Map of divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
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Day 170 (June 19): Jehoahaz and Jehoash rulers of Israel, Jehoash weak on Elisha’s command, Elisha died, King Hazael died

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Kings 13:1-11
— 2 Kings 12:17-21
— 2 Chronicles 24:23-27
— 2 Kings 13:14-25
(812 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Kings 13:1): Jehu was mostly good.  I wonder why his son turned evil?

A. There’s no way to tell, and that’s not really the focus of the story anyway.  It is not why you do evil — though that matters to God, just not to this author! — but what evil you do that matters.

Q. (12:18): I would call Joash a wimp!  I wonder why he didn’t ask God for help with enemies like the other kings before him.

A. That would have seemed to be a wise thing to do, but Joash appears to not be in relationship with God at this point.  A similar move by King Asa (back in 1 Kings 15) secured their survival, and it appears that this is what Joash is doing here.

Q. (2 Chronicles 24:23-24): Was the only purpose of God being with the Aramean army to conquer Judah?  The people weren’t following God, he just helped them fight, right?

A. God’s purpose in using other nations, to this point, is to get the attention of either Israel or Judah.  Israel is further gone at this point, but it appears, in this case, that Judah needs some reminding as well.  So, no, the Arameans are not following God, He is using them as a “rod” to discipline His people for going astray.

Q. (24:25): Why would Joash’s officials seek revenge for Joash killing Zechariah, the son of Johoiada the priest when the leaders plotted to kill him (2 Chronicles 24:21)?  Aren’t officials and leaders one in the same?

A. We are not told.  But it appears that even though they were his officials, they did not agree with the decision he made to have Zechariah murdered, and they looked for a time to avenge this murder.  The assassination can also be seen as divine judgment on Joash, which is what Zechariah asked for as he was dying (24:22)

Q. (24:25): Some kings were buried in the City of David and some weren’t, some in the royal cemetery and some not.  I don’t see a rhyme or reason to who was buried where.  The really bad ones were left for the dogs, but some who were kind of bad were still buried in the royal cemetery and some weren’t.

A. I’m not sure what the selection criterion is either, but it looks like the “royal cemetery” is the hall of fame — it’s where the best of the best are buried.  Others in David’s line — the major reason they are buried there at all — are buried in his city, Bethlehem, but not given the ceremonial burial.  So basically, it appears you got the royal burial for being fairly close in popularity and righteous action to the great ancestor, David himself.

Q. (24:26): I have noticed that mothers of kings and here, assassins are sometimes listed.  Why?  Is it because of royal bloodlines?

A. In some cases.  I suspect part of the reason has to do with this being an archive of sorts, so if a family member is known — or worth nothing — they are listed.

Q. (2 Kings 13:14): 2 Kings 13:11 says that Jehoash did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.  So, it surprises me that he visited Elisha and wept because he was dying.

A. I suspect many of these men had moments of character show, and this appears to be one of those moments for these two men.  Even evil people — which on some level, we all are — are capable of great good and mercy.

Q. (13:19): There are so many riddles.  And if you don’t do them just right, you don’t get the full prize.  Why?  He obviously had more arrows and when Elisha told him to pick up his “other arrows,” he meant all of them?

A. Jehoash’s response to the challenge was half-hearted: instead of using ALL of his arrows, he only uses three.  This timid, unenthusiastic response is probably what upset Elisha.  Jehoash could not even muster a strong response when challenged.

Q. (13:23): I wonder if it weren’t for His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, if God would have given up on the Israelites.  I would say “no” because Jesus is prophesied to come from there.

A. Let’s hold on to that one for a few chapters, ok?

Q. (13:24): Hazael kills Ben-Hadad, but then names his son the same thing?  Maybe Ben-Hadad means like strong warrior or something?  That brings up another question.  There are so many kings whose name starts with a “J”.  Do the names have a meaning?  Like mine means “meadow” or something glorious like that.  I just wonder how people in Bible times decided on names for their children.

A. Ok, let’s see.  At least three people in our story have the name Ben-Hadad.  This is because, like the Egyptian “Pharaoh,” it is a title, not a name.  It means Son (ben) of Hadad — the god of the Arameans, also called Syrians in some translations.  So different people who rule as king of this nation carry this title — names like Hazael, who as king, was also technically ben-hadad — which probably help readers keep up with who’s who.  So that’s why the name keeps popping up.

You’ve clearly noticed some pattern in the naming of Jewish men and to a lesser extent women.  One pattern we see is that many Jewish names are based upon the name of God in the OT — The Hebrew YHWH, which is given to us in English as Yahweh or Jehovah.  Note that those first three letters in “Jehovah” are the same ones showing up in most of the names, such as Jehoash, which means God (YHWH) has bestowed.  Many of the names that we have seen or will see come from that pattern.

The catch is that since all of these names are translated into English from Hebrew, there have to be some editing choices.  So once you have settled on the name of God (Yahweh or Jehovah), then you have the “template” for all the other names based upon the name of God.  Feel free to ask about any names you see in the future.  I can usually find their translation from Hebrew.

For further study: Elisha, a role model for leadership in caring for the surrounding community, https://jacl.andrews.edu/the-prophet-elisha-as-an-agent-of-change-for-community-development/

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Kings 14:1-14
— 2 Chronicles 25:1-24
— 2 Kings 13:12-13
— 2 Kings 14:15-16
— 2 Kings 14:23-27
— 2 Chronicles 25:25-28
— 2 Kings 14:17-22
— 2 Kings 15:1-5
— 2 Chronicles 26:1-21
— Jonah 1-4

Kings and killings. Being king during the time of the Kings was very harsh. Because of kings' pride wanting to rule and not listen to the Lord, they often were brought to their knees either in death or submission.
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Day 168 (June 17): Judah judged, Ahaziah rules Judah, Jehu gets Israel, Jehu kills two, Jezebel dies, Jehu kills Ahab’s family, Baal’s priest

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Chronicles 21:8-20
— 2 Kings 8:23-29
— 2 Chronicles 22:1-7
— 2 Kings 9-10:17
— 2 Chronicles 22:8-9
— 2 Kings 10:18-31
(852-841 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Chronicles 21:8): The Edomites were not a part of Israel or Judah, right?  Were they a vassal state also, like Moab?  They wanted freedom from paying tributes to Judah?

A. Yes.  Israel/Judah became powerful during David and Solomon’s reigns, and took on several vassal states.  But as the power decreased down the line, these servant peoples began to revolt against their ruling nation.

Q. (21:16): It seems ironic that God is waging a war against His Own people.  But, if we want to think deeper, He is actually trying to rid them of evil and reestablish himself.  He needs to show them who is king and who will provide for them.  Are the wicked kings too proud to admit someone is more powerful than they are?  They shouldn’t, they are worshipping other idols.  I don’t understand if they are going to worship something, which they do, why deny God?  They know of His power, yet they belittle it.

A. In Israel, this whole mess began, as the end of the reading told us, with Jeroboam building the golden calves in order to prevent the people from worshipping God Himself.  Every king since then has followed suit, either by doing evil, or like Jehu, not correcting the original error of having set up idols.  Essentially, this is really an issue of control and power.  These kings are capable of controlling these other “gods” and using their “power” for their own purposes, but God will not be so easily manipulated.  The unwillingness to submit to the true God’s demands is at the heart of the corruption you have been seeing.

Q. (2 Kings 9:3): Why should this prophet have to run after anointing Jehu as king of Israel?  This scene is humorous.

A. He was telling the commander of a king’s army to commit treason against that king, and could not know for sure how he would react.  If the commander refused the order, he likely would have killed the prophet.

O. (9:13): We don’t see any deliberation here from Jehu about being anointed.  He took the task by the horns and ran with it.

Q. (9:19): Jehu is saying, “Follow me and you’ll see peace?”

A. He is stalling for time and not lying about his intent by saying he comes in peace when he really does not.

O. (9:30-37): The witch is dead!  And the people said, “AMEN!”

O. (2 Kings 10:27): A toilet?  Now that’s some humor!

Q. (10:31): What, after all of that work for God he is going to follow Jeroboam?  I thought Jehu was going to be a really good king.

A. Relative to the other kings of Israel at the time, he was.  That’s why his family got to rule for the next three generations.

For further study: Pride and ruin, https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-the-bible-say-about-pride.html

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Kings 11:1-3
— 2 Chronicles 22:10-12
— 2 Kings 11:4-12
— 2 Chronicles 23:1-11
— 2 Kings 11:13-16
— 2 Chronicles 23:12-15
— 2 Kings 11:17-21
— 2 Chronicles 23:16-21
— 2 Kings 12:1-16
— 2 Chronicles 24:1-22
— 2 Kings 10:32-36

Naaman healed. Naaman was overcome with joy. In spite of the weakness of his faith, God had healed his body!
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 167 (June 16): Naaman healed, ax floats, Elisha traps Arameans, Ben-Hadad takes Samaria, lepers to enemy, Shunem woman, Hazael murders Ben-Hadad

Moody Publishers / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Kings 5-8:15
(849-847 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Kings 5:1): I am confused.  Aram was an enemy of Israel, right?  Why would God give the king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, victory over Israel.  Is it because Naaman believed in God?

A. Aram and Israel were at war.  The story didn’t say that Naaman had victory over Israel, only that he was given victory by God.  I don’t think the reason for this had anything to do with Naaman’s belief in the God of his enemy Israel, but rather by God’s mercy.  Remember, God did not ordain this war between Israel and Aram.  The evil kings of both of these nations brought it about.  God is, in this case, not necessarily on one side exclusively.

Q. (5:2): Israel must not have been following God at this time because Israel has been pillaged.  Joram is the king of Israel at this time?

A. Yes, Ahab’s son.

Q. (5:7): Why would Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, think that Israel would help heal the commander of his army, after Aram had invaded Israel?

A. He believed it because Naaman told him so.  The whole reason Naaman even comes to Israel was because of his slave girl informing him about Elisha, who had the power, via God, to heal his leprosy.  I suspect your answer is that if the healing was good enough for Naaman, it was good enough for Ben-Hadad.

Q. (5:15): Why would Elisha not accept the gifts from Naaman?  Because of God’s grace, he does not require gifts?  But, he does like sacrifices, which include gifts.  I probably have this wrong?

A. God’s curing Naaman’s leprosy was a mercy, and did not require a gift.   I suspect it also had to do with the treasures being from Aram, and were probably acquired via pagan ritual.

Q. (5:18,19): So, since Elisha said, “Go in peace” to Naaman’s request of being pardoned when he, with his master King Ben-Hadad, bows to the god Rimmon?  I wouldn’t think God would appreciate this from someone who was just healed of leprosy.

A. Naaman is obligated to bow to Rimmon out of respect for his king; it was a requirement.  But what the text tells us is that Naaman understands who the true God is.

O. (5:20-27): Goes to show you what lies and greed will get you: not ahead like Gehazi thought, but behind with leprosy.

Q. (6:9): So you said that because the kings were not following God, Elisha and other prophets would step in to set them on the right path or give them a glimpse of what God can do if they remain loyal to him.

A. That is the purpose a prophet serves, yes.  In this case, Elisha is keeping Israel out of trouble with Aram.

Q. (6:21-22): Elisha had mercy on the soldiers who came to seize him.  I don’t know why he didn’t do this with the boys who were mocking him in 2 Kings 2:23-24?

A. Well, I don’t have a great answer for that, but part of the answer is the mocking itself: the soldiers were merely under orders to bring in Elisha, but were not disrespecting him.  By tricking the soldiers into basically coming into the capital, he was essentially making them prisoners of war.  Even in ancient society, there were rules about proper ways to treat POWs — killing them wasn’t acceptable.

Q. (6:25): I read this verse to my husband.  His question is: Why would anyone want a donkey’s head and, especially, dove’s dung?

A. In the midst of a famine, it was apparently all that was left that was edible.  This rather gross imagery is meant to show the extent of the famine.

Q. (6:31): Why is burlap significant?

A. It was a symbol of mourning.  The king was in a state of mourning, but he was unwilling to go all the way and be exclusively dressed in burlap, which was probably a pride thing.  He wanted to mourn the terrible situation, but was unwilling to give up his majestic robes.

Q. (6:31): Is this a “be careful what you wish for” question?

A. It was pretty unwise, yes.

Q. (7:1): Bad flour is punishment for the king ordering Elisha’s death?

A. Um, not bad flour, cheap flour.  What Elisha means is that the famine will be over, and crops, including flour, will be readily available.

Q. (7:19-20): They couldn’t eat the cheap flour because: A) they were mourning their kings death and had no appetite? B) the soldiers were away plundering so no matter what the price, there was no one to buy it or eat it? C) the people left behind were distracted and had no interest in going to the market? D) it was trampled just like the king? E) none of the above?

A. NOTA.  There’s no “they” — the prophecy only refers to the king’s servant who scoffs at Elisha’s promise.  The king does not die in this story, only this man, who is trampled at the gate by the people rushing to get food.  So he lived to see the cheap flour, and the end of the famine, but he was not able to enjoy it because he was trampled to death.

Q. (8:7-15): I guess being a prophet isn’t all fun.  It obviously has its hardships and requires a stomach of steel.  Hazael seemed to be blindsided by the news that he would be the leader of such destruction — which he did call “great things.”  Why would God cause such horror?  Will we learn why?

A. Well, you already know part of the reason: Israel and Aram are at war, and Hazael has just made himself king by killing the previous king.  But, yes, I believe the full reason will become clear.

For further study
— The healing of Naaman is symbolic of people coming to Jesus out of the darkness to seek truth, https://bible.org/seriespage/13-healing-naaman-2-kings-51-19
— The DIRT on Naaman, https://www.logos.com/grow/important-detail-forget-story-naaman/

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Chronicles 21:8-20
— 2 Kings 8:23-29
— 2 Chronicles 22:1-7
— 2 Kings 9-10:17
— 2 Chronicles 22:8-9
— 2 Kings 10:18-31

Elijah and Elisha God takes Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire. Elisha is only witness.
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Day 166 (June 15): Whirlwind takes Elijah, Double spirit for Elisha, starts miracles — saves widow’s sons, helps woman’s son, feeds thousands

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Kings 2
— 2 Kings 4
(851-849 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Kings 2:1-6): How far is it from Bethel to Jericho to the Jordan River?  Could Elijah and Elisha made it to all three places in one day?

A. Don’t forget they started in Gilgal, so they didn’t even start in Bethel.  The notes that I have say that this is a total journey of between 25 and 30 miles.  That’s a long way, but not outside the realm of possibility.  My notes also say that we tend to assume, but it doesn’t say, that they walked the entire distance.  They might have had transportation for some portion of the trip.

Q. (2:9-10): Is Elisha being greedy here, asking for a double share of Elijah’s spirit?  Elijah said it would be a difficult thing to get.

A. Apparently God didn’t think so, because He granted the request, as confirmed with the cloak parting the Jordan.

Q. (2:17): Is Elisha showing weakness here by allowing the men to go search for Elijah?  Apparently Elisha was the only one that witnessed Elijah going up in the chariot?

A. I think he just wanted to stop hearing about it, he knew Elijah was gone, but couldn’t convince his companions until they couldn’t find him on their own.  The story implies Elisha was the only one to see Elijah being taken.

Q. (2:24): I would think that a more proper response for this situation would be for Elisha to influence the youth in a positive way without having them killed.  They are youth and kind of expected to make unwise choices, but instruction could set them straight.  But I am not a prophet.

A. The cultural gist of the insult, calling him “bald,” that the boys/young men use — and, by the way, these aren’t children we’re talking about here — is that Elisha is diseased and unclean.  That is most likely why he cursed them.  I’m not really clear on why he reacts the way he does either, but, as you said, he is a man of God.

O. (4:8-37): The faith of the woman from Shunem is strong and true!

Q. (4:42-44): This story mirrors Jesus feeding the 5,000 with fish and bread.  The olive oil story (4:1-7) is also used at least one more time.  Is there some message the authors intended for readers today with the repetition of these stories, like “God WILL provide?”

A. While the idea of God’s provision is a major theme of Scripture — think of the manna and water in the Exodus — these texts were not written with “modern” audiences in mind at all.  They were written to tell the history of the Jewish people, including the fact that God was indeed faithful, to future generations of Jews.  We are “eavesdropping,” if you will, on that conversation.  One of the ways that this occurs, however, is that the Spirit of God works in the hearts of people today to remind them of things that we can learn by studying books like Kings.  So there can be great benefit to us, even if it wasn’t “for” us.

As to the stories matching with things in the Gospels, that is not a coincidence.  One of the things that Jesus taught his followers is that He was, and is, the fulfillment of the Law, associated with Moses, and the Prophets — including Elijah and Elisha (refer to Matthew 11:13 and Luke 16:16).  So it is no surprise to me that the Gospel writers would share with their audience places where they saw Jesus doing things that Moses — trials in the wilderness in Matthew 4 — or the Prophets did — like feeding people where there didn’t seem to be enough food in Mark 6.  Part of that is emphasis, but part of it also is that understanding in the NT that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the best of the old way — the OT —  while establishing the NEW one.

For further study
— Why did God take Elijah straight up to heaven? https://www.gotquestions.org/Enoch-Elijah.html
— How does Jesus fulfill the Old Testament prophecies? https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/fulfillment-law
https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/did-jesus-fulfill-old-testament-prophecies-of-a-coming-messiah/

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Kings 5-8:15

The third captain who King Ahaziah sent pleaded with Elijah to spare he and his men.
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Day 165 (June 14): Elijah challenges Ahaziah, Joram’s wickedness, Joram and Jehoshaphat victory over Moab, Jehoram king of Judah

Arabs for Christ / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Kings 1
— 2 Kings 3
— 1 Kings 22:41-49
— 2 Chronicles 20:31-37
— 1 Kings 22:50
— 2 Chronicles 21:1-4
— 2 Kings 8:16-22
— 2 Chronicles 21:5-7
(853-850 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Kings 1:2): Is Baal-zebub the same as Baal?

A. That is a complicated question, though it doesn’t seem like it.  For some reason, the writer of 2 Kings uses a title for some form of deity in this section (verses 2,3,6, and 16) and then never uses the term again, returning to the usage of Baal as we have seen.  So, it is difficult to explain why.  One possibility is that it is referring to a different deity (the word “baal” just means lord).  The word “Baal-zebub” means “lord of the flies,” which many scholars suspect is a Jewish wordplay slight at the worship of Baal.  The implication of this mocking name is that Baal is a pile of dung, and his followers are the “flies” drawn to it.  It is my suspicion that the name is referring to the Baal that we have been reading about, but there is no consensus as to why this particular name is used here and then never again (until the NT).

Q. (1:17): I notice the authors continuously let us know who is the king of both Israelite groups — Israel and Judah.

A. It’s not called the Book of Kings for nothing.

Q. (3:3): I have noticed that the author frequently refers to “the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat.”  He started all of the sinning.  I don’t remember how bad he was.

A. It was Jeroboam who led the revolt of the Northern kingdoms, and originally set up places of worship of pagan gods in order to prevent the people from going back to Judah in order to worship God in Jerusalem.  Check 1 Kings 12-14 for the record.

Q. (3:4-5): Why would King Mesha consider Israel an enemy after Ahab’s death?  Joram was Ahab’s son.  Mesha used to give Ahab gifts.

A. The wool that they were providing each year was tribute — a required offering, like a tax — not a gift, for its’ vassal state (Israel).  This was a heavy burden for Moab to pay, and it appears that Mesha thought it was a good time to try and break free from Israel while they were in transition.

Q. (3:12-13): It is strange that when the kings are really scared or stressed out, they will fall back on seeking God’s advice.

A. Strange?  That sounds like human nature to me.  Try to make it on our own for as long as possible, and only seek out God when that doesn’t work.  I’m pretty convinced you would find that a pattern for many people.

Q. (3:27): I really didn’t need to read that.  King Mesha sounds like a monster.  Why would he sacrifice his own son?  Somehow I don’t think this battle is over.  That last sentence sounds like the last scene of a movie sequel.

A. Ha!  It’s never over with Moab.  Mesha sacrifices his son in an attempt to bring the Moabite deity, called Chemosh, to his aid.  We’ve seen Chemosh referred to in 1 Kings 11:7 and 33, and also back in Numbers 21:29 and Judges 11:24.  He is almost always referred to as “detestable” for his requirement of child sacrifice, as we see here.  This was particularly repugnant for the Israelites, who saw children as a gift of God, not to be sacrificed to the gods.

Q. (2 Chronicles 20:33): The author sounds as if not destroying all of the pagan shrines will come back to haunt Jehoshaphat.

A. Only in his standing among the great kings of the nation — from the author’s perspective anyway.

Q. (21:4): Another surprise.  Why would Jehoram kill all of his brothers?  He sounds crazed.  I hope he didn’t just kill them for the possessions that Jehoshophat gave them.  I am surprised the people would put up with him.

A. It’s a Game of Thrones style attempt to remove rivals, including what appears to be rivals in the other kingdom, who likely tried to gain power because of his marriage to Ahab’s daughter.  Not only did Jehoram kill his own family, but likely in-laws as well.  I doubt the people liked what he did, but he was the king, so he could.  Yuck.

For further study: The unbelievable, heart-wrenching practice of child sacrifice in the Bible and elsewhere, https://www.gotquestions.org/child-sacrifice.html

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Kings 2
— 2 Kings 4

Jehoshaphat pleads to God King Jehoshaphat stood up in the Temple courtyard and prayed, ‘Lord, you are so powerful, so mighty. Who can stand against you? We believe that in a time of calamity such as war, disease, or famine, we can cry out to you to save us. We believe you will hear us and rescue us.’
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 164 (June 13): Micaiah alters Ahab’s plan, Ahab killed, Ahaziah takes over Israel, Jehoshaphat appoints judges, Spirit gives victory to Israel

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Kings 22:10-28
— 2 Chronicles 18:9-27
— 1 Kings 22:29-35
— 2 Chronicles 18:28-34
— 1 Kings 22:36-40
— 1 Kings 22:51-53
— 2 Chronicles 19
— 2 Chronicles 20:1-30
(853 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

O. (1 Kings 22:10-28): What an interesting story.  King Ahab is in a hot spot!

Q. (1 Kings 22:29-35): I would think that after God spared Ahab with the Naboth debacle, he would have stopped his yo-yoing of following God.  He had to have known that Micaiah was speaking the truth.  He didn’t listen, and despite his efforts to not stand out as a king, a random arrow found him.  You can’t hide from God.

A. Ahab thought he could be safe and be in control by disguising himself, but you are right, it was not the king of Aram that Ahab should have feared, but the King of Heaven.

O. (2 Corinthians 20:1-30) What a beautiful story of God’s power, love and loyalty.  Without Jehoshaphat acknowledging, praying and asking God for help, Judah would have been destroyed.  He moved all the people to praise God.  What a sight to see Judah marching out to face the enemies and the enemy camps start fighting amongst themselves.  How great is God.  I like what they were singing “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!”

Videos
— What good does it do to pray? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiAMzghLcMA
— Why should I pray when God already knows what I need? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIntzH8Ux3o

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Kings 1
— 2 Kings 3
— 1 Kings 22:41-49
— 2 Chronicles 20:31-37
— 1 Kings 22:50
— 2 Chronicles 21:1-4
— 2 Kings 8:16-22
— 2 Chronicles 21:5-7

 

 

Ahab and Jezebel. Jezebel schemes to kill man and take over his vineyard.
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 163 (June 12): Ben-Hadad’s second attack, Ahab condemned, Jezebel tricks Naboth, Judah, Israel join forces against Ramoth-gilead

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Kings 20:23-22:9
— 2 Chronicles 18:1-8
(857-853 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (1 Kings 20:23-34): Did God have a purpose for the conflict between Ben-Hadad and Ahab?  Was this God’s planning or was it just two kings rivaling?  The Bible tells us that Ben-Hadad wanted Israel’s riches?

A. While on some level it is just rivaling kings, God is attempting to get Ahab’s attention by giving him military victory and foretelling this victory through these anonymous prophets.  It works, to a degree.

Q. (20:35-43): This story is troubling.  Why would anyone, especially a prophet, tell someone to hit them and why would the guy do it?  Then, the guy dies because he wouldn’t hit the man.  And in v. 42, is the prophet telling of Ahab sparing Ben-Hadad?  If so, that means Ahab must die?

A. Yes, this is an odd story.  The striking thing and the penalty for not doing it are indeed troubling.  But the larger story it the prophet disguising an injury to get close to the king.  When he is there, he uses a very similar technique to how Nathan tricked David back in 2 Samuel 12: He gets the king to inadvertently confess his sin, and reveal the guilt he should have known about.  In this case, it was sparing the life of Ben-Hadad, which would have cost him his own life, but his later humility and repentance spares him this fate.  His sin still cost him his dynasty, however.

Q. (21:8-10, 25): I don’t think there is any woman in the Bible more evil than Jezebel!  Where did she come from anyway?  From v. 25, we can see the meaning in the nickname “Jezebel.”  Ahab seems to struggle between his faith for God and being swayed by Jezebel.

A. She was the daughter of a foreign king — we don’t know exactly where, the guess is what is now known as Tyre — who was given to Ahab to seal an alliance between the king and Ahab’s father Omri.  That’s about all we know, other then she was apparently quite a powerful influence on her husband.

Q. (21:17-24): Getting eaten by dogs is mentioned several times here.  That’s just a major insult?

A. Dogs were unclean animals in this era, and packs of wild dogs roamed outside of cities, scavenging and eating things that didn’t get properly buried or processed, like bodies.  To be eaten by dogs would mean that you did not receive a proper burial, which as we mentioned was a major deal at the time.

Q. (21:28-29): Good for Ahab that he humbled himself and God spared him.  But, his descendants still get the punishment?  Will they have a chance to redeem themselves too?

A. Oh, that would be no fun to tell you.  You’ll see.

Q. (22:6-7): Here Ahab summoned 400 prophets and asked them if he should go into battle.  They said, “The LORD will give the king victory.”  But then, Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of the Lord there.  But weren’t the 400 prophets that he already asked God’s prophets because they answered with the Lord’s name?

A. They were not prophets of God, even if they used His name.  They were some sort of pagan religious officials, but they understood that using God’s name would make their message well received.  They are basically “yes” men.  So you can probably see why Jehoshaphat asked for a “second” opinion.

Q. (2 Chronicles 18:1-8): This account sure starts out more picturesque than the 1 Kings 22 version.  It’s nice to see Judah and Israel bonding together!  Will this continue?

A. To a certain extent, but in a few chapters, it won’t matter anyway.  Stay tuned!

For further study: Lessons for today from Jezebel, https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/6-ways-to-not-be-a-wicked-jezebel.html

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Tomorrow’s reading
— 1 Kings 22:10-28
— 2 Chronicles 18:9-27
— 1 Kings 22:29-35
— 2 Chronicles 18:28-34
— 1 Kings 22:36-40
— 1 Kings 22:51-53
— 2 Chronicles 19
— 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Elijah and widow. Elijah asked God for help. The widow's oil and flour kept being replenished so she never ran out.
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Day 162 (June 11): Elijah and widow, Ahab and Elijah face off, Elijah flees to Mount Sinai, God isn’t done with Elijah, Ben-Hadad v. Ahab

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.com

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Kings 17:8-20:22
(863-857 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

O. (1 Kings 17:8-24): I have heard this story many times.  It’s a classic.  Through God bringing the boy back to life, God shows his love for man, his devotion and that man can trust in him and lean on him.  The way God weaved Elijah’s life into the widow and her boy’s life is heartfelt.  I can think of other Bible stories where looking out for others is the central theme — the good Samaritan and one where Jesus says that by helping others, we serve Him.  There are those who need served everywhere!

Q. (1 Kings 18:1-40): The Bible is going through the kings so fast that it’s hard to keep them straight in my head.  Our last reading talked about Jehoshaphat.  He was king of Judah.  Now we have King Ahab.  He was king in Samaria?  Samaria was a part of Israel?

A. Samaria is where the kings of Israel established their throne and “base of operations,” since Jerusalem was in Judah, they needed somewhere else to be located.  Samaria will figure prominently in the rest of our story, including the New Testament (Good Samaritan).  The location is in a hilly region in what is today known as the West Bank, near the edge of the border between Israel and Syria.

Q. (18:16): Did Ahab greet Elijah so coldly because he blamed God — and Elijah was a prophet of God — for the drought?

A. Yes, especially since at the beginning of 1 Kings 17, Elijah told Ahab that God was not going to allow any rain.  Ahab surely held Elijah responsible for what had happened.

Q. I would like to discuss prophets.  How did prophets get chosen?  We learn in this reading where Elijah was the only prophet left in his time.   Did there used to be lots of prophets?  We read in the June 9 reading where one prophet sought out another.  And in 1 Kings 18:19, we read about the idol Baal’s prophets, who were a prophet by name alone, right?  Baal was a false idol, so they have to be false too?

A. Ok, let’s clear a few things up: this era of Israel’s history corresponds with a large number of prophets chosen by God to bring His message.  There’s good reason: the people need to repent of their sins, especially idolatry as in this story, which is the job of a prophet (of God anyway, more on Baal’s prophets in a second).  If you speak to a Rabbi about “the prophets,” he will likely mention the Jewish thinking that this era is the so-called era of the prophets — people such as Elijah and Elisha, our next prophet, as well as many other important figures such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel (Jews are divided on whether Daniel is a prophet, but we’ll ignore that for now).  There is no rhyme or reason to “how” they are selected other than to say God chose them: There is no selection process that we are privy too.  God speaks to the prophet Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1, of the man being set apart from birth for God’s purposes.  It’s a really cool passage.  Prophets come from all walks of life: Isaiah is a royal official, Ezekiel and Jeremiah are priests, Amos is a shepherd, we have no idea about Elijah — there’s an element of mystery about him that resonates with people — and as far as we can tell, Elisha worked the land as a farmer.  Remember our saying: God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  As to the “other” prophets in this story, we don’t know exactly what they did, but the suspicion is that they could have just as easily been called priests.  They were likely the facilitators of the pagan worship of Baal.

O. (18:26): This is proof that Baal is nonexistent!

O. (18:27): I like to see humor in the Bible!

Q. (18:46): Wow, Elijah got super powers from God.  Why would Elijah run ahead of Ahab’s chariot?

A. To be in the city when Ahab got to tell his wife, Jezebel, the bad news about her prophets!

Q. (19:1): I didn’t think we read anything about Elijah killing the prophets of Baal.  And, I always thought Jezebel was a big character in the Bible.  Will we read more about her?  Why did she have authority?

A. 18:40 tells the tale: Elijah has the prophets of Baal, and presumably Asherah, killed.  Jezebel will be around for a few more chapters, and it appears she has authority by controlling her husband.

Q. (19:6): It seems that a lot of folks in the Bible got by on bread and water.  Here, Elijah did twice: once with the widow and here when he is fleeing Jezebel.  How can they get by on bread and water?  I am concerned about my girls getting all four food groups to keep their mind and body properly fed … according to today’s standards.  I know in the Bible it says not to worry about what you eat because God will provide.  Does the Bible say anything about eating nutritiously or are we really supposed to not worry about it?  I think this verse just means that God will give us food.  We won’t go hungry.  But I am curious about the nutrition aspect.

A. The Bible writers would have had almost no concept of “overeating” because almost everyone, except the uber rich, lived from day to day on whatever they could find to survive.  The Bible is not a dietary book — in the sense that we understand dieting anyway — it has bigger fish to fry.  Nutritional information and intelligent eating are modern concepts that wouldn’t have made any sense in that day, so God doesn’t bother including that information.

You surely can survive on bread and water — though surviving might be the right word for it!  As it relates to Elijah’s two adventures: in the first one, they probably traded bread for other things to eat or drink — like meat or wine, which was safer to drink than water in that day — and in the other, the bread and water were for ensuring that he survived the long journey, it said nothing about being his “every meal.”

Q. (19:8): Why did Elijah think he needed to go to Mount Sinai?  He traveled for 40 days and nights.  How is the number representing completion here — something that we’ve talked about before?

A. Apparently the reputation of Sinai as being the mountain of God is carried down through the generations.  It appeared to be a place where Elijah felt he would be safe, and frankly, where he could hide.  God, of course, still had work to do with Elijah, so He sent him back to work.

Q. (20:3-4): Why did Ahab agree to give up the silver, gold, women and children?

A. Probably he was attempting to appease the king of Aram by giving in to his demands.  It is only when the King got greedy that Ahab showed some spine and fought back.

Hope you are having a great summer!  We’ll keep blogging throughout.  

For further study
— The differences between Israel and Judah, https://firmisrael.org/learn/israel-and-judah-two-kingdoms-and-their-differences/
— A list of all the kings and queen of Judah and Israel, https://jesusalive.cc/kings-israel-judah/ 

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Kings 20:23-22:9

Asa's downfall. Earlier in his reign Asa had given silver and gold to the temple treasury. He now gave orders for the Temple treasury to be raided, and gold and silver to be gathered and sent to King Ben-Haddad of Aram as a bribe.
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 161 (June 10): Baasha v. Asa, Nadab killed, Baasha’s sin, Israel kings, Ahab, Asa over Judah for 41 years, Jehoshaphat, Ravens feed Elijah

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Kings 15:16-22
— 2 Chronicles 16:1-10
— 1 Kings 16:1-7
— 1 Kings 15:23-24
— 2 Chronicles 16:11-14
— 2 Chronicles 17:1-19
— 1 Kings 17:1-7

(913-863 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Chronicles 16:7-10): So, Asa lost site of who could really help his kingdom?  He just got nervous about King Baasha’s influence on Judah and asked an outsider for help?  Then, Hanani called him on it and he didn’t want to admit Hanani was right — his pride took over — so he punished Hanani for accusing him of ignoring God?

A. Yes, you’ve got it right.  Asa was doing a good job for most of his life, but he ignored God at a crucial moment and then basically “shot the messenger” God sent.

Q. (1 Kings 16:1-7): So, God still considers both Judah and Israel His people?  Why was Elah made king when God was infuriated with his father, Baasha?

A. I don’t exactly have an answer.  But he certainly didn’t stay king for long, and after that his family was wiped out by a traitor.  God can do as He pleases, and in this case, as we’ve seen a few times before, the wrath for the father’s sins is poured out on the children.

Q. (1 Kings 16:8-14): So, you could say that God made this happen … or that Baasha had it coming to him and it was revenge.

A. You could argue both.  But do note that Baasha got his throne in a very similar manner (by killing Nadab in 15:28).  You could conclude that what goes around comes around.

Q.  It seems that aspiring to be king was a very dangerous desire.  So many of them were killed.  Was wanting the throne viewed differently than it is today?

A. No, I would say that most of us still have the roughly the same value of life, but the men who participated in these actions valued power and control more.  I think trying to separate ourselves from such a world — i.e. we value life so much more than they did — is dangerous thinking.  There are places in the world today where the desire for power causes people to kill: some of which are a lot closer to home than we might like to think.  As our wise king Solomon noted, there is nothing new under the sun, even the value of human life.

Q. (1 Kings 16:34): This seemed to come out of nowhere.  Can you tell us more about Hiel and Jericho and what Joshua predicted long ago about this happening?

A. Sure.  In Joshua 6:26, God proclaims that anyone who rebuilt the city with new foundations and a new gate — the mark of a true city in the ancient world — would pay with the life of his oldest and youngest sons.  Jericho, which was unlikely to have been uninhabited all those years, but simply not as a walled city, was to stand as a permanent reminder to Israel of what God did to provide the Promised Land to them.  He did not take lightly the effort of someone to defy that order.  In addition, this is just one more example of the deterioration of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, that will bring about its downfall.

Q. (1 Kings 17:1-7): Elijah is a prophet, right?  We’ll see more of him?  Should we talk about Elijah now a bit or just wait?

A. Yes and yes.  He will become the centerpiece of the next few chapters.  In regards to his background, there is literally NOTHING to tell: He comes from nowhere and might as well have appeared out of thin air.  So let’s watch what God will do with him in the next few sections.  He is certainly memorable!

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Kings 17:8-20:22

Israel Judah war. King Asa had ruled the Kingdom of Judah for 35 years. In the 15th year of his reign the vast Cushite army had attacked Judah but Asa had trusted God for victory. The nation had promised to obey God with all their hearts and had enjoyed 20 years of peace.
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Day 160 (June 9): God messages Jeroboam, Rehoboam’s reign, Egypt invades Judah, Israel v. Judah, Asa loyal to God, throne drama

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Kings 13-14:24
— 2 Chronicles 12:13-14
— 2 Chronicles 11:18-12:12
— 1 Kings 14:25-28
— 2 Chronicles 12:15-16
— 1 Kings 14:29-15:5
— 2 Chronicles 13
— 1 Kings 15:6-8
— 2 Chronicles 14:1-8
— 1 Kings 15:9-15
— 1 Kings 14:19-20
— 1 Kings 15:25-34
— 2 Chronicles 14:9-15:19
(931-895 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (1 Kings 13:18-19): Why would one prophet deceive another?

A. We don’t know exactly what prompted this deceit.  It is possible that the old prophet was maliciously trying to get the young prophet in trouble, or that he simply wanted to spend time with this man, so he lied to bring it about.  Either way, the deception did not excuse the man of God’s explicit order to not take food or drink, and he paid dearly for his poor decision.

Q. (13:22): Is not being buried with your ancestors an insult?

A. Yes.  It meant that you were not buried at home or not buried by your loved ones.

Q. (13:27-28): What is the significance of the lion and the donkey?

A. The lion and the donkey were a confirmation of the truth of God’s prophecies: the first about the royal family being killed off (fulfilled in 15:29), but also a confirmation that He had spoken judgment through the old prophet to the younger man of God.  The idea is that such a miracle should have convinced Jeroboam that he needed to repent and beg for God’s mercy, but he did not.

Q. (14:22-23): Here it says that there was wickedness under Rehoboam, but priests left Jeroboam so they could worship God.

A. That movement does not preclude wickedness in Judah.  What Jeroboam was doing was going a step further, and preventing the Levites and priests from doing their job intentionally.  Even with the priesthood working, the people were capable of wickedness.  Think of the Israelites in the wilderness during Exodus: They also had priests, but were still plenty sinful.

Q. (14:24): Was their adoption of the pagan nations’ practices because all of the nations were not destroyed when Joshua went to war to take over Canaan?

A. That’s one explanation.  The other is that there were still various Canaanite tribes living in the surrounding areas, and the king may have invited them to come and practice their form of pagan worship in Israel and Judah.

Q. (2 Chronicles 11:22): Just reading this automatically made me think of what kind of environment is stirred up when a king is on his way out and whom to groom to be king has to be decided.  The fact that one son is picked to be king among a lot of brothers fosters jealousy, discord and battles.  I remember way back when the Israelites wanted an earthly king because all of the other nations had one.  They didn’t need a king.  They already had a leader — God.  So, could sibling rivalry for the throne be one reason God warned against having a king?

A. There were lots of reasons, but surely that is one of them.  Sibling rivalry has basically haunted each generation from David’s — and Isaac’s — family on down.

Q. (12:2): So, how does the Israelites’ unfaithfulness to God cause King Shishak of Egypt to attack Israel?

A. One of the things that God chooses to do to get Israel or Judah to repent is to raise up a foreign power that is mightier then His people.  Cornered, and without another way out, the people, including the king, are forced to see that they have sinned and repent.  We see this in Asa’s story as well (or rather, the opposite): For those who are faithful to the Lord, they are often given times of peace and prosperity, as David and Solomon both enjoyed at times in their lives.  Bottom line: an invading army is used by God to get the people to, once again, see their need for Him.

Q. (1 Kings 15:3-5): God’s love of David has pardoned a lot of his ancestors.

A. It surely did.

Q. (2 Chronicles 13:10-12): 1 Kings says Abijah committed the same sins as Rehoboam.  Now he says his people serve God.  Is he delusional?

A. I would say no.  This is a turning point for Abijah, who though having failed to this point, leads his people by example in turning to God, and reminding the lapsed people of Israel what it is they are doing by giving up God.  He is greatly rewarded for his turning.

Q. (2 Chronicles 14:1-8): I wonder after a line of ancestors who didn’t follow God how Asa came to follow Him?

A. It’s a good question, and I don’t have a great answer.  One of the most awesome things about God is that through His grace, our past does not have to be our future.  We are not bound to the same mistakes that our family members have made.  We can keep our marriage together even if previous generations have divorced.  We can stop the cycle of abuse from being passed down.  We can raise ourselves up to new heights via God’s might and mercy.

Though several generations of Asa’s ancestors had failed miserably, Asa kept his focus on pleasing God, and was rewarded for his faithfulness … at least for the moment.  Keep reading for a bit more on Asa.

Q. (1 Kings 15:25-26): Israel has been split for a while.  Are both sides still considered God’s chosen people?

A. Israel is pretty much a lost cause, as we will see.  The people are all still God’s, but the people of Israel are digging themselves a deep hole they won’t be able to get out of.

For further study: Sibling rivalry in the Bible, https://www.learnreligions.com/bible-stories-about-sibling-rivalry-712735 

Spread the Word! Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 1 Kings 15:16-22
— 2 Chronicles 16:1-10
— 1 Kings 16:1-7
— 1 Kings 15:23-24/870 B.C.
— 2 Chronicles 16:11-14
— 2 Chronicles 17:1-19
— 1 Kings 17:1-7