Third Bible Read Thread

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 159

1 Kings 2 and 3
1 Corinthians 5

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 160

1 Kings 4 and 5
2 Corinthians 6

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 161

1 Kings 6
1 Corinthians 7

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 162

1 Kings 7
1 Corinthians 8

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 163

1 Kings 8
1 Corinthians 9

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 164

1 Kings 9 and 10
1 Corinthians 10

 

[SarahsKnight]

Be back Wednesday. =)

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 165

1 Kings 11
1 Corinthians 11

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 166

Unfortunately Solomon's and David's kingship have both come to an end by now, for as we'll soon see, if I recall correctly, the next one up at bat in 1 Kings, Rehoboam, does not seem so wise or merciful as his two predecessors.

1 Kings 12 and 13
1 Corinthians 12

 

[DragonFox91]

DAY 166

Unfortunately Solomon's and David's kingship have both come to an end by now, for as we'll soon see, if I recall correctly, the next one up at bat in 1 Kings, Rehoboam, does not seem so wise or merciful as his two predecessors.

1 Kings 12 and 13
1 Corinthians 11

Probably. It's a cycle of righteous & wicked kingships......& generations.
It always seemed unrealistic to me how they don't stay righteous or wicked, but now, it makes all too perfect sense. New generations in their selfishness are unwise & don't care what happened before (maybe they saw God's miracles & wins as not from God, from their counterfiet gods most likely), this causes a seeing in the need for a strong need in repentance from the righteous, & God sent prophets (those who reveal his will) Decades & decades of real-time just take a page in the Bible, sometimes not even a page but a few verses. "He did what was right;" "he did what was wrong."

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 167

Sorry, forgot to correct that last post. The reading was supposed to be 1 Corinthians 12.

Now then, for today we have 1 Kings 14 and 15, and 1 Corinthians 13.

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 168

1 Kings 16
1 Corinthians 14

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 169

1 Kings 17
1 Corinthians 15

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 170

1 Kings 18 and 19 (The epic of Israelite monarchs and the wars they wage throughout the ages continues!)
1 Corinthians 16


Come to think over the last three or four reading sessions, unless I missed something, it seems the Israelite territories split off into the two nations (at least in name) of Israel and Judah with the feud that occurred between Rehoboam son of Solomon and Jeroboam a few chapters ago. Since then, of the five or six kings between the two nations mentioned as having reigned from 1 Kings 13 to 17, it appears only Asa was described as being a good king who did right in the eyes of the Lord, being the only one not to turn to worshiping other (read: false) gods, while Jeroboam, Baasha, Elah, and the others adhered to such idolatrous practices. Note, then, that Asa is said to have reigned as king over Judah for a fairly long time, 41 years, while at least three kings came and went in Israel during that time. One of them was Zimri, who became king through murderous treachery, and he only lasted seven days! Thus, at least as far as the time that occurred between 1 Kings 13 and 17 is concerned, those kings who were said to do evil in the sight of the Lord, such as Zimri and Jeroboam, did not have long-lasting reigns before they were deposed. As goes a saying I have heard in some fantasy books from my younger life: Evil eventually turns in upon itself.

Of course, let it not be forgotten that the ultimate end for both good and bad kings is the same in this world, they will together die and be buried. Each king spoken of, no matter who he was or whether his deeds were considered good or ill in the eyes of God, throughout this book and the next are said to have "rested with his fathers" at the end of their lives. I can only assume that that expression denotes literal death and burial.

It is the same for us humans today. We should strive to leave behind only good deeds - rather than ill - for the rest of the world when we breathe our last, but there is one essential difference according to our Christian faith between those who believe and those who never will (may the Lord make it so that they eventually will, too!), when we humans die. The former has the hope of a resurrection unto life eternal. The latter will have no such hope of ever living again after they are resurrected and judged. But before then, we all together will die a first death here on earth, no matter who we are. It's a scary prospect for me sometimes, but, well, that's why our faith in Christ can give us comfort, believing and hoping that that sleep in the first death will not last forever.





But, yes, I seem to have forgotten how personally interesting a read that the two Kings books can be - learning about all of those who reigned in Israel or Judah throughout the centuries - since the last time we did this Bible reading thread. So I now look forward to the rest.

 

[SarahsKnight]

I think one good argument that could be made in favor of worshiping the God of Christianity over the likes of Baal and Asherah in the Old Testament times is that, well, at least God doesn't require His followers to physically hurt themselves just to get His attention, as we saw in yesterday's reading.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.



DAY 171

1 Kings 20
Mark 1

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 172

Psalms 94
1 Kings 21
Mark 2

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 173

1 Kings 22
2 Kings 1
Mark 3

 

[SarahsKnight]

A favorite story of mine from the gospels, in Mark 2:

5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak such blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 Immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you contemplate these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier to say to the paralytic: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, rise, and take up your bed, and go your way to your house.” 12 Immediately he rose, picked up the bed, and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Indeed, which is easier a feat to accomplish, to tell someone their sins are forgiven? Or to magically heal them of a disease, where they are immediately, 100% cured?

It does seem to me that the former is easier, and yet to prove He is indeed the Son of God, Jesus Christ does both for the paralytic in this story.

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 174

2 Kings 2 and 3
Mark 4

 

[SarahsKnight]

DAY 175

2 Kings 4
Mark 5