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B ible reading for October 19.  1 Kings 22. "And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.' And Jehoshaphat said, 'Let not the king say so.'" (1 Kings 22:8) THE DRAMA. Sometimes life gets complicated. Why is Jehoshaphat so friendly with Ahab? Why does Micaiah at first not tell the truth? Why does God approve of the lying spirits? In trying to explain this passage I decided to put it in the form of a skit that could be used, say, at a youth meeting:   Scene I: Ahab's court . Ahab: "Jehoshaphat, come go to battle with me against Syria." Jehoshaphat: "OK, I got your back, bro."  Ahab: "All the prophets say we've got a green light on this. It's victory all the way!" Jehoshaphat: "Uh, do you have, like, any true prophets of the Lord around here?" Ahab: "Just...

Bible reading for weekend October 17-18.  1 Kings 20-21. "And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, 'Thus says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'" (1 Kings 20:13) TWO VICTORIES (ch 20). On two desperate occasions, with Israel being greatly outnumbered, God gives military victory to Ahab and his troops. "You shall know that I am the Lord" (20:13, 28). In the previous chapter the Lord had shown himself to be the true God, and here twice he shows himself strong on behalf of Israel. Yet Ahab does not really have a heart to obey the Lord. And obedience to the Lord is imperative. Ahab shows mercy where he should bring judgment. It is not that Ahab is compassionate, he is basically a compromiser. There's a lesson here for us in this age of tolerance -- we cannot pronounce judgment when we should be merciful (Matt 7:1-5), but neither sho...

Bible reading for October 16.  1 Kings 19. "And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'" (1 Kings 19:13) FROM FAITH TO FEAR. Elijah goes from a mountain-top experience of great success, down to the pit of fear and despair, because of Jezebel's threat. And the threat was real. Who knew that God's prophets could go through such ups and downs? So Elijah flees to Mount Sinai, many miles to the south in the wilderness. The Lord sustains him through the journey. He is going back to the place where God gave his law and promises, where God's power and glory had been manifested centuries before, and where the nation was founded. Twice the Lord will ask him, "what are you doing here, Elijah?" In other words, why have you come? This is not an indictment, but an invitation to speak and to plainly state his pro...

Bible reading for October 15.  1 Kings 18. "And Elijah came near to all the people and said, 'How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' And the people did not answer him a word." (1 Kings 18:21) EPIC BATTLE. Howard Hendricks called this contest, "The Battle of the Gods," and indeed it was an epic event! Ahab, like so many people today, blamed his problems on others, here Elijah, whom he called the "troubler" (vv 17-18). But the trouble was with Ahab himself, being double-minded about which God (or gods) to follow (v 21). It is a decisive battle on Mount Carmel, culminating with fire from heaven and then Elijah's successful prayer for rain (James 5:17-18). There is only one true and living God who answers prayer. Baal, along with every other false god, cannot bring salvation: "And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation,...

Bible reading for October 14.  1 Kings 17. "And the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.'" (1 Kings 17:24) CATCHING UP. The kingdom has divided into north (aka Judah) and south (aka Israel). The curious story of the two disobedient prophets highlights the importance of integrity and complete obedience to the word of God not just among kings but among prophets (ch 13). The death of these two unnamed prophets will bring us to the great prophetic period begun with Elijah (ch 17). In our story in Kings we will now read alternating accounts of the kings, north and south, good and bad. The name of a king is introduced, the length of his reign, an assessment of his heart, and often, the name of his mother (see 14:21, 31). Most of these sons were not raised by their fathers but by their mothers from other religious backgrounds, hence, the problems with idolatry. "And there was war between......

Bible reading for October 9.  I will be taking a break off-line for the next several days. Below I'll list the readings for the upcoming days.   1 Kings 12. "So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat." (1 Kings 12:15)  THIS TURN OF EVENTS. This is one of those places in Scripture where we see that God rules and over-rules in the affairs of men. Rehoboam's inclination to take the bad advice of his younger friends -- which was his own sinful choice, and his responsibility -- was nonetheless ordained by God to fulfill his plan. Some theologians call this compatibilism, or the principle that God sovereignly ordains to use even the sinful choices that people freely make (from no outward compulsion) in order to accomplish his own will. This is clearly seen also in the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus (Acts 2:23; 4:28...

Bible reading for October 8.  1 Kings 11. "For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father." (1 Kings 11:4)  FALLING APART. To say that Solomon had a problem with women is an understatement. How could he even remember the names of 1000 women he had been intimate with? The foreign women, especially, posed a difficult problem. Such marriages were a common way to make alliances with nearby nations, but these wives -- not converts to Yahweh worship -- would want to preserve their own culture and make Jerusalem feel more culturally comfortable. This, of course, brought pressure on Solomon to build worship sites to accommodate them. One compromise led to another, and so, Solomon, who loved these women, introduced pagan worship into God's land. Judgment comes in the form of adversaries, one of whom, Jeroboam, will actually take away ten of the tribes (northern ...

Bible reading for October 7.  1 Kings 10. "And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her." (1 Kings 10:4-5)  BREATH-TAKING GLORY. This chapter is about the magnificence of Solomon's empire. The Queen of Sheba travels from Ethiopia to see it, and the glory of Solomon's kingdom takes her breath away (v 5). His wisdom is seen not merely in the answers he gives to her questions (v 3), but also in the architecture, the honor of his table and guests, the organization of his servants, his rule of justice, and his worship of God through offerings. It was more than personality, the glory was seen in all his works, as well.  HAPPY ARE HIS SERVANTS. There's a parallel for us, in that our Lord Jesus is the King t...

Bible reading for October 6.  1 Kings 9. "I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time." (1 Kings 9:3)  ALLIANCES. This chapter opens with a promise and a warning from the Lord (vv 1-9), and then goes on to record Solomon's relationships with Tyre and Egypt (compare v 9 with v 16), two strong bordering nations. With the rise of affluence and centralized power come temptations to abuse that power or to compromise principles. We see the use of slavery for construction (a reminder of days in Egyptian bondage?), and the making of alliances by trading cities and territories. These are not good developments, but are understandable in context of their growing national strength. By the way, the Millo (vv 15, 24) was an earthen tower or raised embankment in the City of David that was pre-existing from Canaanite days.  ...

Bible reading for October 5.  1 Kings 8. "...that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there,' that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place." (1 Kings 8:29)  HIS NAME DWELLS THERE. What does it mean that the temple was God's house, or dwelling place? First, it does not mean that the building somehow contained God, as if he were closed up inside the house (vv 27-30). Solomon is clear about God's omnipresence -- even the highest heaven could not contain God (cf Ps 139:7-16; Jer 23:24; Acts 7:49). Secondly, and this will be seen later in Israel's history, the temple was not a good-luck token for the nation even while they were unfaithful. So, what did it mean that God would dwell among them in this house? At least two things can be seen: 1) It was the place where God's presence, name, and glory would be revealed (vv 9-10, 17, 21, 29, 60). That is, it wou...

Bible reading for weekend October 3-4.  1 Kings 6-7. "Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD." (1 Kings 7:51) BUILDING THE TEMPLE. Construction begins 480 years after the Exodus from Egypt (under Amenhotep II), which gives a start date of 967/66 BC. Measurements and details are given (chapter 6). Work at the temple site itself was relatively quiet (6:7). God said the temple would be a place where he would manifest his presence to, and fellowship with, his people: "And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel" (6:13; Lev 26:11-12; Ezek 37:27). This has ever been God's purpose -- to restore humankind to himself that he might dwell with us (Gen 3:8; Rev 21:3). Solomon's temple was stunning in its beauty, and certainl...

Bible reading for October 2.  1 Kings 4-5. "For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon." (1 Kings 4:24-25)  SOLOMON'S DOMINION (ch 4). We are given a list of Solomon's key officials (vv 1-20), and a glimpse into his large organization. Abiathar the priest apparently served a little longer before being removed (v 4; cf 2:27). Azariah, the son of Zadok, became high priest. The material needs were immense, but so was the blessing upon the land and people (vv 21-28). There was peace and plenty. Solomon is again noted for his wisdom (vv 29-34). Such growth of power and government, however, should remind us of the warnings the prophet Samuel gave in 1 Samuel 8:10-17.  PLANS FOR THE TEMPLE (ch 5). So far Solomon...

Bible reading for October 1.  1 Kings 3. "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" (1 Kings 3:9) A WISE KING. Solomon considers the task before him and asks God for wisdom. Already, he is wise (1 Kgs 2:6, 9), but he asks for more wisdom to rule the people of God, now a great nation (vv 1-15). The wisdom God gives him would be seen in the story that followed (vv 16-28). The nation would begin to see "that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice" (v 28). One example of his wisdom that we might overlook is seen in his approach to worship. At first Solomon participates in the popular worship at the high place in Gibeon (vv 2-4), but after his encounter with God he comes before the Lord in Jerusalem at the ark of the covenant (v 15). He has begun to discern the right way to worship the Lord. A caveat: wisdom means being able to discern right and...

Bible reading for September 30.  1 Kings 2. "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn..." (1 Kings 2:2-3) A NEW REIGN. David gives his son Solomon a simple but straightforward charge (cf Deut 31:7-8; 2 Tim 4:1-2). He then dies and is buried in the City of David, which was the lower slope of the temple mount in Jerusalem. Though there is a traditional site of David's tomb in Jerusalem (I visited there in 1997) some archaeologists believe the tomb is yet to be discovered in the excavations of the older section of the City of David.  UNFINISHED BUSINESS. Solomon's reign will begin with a clean slate, and so his first actions are to conclude unfinished business from David's reign. Joab will fina...