Short Reflection from 2 Kings 13-25

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (BRW) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟛:𝟙𝟜

"When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, ‘My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’"

Elisha died of sickness. Yet his dead bone 'resurrected' another dead guy (v21).

Jesus saved others but couldn't save Himself according to the words of the chief priests.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟜:𝟙𝟘

"You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Enjoy your glory and stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?"

Pride goes before destruction. Moreover, perhaps, he was disappointed with the king of Israel for refusing a marriage proposal. Maybe a duel to settle a marriage like in a movie!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟝:𝟝

"The LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death. And he lived in a separate house, while Jotham the king's son was over the household, judging the people of the land."

Uzziah, a great king, was condemned by the priests and the Lord for thinking highly of himself!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟞:𝟛

"But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel."

Sacrificing children to get what they want from the ungodly source.

Abortion is a child sacrifice to get what they want—maybe an independent life.

Hmmm, even abandoning kids at home and going to workplace for earning more money could be related to this.

Even putting kids in a hostel or boarding school to abdicate parenting could be related to it.

Children are God's gifts. Parents are responsible to bring them up in the Lord!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟟:𝟛𝟛

"They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile."

This is always the problem. People respect God, love God, fear God, and worship God, but not that different from others.

God demands not only to fear Him, not even to fear Him the most. He demands to fear only Him!

You may go to church, read your Bible, pray regularly, and help others, live a moral life, and still be denied entry to the kingdom of God, hearing, "I never knew you."

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟠:𝟛𝟝

"Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

True, the Assyrians were the world power and God had chosen them to punish the nation, Israel. But they weren't chosen to punish the nation, Judah. The Assyrians were proud, presumptuous, and a time to pull them down was near.

Power tends to corrupt. Leader tends to be abusive. May God help His Chosen people!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟡:𝟛-𝟜

"They said to him, ‘Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to deliver. Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.'’"

There was a man leaders can go to in a troubled time. In my experience in Delhi, only UPSC guys ask for prayers.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟡

"Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good. For he thought, ‘Is it not so, if there will be peace and truth in my days?’"

Hmmm! Hezekiah reacted surprisingly. Why did it seem good to hear a prophecy of captivity after his death? I don't know. But this story is recorded as a precedent. Let's remember this next time!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚𝟙:𝟚𝟚

"He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done."

The books of Kings remind us that every life lived is before the presence of God, and He shall judge everyone according to our deeds, especially on the last day!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚𝟚:𝟙𝟡

"’because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,’ declares the LORD."

Humbling before God. That matters most in day-to-day life.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚𝟛:𝟚𝟞

"However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him."

In this fallen world, no matter how righteous one might be we will still live by the consequences of others.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟜

"Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land."

No one likes the poor.

 

[11:47 am, 21/05/2022] S.R: 𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚𝟝:𝟙𝟚

"But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen."

Only the poorest were left behind. Was that good? They weren't killed, weren't taken to captivity. But nobody likes or respects or admires the poor. People often mistreated them. Perhaps, many were killed and mistreated. And the remaining who were alive were to be workers of the lands for themselves or to pay taxes or for their own survival.

Poverty is not a virtue.

Short Reflection from 2 Kings 1-12

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (BRW) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[2:34 pm, 07/05/2022] S.R: 𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟙:𝟙𝟞

"Then he said to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron--is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?--therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'’"

God wants His people to trust Him and no one else, or else, it's consequential. Let the sinners do whatever they want, but let the people of God fear and tremble before Him!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟜

"He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over."

Elisha didn't trust in his religiosity, but he didn't doubt Elijah's religiosity. And it happened that he could perform miracles.

There are many Elishas who are afraid, doubtful, or confused, we need an Elijah figure to assure them by our doctrine and conduct!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟛:𝟙𝟜

"Elisha said, ‘As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.’"

Not all leaders are worthy of our attention. May we be like Jehoshaphat among Jehorams!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟜:𝟛𝟘

"The mother of the lad said, ‘As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ And he arose and followed her."

An importunate woman! May my prayer be like that!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟝:𝟙𝟛

"Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, ‘My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?’"

A clear voice of reason in the midst of emotional rage! But from a lowly servant, but a loving servant. Notice how he addressed "My father."

We need people like this in our lives!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟞:𝟙𝟡

"Then Elisha said to them, 'This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.' And he brought them to Samaria."

Would you accuse Elisha of telling a lie? When I play a game of chess, I pretend to plan an attack on one particular pawn, when actually my goal is to checkmate the king surprisingly! And that's me being smart not deceitful!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟟:𝟞

"For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, ‘Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.’"

Interesting, how God used the sin pattern of the Israelites to deliver them. Israel is not supposed to take help from Egypt. They often did, and this time God used the rumor of sin.

Sin is not that bad at all in the wisdom of God.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟠:𝟙-𝟚

"Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, ‘Arise and go with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will even come on the land for seven years.’ So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years."

Hmmm! It's not right to leave the promised land and dwell in the lands of the heathens. Yet, there are exceptions. Even Jesus had to go to Egypt and came back to die in Jerusalem. God is amazing!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟡:𝟙𝟝-𝟙𝟞

"but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, ‘If this is your mind, then let no one escape or leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel.’ Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram."

Jehu was unlike Gideon, Joshua, or Saul. He was brave, energetic, and wise. He killed 2 Kings of two countries in a day and the queen Jezebel too.

Wrong or right, if you have got to do it, do it quickly. Jesus said the same to Judas Iscariot.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟘

"Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what He spoke through His servant Elijah."

Jehu killed two kings of two countries and the queen in a day. He also killed all 70 princes in a day. He also killed 42 Royal relatives in a day.

This guy was so effective because he believed he was chosen by God. Even Genghis Khan believed he was chosen by God to punish other nations.

Don't believe in yourself but if you believe God has chosen you to do something, there's nothing much you cannot accomplish.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟙:𝟙

"When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring."

I fear a cruel woman more than a cruel man!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟚:𝟟-𝟠

"Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests and said to them, ‘Why do you not repair the damages of the house? Now therefore take no more money from your acquaintances, but pay it for the damages of the house.’ So the priests agreed that they would take no more money from the people, nor repair the damages of the house."

Interesting account between the king and the priests regarding money.

The king did try to help repair the temple but not from his pocket or his government, but to be raised by the temple.

There's no evidence that the priests were corrupt, unwise, or lazy. Maybe the money wasn't sufficient. Maybe the repair of the temple wasn't urgent.

But the king being ambitious or zealous found another way to solve the issue.

Bible Reading Reflection from 2 Kings 18-25

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DG) as a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟙𝟠:𝟛, 𝟝

v3. "He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done."

v5. "He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him."

Finally, a king like David, even better than King Solomon.

But, look at the situation. Though his kingship followed the instructions of the law, he was bullied by the Assyrians, and he had to pay taxes (tributes) to them. His forefathers had brought [led] to those circumstances.

Now, we could be [if not are] godlier and more righteous than the Americans or English, but our forefathers were heathens, uncivilized and uneducated, so, even if we are godly and educated, we do not see anyone among us as smart as Spurgeon or Luther or Edwards!

Our present life affects future generations!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟙𝟡:𝟟

“Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”

A rumor was enough to humble that mighty king of Assyria. God is Almighty. He can frighten the mighty with just a rumor.

Has God ever frightened you? Have you ever been frightened enough? Was it from God or from the Devil? Hmmm! Could be from any of them!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟚𝟘:𝟚

"Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD"

Hezekiah was really sad. His prayer was genuine. His tears were real. He did pray fervently. He turned his face to the wall. To have a kind of privacy, to call upon God. To not be distracted by the people and things around him.

Jesus often withdrew himself to the mountains to pray. Do we withdraw our face, attention, time to pray?

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟚𝟙:𝟡

"But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel."

What a story of contrast. His father Hezekiah was the most righteous king of Judah, [the son] Manasseh was the most wicked king.

If you are righteous, don't think your children too will be, or for that matter, your family members or church members will be!

It proves that religiosity or faith is not a birthright.

The father-son tops the list Downward or Upward! 😂😬

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟚𝟚:𝟙𝟡

"Because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD."

Again and again, the Scriptures recorded how repentance, humility, and trust in God are what God seeks in a man. They are the means of restoration. They are the means of relenting God's judgment. The message is the same for us today as well, both individually and corporately.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟚𝟛:𝟚𝟞-𝟚𝟟

“However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. The LORD said, "I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, 'My name shall be there.'"”

Sin is serious, consequential, and dangerous. No amount of your good deeds can take away sin. Because sin is cosmic treason against God [I think R.C. Sproul said that].

Even in this present society. If you kill a man, you will be put in jail. You may be a doctor saving hundreds of people, but the court will not pardon you for that one single act of crime.

Even our Lord Jesus didn't undo the deed of Adam and Eve. They ate the fruit and the whole world plunged into damnation, and so, everyone dies someday. Jesus came, but still the sin of Adam reigns. He himself died, and we all will die.

It teaches us, sin is that evil!

Josiah was a good king, but God must punish the kingdom because of Manasseh!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟚𝟜:𝟚

"The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets."

God is in control of everything. God sent Chaldean to kill His people! The Talibans are under God; so is a coronavirus, Modi, and everyone!

There's safety for those who call out to Him! Let's call upon God, especially in troubled times!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟚𝟝:𝟡

"He burned the house of the LORD, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire."

And so, the prophecy was fulfilled. If God did that, why won't He punish the wicked of our generation?  Note the account: the greater to lesser listing–God's house to ordinary homes.