2 Kings 14

10 You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

I didn't get much today but this section caught my attention.  I don't go picking fights but maybe I do get arrogant in a way by presuming that the good things in my life from my effort and not from God.  I have nothing to arrogant about, without his blessings I am nothing.  Thank God for who he has put an my life and all the good fortune I have had in my 46 years on this earth.

knut

2 Kings 13

19 The Holy Man became angry with him: “Why didn’t you hit the ground five or six times? Then you would beat Aram until he was finished. As it is, you’ll defeat him three times only.”

There were a couple interesting verses in here like this one and the man coming back to life when his bones touched the bones of Elisha.  I don't really know what to make of them.  Again if Elisha asks you to do something or says something is going to happen do it cuz its coming.  I don't know how the king was to know that he needed to keep striking the ground but I suspicion it was more obvious in their conversation in real life that he was to use up all the arrows.  It may have felt pointless, but he should have followed Elisha's instructions as he should have known they were God inspired.

So maybe we hear instructions from God too but we don't see the point so we ignore them?  Maybe we miss out on blessings just like this king did by not taking the actions he asks us to do?

knut

2 Kings 12

So I really didn't get much today so I turned to Tom's post.  He did note the one verse that caught my attention too and his post about accountability is right on the money for what it means for me to be on this journey through the bible together with you.  Reading daily is something I want to do, but I know I wouldn't if I didn't have you on the other end of the line keeping me honest.

The spring/summer is an easy time to slack off but I'm less likely to do so because I want to stay up on progress with you.   here is Tom's post---

knut

CHAPTER-A-DAY 2 KINGS 12

FEBRUARY 22, 2010 TOM VANDER WELL 2 COMMENTS

But by the twenty-third year of Joash's rule, the priests hadn't done one thing—The Temple was as dilapidated as ever. 2 Kings 12:6 (MSG)

Renovations, upkeep, and maintenance aren't fun. Whether it's my body, my house, or my car, there seem plenty of better things to do with my time, energy, and money. The priests of Joash's day worshipped every day in a crumbling temple. The need confronted them daily. They had even been told to allocate resources to renovation. But, they did nothing.

It wasn't until the King held the high-priest accountable that changes were made to the financial allocations, and the work began.

We all need accountability. I would not have read a Chapter-a-Day for the past seven years unless I knew my friend Kevin was out there, reading the same chapter and expecting a phone call or waiting to add his comments to the post. If Kev had not raised the alarm and the need to be more faithful in reading God's message, we would not have embarked on this journey.

Today, I'm contemplating my need for accountability in other areas of my life.

2 Kings 11

17 Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

Finally, some good news!  I was starting to feel beaten down with all of this.  i think this is a reminder for me to refocus myself on the Lord.  Sometimes I get off track.  Not always on purpose, just might be circumstance that makes me lose sight of my foundation.  This is not what the chapter is about, but probably what God is telling me this morning.

short and sweet on a Friday

tp

2 Kings 10

These chapters are tough for me to pull something meaningful from.....I'm sure its in there, but I'm not smart enough to see it.  This verse did catch my attention.
32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. 
I'm not sure why.  But, perhaps God was feeling the same way that I am reading it.  It feels like the people are splintering farther and farther away from the pureness they had under King David.  There are now multiple rulers, and multiple things they are worshiping.  I've heard an interesting saying that goes like this, "there's worst thing about christianity, is the christians."  Maybe God was feeling that if these are his people, and they are not representing him well....maybe its time to make the negative advertisement, a little smaller.

rambling, and searching for some meaning
tp

2 Kings 9

‘This is what the Lordsays: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!”

This is a perfect skit for Monte Python.......! Awesome.  "The yogurt made from your milk....is deliscious"  (if you don't know the commercial, that won't be funny)

34 Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.” 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36 They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh.[f] 37 Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”

Whoa!  That is serious.  When Elijah or Elisha said something was going to happen.......it HAPPENED

tp

2 Kings 8

10-11 Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘Don’t worry; you’ll live.’ The fact is, though—God showed me—that he’s doomed to die.” Elisha then stared hard at Hazael, reading his heart. Hazael felt exposed and dropped his eyes. Then the Holy Man wept.

I liked the Message version better today.  I'm finding it hard though to identify a lesson.  One recurring theme is how its hard to break the pattern of sin once it begins.  It flows down through generations.  I think the pattern of living a life following God can also be handed down but it seems so much easier to slip into a bad pattern than it is to maintain a good one.

In this verse its interesting that Elisha does not seem concerned for his own reputation but it seems to me he can be viewed as a false prophet to anyone who does not know the full account of what he told Hazael.  Which is interesting, how did we get this account into the bible?  Not from Hazel surely?  The author must have interviewed Elisha?  I'm rambling now, if you Google Hazael there is things about him accounted for outside the bible.   I also find those accounts and archaeological finds that tie back into the bible fun to investigate as well.

good day mate,
knut

2 Kings 7

I'm not sure what to write about from this chapter.  Its a crazy story......it does remind me of the lesson that is often shared at church.  Are you trusting in God enough, that if he doesn't show up.....you will fail?  That's really what's going on here.  Elisha told them what was going to happen, but it seemed so unlikely that if it wasn't straight from God's hand, there's no way it could happen.  The king, and his "arm prop-er" probably scoffed at Elisha's prediction.  "how could this ever happen, he's just a crazy old codger"...that's what I would be saying.  But, nothing is impossible if God is involved.

So, make sure God is involved in what I'm doing today.  It will have a much better outcome.

tp

2 Kings 6

6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.

I didn't get the ax story at all--turns out I'm not alone but here is one person's explanation that might make some sense.  No take from me just sharing   Knut --

Elisha, the Company of Prophets and Haechad:

This story of the ax is the last in a series of stories which describe the interaction between Elisha and “the company of prophets,” bnei neviim which are introduced in II Kings 2:

And when the sons of the prophets [bnei neviim] who were in view at Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. (v. 15 KJV)

The ax story found in chapter 6, like all the bnei neviim stories before it, are intended to capture the tensions and ideological differences between Elisha and this "company of prophets."

The story begins:

Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, "As you see, the place where we live under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live."

The response:

He answered, "Do so."

Elisha's response tells us that Elisha is not happy with the plan. “Do so,” in Hebrew just one word:lechu, means, “go, and I'm not going with you.”

 Then one of them said, "Please come with your servants." And he answered, "I will."

“One of them,” in Hebrew haechad, (literally, “the one”) begs Elisha and is able to convince him to join. In Hebrew, the words "live/dwell" and "go" appear seven times. This repetition reflect the tensions surrounding this move.

They arrive at the Jordan River and then:

“as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water;”

The ax-head fell into the waters of the Jordan and cannot be retrieved. Had this accident happened prior to their move, the company of prophets would have been able to pick up the ax head from the ground and continue with their work. This accident is a continuation of the tension surrounding whether or not Elisha and the prophets should be by the Jordan River in the first place.

The word used to denote the guy cutting the log is haeachad, the same word used to describe the guy who convinces Elisha to join them on the trip to the Jordan in the first place. The recurrence ofhaeachad implies the person who lost the ax head is the same person who convinced Elisha to come on the journey. The guy who lost his ax head immediately calls out to Elisha:

he cried out, "Alas, master! It was borrowed."

Haeachad lost a borrowed ax head and cannot afford to pay it back. Haeachad understands that this tragedy happened because Elisha doesn't approve of this plan in the first place. Haeachadpleads with Elisha saying: "it's not fair that I should be punished so harshly because you don't approve of this project."

Just like before, haeachad manages to appease Elisha and Elisha performs a miracle to return his ax.

Moving back to the Jordan:

Moving to the Jordan River is a big deal. In the previous story, the Syrian general Naaman was healed from leprosy by immersing himself in the Jordan River. Before Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, him and Elisha travel from Gilgal to the Jordan River (II Kings 2:1-6). After Elijah goes up to heaven, Elisha splits the waters of the Jordan River (2:14) and then travels to Jerico until he finally ends up in Gilgal (4:38), effectively retracing Elijah's steps on his final journey.

Throughout these narratives, the Jordan River reflects a locus of spirituality which is disconnected from the everyday life of regular people. The tension that underscores the relationship between Elisha and the company of prophets stems from a question about the role of the prophet in relation to one's larger social context. Does the prophet belong with the commoners in Gilgal or in solitary-spiritual contemplation of God on the banks of the Jordan? This is a central ambiguity within these stories and Tanakh as a whole.

2 Kings 5

26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? 

Seems pretty simple, don't take credit or payment for work God has done.  It seems ridiculous, but then again God has given me a great many blessings that I benefit from.  I don't think I try to outwardly deceive anyone to get benefit in this case but at the same time do I recognize myself or show others that I know from where my bread is buttered?

just a thought to be careful not to get on my high horse to judge the actions of a deceiver such as Gehzi.

knut

2 Kings 4

Mish-mash of stories in this chapter.
After reading through these chapters with a finer look......I can understand the perspective of the Jewish person, who says that Jesus was a prophet but not the son of God.  These stories of the Old Testament prophets read a lot like the miracles of Jesus.  From the calling down of fire that Elijah did, to the raising of the dead that Elisha does in this chapter.  I find it interesting that the people around these prophets tend to worship them, and it doesn't seem as much God.  This mother falls at Elisha's feet.  I can totally understand, but the focus seems to be in the wrong place.

deep thoughts, by Todd Parker

2 Kings 3

3 Joram[a] son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,

First of all, if this is the description of you.....things are not going to go well.  How can you lead God's people, or at least a part of God's people, if this is your judgment.
The second thing that hits me is how these kings seem to dance in and out with God.  They want to make their own way, create their own gods and make the people worship their way...and then when things start to go bad, they inquire to the real God.  Its pretty funny actually.  Its like a teenager who thinks they know everything.  They try to act autonomously, and then when things get really tough, they call in mom and dad for help.

 27 Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.

This ending verse threw me for a loop.  He did what?  Did he do this to make it look like the Israelites did it?  I'm not sure.  I might be getting confused in all the groups here.  Untangle it for me.