Monday, June 21, II Kings 19
- 28 — In an Assyrian obelisk (a 4-sided pillar tapering as it rises), an Assyrian king is pictured holding ropes attached to rings in the noses of 4 of his enemies. God foretold that same thing would happen to Sennacherib. Read the terrifying fulfillment to that prophecy in vv. 35-37.
Tuesday, June 22, II Kings 20
Vv. 5-6 — As God’s Word commands in Ps. 50:15, Hezekiah called upon the Lord in the day of trouble. As God promised, He did deliver him. That deliverance can come in 3 ways. We may receive an extension to our life, as Hezekiah did. As Naaman did, we may receive complete recovery from a disease (II Kings 5:14). However, to the Apostle Paul, God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Wednesday, June 23, II Kings 21-22
Vv. 3-9 — While Manassah’s reign, described in chapter 21, was evil, in II Chron. 33:10-17 we see that Manasseh did repent and brought spiritual reform to Judah.
- 14 — There were a few prophetesses mentioned in the Old Testament. The other 2 besides Huldah are Deborah and Miriam. That doesn’t detract from the fact that in the New Testament Christian Church, women are excluded from the ministry. Cf. I Cor. 14:33-35 and I Tim. 2:11,12.
Thursday, June 24, II Kings 23:1-37
- 25 — While none of the kings of Judah were perfect, there were some whose activities set an example for us to follow. Our attitude toward the Word needs to be that of King Josiah. Doing that, our eyes will be focused on Christ. Jesus will lead and guide us safely through this sin-infected world. In His blood and righteousness, in spite of our sin-marred life, we’ll stand spotless someday before God’s throne in heaven.
Vv. 32, 37 — These two kings, as those in chapters 24 and 25, are the direct opposite of Kings Hezekiah and Josiah. As a result, Huldah’s prophecy from God came true in chapter 22:15-20.
Friday, June 25, II Kings 24
Vv. 1, 10-14 — In this chapter, the writer of II Kings describes 2 deportations into Babylonia. More detail on the first deportation is in Daniel 1:1-7. In both invasions of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar took many Jews back to Babylon. Some of them, like Daniel, were faithful to the Lord. That remnant was permitted to return to Judah 70 years later, as God foretold in Jeremiah 29:10, and from their descendants 400 years later, God sent them and us our Savior.
- 20 — The faithful Jews, like Daniel, also had to feel the sting of God’s anger. Living in an evil society, sometimes God’s punishment on the wicked affects also the Christian. Our comfort and strength at a time like that is that God hasn’t left us (Matt. 28:20), and, as He promises, He’ll make all things work out for our good. (Rom. 8:28)
Saturday, June 26, II Kings 25
- 9 — When the beautiful temple, considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, was destroyed, it certainly was a tragedy. At the same time, that destruction didn’t take away the Christian church’s hope. The temple, finally, was a building. God’s kingdom is built on God’s Word that endures forever. Its foundation is Jesus Christ. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”