Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 15

When Azariah began to reign, Jeroboam, who was king of Israel, had been reigning for 27 years already. Azariah followed God, but like his forefather, he didn't take down the high places where some of the people of Judah still worshipped. So, God struck him with leprosy. Because Azariah had to remain separated from the people, Jotham, his son, judged Israel for him. After 52 years reigning Judah, Azariah died and Jotham became king.

During Azariah's 38th year as king, Jeroboam of Israel died and his son Zachariah became king. But Zachariah only reigned for six months. He was evil in his reign. So Shallum conspired against him, killed him, and took the throne. Zachariah was fourth generation, So God had lived up to his promise of letting Jehu's sons rule until the 4th generation. Now there was new blood on the throne.

Shallum reigned only a month before he was killed by Menahem, who then became king. When the people of Tiphsah refused to acknowledge him in business, Menahem killed all of them and ripped open the women who were withchild, killing their posterity as well. He was evil in God's eyes, but he ruled for ten years.

When Pul, the king of Assyria came against Israel, Menahem collected taxes from the wealthy in Israel and gave Pul one thousand talents of silver (or $10,760,000) so that Pul would be his ally. Pul then left Israel alone.

When Menahem died, his son, Pekahiah, ruled. He, also, was evil. After two years, Pekah killed him and took the throne. He also was evil.

While Pekah was king, Assyria took eight of Israel's cities and made the people captives. Then Hoshea conspired and killed Pekah.

When Pekah had been king over Israel for two years, Jotham became king of Judah. He followed God, except that he, too, failed to take down the high places. So, God began subjecting Judah to attacks from both Syria and Israel.

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My Comments...
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In Leviticus Chapter 26 God sets before the Israelites the consequences He has planned for their actions if they obey, and if they disobey. Israel and Judah's disobedience was reaping the consequences of those promises in 2 Kings 14.

America, today is also reaping consequences. We still have a chance. We still have a choice as to who we wish to follow, God or the secular world. Jesus did not come to take away the consequences. He came to provide a graceful sacrifice so that we could afford to turn away from our sin. He became the last payment. But, in Leviticus, it says that when we make our sin sacrifice and repent, we still will have to live with what we've done. We still have to pay for our past mistakes, but our way becomes easier and more blessed over time. Paul, in the New Testament, says that God can take our failures and use them for His good and His purpose, and turn them into blessings.

If it was easy, it wouldn't be life. The difference is that we have to pay for what we do while we are here, and then when we are in God's kingdom after we leave this earthly life, we will have all the blessings without any more consequences.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 13

After Jehoash had reigned for 23 years, Jehu's son, Jehoahaz took the throne of Israel. He was evil and this made God angry. So God let Hazael, king of Syria, take Israel. Then, Jehoahaz prayed to God to help them; so God, being a God of mercy and forgiveness, sent them a leader to help break the bonds of Syria, then they went back to their former lives. They continued in their old ways.

Jehoahaz died, and his son Jeroboam reigned.

When Israel was taken by Syria, it was Elisha that Jehoahaz went to for help to talk to God. Elisha told Jehoahaz to beat the floor with his staff. Jehoahaz hit the floor three times, and Elisha reprimanded him for his lack of determination. "If you had hit the floor at least five times, you would have drove the Syrians away for good! But, you will only be able to defeat them three times now."

Elisha was old and sick. He soon died. They placed him in a tomb. Later, the Moabites invaded the land. Once, when they were in a funeral procession for another man, they saw a band of men coming that they supposed were enemies, so they quickly put the dead men in the tomb with Elisha's bones. When the dead man touched the bones, he immediately came back to life.

Hazael, king of Syria, oppressed Israel until he died. Then, his son Benhadad became king. Jehoahash took back all the lands Hazael had taken when Benhadad became king.

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My Comments:
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"I'm sorry" only works if you turn from your actions that you are sorry for and determine not to do it again. If you say you are sorry, and ask for help, you may be helped. But if you turn back to your old ways, the one who helps you may be more likely to let you wallow in your misery. God has patience, to a point. After a while, though, He determines to practice "tough love" by letting you wallow in your misery until you learn why you should turn from your sin and determine to sin no more.

God doesn't want to hear His children cry. But, if they fail to learn from their mistakes, the only option He has is to let them suffer the consequences.

When God asks you to do something that will help you, then you should do it whole-heartedly. If you just half-heartedly do it, you will only get a half-hearted result, and the problem could come back at full force later. It's best to whole-heartedly take care of the problem once and for all.

Elisha had so much faith and spirit in him that the power God gave him even permeated his decaying body.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 9

Elisha called one of the other prophets under him, and he said, "Take this box of oil to Ramoth-Gilead, and annoint Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, as king. Then run away as fast as you can."

So, he did as he was told. When he got there, the Captains of the host of Jehoshaphat's army were sitting outside. He said, "Captain, I have to do something for you."

Jehu said, "For who?"

The prophet said, "For you." He took him into the house and he told him, "God says, 'I have annointed you as king over my people. You shall rid Israel of the House of Ahab and avenge the blood of the prophets that were killed at the hand of Jezebel; and you will leave none of them, and Jezebel will be eaten by the dogs and no one will bury her." Then he ran.

When Jehu came out of the house, the other Captains said, "What was that all about? That man was crazy! What did he say to you?"

Jehu just shrugged and said, "Like you said, he's crazy." Then he told him what the prophet said. They all stood up and put on their garments and blew the trumpet and announced him King over Israel. And Jehu began to conspire against Joram.

Joram had gone to heal his wounds from the Syrians in Jezreel. So Jehu went to see him. Ahaziah, the king of Judah was also there to see Joram. A watchman saw Jehu coming in his chariot driving furiously and told Joram, who sent out a messenger asking, "Do you come in peace?"

Jehu told him, "What do you know about peace?" and kept driving. So they sent another, who got the same answer.

So Joram and Ahaziah went out to meet Jehu on the way and Joram said, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" And Jehu answered and said, "As long as your mother continues to reak havoc on Israel, there is no peace!" Joram turned and fled away, yelling for Ahaziah to run. "It is treachery, Ahaziah!" he yelled. Jehu grabbed a bow and shot him between the shoulders.

Jehu told them to cast Joram in the field of Naboth. Then as Ahaziah was running away, they shot him, too. He went to Megiddo, where he died.

Jezebel heard of what happened and she painted her face. When Jehu got to Jezreel, she asked, "Did you have peace in your heart when you came to Joram?" as she leaned out of an upstair window. Jehu yelled to the servants in the house, "Who is on my side? Anybody?" Three Eunuchs came out and he said, "Throw her down!" So they went upstairs and threw Jezebel out the window. Then he ran over her with his horse and went into the house to eat.

When he had done eating, he told them, "You know, she was a king's daughter and we ought to bury her properly. Go get her." So they went out to get her, but the dogs had eaten all but her skull, the palms of her hands and her feet.

Jehu knew that it was the Lord, for he had been told by the prophet this would happen.

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When God annoints you to do something, it is what you should consistently work toward until it is finished. If you do, all that God promises for you will happen.


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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 8

After Samaria was restored, Elisha told the woman, who's son he had brought back to life, to travel away from Israel because a famine was about to occur.

In the meanwhile, the king had spoken to Gehazi, who told the king about all he had witnessed that Elisha had done.

After seven years of living in the land of the Philistines, the woman came back, and she went before the king to petition that he give her her land and her home back. Gehazi informed the king that this was the woman he had spoke to him about.

The king asked her to tell her side of the story, and she did. So, he restored her property to her.

Elisha went to Damascus. The king of Syria was sick, and when he was told of Elisha's arrival, he sent a messenger to enquire as to whether or not he would recover.

So Hazael, the messenger, went to Elisha and asked. Elisha told him, "Yes," but he began to cry, trying to keep his composure, but failing to do so.

When Hazael asked, "What's wrong?" Elisha told him, "I see what you are going to do to Israel. You will slay all the men, all the children and all the women who are with-child brutally."

"Am I a dog that I would do such a thing?" Hazael protested. Elisha insisted that he would be king.

When Hazael returned to the king, the king asked, "Will I recover?" Hazael told him, "Yes." The next day, he took a cloth, dipped it in water, and put it over the king's face, smothering him to death. Hazael became king.

After Joram was king over Israel for five years, Jehoram became king of Judah. Jehoram was married to Joram's sister, and he reigned for eight years, doing evil in the site of the Lord, who would not destroy Judah for David's sake. God had promised that Israel would always have a light.

While Joram reigned, Edom and Libnah revolted. Joram defeated Edom in battle, and Ahaziah ruled in his stead. Ahaziah was Joram's son-in-law. Before Joram died, he was wounded in battle, so he went to Jezreel to recuperate, and Ahaziah went to see him.

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Shakespeare, one of the most notorius playwrites history has to give us, once wrote, "Oh what a wicked web we weave, when at first we practice to deceive!" One sin leads to another. It causes others to stumble and sin. Soon everyone is corrupt and the whole land is covered in sin. Sin is hard to purge. The stains are thick and heavy, and Israel is in despair in 2 Kings 8 because of it.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 7

Then Elisha told the king, "This time tomorrow, food will be sold cheap here in Samaria."

Then, a close friend and servant of the king said, mocking, "Yeah, right, just like there are windows in heaven."

Elisha turned to him and said, "Oh, it will happen, but you won't be around to enjoy it when it does."

There were four leprous men at the gate of the city. They were irritable and hungry and said to each other, "What is the point in us just sitting here? Even if we went into the city we'd starve. If we go out to the Syrians who have us surrounded, they may kill us. Either way, we'll die. It's worth taking a chance." So the next morning, they went into the Syrian camp, but there was no one there.

The night before, God had made a great noise that sounded like armies approaching, and the Syrians thought that Israel had contacted their allies somehow and that the allies were coming to save them, so the Syrians took off running, leaving everything behind.

The lepers went in one tent and ate, then took all the valuables they could find and hid them, then went into another tent and did the same. Then, they stopped and thought about what they were doing.

"Anything could happen to us out here. We need to go tell the king." So, they went to the gate of Samaria and called to the porter, and told him what they had found. The porter sent a messenger to the king.

The King found it hard to believe. He said, "They are probably hiding out in the fields, waiting for us to come out so they can get in and take over the city."

One of the king's servants then said, "But, isn't it worth checking out?"

So the king sent two chariots out to check things out. He also sent his friend that had mocked Elisha to guard the city gates. When they came back with a good report, the people were so ecstatic about getting out and spoiling the tents of the Syrians for food and valuables that they trampled the guard to death.

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When you are surrounded by enemies, you may have to endure hard times and go through some nasty things; but, with patience, you will see that God will take care of the problem. It is times like these when you need to have the most faith; for if you doubt, you may see the light at the end of the tunnel but never reach it.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 6

The prophets Elisha worked with did not like where they were living, so they told Elisha that they'd like to go and live in Jordan, where there was easier access to the place. Elisha told them to go ahead. They asked Elisha to come with them and he agreed.

When they got there, they had to construct their new homes. One man had borrowed an iron ax and was chopping when it flew off the handle and landed in the Jordan river. He was very dismayed because it wasn't his ax. Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water, and the iron ax-head floated so the man could retrieve it.

The king of Syria warred with Israel. He told his men where he'd be staying. Elisha, in Israel, told his king where not to go in order to stay safe. The Syrian king accused his men of playing the spy, until one of his servants told him about Elisha. He wanted to know where Elisha was, and the servant told him, "Dothan". So, the king of Syria surrounded Dothan.

Elisha's servant began to panic, "What are we gonna do?"

Elisha told him, "Don't worry about it. There are more of us than there are of him." Then he prayed that the servant would see, and he opened his eyes and saw that the whole mountain around Elisha was packed with men on horses and chariots of fire everywhere.

Elisha prayed that God would strike the Syrians with blindness, and He did. Elisha then led them to Samaria, to the King of Israel, where they were given their sight back. The king of Israel wanted to kill the men, but Elisha talked him out of it by saying, "You don't kill prisoners of war!" So, the king fed them and sent them to their masters, and the Syrians left Israel alone after that until Benhadad besieged Samaria.

During the siege, there was famine. It was so bad that the price of food skyrocketed. One day the king of Israel passed by a wall and a lady cried out in despair, telling the king, "I had a son, and my neighbor had a son. We agreed that I would kill and eat my son one day, and that they would do so the next. It is her turn, but she has hidden her son!" The king was very distraught at the state of Israel because of this, and he wore sackcloth and mourned.

He was also angry. He sent someone to fetch Elisha, who locked himself in his quarters. The king cried out, "Why should I serve a God who allows this!"

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The king did not understand that Israel was paying for their sins. God told Israel that if they refuse to follow His laws, this would happen over time. God does not give punishment without warning first!

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 3

When Jehoshaphat had been king of Judah for eighteen years, Jehoram became king of Israel. He didn't make God happy, but he wasn't as bad as Ahab had been. He did take down all the statues of Baal, but he followed in the ways of Jeroboam.

Mesha was king of Moab. Moab was under Israel's control, so Mesha provided Israel with lots of sheep. After Ahab died, Moab rebelled.

King Jehoram took a census of Israel, then he sent messengers to Jehoshaphat and asked him if he would help him get the Moabites back under control. Jehoshaphat agreed and asked where he would like to meet. Jehoram said, "Edom."

Edom joined forces with Israel and Judah in the quest to get Moab back. So, all three kings and their men started travelling. After seven days, there was no water for the men or animals. It had not rained. Jehoram claimed that God must want all three of the kings together so Moab can defeat them and take all their territories. Jehoshaphat said, "Really? Let's ask Him. Is there a prophet anywhere close by?"

One of Jehoram's servants said, "There is Elisha. He was Elijah's apprentice." So Jehoram sent for Elisha.

When Elisha got there, he said, "Why me? What is wrong with all your other god's prophets?"

Jehoram told Elisha what was going on, and Elisha said, "I swear. If it weren't for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat, I wouldn't even be here. Bring me some music so I can think." They did.

When Elisha felt the Spirit of the Lord, he told them, "Dig some ditches. God is not going to send rain, but he will make sure your people and animals are watered. Furthermore, God is going to deliver Moab into your hands. When He does, you are to destroy every city there. You are to stopped all the wells, cut down all the good trees, and put stones in the land to make it useless.

The next morning, the ditches were filled with water. The Moabites heard the kings were coming, so they readied themselves for battle. They went to the border and camped. When they got up, the water that God had given the kings reflected red, like blood. The Moabites thought that maybe the kings were dead, so they ventured into the kings' camps. When they got to the camps, the Israelites suddenly got up and started fighting them, startling them so badly that they retreated, killing each other on the way.

They did all they were told to do, except in Kir-haraseth, where they left the stones for the sling-shooters who destroyed the land for them.

The king of Moab went after the king of Edom with seven-hundred men when he saw he could not defeat Israel, but to no avail. He was so desperate that he offered his son that would have inherited Moab as a sacrifice to his god on the wall. Israel was so indignant over this that they turned and went home.

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One Godly man in a group that is ungodly can be influential in how God blesses or curses an event. When God is on your side, you can't lose. So, when you feel like you are alone in your beliefs, and you wonder if prayer is the answer, take heart. God is still with you. God will bring you through any situation in any environment, surrounded by any type of people. Pray: for God IS listening.


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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 21

Naboth had a vineyard in Jezreel, by Ahab's palace. Because of the location, Ahab offered to buy it from him for more than it was worth; but, Naboth would not sell it because it was an inheritance. Ahab became depressed about it and wouldn't eat.

Jezebel, his wife wanted to know what was wrong and Ahab told her. She did the wifely thing and babied him, then said, "Don't you worry. I'll make sure you get that land."

Jezebel then forged letters to the elders of Israel, demanding Naboth's life, citing blasphemy as the reason. So, they stoned and killed Naboth.

Jezebel went and told her husband, "You can have the land now, Naboth is dead."

So Ahab went to secure the land, meeting Elijah on the way. Elijah chastised him, "Shame on you for killing another man to get his property."

"How did you know?"

"You can't hide anything from God. And, because you did this, you and your children and your wife will die and be eaten by the dogs...unless you die outside the city, then you'll be eaten by the birds."

This depressed Ahab again. He went and dressed in humble clothes and quietly went about his business.

God told Elijah, "Because he is acting sorrowful, I will not do what I said in his lifetime. I'll wait, so he doesn't have to see his children destroyed."

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You may not think so, but the sins you commit effect your family for generations. You cannot escape God's judgment, but you can delay it with your repentance. This is why it is important to teach your children to follow God. If they follow God with their whole hearts, they will not have to pay for your sins.

You may be saying, "That is unfair. Why should they pay for my sins anyway?"

The reality is, today, we are still paying for the sins of Adam and Eve. We have already been judged guilty. That is why Jesus came, so that we can have a clean slate, and so that we don't have to pay for any sins, except the ones we commit if we don't repent.

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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 16

God told Jehu to tell Baasha that his house would meet the same fate as Jeroboam’s, for the same reason.

When Baasha died, his son, Elah reigned in his place. Asa had been king over Judah for 26 years when Elah began to reign in Israel.

Zimri, and half of Elah’s chariot drivers began to conspire against him. He killed Elah, and began reigning over Israel in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah. Zimri left none of Elah’s house alive. He killed them all.

Zimri reigned for one week when word got out that he had killed the king and his household. So Israel made Omri king, and Omri went after Zimri. So Zimri burned down the king’s house with himself inside, committing suicide.

Then there was a civil war. Some of Israel liked Tibni as king, and some wanted to keep Omri. So they fought, and Tibni died and Omri reigned.

Omri bought a hill for two talents of gold and named it Samaria. Omri did worse in the eyes of the Lord than any of his predecessors. Then he died, and Ahab, his son, ruled in his place.

Ahab was even more evil than Omri. He married a woman named Jezebel, and he went and worshipped Baal. He did more to provoke God's anger than anyone.

In his days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho.

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A wise man once said that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. You can tell a non-believer what God is going to do, and when He does it, the non-believer will still not believe it. In Matthew 13:15 it says:


For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

It is simply out of spite that most people refuse to come to God, humble themselves before Him, and repent and ask for forgiveness. Only spite could turn away such blessings, such love.