2KINGS 15-16: Readers and listeners are frequently confused by the names of the kings in yesterday’s reading in 2nd Kings. Judah’ king, Joash, died at the end of chapter 12. Then on the Israel (10 tribes) side, we heard of Jehoahaz's reign, and then the reign of his son, Johoash. He was helped by Elisha’s final prophecy. Also in yesterday’s reading we heard about of the reign of Joash’s son, Amaziah, in Judah. Amaziah was very unwise to insist on war with Israel’s king Jehoash. PSALM 130: This P...
Jul 06, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 194
2KINGS 13-14: Yesterday we heard of Athaliah's seven year reign over Judah, of how Joash was saved from being killed, and of Jehoida's successful plot to end Athaliah's reign. Joash turned out to be sorta good, but disappointing at the end of his reign. And it is interesting to note that the people who worked on restoring the temple evidently had more integrity than the priests. PSALM 129: This is another Psalm of Ascent and another nationalistic psalm. In this year’s readings, in just a few day...
Jul 06, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 193
2KINGS 11-12: Yesterday's story was of Jehu, anointed on Elisha's orders, and who executed the Lord's vengeance on Ahab and his whole family, and even his friends and the worshipers of Baal. However, after that, he still didn't follow the Lord, but continued the idolatry of Israel. PSALM 128: Today’s Song of Ascent has a similar theme about the Lord’s blessings for families as yesterday’s psalm. Unlike what I said about translating the Hebrew word ‘sons’ in Psalm 127, the context of today’s psal...
Jul 06, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 192
2KINGS 9-10: Yesterday we heard one of my favorite Old Testament stories: The one about the three lepers and the famine in Samaria. Elisha's prophecy was so dramatically fulfilled, and the scoffing officer could be a parable for modern times. Then we heard how the woman from Shunem returned and was blessed a second time. The narrative switched briefly to the kingdom of Judah and Ahaziah's reign. PSALM 127: About ‘children/sons’ in v. 3, NET’s note says this: Some prefer to translate this word wi...
Jul 06, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 191
Recorded July 7, 2023 Buckling the Belt of Truth, lesson 3 THEME: following the SPIRIT’s lead I will not read all the verse numbers, nor will I always cite which translation I am quoting from. If I don’t say which translation, it is either NLT or GNT. The complete information is found in the episode notes. One of the mistakes I made in trying to find victory over my evil desires was thinking that the spiritual reality of my death and resurrection with Christ was going to be the key that would gi...
Jul 06, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 190
2KINGS 7-8: Yesterday we heard two more chapters containing fascinating miracles performed by Elisha. The story about Gahazi getting the gifts from Naaman, and the vision about the chariots of fire both have interesting spiritual significance to ponder. We come back to the story from chapter 7 where the Aramean army is surrounding Samaria. The famine is severe. The king has sent an executioner to kill Elisha. And then: 2Kings 6:32 NLT Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel whe...
Jul 06, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 190
2KINGS 5-6: Yesterday we heard of the many miracles done by Elisha, supplying water for three armies on their way to Moab for war, helping the widow of a prophet, blessing the woman from Shunem, purifying Jericho's water, and miraculously transforming food. PSALM 125: The first verse of this psalm is one that our family has sung for years. Gale and I learned this song from a cassette tape that came from a Canadian church called St. Margaret’s, a place we have never been to. At that time (around ...
Jul 06, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 189
2KINGS 3-4: Yesterday we heard of the final amazing prophecies of Elijah, and then how he took leave of the prophets and particularly, his successor Elisha. Elisha quickly showed that he was Elijah's successor. PSALM 124: I keep being amazed how people (and particularly those in America) don’t seem to learn anything from the amazing things that are happening in our times. The last verse of this psalm expresses the lesson that I think we should have learned by now. JOHN 11a: Reminding us of what ...
Jul 06, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 188
2KINGS 1-2: Yesterday we heard stories which show that King Ahab indeed “sold himself to evil,” including the story of Naboth's vineyard. And also we heard of Ahab's friendship with King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Finally we heard how the prophecies against Ahab were fulfilled. PSALM 123: This psalm has an important similarity with Ps. 121 which said, Ps. 121:1 NLT I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! Today’s psalm tells u...
Jun 29, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 187
1KINGS 21-22: What a cruel surprise it must have been for Elijah to bring about such an irrefutable display of God's power before the people, but then to have to flee for his life because of Queen Jezebel! Note that God deigned to speak twice to King Ahab. And the reason was: God wanted it known to Ahab and to us that He is not a territorial God. God also gave amazing, symbolic revelations of Himself in the story of His appearing to Elijah at Mount Sinai. Finally, in yesterday’s reading, Elijah'...
Jun 29, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 186
1KINGS 19-20: The story we read yesterday in this book is one of the most dramatic in all of Scripture: The time the prophet Elijah confronted King Ahab. Remember that in the New Testament James used this story to encourage us that we are no different than Elijah and that we should pray fervently like him. PSALM 121: This is another psalm that is frequently sung, even today. Often this whole psalm is set to music. As Olsen says, this psalm lifts the fog from our eyes. Re-reading JOHN 9: Remember...
Jun 29, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 185
1KINGS 17-18: We've arrived at the narrative of the different kings of Judah (which now includes the smaller tribe of Benjamin) and the kings of Israel (consisting of the 10 other tribes, sometimes called the Northern Kingdom). The kings on Israel’s side changed more rapidly and were 100% bad, while there was a mixed record among the kings of Judah. It will help your understanding to observe the section headings (which I normally do not read), and to try to remember which kingdom is being talked...
Jun 29, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 184
1KINGS 15-16: I think yesterday's story of the ‘man of God from Judah’ and the ‘old prophet from Bethel’ to be one of the most fascinating in the Bible. Prophets who lie will certainly be judged harshly by God! And we will see in 2nd Kings that the prophecy of the unnamed man of God from Judah was completely fulfilled. Also in yesterday’s reading, we heard Ahijah's prophecy against Jeroboam. We also heard of the end of the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon's son. And do you think that Shishak took the ...
Jun 29, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 183
1KINGS 13-14: Solomon was the wisest of men. So how could he make such stupid choices?! Part of the answer is the corruption caused when one has too much power. And there is something truly sticky about sexual sin. The Lord’s judgment is evident in what happened with the division of the country, and what happened in the northern kingdom. Note also how the people Judah followed all the bad parts of Solomon’s example, which again will lead to judgment. PSALM 119:145-160: I like the last three vers...
Jun 29, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 182
1KINGS 11-12: Yesterday we heard interesting glimpses of Solomon's international relations and commerce. Notably, the queen of Sheba came to listen to Solomon's wisdom and to ask questions of him. PSALM 119:129-144: How precious the Word of God is to us! A favorite verse from yesterday’s portion is verse 127: “I love your commands more than gold, more than the finest gold. JOHN 7b: We left the story in John 7 yesterday with Jesus already having some hot exchanges with the people at the Festival ...
Jun 29, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 181
1KINGS 9-10: The temple was completed! And yesterday we heard Solomon’s very wise prayer asking God to fulfill his promises and help the people of Israel. In his prayer, he recognized that the people of Israel would not be able to remain faithful to the Lord, but that they would sin and then need to repent. Solomon asked God to forgive and to hear the people in situations of sin and desperation because of the Lord's punishment upon them. PSALM 119:113-128: Yesterday we read one of the frequently...
Jun 22, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 180
1KINGS 8: Yesterday we heard lots and lots of details about the building of the temple. A man from Tyre, Huram, must have been an efficient and artistic technician in working with bronze casting. He corresponds to the two craftsmen who designed and constructed the first tabernacle. PSALM 119:97-112: Again we are focussing on what God’s Word means to us. A favorite verse from yesterday’s portion is verse 89: Ps. 119:89 “Your word, O Lord, will last forever; it is eternal in heaven.” JOHN 6b: Ther...
Jun 22, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 179
1KINGS 6-7: Yesterday we heard of the incredible size and wealth of Solomon's dominion. His wisdom in organization is evident. During his reign, Israel was prosperous as never before or afterward. Solomon contracted with King Hiram of Sidon to get the materials needed for the construction of the temple. PSALM 119.81-96: God is telling us how important His Word is! Here are two favorite verses from yesterday’s reading: Ps. 119:72 The law that you gave means more to me than all the money in the wo...
Jun 22, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 178
1KINGS 4-5: Yesterday we heard David's final instructions to Solomon. They contained a few messy details, and Solomon managed to finish all of those issues. David noted Solomon's wisdom as he gave him those instructions, and later Solomon (at his finest hour) asked God for wisdom to rule the nation of Israel well, and God gave it to him. PSALM 119:65-80: God is telling us how important His Word is! I highlight this verse (62) from yesterday’s portion, “In the middle of the night I wake up to pra...
Jun 22, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 177
1KINGS 2-3: Yesterday we heard of Adonijah’s almost successful bid to become the next king. The prophet Nathan’s intervention saved the day. PSALM 119:49-64: God is telling us how important His Word is! In yesterday’s reading I find NLT’s rendering of this verse interesting: Ps. 119:45 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. Note that following God’s commandments does not violate freedom. JOHN 5a: In John 4:36, about the spiritual harvest, Jesus said, “The harvest...
Jun 22, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 176
1KINGS 1: Like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles were originally each one book instead of two. The books of Kings and Chronicles have many similarities. One difference is that the books of Kings seem a bit more secular in their outlook, whereas Chronicles seems to have been written by a priest. Henrietta Mears says that both sets have these things in common: 1. They begin with King David and end with the king of Babylon. 2. They open with the building of the Temple and e...
Jun 22, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 175
2SAMUEL 24: Yesterday we heard David’s final words and the listing of the 38 mighty warriors who loyally helped David in his victories. Note that Uriah the Hittite was so poignantly included at the end of the list. And this 24th chapter seems like a postscript. PSALM 119:17-32: Yesterday’s reading included two of the most famous verses from this psalm: 9 NLT How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. JOHN 4: Y...
Jun 22, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 174
2SAMUEL 23: Yesterday we read David’s long poem of praise for God giving him victory and deliverance from his enemies. PSALM 119a: This psalm is famous for being the longest chapter in the Bible, and it is an acrostic psalm with a difference. In this psalm, every line of each stanza starts with the same letter of the alphabet, instead of every line with a different letter. The psalm has 22 stanzas, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And this psalm has a clear theme: God’s Word— or a syn...
Jun 15, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 173
2SAMUEL 22: We near the end of David’s story. God gave him victory over Sheba and the house of Saul. The killing of seven of the descendants of Saul seems harsh and past the ‘statute of limitations’ to us. But God arranged that revenge in response to untold injustices that were wreaked by Saul against the Gibeonites. Note: God takes notice of covenants made and wants us to do what we promise in His name. David’s song of praise in chapter 22 closely follows Psalm 18. Because of this long poetic s...
Jun 15, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 172
2SAMUEL 21: The story of David being welcomed back ended poorly with arguments. Sheba attempted to mount a revolt. He died even though surrounded by his clan members because there was a wise woman in the town where he had taken refuge. Before that, David had decided to promote national reconciliation by appointing Amasa as military commander. But Joab, who had grown too powerful, shamefully put an end to Amasa's career. Re-reading PSALM 118: This is an antiphonal psalm. Imagine a leader and a ch...
Jun 15, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 171
2SAMUEL 20: Yesterday we heard the story of how David sent out his army under three commanders, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He gave them orders to deal gently with Absalom. Joab— who was always pragmatic, didn't do this. Along with Absalom, 20,000 men died in the civil war. Joab stopped David’s mourning for his son and ordered him to go out to encourage his troops. And finally the people decided to bring David back as their king. PSALM 118a: This is one of the antiphonal psalms. Imagine a leader a...
Jun 15, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 170
2SAMUEL 18-19: Civil war might have been avoided, but Absalom didn’t choose wisely. And I observe that my being bald has advantages in some situations! But seriously, all of the terrible things that happened here are the consequences of David’s sin. PSALM 117: This is a doxology that one day the whole world will sing. JOHN 1b: John consciously made an original account, and very consciously left out things that are included in the three Synoptic Gospels. Where he does include things the others wr...
Jun 15, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 169
2SAMUEL 17: Yesterday we heard how Saul's servant, Ziba, showed his loyalty and helped David on his way. And how Shimei from Saul's family cursed and persecuted David all along the way. No wonder David was exhausted after that hike. David refused to put him to death or to punish him. (But we find out later that he didn't forget about Shimei.) David's friend, Hushai, joined himself to Absalom, as David asked him to do. And Nathan’s prophecy to David was unknowingly fulfilled through Ahithophel’s ...
Jun 15, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 168
2SAMUEL 16: Absolom first stole the hearts of all Israel by being a shrewd politician. Then he mounted a rebellion against his own father. David fled Jerusalem to avoid bloodshed, and as he left, he planted several carefully chosen people to work for him. PSALM 115: I know I have said it a lot, but can’t help saying it again: This is one of my favorite psalms. Our God is so different than idols. He is in heaven and does whatever He pleases. ROMANS 16: Having told of his plans to visit Rome on hi...
Jun 15, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 167
2SAMUEL 15: In our last reading, we heard how Joab creatively arranged to persuade David to bring Absalom back from exile. And how eventually David agreed to let Absolom meet him directly. PSALM 114: This poem praises God for the miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Re-reading ROMANS 15: Chapter 15 of Romans comes to this summary sentence in verse 13: “May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your [believing//faith] in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by...
Jun 08, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 166
