke
out against him.
In order for Manasseh to reign the
longest of all the kings, 55 years, he had to have been a good king, a good
administrator. They had prosperity and he was likable. Ok, he killed all of his
opponents and anyone who didn't see things his way, filling Jerusalem with
innocent blood. Success and having "a way with people," in this case,
brought an incredibly hard judgment from God.
But, in 2 Chronicles 33, we'll
learn something about Manasseh, really about God, that will blow you away.
Vs. 19-26 Now, it should be no
surprise that Amon was evil. His father was a true piece of work, but the story
is a little more complicated. What we don't see here is that Amon ruled during
his father's absence (Manasseh was on "vacation" in Babylon), and
when his father returned, some things changed. Amon un-did the changes and that
is why he was killed.
2 Kings 22:1-2
It is funny that these two
verses are here today. Maybe The One Year Bible editors wanted to cheer
us up. There is a lot to say about Josiah and some of it is supposition on my
part. So, bear with me.
Notice how old Josiah is when he
began to reign, and what it says about him in v. 2. How did that happen?
Possibly his mother, right? Now, go back a little over these numbers. How old
would Josiah have been when his grandfather Manasseh died? Now, it might be a
good idea to read 2 Chronicles 33:10-23. Something happened to Manasseh which
he couldn't pass on to his son, because Amon was already old and set in the
ways of his father; but Manasseh might have been able to pass his newfound convictions
on to his grandson. I think this is what happened. I think God used the worst
king, to influence the best king.
Tomorrow we'll read about Josiah
who, in my opinion, was the godliest king of Israel. The Spirit says there was
no king like Josiah. Josiah is the only king of whom it is said that he sought
the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might. Now
David was unique and Hezekiah was unique and both were godly. The context of
each of these men defined their unique faith and godliness. Josiah's context is
also very unique. As we'll see tomorrow, his challenge was completely hopeless.
God said so. Still, he served with an energy and vision that were amazing. Just
before the storm struck, Josiah would be a light of grace and would be used by
God to save Israel during the exile and to preserve God's redemptive purpose in
Israel. It will take a couple of months before all of the pieces fall together,
but it will amaze you. You don't get this stuff out of a book or a Sunday school
class or even a seminary class. It is the result of reading your Bible year
after year after year.
The Lord has put these records
here to strengthen our hearts in the harvest. Even an evil man like Manasseh
was shown grace and responded, and the small effect of his repentance grew. The
Lord knew we would need to read these year after year to inspire us with hope
in the harvest. When we feel like giving up, the lives of these men tell us
that God's grace is amazing and to keep following our Lord and making
disciples.
Acts
21:17-36
Vs. 17-26 Notice that the church
in Jerusalem was very heavily burdened by believers who still regarded the law
as binding. This might have been more cultural than theological, but the impact
was very oppressive. We tend to think that "liberalism" is the
greatest threat to Christianity, but in the NT, it was radical conservativism.
If you want an interesting note
on what is about to happen here, look at what Paul says to the Christians in
Rome in Romans 15:30-31. He knew what was possible and this prayer was
answered…kind of.
Some people think Paul made a
mistake by following James' advice, but Paul did keep vows. In 1 Corinthians
9:19ff Paul expressed his freedom to fit in when necessary for the gospel.
Knowing Paul, this was not wrong or a mistake. In Acts 23, we'll see this was
all according to God's plan. It didn't matter whether Paul zigged or zagged, he
was on his way to bear witness to the Romans. And it began here.
V. 27 Wouldn't you know it, Paul
was almost done and Boom! Someone saw him. Remember, God waited until the last
minute to free Peter. Now He waited until the last minute to have Paul spotted.
It was God's design of this situation that Paul wasn't seen until the end of
the week, meaning that any charges against him wouldn't be credible. He had
worshiped like this for a week without a problem.
Vs. 28-36 In Texas they have
"flash flooding." In Jerusalem they had "flash rioting."
V. 29 Because of the political
power of the Jews, they were granted the right to kill anyone, including a
Roman citizen, if that person profaned the temple. Trophimus never went in, but
these Jews from Ephesus saw him and assumed the worst.
V. 31 The Romans had a garrison
overlooking the temple grounds; and, like the fire department, they were always
ready for a riot. They definitely earned their pay this day, saving Paul's life
and actually having to carry him above their heads like he was a rock star. How
ironic. The people were beating Paul, so they arrested and chained him. You
wonder why Paul didn't begin to speak right away, but I assume having been
beaten, he was still in shock. The Romans assumed he was just a radical
Israelite or an Egyptian rebel. Paul wasn't just any radical. He was a Roman
citizen.
As we watch Paul the disciple,
we learn what it means to abide in Christ. Paul completely submitted himself
into the Lord's hands with his focus set on fulfilling the mission Jesus had given
him in the harvest. I'll bet it felt good when they stopped hitting and kicking
him. But as we'll read in 2 Corinthians, Paul was used to suffering for His
Lord in the harvest.
Psalm
150
Can you believe it? Today we are
reading the last chapter in The Psalms. When was the last time you read all 150
psalms. Reward yourself with something special!
Just a thought here: If you
wanted to use this for a devotional in a group, you can find some different
"points" very easily. What follows the words praise him? You should get three groups. This is also a good Bible
study.
V. 1 This is where to praise Him.
V. 2 This is why we should praise Him.
Vs.
3-5 This is how we should praise Him.
V. 6 To boil it all down and to complete The
Psalms, everything should just praise the
Lord.
Proverbs
18:9-10
There are lots of people who
work hard and live on earth never knowing what's going on. I would understand
these two verses together as "working for the Lord." Jesus said, Whoever is not with me is
against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters
(Luke 11:23). There is no neutrality in this dark time of harvest. If we know
what is happening in the world, we need to be in the harvest. To know and not
to follow Christ in the harvest is what brings ruin. To live and stand in the
name of the Lord is what brings a life in line with reality, and though it
might not be an easy life working in the harvest, it is still the safest place
on earth as we follow Christ.
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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