The Chronicler reviews Israel’s history as a kingdom under David, giving a brief account of the death of Saul and three of his sons in battle against the Philistines.

10:13-14 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD’s command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the LORD for guidance. So the LORD killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

There is no mention of Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth and his claim to the throne during David’s seven-year reign from Hebron. Since the focus is on God’s continued plan for Israel, the emphasis is on  “all of Israel” supporting David as king.

11:2-3 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD your God told you, `You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.’” So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the LORD had promised through Samuel.

David and his troops captured the fortress of Zion and made it his home, calling it the City of David, also known as Jerusalem. Joab, David’s nephew, was the first to attack the Jebusites so David made him the commander of David’s armies.

11:9 And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

David’s army was large and devoted to him. His Thirty Mighty Men actually numbered far more since many lost their lives and were replaced. Many among David’s warriors had originally been leaders with Saul’s army but defected to join David when Saul banned David from Israel. Warriors from every tribe in Israel joined David in support of him as king.

12:38 All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king. They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival. And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.

Obviously, the goal of the Chronicler’s priestly view of history was to unify the Jews returning from exile around their future Messiah who will one day establish his kingdom on earth. The coronation of David foreshadowed the future celebration of Messiah as King of kings.

John 6:45-71           

God loves us so much he gave his Son so by believing in Jesus we can have eternal life. We are saved, drawn to the Father, opened to his instruction, and nourished by Jesus, the bread of life. From the moment we first place our faith in Jesus, we can never be lost again because we possess his eternal life and we are also assured Jesus will physically raise us up on the appointed day by the power of the Holy Spirit.

6:47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.”

Jesus is the sustenance of that spiritual life—the Bread of Life. Back in Genesis we learned there were two trees in the center of the garden. Eating from one led to death and sin—spiritual separation from God and eventual physical death. The other would lead to life. People have been choosing their own way, being disobedient and rebellious throughout the ages. Even when attempting through our best efforts to earn salvation, we have all failed to measure up to God’s holy standards. But, God the Father, in his mercy and love, sent his Son so the Spirit could give life to those who believe.

Obviously, many find this hard to believe. Jesus gave further explanation.

6:63” The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

6:65 “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

Many of Jesus’ followers turned from him at this point. So Jesus turned to the twelve and asked if they were going to leave as well. Peter replied.

6:68-69 “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.  We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God. ”

Thank You, Father, for giving us to Jesus. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for giving us eternal life through our faith in Jesus. And thank You, Jesus, for being the living Bread from Heaven who came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.

We praise You for the promise of raising us on the last day. We acknowledge our human effort accomplishes nothing, but all things are possible through You! We praise You, Holy One of God, for Your words are spirit and life. We believe and trust only in You, Jesus. We drink You into our lives and taste Your goodness. You alone are our spiritual sustenance.

We trust Your shed blood for the forgiveness of sins and we embrace Your abundant life as our life. We have spiritual life because You live within us as our life. As we listen to You, Father, we know there is no other way to be saved, and we receive Your gift with grateful hearts. We also give You praise, Jesus, knowing You will return to establish Your kingdom, as well as raise us from the dead. May we truly listen, learn, and believe—because all blessings and honor belong to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

The chronicler faithfully recorded the descendants from each of the tribes of Israel. The records, preserved throughout their seventy years of captivity, were brought back and compiled into this book. All were known by God, but few pursued knowing God. Such is the case in a fallen world.

Interestingly, among the sea of names is Ephraim, who had eleven children. Two of his sons were killed for rustling cattle! This grieved Ephraim so deeply he named his newborn son, Beriah, which means “in evil” further marking this time of shame and suffering of this family. Meanwhile, his daughter, Sheerah is credited with building not one, but two cities! The family dynamics of shame and disappointment with two of his sons contrasted with the dramatic accomplishments of his daughter is intriguing, but leaves us with more questions than answers.

9:1-3 The people of Judah were exiled to Babylon because they were unfaithful to the LORD. The first of the exiles to return to their property in their former towns were priests, Levites, Temple servants, and other Israelites. Some of the people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh came and settled in Jerusalem.

Among the first to return were those from among the tribe of Levi. Temple priests, Temple musicians, Temple servants, and Gate Keepers were hopefully ready to provide a godly influence. Leaders from Judah were joined by those from the tribes of Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh who had previously occupied areas in the northern kingdom, which provided cohesive unity along with a sufficient number to re-populate the large city of Jerusalem.

John 6:22-44

When the crowd Jesus had fed the previous day finally caught up with him, he knew they were more interested in his provision of food than his ability to provide eternal life.

6:27 “But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.”

Eternal life is not an elongated life span or an extension to our natural existence. It is the very life of Christ, eternal —without beginning and without end. It is his abundant life given to all who believe. We don’t add it to our lives, we receive it by faith and by faith live from this new spiritual life because we have been born again in Christ. Eternal life is not something to be achieved, but received. Our part is to simply to place our faith in Jesus.

6:29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

6:32-33 Jesus said, ” My Father…offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

6:35 “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Just as Jesus offered the woman at the well living water so she would never again thirst spiritually, he also offered himself as the bread of life to satisfy our deepest longings as only he can.

Jesus came to do the Father’s will, not his own will, and stated his purpose clearly.

6:39-40 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

God’s will for our lives is to believe in Jesus for eternal life. God’s will for Jesus is to not lose a single one of us and to raise us up on the last day.

What a unique assignment God has given us! Believing Jesus is to pervade all we do each day. We are to spend our energy trusting Jesus for who He is! And in the end, when Jesus raises us up, we will read our names recorded by God in the Book of Life. What a glorious reading that will be!

Father, thank Your for Your attention to details and for knowing each one of us by name. We praise You for the reminder You took notice of every person in the genealogy we read yesterday and today. You know each person who rejected You and each person who pursued knowing You. We thank You for recording our names in the Book of Life and making it possible for us to believe in Jesus.

We are also humbly reminded, we, like Ephraim, all have messy experiences in our lives. We’ve encountered various degrees of guilt, grief, and heartache along the way. We’ve all tried to make our lives count for something. But even our most impressive efforts fall far short of what You have done for us.

The thing which makes our lives truly remarkable is the fact Your  love has intersected our lives with the reality of Jesus, who came to rescue and redeem us, transferring us out of the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom.

Thank You, Jesus, for being the Bread of Life. You are our sustenance and satisfier of our souls.

We praise You, Holy Spirit, for transforming and empowering us to live in this world as new creations, sanctifying and preparing us for the day Jesus will raise us up and we will meet Him in glory as His bride. For this, we give You all praise, honor, and glory!

After recording the genealogy from Adam to Israel’s twelve sons, the genealogy of each of the tribes is given beginning with Judah. Tracing the lineage to King David, other descendants of Judah are also listed.

4:9 There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.

Last decade Bruce Wilkinson’s book, The Prayer of Jabez, sold over a million copies. It made it to the top of the best sellers list and won the Gold Medallion Award. The question comes to mind as whether all those readers of the book were seeking the blessings or the One who blesses? The fact Jabez was a man more honorable than most leads me to believe he was ultimately seeking the One who blesses, even when asking for God’s blessing.

Oh, that you would bless me… This seems odd to pray considering God has already blessed us with so much. But the sense is not necessarily a request for more things.  It is similar to Jacob, who wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, refusing to let go without a blessing.

Each morning as I curl up in my big comfy chair to spend time with Trinity, I have a sense of expectation. Over the years the Holy Spirit’s refining hand has exposed the self-righteous pride that can motivate such an exercise, as well as the legalism and performance based acceptance.

I no longer do this to win points with God or so He will do something nice in return for me. Nor do I do this because I think I should. I do this because I know how much I need time with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My heart cries out for Trinity to invade and fill every element of my being. I want more of me to be consumed with more of the Trinity. I desire the fragrance of Jesus in all I do and say. I want to be a conduit for the Holy Spirit to influence others through me so I touch others with the love of God. I want my thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions to line up more consistently with who they have declared me to be. By clinging to the Lord, our lives can be blessed with an authentic, transparent reflection, bringing honor to God in every way.

Expand my territory! My initial thought on this was actually, “No thanks. I can’t keep my current territory dusted inside or weed free outside. Why would I want more?” However, I do desire God to expand my current sphere of influence to honor God, to make Him known, and to be an encouragement to others on their journey.

Please be with me in all that I do… There is nothing we can do of any value apart from Christ. Our over riding attitude is to be “no longer I but Christ” as we seek a deeper, more intimate, relationship of dependence on Him. Truly the nearness of God is our greatest good! (Psalm 72:28). He has promised to never leave us. He is always with us, closer than our own skin and more than willing to join us, if invited, in all we do.

Keep me from all trouble and pain. This isn’t asking for a charmed life, the easy way out, or a free pass from consequences to our own sinful choices. Although character is often tested under adversity, it is revealed in both times of ease and difficulty. Consequently, there is something to be said for praying against senseless trouble and pain that comes from living in a fallen world, as well as for wisdom and strength to make good choices to protect us from creating trouble and pain to ourselves and others. This could be likened to praying to be led away from temptation and to be protected from the evil one as taught by Jesus.

Then our attention is drawn to other points of interest among the descendants of the sons of Israel.

5:1-2 The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Joseph’s double portion was given to the descendants of his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. When Israel was claiming the promised land at the end of their wilderness journey, two and a half of the tribes settled on the east side of the Jordan.

5:18 & 20 There were 44,760 capable warriors in the armies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows. They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him.

5:25-26 But these tribes were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They worshiped the gods of the nations that God had destroyed. So the God of Israel caused King Pul of Assyria (also known as Tiglath-pileser) to invade the land and take away the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as captives.

This was a dramatic illustration of the consequence of bad choices, which reminds us to trust God in difficult times of battle, but to also be diligent to trust during peaceful times, as well.

John 6:1-21           

Jesus blessed and divided five barley loaves and two fish from a young boy’s lunch to feed 5,000 men plus women and children. After everyone had eaten their fill, the disciples collected twelve baskets with leftovers!

Because of this miraculous sign, the people were ready to make Jesus their king, but he slipped away by himself. As it got dark, the disciples took a boat across the lake. In the midst of a sudden storm,  the disciples saw Jesus.

6:20-21 They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here! ” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

Letting Jesus into our boat is our only assurance we will get to our proper destination. May we desire His presence on the journey above all else!

We praise You, LORD, for You are the God of the miraculous and our gracious provider. Thank You for taking what we offer to You and multiplying it to be abundantly above all that is needed.

We invite You into our lives and trust You to calm the storms and get us where You want us to be. Like Jabez, we pray You will be pleased to bless us with an awareness of Your presence today, for You are our greatest blessing! Expand our sphere of influence for Your honor and glory.

Thank You for being with us in all we do and for offering a way of escape from sinful choices, as well as protecting us from the evil one so we can avoid unnecessary, distracting trouble and pain. To You, O LORD, be all glory and honor. May we be faithfully dependent upon You in times of trouble, as well as times of ease.

1 & 2 Chronicles is a priestly perspective, which preserves a historical view for the postexilic Jew. The burning question following exile was what would be the Jew’s relationship with the LORD after Babylonian captivity? Would God’s covenant promises to David still have meaning for the returning Jew?  The providential release from captivity to rebuild the Temple provided a resounding “Yes!” For this reason, the account provides great details of the building of the Temple.

The chronicler does not include the conflict between Saul and David, nor of David’s sin involving Bathsheba or Uriah. There is no mention of the fratricide among his sons. The focus is on the faithful godliness of those among the Davidic line in order to present the kings as types who foreshadow the ultimate fulfillment of God’s Davidic covenant with Messiah ruling all nations from Jerusalem.

The Chronicles begin with a kaleidoscope of humanity having a particular focus on the Jewish lineage emerging from Adam, Seth, and Noah to Shem, and on through Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—the name God later gave to Jacob.

2:1-2 The sons of Israel were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

From Israel’s twelve sons came the twelve tribes of Israel. Through Judah, the fourth of Israel’s sons, the genealogy is traced to Boaz, who married Ruth, the Moabite. Through their union Boaz became the father of Obed, the grandfather of Jesse, and great-grandfather of King David. After naming David’s nineteen sons and one daughter, Tamar, the genealogy focuses on the twenty kings we just read about in 1& 2 Kings, who ruled Judah following Solomon’s reign to Judah’s exile to Babylon. Finally, the sons of Jehoiachin were listed among those who were taken with the king into captivity, and his uncle, who was renamed Zedekiah at Nebuchadnezzar’s command was left as a puppet king in Judah.

The sea of names are organized generation by generation, each one with a story. Some of those stories are told in Scripture, many are merely mentioned, and others are a complete mystery to us. However, each individual was known by God, and yet, very few claimed to know the LORD, and fewer still chose to live in a way that honored Him!

John 5:25-47           

Jesus’ teachings and miracles gave witness to the fact he was sent by the Father to say and do the Father’s work. And yet, most people chose to honor one another, rather than honor the Son of God. But to those who did listen, there was the promise of life.

5:25-27 “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.”

Jesus’ judgment is just because it is according to the Father’s will. Furthermore, his teachings and miracles prove the Father sent him. Consequently, Jesus cautioned his listeners.

5:39-40 & 44 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life…. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.”

Father, God and Creator of all the universe, we thank You for Your longsuffering and patient dealing with Your people who would rather honor man than the One to whom all honor is due. Forgive us for seeking personal honor or giving anyone glory which You alone deserve.

We praise You, Father, for Your life giving power through Jesus to whom You have given all authority. We bow before You, Jesus, in humble recognition You hold all things in Your hands and praise You for Your sovereign rule over all kings and kingdoms. We look forward to the realization Your kingdom will one day come on earth as it is in heaven.

Thank You for Your Word, which points us to You, Jesus. And thank You, Father, for Jesus who reveals You to us and gives us spiritual, eternal, abundant life. All honor and praise belong to You— Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Josiah’s reforms benefited the king and the people of Judah during his reign. However, in spite of all the good Josiah did, the LORD was still angry for all the wicked things Mannaseh had previously done to provoke God. Graciously, the LORD delayed judgment during Josiah’s lifetime. He died in battle against King Necho, Pharoah of Egypt. Jehoahaz became king in his father’s place.

23:32 He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestors had done.

Pharoah imprisoned Jehoahaz and replaced him with Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah. As a vassal king, Jehoiakim had to raise a huge tribute from Judah to pay Pharoah. Eventually God would banish the nation of Judah from His presence because of the many sins of Manasseh, who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood.

24:1 During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land of Judah. Jehoiakim surrendered and paid him tribute for three years but then rebelled. Then the LORD sent bands of Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Judah to destroy it, just as the LORD had promised through his prophets. These disasters happened to Judah because of the LORD’s command. He had decided to banish Judah from his presence because of the many sins of Manasseh, who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The LORD would not forgive this.

When Jehoikim died, Jehoiachin replaced his father for only three months.

24:9 Jehoiachin did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, just as his father had done.

Then God’s judgment came when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege on Jerusalem causing Jehoiachin to surrender. He was taken prisoner along with the most educated and talented people into Babylonian captivity. Then he installed Jehoiachin’s uncle as king of Judah, changing his name to Zedekiah.

24:19-20 But Zedekiah did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, just as Jehoiakim had done. These things happened because of the LORD’s anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile.

King Zedekiah was captured as he was fleeing and was forced to watch the execution of his sons before his eyes were gouged out. Then he was placed in chains and lead away to Babylon. The Temple and Royal Palace were burned down and all the walls around Jerusalem were torn down. The bronze pillars and all the bronze in the Temple were carried away, as well. Nebuchadnezzar allowed only the poorest to remain in Judah, all others were exiled to Babylon. However, those left behind fled to Egypt.

Judah remained in exile for 75 years. In the 37^th year of exile, Judah was given hope for their future when Jehoiachin was given a place of honor among the exiled kings and dined in the presence of the Babylonian king the rest of his life.

John 5:1-24           

Jesus asked a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years if he would like to get well? But the man responded with excuses of why that could never be. Then Jesus simply told him…

5:8 …”Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

The man was instantly healed, but was criticized by the religious leaders because he picked up his mat and walked on the Sabbath. Eventually they began harassing Jesus for breaking their rules for keeping the Sabbath.

5:17-18 But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”  So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

And then Jesus gave the secret to his method of operation.

5:19 “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

Jesus, being equal with God, worked in perfect harmony with his Father, consistently following his Father’s lead. Jesus came with a message of love from God, that whoever believes will have Jesus’ abundant life forever.

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”

We humbly bow before You O God, for in Your holiness and righteousness You must judge sin.  For this reason You avenged and vindicated the wrong-doing of Manasseh who filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. And You have judged our sins by placing them on Jesus at the cross.

Thank You, Jesus, for restoring life and for showing us how to live in harmony with You as we responsively depend on You in all we do. We honor You, Jesus, as our Savior, Righteous Judge, and King.

Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus and giving us faith to believe. Thank You, Jesus for showing us how to live in harmonious dependence upon You. We praise You we have passed from spiritual death into Your abundant life. We are so grateful You promise we will never be condemned for our sins. And we praise You for Your gift of eternal life.

Recognizing You said You could do nothing by Yourself, Jesus, make us mindful of the absurdity of attempting to do anything apart from responsive dependence upon You. Please teach us what this truly looks like.

Hezekiah’s wicked son Manasseh was followed by Amon, who also refused to follow the LORD. Because Amon was assassinated by his own officials, the people insisted on justice and therefore, punished those who assassinated the king. Then the people made Amon’s son Josiah king in Judah.

22:1-2 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years…. He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.

When Josiah initiated repairs to the Temple, the Book of the Law was discovered. Upon reading the scroll, Josiah realized all they had failed to do for generations. The prophet Huldah spoke on this matter.

22:16-20 ”This is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true. For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.’

“But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the LORD and tell him: `This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: You were sorry and humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the LORD. So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city.’”

Josiah called all the priests, prophets, and people to the Temple of the LORD and read the entire Book of the Covenant. He and all the people renewed the covenant and pledged to obey. All the articles used to worship false god’s were removed from the Temple and burned. He removed the idolatrous priests and removed the Asherah pole from the Temple and burned it outside the city. He tore down the living quarters of the male and female prostitutes inside the Temple; he tore down pagan shrines and removed the altar where people had sacrificed their children in fire to Molech. He removed horse statues and burned chariots dedicated to the sun, which were at the Temple entrance. He destroyed all the altars and pagan shrines the other kings had built, including the Asherah pole built by Solomon. He did the same in Bethel and Samaria, destroying the pagan shrines, altars, and Asherah poles Jeroboam had made when he caused Israel to sin at the beginning of the divided kingdom.

23:16 Then Josiah turned around and noticed several tombs in the side of the hill. He ordered that the bones be brought out, and he burned them on the altar at Bethel to desecrate it. (This happened just as the LORD had promised through the man of God when Jeroboam stood beside the altar at the festival.) [see 1 Kings 13:2 & 32]

However, he left the bones of the man of God from Judah who had predicted the very things Josiah had just done to the altar at Bethel. He also got rid of all mediums, psychics, household gods, and idols throughout Judah in obedience to the laws written in the newly discovered scroll in the Temple. Josiah did what was pleasing in the eyes of the LORD by reading the Word, leading a great reformation in Judah and Israel, and by re-establishing the celebration of the LORD in Passover.

23:25 Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.

John 4:31-54            

When Jesus’ disciples rejoined him at the well, they urged Jesus to eat something. Jesus explained to them true nourishment comes from doing the will of God. He also told them the fields were ripe for harvest. The woman at the well believed and brought others to Jesus. Samaria was included in the harvest and many believed for eternal life.

After two days, Jesus returned to Galilee where a government official begged Jesus to heal his son.

4:50 Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

The man’s servants met him as he was returning home and gave him the news that his son’s fever had broken, which would have been at the very hour Jesus assured the government official his son would live.

4:53 And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.

We praise You, O LORD and Holy Judge who blesses obedience and righteously punishes wickedness. Thank You for the example of Josiah, a king whose personal and public life was truly devoted to You. We thank You for the good he was able to accomplish throughout Israel.  We praise You, for in Your sovereignty he fulfilled Your prophecy given at the beginning of Jeroboam’s wickedness in Israel.

Thank You, Jesus, for being the Savior of the world. We praise You for being our all in all. Thank You for true nourishment for our souls which is found in doing Your will. May we do all that is pleasing in Your sight with all our heart, soul, and strength; and may our lives influence others to look to You for eternal life.

Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, had sent his commander to ridicule the God of all Israel and to threaten the king. Immediately, Hezekiah sent his top officials and leading priests dressed in burlap to Isaiah the prophet.

19:3- 4  They told him, “This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. …But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!”

The LORD answered through Isaiah:

19:6-7  “Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will move against him…he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.”

Meanwhile, King Sennacherib sent a message to further intimidate King Hezekiah.

19:10-12 “Don’t let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. You know perfectly well …the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? Have the gods of other nations rescued them…?

But Hezekiah went to the LORD’s Temple and prayed.

19:15-19 “O LORD, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

“It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”

The LORD fought this battle for Hezekiah. The king of Assyria never even made it to Hezekiah’s front door! Furthermore, God promised protection for Jerusalem.

19:34 “For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.”

The angel of the LORD entered the Assyrian camp and quietly killed 185,000 soldiers that night. Discovering corpses throughout the camp the next morning, King Sennacherib returned with the survivors to Nineveh, only to be murdered by his own sons.

Shortly after this, Hezekiah became very ill and Isaiah told him to get his affairs in order because he would not recover. However, in answer to the prayers of Hezekiah, God gave the king another fifteen years. Sadly, those years were marked by two unfavorable events. One was a foolish blunder Hezekiah made in revealing his treasures to a Babylonian envoy, which would ultimately cause those treasures to be seized by Nebuchadnezzar. Secondly, a son born to Hezekiah named Manasseh would eventually undo every good thing his father had ever done in Judah.

21:9 Manasseh led them to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the LORD had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.

As a result, God proclaimed judgment on the southern kingdom.

21:12-15 “…I will bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of those who hear about it will tingle with horror. I will judge Jerusalem by the same standard I used for Samaria and the same measure I used for the family of Ahab…. Then I will reject even the remnant of my own people who are left, and I will hand them over as plunder for their enemies. For they have done great evil in my sight and have angered me ever since their ancestors came out of Egypt.”

God was faithful to protect Judah under the leadership of Hezekiah. But his patience and long suffering no longer delayed judgment against Judah because their apostasy and wickedness had to be addressed.

John 4:1-30  

Returning to Galilee by way of Samaria, Jesus stopped at Jacob’s well to rest at noontime while his disciples went to the village to buy food. Several things mark this unique encounter with the woman at the well while Jesus waited for his disciples. According to 2 Kings, hundreds of years previously, the people of the northern tribes of Israel had been deported by Sennacherib of Assyria and repopulated with people from other lands who blended their faith in their false gods with that of the God of Israel. This explains why Jews typically refused to have anything to do with Samaritans. Also, it was not customary for a man to publicly address a woman he did not know. And the fact the woman came to the well at noon, in the heat of the day while others were home having lunch was also unusual. Nevertheless, as Jesus waited for his disciples, he broke protocol by asking the Samaritan woman for a drink of water and engaging her in conversation.

The woman expressed surprise a Jew would ask her for a drink.

4:10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

She questioned his ability to provide water without a rope or bucket and asked if he thought he was better than their ancestor Jacob. What she did not yet realize, someone far greater was indeed speaking to the Samaritan woman.

Jesus responded.

4:13-15 “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Jesus’ offer of another source of water, which would permanently satisfy was appealing because she could stop coming to this public place at off hours to avoid the stares of the other women. Jesus asked her to get her husband. He then moved right to the heart of the matter because she actually had five husbands and was not married to the man she was currently living with. Quickly, she changed the subject by asking why the Jews would not worship at this mountain where Abram and Jacob had worshipped. But Jesus told her the Father desires true worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth. Then he revealed himself to her as the Messiah.

Sovereign God and LORD of the Heaven’s Armies, we praise You, the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth and determine the fate of nations. Thank You for once again demonstrating Your willingness to fight our battles for us when our lives are aligned with You. Thank You for being a safe place to take our fears and for being a God who hears our prayers. May we be content with the years you have ordained for us.

We bow humbly before Your righteous judgment with deep gratitude knowing Jesus has taken Your holy wrath for our sins upon Himself. There is great comfort knowing You take interest in the messiest of individuals and engage each of us right where we are. Knowing all there is to know about us, You offer Yourself as all we will ever need to truly satisfy our deepest longings.

Thank You for desiring us to be true worshipers of You, the living God. We ask You to search our hearts and clarify our thinking of any faulty concepts of You. Because You have caused us to be born again by Your Spirit, we praise You for the privilege of worshiping in spirit and truth as Your eternal life flows through us like living water.

The disappointing track record of the kings of Israel comes to a dramatic end. Hoshea son of Elah ruled over Israel for nine years.

17:2 He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him.

The Assyrian king attacked Israel and extracted heavy taxes. Hoshea tried to get the king of Egypt to join forces, but the Assyrian king seized Hoshea and imprisoned him. Samaria fell and all of Israel was taken captive.

17:7 This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

The people of Israel had set up pagan worship of those the LORD had driven out of the land, as well as some new practices introduced by kings of Israel. They built shrines for themselves, set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles, and offered pagan sacrifices.

17:11 So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the LORD’s anger.

The people of Israel refused to listen and refused to believe the LORD their God.

17:16-17 They rejected all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD’s anger.

17:23 … the LORD finally swept them away from his presence, just as all his prophets had warned. So Israel was exiled from their land to Assyria….

The king of Assyria replaced the people of Israel with people of other nations who brought their religions and blended their faith with that of Israel.

But Hezekiah son of Ahaz, ruler of Judah, did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. He trusted the Lord; he removed the false gods and was successful in everything he did. How refreshing to finally read of a king who honored God!

18:3-4 He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it.

But while the people of Israel experienced God’s long delayed judgment, in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked Judah and demanded eleven tons of silver and a ton of gold. But did not take Judah into captivity. Because the people of Judah had been slightly more inclined to follow God, their judgment would be delayed still longer.

John 3:17-36             

Motivated by love, God acted in our best interest.

3:17-18 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.…anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

3:19-21 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. ”

Jesus was sent by God to speak God’s words with the unlimited power of the Spirit.

3:35-36 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

God’s judgment is inevitable because God is just and must judge sin. Both Israel and Judah were given many opportunities to turn back to God. But they loved darkness more than the light and continued their evil actions. The same is true today. Unless we believe in Jesus and turn in obedience to God, we will never experience eternal life and will one day face God’s righteous judgment.

We praise You, O God, for You are a righteous Judge. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming from above and for providing the only way to escape God’s just and holy wrath. Thank You for taking the full weight of God’s judgment in our place and providing Your eternal life in exchange, simply by believing in You. You are an amazing God of love doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. May our focus on Jesus increase as our focus on ourselves decreases so our lives reflect the light You have brought.

The LORD was consistently dishonored by the long line of kings of Israel who were influenced by the sins of Jeroboam, the first king over the divided kingdom. Zechariah, the son of the much later king named Jereboam II, reigned a short six months.

15:9 Zechariah did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, as his ancestors had done. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

He was assassinated in public by Shallum, the son of Jabesh. So the prophecy concerning the sons of Jehu’s descendants who reigned as kings in Israel to the fourth generation was fulfilled. Then the northern kingdom entered great political unrest with three of the remaining five kings of Israel being assassinated. Menahem, however, reigned ten years. During his reign he extorted money from the wealthy in Israel to appease the king of Assyria. Then Pekahiah, son of Menahem, reigned two years over Israel.

15:24 But Pekahiah did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

So the commander of his army, Pekuh, conspired against him and assassinated the king.

15:28 But Pekah did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

Hoshea conspired against Pekah and assassinated him to become king. However, Hoshea, was soon captured and imprisoned by the Assyrians.

Meanwhile, in Judah there continued to be a higher regard for the LORD. Uzziah, son of Amaziah, was sixteen when he became king.

15:3-5 He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. The LORD struck the king with leprosy, which lasted until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house. The king’s son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land.

While Uzziah’s personal life was initially pleasing to God, he failed to use his authority, and influence to remove idolatry from Judah. Instead, he became prideful and abused his power by usurping the priestly role when he burned incense in the Temple. This was why God struck him with leprosy as explained in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21. Jotham, his son, ruled for sixteen years over Judah.

15:34-35 Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done. But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. He rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the LORD.

However, he was replaced by his son, Ahaz.

16: 2-3 He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

As Assyria became a greater threat, rather than depending on the LORD, Ahaz made a treaty and became a vassal king to the Assyrian king. In addition to his initial religious atrocities, he adopted the pagan worship of the Assyrians. Furthermore, he copied the altar in Damascus and replicated it in front of the Temple of God.

Again, the LORD demonstrated his longsuffering as the kings in both Israel and Judah failed to represent and serve God faithfully.

John 3:1-16           

Nicodemus, a religious leader, visited Jesus at night. Jesus explained to him a person must be born again to see the Kingdom of God.

3:4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

However, Jesus was not speaking of physical birth, but of spiritual re-birth. Since the event of Adam’s disobedience in the garden, described in Genesis 3, all mankind has been separated from God from birth. We all come into this world with physical life, but we are spiritually dead to God. We must be born again spiritually to have spiritual life.

3:5-6 Jesus repied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”

Then Jesus continued to explain.

3:13 “No one has gone to heaven and returned…”

But Jesus came from heaven to provide salvation and returned to heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand, having accomplished the task of his first advent. Jesus’ redemptive work was foreshadowed centuries before when the people of Israel were dying in the wilderness as a result of God’s judgment against their rebellion and sin. God instructed Moses to hold up a bronze snake so anyone who looked at it would live.

3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life

Jesus, who knew no sin, would take the sins of all mankind upon himself and be lifted up on the cross to die so all who look to Jesus for salvation can receive not only forgiveness, but also be born again of the spirit and receive Christ’s eternal life.

3:16-17 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Our problem is not just what we do or do not do, which falls short of God’s holiness. The deeper issue is we come into this world spiritually dead to God and alive to sin. Only through Jesus can we be born again of the Spirit in order to share in Jesus’ eternal life and participate in the Kingdom of God.

O Holy God, our hearts grieve as we are reminded of our own failures when we read of the repeated failures of both Israel and Judah to honor and worship You as You deserve. We realize it is not enough to want to do good. Our performance will never measure up to all we desire it to be. Our propensity to failure is great because we come into the world separated from You. Only through Jesus can we be spiritually born again. We praise You, Father, Son, and Spirit for making that possible! We praise You for being long-suffering. We praise You for providing forgiveness for all of our failures and for giving us life! We praise You, Father, for loving us so much You gave Your Son so we can be born again through faith in Jesus by the power of Your Spirit. Thank You for Your gift of eternal life and the privilege of sharing that life with You—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! May our lives truly honor You and be used by You to influence others to Your glory.

Jehoahaz son of Jehu reigned seventeen years in Samaria.

13:2-3 But he did what was evil in the LORD’s sight… So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them repeatedly.

Eventually, Jehoahaz turned to God in prayer and the LORD had mercy, rescuing Israel from the tyranny of Aram even though Israel continued to sin. When Jehoahaz died, his son Jehoash became king of Israel for sixteen years.

13:11 But he did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

Elisha’s fiinal prophecy prior to his death proclaimed the LORD’s victory over the Arameans would be limited to three battles due to King Jehoash’s only moderate enthusiasm. Nevertheless, Israel was able to recapture three towns taken by the Arameans.

An interesting side note is the miracle related to the hasty burial of an Israelite. As Moabite raiders were approaching the body was quickly thrown into Elisha’s tomb. When the body landed on top of Elisha’s, the man immediately sprang to his feet alive again!

Meanwhile in Judah, Amaziah son of Joash ruled for twenty-nine years.

14:3 Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash. Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

Once well established as king, Amaziah executed the two officials who had assassinated his father. He also killed 10,000 Edomites. Evidently, he let the victory go to his head because he challenged Israel to go to war.

14:8 One day Amaziah sent messengers with this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”

King Jehoash cautioned Amaziah to be content with his victory over Edom and not stir up trouble for Judah. But Amaziah refused to listen and led his army into battle only to be defeated by Israel. King Joash captured Amaziah and marched to Jerusalem, carrying away all the gold and silver from the Temple and palace treasures back to Samaria.

Later, when Jehoash died, his son, Jeroboam II became king of Israel.

14:24  He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

Nevertheless, the LORD used Jeroboam II to preserve Israel from total defeat.

14: 25 Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea,  just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

When Jeroboam II died his son, Zechariah, became the next king in Israel. Meanwhile in Judah, Amaziah was assassinated and his sixteen year old son, Uzziah became king of Judah.

Neither Israel nor Judah had a king who was fully devoted to God. Consequently, conflict and rebellion marked the reign of one king after another. All the people suffered due to lack of godly leadership. And yet, God did not abandon his people because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

John 2            

Jesus, his mother, and his disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana where Jesus saved the host from social embarrassment by turning water into wine. Jesus directed the servants to take a sample of the transformed water to the master of ceremonies to taste. Unaware of where the wine had come from, he gave the wine his highest appraisal.

2:10-11 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

John recorded this miracle as a “sign” because it attested to Jesus’ deity as the Son of God.

As the time for the celebration of Passover drew near, Jesus went to Jerusalem where he saw the Temple filled with merchants selling animals for sacrifices and people exchanging foreign currency. Clearing the Temple Jesus shouted for all to hear.

2:16-17 “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”

However, the religious leaders wanted a sign to authenticate Jesus’ authority to do this. So Jesus made a statement referencing his future death and resurrection.

2:19 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Jesus was referring to his body as “this temple”. Many people began to trust him.

Thank You, Jesus, for revealing Your glory at a wedding feast and saving the family from public embarrassment so the festivities continued. But thank You even more for the promise we will one day join You at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb where You will drink wine with us in celebration of our union with You. We praise You because You care about the details of our lives and are in control of all things, big and small. We praise You, Lord Jesus, for being passionate about God’s Temple and ask Your Holy Spirit and the cleansing power of Your blood to keep us faithful and pure in Your righteousness in the details of our lives, so we may serve You whole heartedly. We pray for our leaders to be responsive to You, so we might live peaceful lives. We give You praise, Father, for Your longsuffering and merciful heart.