Second Bible Read Thread

[SarahsKnight]

Day 165: July 23

1 Kings 15:25 through 16:34
2 Chronicles 17

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 166: July 24

1 Kings 17 through 19

 

[Swords&Sunflowers]

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[Swords&Sunflowers]

Day 164: July 22

1 Kings 15:1-24
2 Chronicles 13 through 16

Finally, a King who got rid of the idols. When the seer told Asa about being reliant on the King of Syria rather than Jehovah, made me ponder about life how we tend to sometimes hold on to things of this life, i mean it is not bad to be prepared but our hearts must always still rely fully on God. I know sometimes it is hard, even I struggle not to worry, I rely on money many times, and sometimes I worry a lot when I start to think about retirement and such or future expenses, and that worry causes me to forget to include God in my plannings. Because what if God suddenly tells you to leave everything behind and go out in the ministry? It can happen...so yeah always have a heart check to make sure God is part of all your plans because He is the only one who is faithful, more faithful than the stock market or kings...lol

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 167: July 25

1 Kings 20 and 21

 

[Swords&Sunflowers]

Day 166: July 24

1 Kings 17 through 19

1Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake: 12 and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Lol, whenever I think of Elijah, I think of Gandalf in LODR. lol. Anyways...back to topic...really find this verse encouraging. Many times we expect God to speak loudly to us, to shake us awake or something, or maybe an audible voice, a bright light...but most times, He speaks to our heart in a small voice.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 168: July 26

1 Kings 22
2 Chronicles 18

 

[SarahsKnight]

King Ahab's and Elijah's stories together began to fascinate me, starting with the last time I read through 1 Kings.

Ahab's character especially confounded me, as he was seen overall as an evil king but actually more seemed to constantly go back and forth between serving/praising the one true God - seeking repentance - and the false gods such as Baal that his wife Jezebel appeared to promote more than Ahab himself did (it was more like Ahab just went along with it simply because Jezebel was his wife). Wavering in character. Perhaps it was more the bloodthirsty and contemptuous (as a result of her idolatry) wife Jezebel that was Ahab's ultimate downfall, more than Ahab's character itself. I often wondered why especially in chapter 22 - seemingly immediately after Ahab had repented in sackcloth and ash in the last passage of chapter 21 (when confronted about allowing Jezebel to murder Naboth and take his property for her husband) and the Lord took note of this act as one of humility - that in the battle with Aram the Lord led Ahab to his death, as though He had intended to condemn him to death all along.

This is only my guess, but it seems that Ahab had once again waffled in character and his death by the stray arrow in battle at the end of chapter 22 was his punishment for seeking the word of prophets who went after false gods, before seeking the word of the Lord (as indicated to me when in 22:6 it says that Ahab "gathered the prophets together" to inquire if he and Jehoshaphat should go against Ramoth Gilead in battle, and even though they said yes, Jehoshapahat the more faithful king of Judah then asked if there was a prophet of the Lord whom they could inquire of. This leads me to believe that the four hundred prophets Ahab gathered to ask first were not of God but of Baal or other false gods. Once again indicating his being lured into trusting in false gods before the only true God of Israel, despite God having time and again proven in the past to Ahab that He is real, such as delivering Ben-Hadad's army to Israel in battle in chapter 20 and Elijah's altar being set ablaze when the Baal worshipers' would not in chapter 18.

That is only my speculation, though.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 169: July 27

2 Chronicles 19 through 23

 

[Swords&Sunflowers]

King Ahab's and Elijah's stories together began to fascinate me, starting with the last time I read through 1 Kings.

Ahab's character especially confounded me, as he was seen overall as an evil king but actually more seemed to constantly go back and forth between serving/praising the one true God - seeking repentance - and the false gods such as Baal that his wife Jezebel appeared to promote more than Ahab himself did (it was more like Ahab just went along with it simply because Jezebel was his wife). Wavering in character. Perhaps it was more the bloodthirsty and contemptuous (as a result of her idolatry) wife Jezebel that was Ahab's ultimate downfall, more than Ahab's character itself. I often wondered why especially in chapter 22 - seemingly immediately after Ahab had repented in sackcloth and ash in the last passage of chapter 21 (when confronted about allowing Jezebel to murder Naboth and take his property for her husband) and the Lord took note of this act as one of humility - that in the battle with Aram the Lord led Ahab to his death, as though He had intended to condemn him to death all along.

This is only my guess, but it seems that Ahab had once again waffled in character and his death by the stray arrow in battle at the end of chapter 22 was his punishment for seeking the word of prophets who went after false gods, before seeking the word of the Lord (as indicated to me when in 22:6 it says that Ahab "gathered the prophets together" to inquire if he and Jehoshaphat should go against Ramoth Gilead in battle, and even though they said yes, Jehoshapahat the more faithful king of Judah then asked if there was a prophet of the Lord whom they could inquire of. This leads me to believe that the four hundred prophets Ahab gathered to ask first were not of God but of Baal or other false gods. Once again indicating his being lured into trusting in false gods before the only true God of Israel, despite God having time and again proven in the past to Ahab that He is real, such as delivering Ben-Hadad's army to Israel in battle in chapter 20 and Elijah's altar being set ablaze when the Baal worshipers' would not in chapter 18.

That is only my speculation, though.

Yeah, and Ahab knew that Micaiah was the true prophet but he had itching ears, only wanting to hear what he wanted to hear. A common trend that seems to be going on, is the big mistake of marrying the wrong person lol. Here we have Ahab and Jezebel, she is obviously evil, and yet he tolerated it. Idk, but every time I read about Jezebel it makes my blood boil. Sadly, there are people with what they call the "Jezebel" spirit - manipulative type narcissists. Kinda concerning thought, to see that despite the "many" prophets saying the same things, their report is false. Will saying something over and over, despite it being untrue make it true? I guess that's why it is important to always ask God to "search" the heart and so important to obey when He does reveal something that needs to be changed, less the conscience get so seared, no longer discerning correctly.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 170: July 28

Obadiah 1
Psalms 82
Psalms 83

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 171: July 29

2 Kings 1 through 4

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 172: July 30

2 Kings 5 through 8

 

[Multifavs]

Yesterday when we read about the Lord multiplying loaves of bread through Elisha, it reminded me of when Jesus multiplies bread and fish in the New Testament. There's an event like that in both Testaments!

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 173: July 31

2 Kings 9 through 11

 

[Multifavs]

Yesterday when we read about the Lord multiplying loaves of bread through Elisha, it reminded me of when Jesus multiplies bread and fish in the New Testament. There's an event like that in both Testaments!

^Then yesterday evening I watched last Sunday's Mass and guess what two of the readings were about? These exact events! Great timing!

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 174: Aug 1

2 Kings 12 and 13
2 Chronicles 24

 

[Swords&Sunflowers]

Wow the readings were intense, lots of slaying. Really interesting to see how the Kings were and how they treated the prophets. It's quite sad that many of them still had idol worship. They already have seen how God could work in their behalf and yet still wouldn't get rid of the high places. Makes me curious to what made them so drawn to worshiping Baal. I also found it interesting that Elisha died of sickness, he is after all just human despite all the miracles he has performed. It must have been really rough back then during those times. The prophets really played an important role.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 175: Aug 2

2 Kings 14
2 Chronicles 25

 

[Multifavs]

It's quite sad that many of them still had idol worship. They already have seen how God could work in their behalf and yet still wouldn't get rid of the high places. Makes me curious to what made them so drawn to worshiping Baal.

I agree. It's sad how so many times in what we've read so far, people saw the works of God and heard His voice clearly, yet they continued to disobey Him and turn to false gods whom they had not seen works or heard voices from.