SOAP 03/31/2016; 2 Kings 15:37

Today's reading: Judges 9, 10; Psalm 49; 1 Corinthians 16*

S) "³⁷ In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah."

2 Kings 15:37 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Kings 15

O) The majority of this chapter is giving a quick rundown of the kings of Israel in Samaria. It shows king after king being betrayed by servants and subjects, then murdered, and the villain ascending the throne. Only the cycle repeats, and over and over, new kings elect themselves by murder and betrayal. Then, toward the end, we see that Jotham succeeded his father in Judah. He did right in the sight of the Lord, although he still had flaws. And then we see this verse nestled near the end of his short paragraph.

A) With unwritten (not here, anyway) implication, this chapter reminds me that God is faithful to his promises. David had a descendent on the throne of Judah until the very last, and that included Jotham along the way. The promises God has made to me, through my King Jesus, will surely come to pass. It is not because of my faithfulness, but because of His! This is an irresistible confidence booster! On the other hand, God allowed for testing and discipline into the life of Jotham (and other kings). In this case, God sent the other kings against Jotham. Whether or not he passed the test, the faithfulness of God as a Father cannot be missed. In the same way, while my faithfulness to Him is not perfect, He will allow tests into my life that are meant for me to draw me closer to Him. He wants me to pass the tests. He wants victory for me (although my "wars" are certainly not physical, but spiritual, according to Ephesians 6).

P) Father, thank You for the faithfulness You have shown throughout history. Thank You for the faithfulness You have shown me. Thank You for the promises I have, secured by Jesus Christ, because of Your faithfulness. I confess that my faithfulness to You certainly is still imperfect. But, because of that, I desire to be disciplined, Father God. I desire the testing You have in store for me, and I want to pass the tests for You, Father God. Allow any difficulties into my life; as long as I draw closer to You, I don't care what comes in my life. That is my determination, that is my declaration, that is my devotion to You. Let Your will be done in my life. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/30/2016; 2 Kings 14:23-25

Today's reading: Judges 8; Psalm 42; 1 Corinthians 15*

S) "²³ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. ²⁴ He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. ²⁵ He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher."

2 Kings 14:23-25 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Kings 14

O) My first thought, "Come on, people. Can't you think of some original names?" Sure, the full name of the king of Israel was "Jehoash" but it's just a different spelling of the same name, which the king of Judah just had! Also, if the first king of your land was evil and it cost him the kingdom, and you had a son who was probably going to be king, wouldn't you think naming him after that first king was just going to cast a pall over his whole reign? Maybe J(eh)oash thought his son could redeem the name of Jeroboam?
The second thought I had, "Wait, Jonah did other stuff besides what was covered in the VeggieTales movie?" There can be little doubt it is one and the same. Both were prophets. Both lived near the end of the kingdom of Israel. Both named Jonah... then again, we did just see how they liked to repeat names... but, both are said to be the son of Amittai... It's the same guy.
My final thought, "Interesting that v.24 describes this Jeroboam as evil, too. Then the very next verse describes how he fulfilled the words of a prophet, seemingly righting a wrong." But, that's just the way God operates. He has no choice but to use broken and sinful people, since that's all that is available to Him. Sometimes, the people He uses are quite evil. But, God is sovereign and just. Only in Jesus Christ, did He have a perfect servant to do His will.

A) Every nuance in the Bible humbles me, as to how God preserved His scriptures. Every time I read about a wicked man being used for God's purposes, it humbles me to remember that I go only by the grace of God. I am used only by the grace of God. I am being made perfect, into the likeness of my Lord Jesus Christ, only by the grace of God. However God might use me, the Bible is replete with men used by God, who are not humble, who then have to be humbled by God. I would much rather that I humble myself before Him. It's comforting and reassuring to know that I could never be such a mess as to be beyond God's use or help. At the same time, it's encouraging and motivating to know, that as I pursue God, He can equip me and build me up, to be used more and more for His glory.

P) Father, thank You for the grace You have given me, Lord God. You are holy and just, righteous and true, sovereign and powerful. You could choose to have nothing to do with this sinful world, with this sinful servant, but still You choose to redeem me. You choose to bring me into Your plan, to use me for Your glory. I am so blessed. Thank You for what You have done in me, and through me. Thank You for what You will still do in me, and through me. Let Your will be done on earth, and in my life, as it is in heaven. To Your name be all glory and praise. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/29/2016; 2 Kings 12:15

Today's reading: Judges 6, 7; Psalm 52; 1 Corinthians 14*

S) "¹⁵ Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully."

2 Kings 12:15 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Kings 12

O) King Jehoash was a mostly-good king. While Jehoiada the priest still lived, Jehoash did a good job following the LORD. After the death of the priest, though, he turned to serve other gods. One of the things that he did well, was repairing the temple of the LORD. The men described in the verse above, were the masons and carpenters, etc., who worked on the repairs. The money was from offerings beside the altar. What particularly stood out here, was the unusual amount of autonomy and trust given to these workers. But, the fact that their faithfulness in dealings was apparently well known, there was no reason to distrust them.

A) If I want people to trust me, then I need to be trustworthy. If I want to work independently at my job, then my boss must see that I have integrity. This is a pretty straightforward principle. At the same time, his has parental application. As I see my kids are developing responsibility and integrity, I need to give them tests of trust. I need to allow them the chance to prove that they will deal faithfully, so that I am not needing them to give an account of their time or resources. I don't want to micromanage my children. Babies need constant attention, and toddlers will throw tantrums for it, but by the time my kids are... well the ages they are now... I need to give them exercises, tests, opportunities to show me they will walk with integrity.

P) Father, there is no better example of obedience than Jesus Christ. Help me to walk as a true disciple, becoming more and more like Christ in my obedience to You. Help me to lead by example, so that my kids see what it means to be trustworthy and faithful. Help them learn integrity from me, seeing the value in it. Please let them learn this before the independence of adolescence and the teenage years comes up within them. This will only be with Your grace at work in their hearts, Lord. Let Your will be done in them, that I won't need to hold them accountable, because they will deal faithfully. Let this be so in every area of their lives. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/28/2016; 2 Kings 10:28-29

Today's reading: Judges 4, 5; Psalm 39, 41; 1 Corinthians 13*

S) "²⁸ Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. ²⁹ However, as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, even the golden calves that were at Bethel and that were at Dan."

2 Kings 10:28-29 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Kings 10

O) Jehu took the throne from Ahab, who was one of the worst kings. He killed all of Ahab's family, leaving no survivors for the evil king, just as the LORD proclaimed. Also, with cunning he was able to kill all of the worshipers and priests of Baal. As we read through the chapter, it's easy to suppose Jehu is setting things quite right in Israel, and there is a hopefulness about it. Despite the savagery, there seems to be a lot of justice happening. And then, the above verses remind us that dual worship is deceiving. This cost Jehu the throne. He was rewarded for executing justice for the LORD, but his duplicitous worship meant that his throne was not going to be established very long.

A) Jesus warned that a man cannot serve two masters. His warning was about worshiping God, but also worshiping wealth. Really, it doesn't matter what the second thing is. God is jealous for me, and He will not be satisfied with any fraction of my worship. He does not want some, or even most. He doesn't want 99.99999 percent. He wants all of it. If I am serving, worshiping God, in every way but... then it's not in every way. Thankfully, in Christ Jesus, there is grace that changes my idolatrous and spiritually adulterous heart. I don't want a partial reward from God for half-way doing well. And really, my reward is Jesus Himself. I don't partially want God. I don't want Him to hold back from His presence in my life. If I want Him all the way, though, then I must be completely devoted, completely faithful to Him.

P) Father, You are worth my complete devotion. I confess that I sometimes hold back from You, though. I foolishly think that I want things more than You, or experiences more than You, or just some fleshly desire, some sinful expression, more than You. It's easy for me to lose focus. But, when I spend time in Scripture, I remember that Your jealousy for me is not without merit. It is because You know what is best for me, that You want me to be completely enthralled with You. It is because You know what I can have in Christ Jesus, that You want my devotion. Thank You for that grace, Lord. Open my eyes and ears, to see it more clearly and to hear Your call. Let me lay down temporary desires, temporal desires, so that I can invest in our eternal relationship. Let me worship You alone, because You alone are worthy of my worship. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/27/2016; 2 Kings 7:4-5

Today's reading: Judges 1, 2, 3; 1 Corinthians 12*

S) "⁴ 'If we say, "We will enter the city," then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.' ⁵ They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there."

2 Kings 7:4-5 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Kings 7

O) This was during a war with Aram, when their armies had successfully laid siege to Samaria. There was famine within the city, to the point that some of the people had actually turned to cannibalism (see also Deuteronomy 28:49-57). These men talking in the verse above, were lepers who were at the gate of the city presumably because that's as close to inside the city as they were allowed (since lepers would traditionally be quarantined outside the city). Just prior to their conversation, Elisha had prophesied an end to their famine (although he didn't specify how), but it was to the king and certainly there was no way for these men to know that. Ironically, had they heard the prophecy, it's possible they would have remained at the city's entrance, awaiting for deliverance from God. Instead, they figured they had nothing to lose, so they went to the enemy camp. Little did they know that God had sent a confusion into the Aramean camp, so they had abandoned it, leaving most of their supplies behind them. Consequently, Samaria was spared. Not only was the siege lifted, but the city immediately had provisions.

A) What does it mean to live my life with nothing to lose? Jesus did say, "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25). The men in this passage considered their lives were already lost. They were willing to die because they considered that they had already died. Consequently, God was able to use them to bring good news of salvation to their city. In the same way, if I consider that Jesus bought my life with a price (no less than the cost of His own blood), then my life is not my own. I choose to lay my life down, by following Jesus. This is the symbolism of baptism. So, when God is calling me to bring good news of salvation, however that looks, no matter the dangers or risks that I perceive, then He can accomplish great things when I consider myself already dead here on earth. When I do not fear the grave, because I consider that I have already died to self, and because I know I will be resurrected in Christ, then I am not really risking anything.

P) Father, these stories that foreshadow the gospel are amazing to me. In Your perfect grace, You have given us record of all sorts of examples through history, preserved in Your perfect Word. Well before any of the disciples were ever martyred, You had example after example of righteous men willing to die for their obedience. Here, You have kept a perfect example of what it means to consider myself already dead. I confess that there are many ways in which I am selfish. I don't want to be, but it is hard, Father. Open my eyes to see where I am over-valuing my own life, God. I want to be less and less selfish. I want to live out what Paul said, when he considered that to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Use me, lead me, call me to whatever You want. Regardless of danger or risk, because I know You are sovereign. Let Your will be done, and I know I can trust You completely. My death on earth is a foregone conclusion, and I don't know when it will be. For me to try and prolong my life is to try to delay my glorification in You. I want to be united with You according to Your perfect timing and will. Let Your will be done, therefore. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/26/2016; 2 Kings 2:9

Today's reading: Joshua 23, 24; Psalm 44; 1 Corinthians 11*

S) "⁹ When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.' And Elisha said, 'Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.'"

2 Kings 2:9 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Kings 2

O) Three different times, it's recorded that other prophets warned Elisha that his mentor would be leaving him. Three different times, it's recorded that Elijah implored his disciple to stay behind. There was no doubt among them. Elisha's time was short. They might not have known how, or where, or exactly when, but they knew it was coming. Finally, Elijah asked what we see above. He took advantage of the time they had, to seek opportunity to bless his follower. Elisha asked for something hard, and Elijah told him it would be difficult to obtain. Hard as it may have been, though, it's exactly what happened.

A) There is a God-given desire in me, that I want to finish well. I want to live with excellence, honoring God in everything I do. However, that's not necessarily the same thing as ending well. When I leave something, whether it's a career, or a ministry, or a period of parenting (like the years my kids are minors), I need to recognize when an end is coming, and plan accordingly. At the end of any phase, or season, or time in my life, I want to do all I can to ensure that those who I am leaving are set up to thrive. I want my kids to excel when they leave the nest. I want my Life Group to thrive when we move on. I want my workplace to be successful when I retire. The details of how to accomplish all of these things can look pretty different, but if I want to exit with excellence, I need to identify two big questions. 1) When is it ending? 2) What do they need? Some of question 2 can be answered and addressed now, and so I strive to do that. For question 1, I must be vigilant and prayerful.

P) Father, Your wisdom and grace cannot be matched. You are perfect in Your timing and will. I know that You have made plans, that I would have some part to play in the lives of those around me. When I am focused on Your goodness, I am also motivated by love. I want to do well for You. Help me to be focused, to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit each day. Beyond the day to day things, Lord, I want to finish well for You. I seldom know when will be the last encounter I have with someone, so I want to be sure I am doing all I can with every opportunity. But, when a season is coming to a close, by Your will, let me know. Lead me to give a final blessing if I can. All of this is only going to happen by Your will, and I know I can't force anything. Also, only You will answer prayers, no matter what my will is. So above all else, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Be glorified in all of my relationships, in every way I minister. All to honor Your name. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/25/2016; 1 Kings 22:28

Today's reading: Joshua 21, 22; Psalm 47; 1 Corinthians 10*

S) "²⁸ Micaiah said, 'If you indeed return safely the Lord has not spoken by me.' And he said, 'Listen, all you people.'"

1 Kings 22:28 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 1 Kings 22

O) This is one of my favorite stories, because this is probably the most sarcastic prophet. Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and Ahab king of Israel, had a peace treaty. During a state visit, Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to go to war with him. While Ahab had many prophets telling him what he wanted to hear (that victory was sure), Jehoshaphat asked if any of the prophets were from the LORD. Ahab laments this, because he says that Micaiah is a prophet of the LORD, but he only speaks evil against him (that is, harm against him - Ahab was an evil king). When he is brought, he is told by the other prophets to give a victorious pronouncement, but he tells them he must speak the truth that God gives him. When he came before the kings, they asked him for the word, but he initially lied. He told them to go to war and have victory, but Ahab knew better. So, he asked him again, and Micaiah tells them that Ahab will surely die and the army will suffer loss. Ahab tells the guards to take Micaiah to prison, to be fed and watered sparingly until Ahab returns victorious. Then, the above is Micaiah's response to his sentencing.

A) There are so, so many things to dig through when reading this story. There is the issue of why Jehoshaphat was ever allied with Ahab. There is the issue of how Ahab probably should have consulted with the LORD way before ever hitting the battle field (which I covered a little more on 06/18/2014, with the concurrent record in 2 Chronicles 18). There is also the deep topic of how Ahab knew that Micaiah was lying, what kind of precedent there must have been, and what it meant with all of the prophets of the false gods among them. Then, there is the difficult subject of God sending a deceiving spirit among those same prophets. But, the area where this speaks to me the most, is the area of God's nature that comes through this story.
God does not lie. When He tells us that something is going to happen, He is not guessing. He is not giving likelihoods or probabilities. It can be debated how much God dictates or ordains things to happen, but we certainly know that His omniscience is, in fact, prescient (see Isaiah 46:10). So, when Ahab dies by a stray arrow, despite the fact that he had disguised himself, no one should be surprised. God, in a sense, had already seen it happen when Micaiah told the people it would be so. When the doges licked the blood of the dead king, no one should be surprised, because Elijah already revealed what God already knew. So, when Micaiah said the words in the above verse, that reminds me that there is no uncertainty with what God has spoken. The test, is simply to watch it happen. I have heard people "prophesy" to me, things which made no sense and did not, in fact, come to pass. That wasn't God talking through them, then. On the other hand, Jesus prophesied about his death and resurrection, and about the destruction of the temple in 70 AD (and other things), all of them came to pass. So, when Jesus says faith in Him means I get to go to heaven, I know that the Father has spoken by Him. When Jesus says I must know the truth, and then the truth will set me free, I know that He has spoken by the Father (which is also, exactly what Jesus said He did). While the gift of prophecy can be debated (although I certainly believe God still speaks to and through people), there can be no doubt about the authenticity of the plain biblical prophecies. I have confidence in my own salvation, because I have seen God's work through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I have confidence in my own salvation because I have seen God's work through my own life. I know what the New Testament says is true, because I know the evidence for its truthfulness, which is then the evidence for its trustworthiness.

P) Father, today is Good Friday. This is the day when my death sentence was, not reduced or removed, but it was displaced. I was sentenced to die justly, for guilt that rightly belonged to me. However, on this day, Jesus took my place on that cross. This was exactly as He said He would do. This is exactly as You said He would do. You have proven Your truthful character, Your trustworthiness, time and time again, and time everlasting. This is the basis for my faith. I am reminded that it is not faith alone that is needed, but it matters what is the basis for that faith. More to the point, it matters who is the basis for that faith. My faith is in You, God. My faith is because of Your faithfulness. This is all from Your grace upon me. Open my eyes and ears this weekend, especially. As I pay close, deliberate, special attention to the work of the cross, and the victory Jesus claimed over sin and death, increase my faith. Let me see clearly, every biblical prophecy. Give me wisdom and understanding. Let all of this be done, only ever according to Your will. You are good, and Your plan for me is good, and I only want Your will to happen in my life, because Your will is better than mine. You alone have a right for Your will to be done. Thank You, God. Be magnified, this weekend especially. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.