TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 4:1-7
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine . . . be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. - Ephesians 3:20-21
TODAY IN THE WORD
Sometimes in modern films, when a particularly pivotal scene or an especially complicated action arrives, a visual effect will be employed: “slow-motion.” By using this slow-motion technique, the viewer is given the opportunity to catch the significance or details of the transpiring events. Without slowing things down, the director risks his audience missing important aspects of the film.

All of 2 Kings 4 is about the various ways God provides in difficult times. By slowing things down and spending the next three days on one chapter, we have the opportunity to observe this important theme more closely. Look at the difficult situation laid out at the start of today’s reading: a helpless woman had just lost her husband, had two sons to support, faced a creditor ready to exact payment, and had “nothing there at all . . . except a little oil” (v. 2). If we take these words at face value, this family was truly facing its last days! Does it get much bleaker than this?

Yet notice how the desperate woman responded. She neither sulked in a corner, nor turned to criminal ways to supply her needs, nor cursed God and waited to die. She cried out to God through Elisha and sought His aid and comfort in difficult times. In this faithful woman we hear the affirmation of Psalm 121:1-2: “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

And then we come to God’s response, which illustrates the pattern of His faithfulness in difficult times. Elisha called the woman to collect numerous empty jars from neighbors and then in the privacy of her home to begin pouring oil into the jars. As the woman kept pouring, every last jar she borrowed was filled. God took what the woman thought of as a sign of her destitution (the oil), and used it to bring about not only provision, but an abundance of provision. What a remarkable picture of our gracious God who pours out His blessing so our cup overflows (Ps. 23:5)!

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s message is simple, but profound: God cares for His people and can provide for us abundantly. Perhaps you know someone who needs to hear this today: a family member who struggles with loneliness, a neighbor who has lost employment, or a friend who wonders if God really cares. Through a phone call, a brief note, or an act of service, encourage them to turn to the God who truly cares; He may provide for your needs in surprising and abundant ways.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 4:8-37
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? - 1 Corinthians 15:55
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his musical composition Peter and the Wolf, Serge Prokofiev employed a technique known as leitmotif in which each character in the story is represented by a particular musical instrument. When the listener hears the oboe, for instance, one knows that the duck has entered the scene. Leitmotif can also be a literary term referring to recurring themes throughout the work, identifying for the reader central motifs of the narrative.

As one reads through today’s passage, it becomes obvious that the story of the Shunammite woman falls into a familiar scriptural leitmotif: a barren woman gets a child. Much like the stories of Sarah (Genesis 11—21), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), and Rachel (Gen. 29:31-30:24), we meet in today’s reading a faithful, yet barren, woman. Having receiving much kindness from this woman, Elisha learned of her heart’s desire and promised that she would soon have a child. A year later, the woman bore a son.

All seemed well to this point, another story of God’s generous provision for His people. But then things turned dark. Before reaching adulthood, the child died and the woman was left with perplexity and “bitter distress” (v. 27). Why would God grant the happiness of a child only to take him away so quickly? With that anxiety in her heart, the woman turned to Elisha, and in doing so essentially turned to God Himself. In a living act of faith, the woman clung to God during desperate, confusing times (see vv. 27, 30).

Elisha too modeled true faith; without answers himself (v. 27), Elisha went to the dead boy, “shut the door . . . and prayed to the LORD” (v. 33). Both the woman and the prophet turned to God in times of distress. And what started as a story about a barren woman soon became a marvelous declaration of God’s triumph over death—and a preview of the coming, final resurrection in Christ of all God’s faithful people (see 1 Corinthians 15). Although suffering and death still remain (even this boy would eventually die again), they do not have the final say. Today’s resurrection account proclaims that message.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many of us know the pain of losing a loved one, and those moments of grief and loss may tempt us to question God’s power or love. Let today’s message reorient your thinking. Realize that in the raising of this woman’s son, we are given a picture of Christ’s final and ultimate defeat of death where we can join with Paul in proclaiming: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Make that your quiet but powerful reminder today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 4:38-44
For this is what the LORD says: “They will eat and have some left over.” - 2 Kings 4:43
TODAY IN THE WORD
One day a little girl asked her mother, “Where did I come from?” After a moment of shock, the mother calmed her nerves and launched into a lengthy and comprehensive explanation of the wonder of pregnancy and birth. After she finished, there was a long pause. Then the little girl replied, “Oh, because my friend says she came from Cleveland.”

Like this interaction between mother and child, sometimes in Scripture we focus on the wrong details. Many commentaries spend large amounts of time exploring the puzzles in today’s passage: exactly what’s wrong with the stew? Will it kill them or only make them sick? How does the addition of flour fix the problem? One important detail, however, is often overlooked, and it holds our two food miracles together. Verse 38 tells us “there was a famine in that region.” This was a time of serious dearth and deficiency; a spoiled meal or a hundred hungry people to feed was not just an inconvenience, it was a moment of great magnitude, perhaps even one of life and death.

Into this context of famine and scarcity, today’s reading speaks an overarching message of God’s abundance in deficient times. With God’s intervention, a pot of death became a much-needed meal of sustenance and nourishment. A hungry crowd of one hundred was miraculously fed with only twenty loaves of bread. Not only were they fed, but as the Lord promised, they had some left over. Lest we miss the point about God’s provision for the mundane necessities of life, Scripture uses the verb “to eat” eight different times in just seven verses. These two stories are all about food. And it was God who was doing the feeding and providing!

Of course we must be careful here. Today’s reading is not a promise that God’s children will never go hungry or that we will always have food in abundance. But it does show us that God’s power and will are not thwarted even by great need or seemingly impossible circumstances. Nothing is too difficult or too trivial for God.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Each day we have food is a day when God has continued to provide. Christians in more affluent countries often take this for granted; but around the world children, women, and men are desperate for food and clean water. Consider supporting one of several Christian ministries that work to share the gospel with tangible resources like food, water, and other necessities to those in need. Visit www.samaritanspurse.org or www.worldvision.org to see how you can get involved.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 5
Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. - 2 Kings 5:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
The nation of Aram (“Syria” in some translations) lay to the northeast of the land of Israel. Throughout the eighth and ninth centuries B.C. Israel and Aram were in a constant state of tension. Military clashes occurred frequently, interspersed with occasional periods of peace. Israel would have kept a close eye on the Aramean armies, for they were perennial rivals.

Understanding the international politics of the day makes today’s reading all the more startling. This healing of Naaman the Aramean was an extension of God’s grace not just to a foreigner, but to the very enemy of God’s people Israel! And from this text we learn important lessons about God’s ways. First, we see that He is the God of the whole world. Our text shows us that it was God who supervised the military victories of the Arameans, orchestrated the arrival of a nameless Israelite girl into the home of the foreigner Naaman, and then extended His grace and healing powers to one outside His people. As Psalm 24:1 proclaims: “The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it.”

We also see that God’s ways can effect great change. Naaman expected a lot more attention and fanfare in his healing experience. Instead, he was asked to take a bath in the Jordan. Naaman eventually obeyed, but notice the transformation in his attitude. His initial reaction to Elisha’s command was anger and pride. Thanks to the wisdom of some servants, Naaman shifted to an attitude of obedience. Finally, he softened to a humble confession that “there is no God in all the world except in Israel,” and then made the promise to worship God alone for the remainder of his days. God’s unexpected ways have the power to humble our pride, elicit true confessions of faith, and prompt us to appropriate worship.

Notice, finally, the warning at the end. Countering the message that God’s grace was truly free, Gehazi’s greed and lying undermined that message by asking Naaman for payment. In the end, there was a switch: while Naaman was healed through faith, Gehazi became leprous.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s reading is a good reminder that God’s care extends to the whole world. The gospel message is the same: God’s grace is not just for one nation, one people group, one race, or one sex; it’s offered to all in Christ (see Gal. 3:28). This Sunday as you enter corporate worship, intercede for the thousands of people who live around the world who yet know nothing of the truth of Christ. Ask God to shower His grace upon them in powerful and unexpected ways.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 6:1-23
Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” - 2 Kings 6:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
In an age of identity theft, our personal and financial security seems daily at risk. Knowledge of this persistent fear leads one company to offer full, guaranteed protection against identity theft. For a monthly fee, they will monitor your identity credentials and notify you of abnormal activity. Their motto: “We watch out for you so you don’t have to.”

While there may be consolation in knowing some company watches out for you, today’s passage teaches us that there is also a God who watches over and cares for us. Sometimes we just need the vision of faith to see it. Our reading begins with the account of an axhead accidentally slipping into the river. Elisha recovered the tool by miraculously making the axhead float. One may wonder why such a seemingly inconsequential story is included in Scripture. If nothing else, the episode tells us that God cares for our needs no matter how trivial they seem. Have you ever avoided praying for something, thinking God doesn’t care about such small concerns? Today’s text speaks otherwise; God watches over us—even in the small things.

The second half of today’s reading demonstrates that God watches over us in the big things, too. Aram and Israel were at war (again). Elisha warned the Israelite king of the Aramean’s plans until the frustrated Aramean king sent his troops to capture the prophet. The army surrounded the town, and Elisha’s servant feared the worst. Elisha prayed: “O LORD open his eyes so he may see” (v. 17), and the servant observed the hills filled with God’s blazing, heavenly army. Of course, God’s army was there all along; what changed was not God’s decision to protect Elisha, but the servant’s ability to see.

Continuing the theme of sight, the Aramean army was temporarily blinded until they were delivered into the hand of the Israelite king. At the urging of Elisha, the armies were fed, then sent home with a clear message blazoned in their memories: God cares for His people; you just need the right vision to see it.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The last stanza of a 1904 hymn, “God Will Take Care of You,” conveys today’s message: “No matter what may be the test / God will take care of you; / lean, weary one, upon his breast, / God will take care of you.” Big or small, God can handle your problems and provide for your needs—in a wondrous display of power or a quiet assurance of His love. Either way, He is here and He cares. Ask God today to open your eyes that you may have that vision of faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 6:24-7:20
He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. - Psalm 102:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
The period from 1921 to 1923 was marked by hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic. In early 1921, roughly sixty German Marks equaled one U.S. dollar. By 1923, through a series of economic circumstances and governmental decisions, the exchange rate became four trillion German Marks per U.S. dollar! At its worst, prices doubled every two days. In late November 1923, when a new currency was introduced, the old Marks became worthless and were collected to be recycled as paper. No one living in the Weimar Republic could deny those were desperate times.

Israelites living in Samaria knew desperate times as well, as today’s reading makes painfully clear. Suffering the consequences of covenantal disobedience (see Deut. 28:45-57), the city of Samaria was under siege by the Arameans. Sustenance was scarce and food prices were sky high. So desperate was the situation that citizens had resorted to eating their own children in order to survive.

When the king of Israel heard first-hand of this drastic practice, he tore his robes and grieved the situation. Yet instead of turning to God in sorrow over his disobedience and idolatry, he blamed God and Elisha for such desperate times. He wanted revenge instead of repentance. His anger toward God was clear: “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” (6:33).

Surprisingly, the king got a message of hope: this time tomorrow, the crisis would be over. And now the test remained: will you believe the explicit promise of God? The servant voiced his disbelief, and the king displayed sheer skepticism (see 7:12), but the bulk of the passage highlights the fulfillment of that word.

Run off by God’s power (note 7:6-7), the Arameans abandoned their camp. Four lowly lepers reported the news to the king, royal messengers verified it, and the word of God was fulfilled: food prices dropped and the king’s disbelieving servant was dead. Scripture underscores the reliability of God’s promises by telling us four different times that everything happened just as God said it would (7:16-20).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When God speaks His word of promise, it can be trusted. Scripture provides us with a multitude of promises from our God: His care for our needs (Phil. 4:19), His constant presence with us (Heb. 13:5); His aid in temptation (1 Cor. 10:13); His mighty future return (Rev. 22:7). Choose one of these, or another promise you find in Scripture, and post it someplace where you will see it throughout the day. Each time you see it, pause to give thanks for God’s promising word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 8
“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,” declares the Sovereign LORD. “Repent and live!” - Ezekiel 18:32
TODAY IN THE WORD
Before filming The Girl from Petrovka, actor Anthony Hopkins searched in vain throughout London bookstores for the George Feifer book by the same name. No bookstore had any, but Hopkins finally discovered a discarded copy left lying in a train station. Years later, Hopkins met Feifer and learned that the author had lost his own annotated copy. Hopkins retrieved his own and showed it to Feifer. To the amazement of both, it was none other than Feifer’s own lost copy!

Gehazi and the king of Israel experienced a similar coincidence in today’s reading. Just as Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha restored a woman’s son to life, the Shunammite woman herself appeared. In response, the king ordered the woman to have all her land and possessions restored. Of course, Scripture’s point is not to offer examples of coincidence, but to show God’s grace bestowed upon His faithful people, orchestrating all the details in order to do so.

If earlier chapters demonstrated Elisha’s ministry of God’s grace, verses 7 through 15 highlight Elisha’s ministry of God’s judgment. Hazael had been sent to Elisha by the ailing Aramean king Ben-Hadad to discover whether recovery was likely. Elisha’s puzzling answer in verse 10 suggested that if he were left alone Ben-Hadad would recover, but with Hazael’s involvement, he would not. In fulfillment of 1 Kings 19:15-17, Elisha declared that Hazael would become the next Aramean king and would inflict extreme violence on the Israelites. Such news brought Elisha to tears, but delight to Hazael (who promptly returned and killed his king!).

Although we do not yet see the promised destruction of Israel by the Arameans, the mindful reader knows it is coming, and the rest of chapter 8 exhibits the spiraling direction of both Israel and Judah away from God and toward His judgment. Verses 16 through 29 record that the family ties between Judah’s kings and Israel’s kings were working their ill effect. The Judean kings, like the kings of Israel, “did evil in the eyes of the LORD” (vv. 18, 27).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today we see kindness shown to one, but judgment promised to disobedient Israel. Notice Elisha’s response; like Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), Elisha displayed God’s deep love for His people—even when disobedient. We are encouraged to see God not as an angry judge, but as a loving God who wants us to live and be blessed rather than reject Him and die. Take heart in the words of our key verse today (Ezek. 18:32).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Chronicles 17:1-15
I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you. - 1 Chronicles 17:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
The heart of worship is always ready to adore our great God. That was the attitude not only of David but of countless believers through history. Augustine, for example, prayed: “O Lord in whom all things live, who commanded us to seek you, who are always ready to be found: to know you is life, to serve you is freedom, to praise you is our soul's delight. We bless you and adore you, we worship you and magnify you, we give thanks to you for your great glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

For David in today's reading, a heart of worship meant he didn't want to live in a palace while the Ark remained in a tent. He wanted to build a proper temple. But he didn't rush ahead, as he had done previously. Instead, he consulted Nathan the prophet, showing that he had learned an important lesson about submitting all his plans, even ones with good motives, to the Lord. God's answer, however, was “no”—the honor of building a temple would go to his son, Solomon.

Though the request was denied, the Lord's answer was much richer than what King David had asked for. In what is often called the “Davidic covenant,” God confirmed that the kingdom would be secure, remaining enemies would be subdued, and a golden age was about to begin. The themes of homecoming and safety (v. 9) would have been especially poignant to the returned exiles for whom Chronicles was first written. They would also have been encouraged by the long-term promise that David's throne and house would be established forever, a promise with clear messianic implications (v. 14).

Jesus Christ fulfills that promise. His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, were both in the line of David. When He was crucified, it was under a sign proclaiming Him “King of the Jews” (Matt. 27:37). And the last book of the Bible opens by identifying Him as the “ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As with David, God has promised us many things within His plan of salvation. Keeping these promises close to our hearts can strengthen our faith. Good verses to memorize include Romans 1:16-17; Ephesians 1:13-14; and Hebrews 9:28. In Christ, we have a “living hope . . . an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade,” and we are “shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 10
Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. - 2 Kings 10:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
Any boy scout who has earned his Wilderness Survival merit badge knows the importance not only of starting a fire, but also of keeping that fire strong. The best-built fires, if left unattended will eventually diminish to smoldering ashes. To keep the fire strong, one must continue to feed the flames with new sources of fuel.

The need to continue fanning the spiritual flame is an important lesson in today’s reading as well. Previously, Jehu had been given the task of ridding Israel of the wicked house of Ahab. Jehu did that with great zeal. First, Jehu eliminated the seventy princes of the family of Ahab at Jezreel. He then displayed the evidence at the city gates, not as some barbaric act of cruelty, but for theological purposes. As Jehu himself declared: “Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail” (v. 10). Jehu understood the reliability of God’s word, and publicly proclaimed his own zeal for the Lord (v. 16).

He then demonstrated this zeal by laying a cunning trap for the prophets of Baal. Feigning a festival to honor Baal, Jehu assembled every last Baal prophet and had them slaughtered. The prophets were now dead, the sacred stone was demolished, and the temple turned into a latrine. Baal worship in Israel was gone (v. 28), and God rewarded Jehu with the promise of four generations of kings (v. 30). All seemed well; zeal for God and His word was a driving force in Jehu’s life.

But then comes the rest of the chapter. Immediately after the glowing comment about Baal eradication, we read: “However, [Jehu] did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat” (v. 29). Then after God’s promise of reward, we read: “Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD . . . with all his heart” (v. 31). What a sad commentary on how quickly Jehu forgot. What started as a burning zeal had turned into a barely smoldering ember. The fire was gone.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
For how many of us could the words of verse 31 be true, forgetting to set our whole heart upon God? Like burning logs, we too are aided by joining with others to keep the spiritual flame alive. Find someone today—a friend, a spouse, a spiritual mentor—with whom you can create a list of ways to continue fanning the flame of love for God in your life. Agree to pray for one another and to hold each other accountable to a life committed to Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 11
Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. - 2 Kings 11:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
Take a look at the ingredients on almost any food item in the grocery store and you are bound to find a list of food preservatives. Those ingredients can be natural (such as salt, sugar, and spices) or artificial (such as nitrates and sodium bicarbonate). Preservatives are used to keep food fresh and to slow down the process of food spoilage. Without preservatives of some kind, most of the food in our kitchens would be unusable in a matter of days.

In today’s reading we find God using His own version of preservatives, not for food but for His promises to the southern kingdom Judah. Keep in mind God’s previous promise that King David’s line would be “established forever” (2 Sam. 7:16). Yet in 2 Kings 11 that line was teetering on the edge of destruction. Athaliah, the mother of now-dead Ahaziah, seized the throne and proceeded “to destroy the whole royal family” (v. 1).

If all heirs of the kingly line were killed, God’s earlier promise would fail. Enter the preservers, the faithful priest Jehoiada and his wife Jehosheba (see 2 Chron. 22:11 for mention of their relationship). Two previously unknown figures in history quietly stepped forward to save the infant Joash from certain destruction, hiding him away from ruthless Athaliah, and raising him for seven years in the temple. When ready, Jehoiada publicly presented the boy and proclaimed him king. The wicked usurper Athaliah was soon put to death.

As important as the actions of Jehoiada and Jehosheba actions were in preserving the physical heir of God’s chosen line, they also preserved something more: God’s covenant. Notice Jehoiada’s actions in verse 12. He brought the boy to the crowd, anointed him king, but also “presented him with a copy of the covenant.” A few verses later, Jehoiada helped the king and people renew their covenant with their God. As a result, the people rushed to destroy the temple of Baal in the land. Jehoiada’s action not only preserved the physical line of David, but also the life-giving, covenantal relationship with their God.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Perhaps today’s reading reminds you of a similar story in the New Testament. There, another small child in David’s line was whisked away from certain death at the hands of a raging, paranoid ruler (Matt. 2:13-18). There, like in today’s story, the Davidic line was preserved, now in the promised Messiah Jesus. Give thanks to God today for His constant preservation of His people and His word—a word that brings us the rich salvation of a relationship with Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 12
Joash did . . . right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. - 2 Kings 12:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
A motivational speaker stood in front of the audience, a beautiful pocket watch resting on the table before him. He explained to the crowd that such a watch took months to create and required careful attention to detail, finely-crafted parts, and a gentle touch. The speaker then proceeded to pull out a large hammer and smashed the watch to pieces. The speaker’s conclusion: “It’s much easier to ruin a good thing than it is to create and maintain it.”

The same could be said of a healthy relationship with God—it’s much easier to diminish it with neglect than it is to nurture it and cause it to grow. Today’s reading provides a similar picture. Young Joash, king of Israel, started off his forty-year reign on the right foot. With the help of Jehoiada the priest, Joash “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (v. 2).

Presumably a large part of his piety was his interest in repairing the temple. Thirteen verses are devoted to a description of Joash’s careful attention and concern about the temple repairs. When the work was not proceeding quickly enough, Joash himself stepped in to ensure God’s house received the required repairs. Clearly the covenant renewal of 2 Kings 11 had led to a conscious concern for covenantal worship at the temple, demonstrating that a healthy relationship with God should naturally lead to a zeal for our worship of God.

What started off so well, however, soon began to unravel. After a long description of temple repairs, verses 17 through 21 depict a shift in Joash’s focus. Feelingthe pressure from Hazael, king of Aram, Joash quickly undid everything by using temple goods as a payoff to a wicked king. Hazael departed, but the temple now stood empty, and Joash himself would meet an untimely death at the hand of his officials. The clue to this shift comes in verse 2—as long as Joash was instructed by the priest, all was well, but once Jehoiada died, Joash quickly lost his focus (see also 2 Chron. 22).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What a reminder of the importance of godly influences in our life! Without Jehoiada the priest, Joash quickly drifted from God and ended up undoing much of his earlier good. Such a message cuts two ways. Perhaps you find yourself faltering in your faith. Find a spiritual mentor to help you get back on track. It may be that God is prompting you to invest yourself in another person, providing a godly influence in the life of someone else. Act on that need today as the Holy Spirit leads.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 13
But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant. - 2 Kings 13:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
A notoriously absent-minded man had once again lost his remote control. He spent an hour searching the house for the missing remote—under the couch cushions, under the chair, in the bedroom, behind the TV, in the bathroom—all to no avail. Later in the day, feeling a craving for ice cream, the man went to the freezer. When he opened the door, what should he see but the misplaced remote control!

Sometimes God’s grace of salvation shows up in unexpected places as well, and today’s reading gives us an example of just that. This chapter recounts the story of two evil kings of Israel, Jehoahaz and Jehoash. Both received the same indictment: “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD,” and both continued Israel’s pervasive idolatry (vv. 2, 11). As a result, the nation of Israel suffered for its disobedience: the Arameans persisted as a thorn in Israel’s side, oppressing them continually.

Yet in the midst of this oft-repeated cycle of sin and idolatry, surprising moments appear when the kings softened and God’s grace and mercy showed through. Jehoahaz, we are told, unexpectedly “sought the LORD’s favor” (v. 4). The response? Seeing their great suffering, “The LORD listened to him” and sent a deliverer (this could also be translated as “savior”) to rescue them (vv. 4-5). Is this not God’s gracious way? In the midst of humanity’s oppression under sin and death, God sent the ultimate Savior, Christ, to rescue us.

Then there was Jehoash, the second wicked king. Hearing of Elisha’s impending death, the king went to him in tears over the coming loss of God’s prophet in Israel. The response? Through Elisha, God demonstrated the hope of salvation and life. First, Elisha declared “the arrow of victory (literally “salvation”) over Aram” (v. 17), and the three-fold defeat of the Arameans was soon fulfilled. Then came the strange resurrection of a dead man through Elisha’s bones. Both episodes illustrate God’s ability and willingness to extend life and grace to His people, if only they would turn and ask.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Notice the stated reason for God’s grace and mercy: “because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (v. 23). That covenant, the New Testament tells us, was fulfilled in the coming of Christ, and the grace, compassion, and concern that God showed Israel is now ours in and through Him. If you know someone who struggles to believe God’s love and forgiveness in Christ is real, share today’s message: for those who turn and seek the Lord, He is always ready to listen and act.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 14
Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness . . . not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? - Romans 2:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
In a well-known Aesop’s fable, a slow-paced tortoise races a quick and arrogant hare. It’s obvious in the beginning who should have won the race, but the hare in the lead unwisely decided to take a nap. As he slept, the slow and steady tortoise plodded along to the finish line, beating the snoozing hare. One lesson from the fable might be this: finishing strong is just as important as starting well.

Amaziah of Judah would have done well to heed such a lesson in today’s reading. His reign over southern Judah started off well. After gaining control of the kingdom, he eliminated those officials who had assassinated his father, but spared their sons. Why? Because he knew God’s law, which said that children should not be put to death for their fathers’ sins (see Deut. 24:16). He knew God’s word and put it into practice. In addition, Amaziah had great success in battle, defeating large armies and securing new cities.

Yet despite that impressive start, Amaziah’s end was not so wonderful. In arrogance, he challenged Israel to battle, lost miserably, and saw the temple depleted of its riches. Eventually he was forced from Jerusalem and killed by conspirators. The king had a godly start that ended in misery and defeat. Clues as to why are given early on: he was no King David, for he allowed the high places to remain (vv. 3-4). Early faithfulness soon turned to incomplete devotion and arrogant action.

Another twist occurs in our reading today, this time concerning Jerobaom II of Israel. We are told quite clearly of God’s condemnation of Jeroboam’s sin of idolatry. Yet surprisingly, under Jeroboam, Israel’s borders were restored and Jeroboam himself was used by God to help deliver the Israelites from oppression. The wicked king had found blessing. Note the subtle warning: Jeroboam’s success had nothing to do with God’s indifference to sin. It was because of God’s mercy and covenantal faithfulness that Jeroboam enjoyed God’s goodness for a time (see vv. 26-27). We must not mistake God’s patience over sin as His approval of sin.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s reading offers a double message. If you started your Christian walk well but are now floundering in spiritual laziness, be admonished to continue faithfully to the end. Commit to renewing your walk with God today. And if you have never truly committed your life to God, but have experienced God’s blessing anyway, let today’s message challenge you not to take God’s patience over sin as His approval of it. Let God’s kindness lead you to repentance today (see Rom. 2:4).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 15
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his fathers had done. - 2 Kings 15:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Most whirlpools found in nature are not very strong. But more powerful vortexes do exist, sometimes called maelstroms, which have been known to cause injury and death to the unfortunate or inexperienced. In such maelstroms, the danger comes from the faster, spiraling waters and the resulting downdraft that pulls the unsuspecting seafarer under the waters.

In today’s passage we see something of a spiritual maelstrom for the nation of Israel as the succession of wicked rulers becomes more and more frequent in a short amount of time. Consider the quick sequence of Israelite kings reported in our chapter: Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah—five kings in a span of less than thirteen years, all of whom “did evil in the eyes of the LORD” (vv. 9, 13-16, 18, 24, 28). In that brief space of time, these kings unleashed a flood of sin and turmoil on the land: treachery against rulers, three assassinations of reigning kings, brutality against pregnant women (and their still-developing infants), heavy taxation on their subjects, international strife from foreign nations, loss of cities and land, and even the deportation of Israelite families into Assyria. These were horrific and chaotic times for Israel.

The speed with which Scripture presents these reigns indicates something profound: a spiritual maelstrom of death has been created, and as the succession of wicked kings rapidly moves on, the downward spiral has begun to drag Israel down. All of the chaos above should have acted as warning signs to those paying attention, but none of the leaders seemed to take notice.

We’re not left only with despair; Scripture does give us a poignant contrast, bookending the chapter with two positive reigns (both from southern Judah). Azariah (also called Uzziah) and his son Jotham combine to rule Judah for sixty-eight years, both of them doing “what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (vv. 3, 34). The point should be clear: sin and disobedience lead to the downward spiral of chaos, but obedience to God’s word brings the assurance of stability.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What’s true for God’s people of old is true for God’s people today. Churches that consistently refuse to heed God’s word should not be surprised when turmoil and chaos seem to creep in. The question challenges us: will people respond to the warning signs of the spiraling vortex before it’s too late? Pray today for Christ’s body at home and around the world, that He would raise up godly leaders to guide His children into obedience and the much-needed stability that comes with it.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 16
I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me. - 2 Kings 16:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
In prairie states like Kansas and Nebraska, the terrain is so flat that one can see far into the distance. Looking to the west, an approaching thunderstorm can be seen miles away, long before it ever hits. Sunny skies might be enjoyed at the moment, but the wise and observant person will make preparations for the coming storm.

Our passage today likewise gives us a glimpse of the coming storm for southern Judah. In our last chapter, two kings ruled Judah in relatively stability for sixty-eight years. Now, with the rise of Ahaz, things take a turn for the worse, and the impending danger for Judah can be seen on the horizon.

First, there was a problem of leadership. Scripture tells us that the kings of Aram and Israel marched against Judah. Aram had already captured the important town of Elath, and now Jerusalem was under siege. What did Ahaz do? Instead of turning to God for help, Ahaz looked to the Assyrian king. Notice the language Ahaz used, typically employed to describe Judah’s relationship with God: “I am your servant and vassal (this word could also be “son”). Come up and save me” (v. 7). Ahaz then emptied the temple’s treasuries in order to secure this “salvation” from “Father” Assyria. The ploy worked, but Ahaz’s actions clearly indicated a rejection of the true God who saves.

Second, there was the more serious problem of worship. We are told earlier that Ahaz was not a godly king; he followed the ways of Israel, practiced idolatry, and “even sacrificed his son in the fire” (vv. 3-4). Later, while in Damascus paying homage to Tiglath-Pileser, Ahaz encountered a new altar and immediately ordered one to be built back home. Upon his return, Ahaz employed even further temple remodeling “in deference to the king of Assyria” (v. 18). While little explicit commentary on these activities in the text, don’t forget the earlier warning: Ahaz was “following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites” (v. 3). The storm was coming; would Judah heed the warning signs?

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Most of us would not fall into the extreme categories of sin like Ahaz; after all, we might protest that we don’t practice child sacrifice today! But what of the subtler disobedience in today’s reading? Do we look to something other than God for comfort—a large bank account, “safe” neighborhoods and schools, or an insurance policy? Certainly, God can use a variety of means to protect us, but when those earthly means become our only consolation, are we truly trusting God?