Category: 1st and 2nd Kings-BibleTrekToday
Trek through 1st and 2nd Kings
God over all–blessed forever!
Scripture reading for June 3rd: 1st Kings 4, Proverbs 1-2, Psalm 43, Romans 9
Romans 9:1-5 “I am speaking the truth in Christ–I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit–that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, Who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”
Paul was a Jew and loved God and His people. He knew the Old Testament Scriptures and was taught in the law and worship and promises and then taught them to others. But Paul encountered Christ and now Christ had given Him a new and deeper understanding of God’s grace to the whole world. He now understood that the Jews were privileged people but they were blind to Jesus Christ as their Messiah. He was so full of anguish for his own brothers and sisters that if he could, he would be accursed so that they might be saved! Sounds like the heart of Jesus Christ Himself for His own people, Jew or Gentiles! May God be praised and blessed forever and ever! Amen!
Psalm 43:3-4 “Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.”
Prayer: Our Father, You have sent Your light and Truth in the person of Jesus Christ to both Jew and Gentile. Thank You for being my Exceeding Joy! I pray for the salvation of all peoples, especially the Jews who had the privileges of carrying the Seed of Christ, receiving Your laws and promises. May all peoples bless You forever and ever! Amen!
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Anticipation of the coming glory!
Scripture reading for June 2nd: 1st Kings 3, 2nd Chronicles 1, Psalm 42, Romans 8
Romans 8:18-23 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him Who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from the bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
Paul further explained that through the Holy Spirit, we have adoption into God’s family in token form for now. We are infilled by the Holy Spirit, but live in our bodies of flesh that still suffer pain, loneliness and longing for fullness of God’s promised redemption. We are promised a glorious body, like Jesus’ glorified body when He comes again. In the mean time, creation is under the bondage of sin and decay as well as human beings, saved and unsaved. As believers we groan inwardly too, awaiting Jesus’ return and anticipating with eager longing our full redemption. This is like the bride waiting for the Bridegroom!
Romans 8:23-25 “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Prayer: Father God, as I get older, I understand the groaning inwardly of my spirit for the fullness of redemption when Christ returns. That is my hope, the “Blessed Hope” of the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ! Thank You for the Holy Spirit, my down-payment of that coming glory Who groans with me, comforts me, and encourages me to be patient and wait and work!
Romans 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself interceded for us with groaning to deep for words. And He Who searches the heart knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Psalm 42:1-2 “As a deer pant for flowing streams, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirst for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?”
The war between the flesh and the Spirit!
Scripture reading for June 1st: 1st Kings 2, 1st Chronicles 29, Romans 7
Romans 7:15-20 “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. No if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, within my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells withing me.”
Paul was a strict Jewish Pharisee, living under God’s law. The law was spiritual and Paul was of the flesh before he encountered Jesus Christ. He struggled to understand his own actions for he desperately wanted to obey the law and please God, but found himself instead doing that which the law forbade. He is now a follower of Christ and understands this war. It is his old sin nature that was crucified with Christ that he now must count as dead to sin. He must now count himself alive to God in Christ through identification with Christ’s resurrection. The grace coming through Christ enabled Paul and us to overcome the passions of sinful flesh that once enslaved us. Thanks be to God He has delivered us!
Romans 7:24-25 “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for delivering me from the war between the flesh and the Spirit by filling me with Your Holy Spirit and giving me grace through Jesus Christ my Lord. Through the Spirit I now have ability to live free from the sin nature and be alive to God forever more. I offer myself to be used to share this Good News with all who still battle their sin nature. There is victory through the Lord Jesus!
1st Chronicles 29:19 “Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep Your commandments, Your testimonies, and Your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”
Count yourself alive to God!
Scripture reading for May 31st: 1st Kings 1, 1st Chronicles 26-28, Romans 6
Romans 6:11-14 “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.”
The Old Testament Law stirred up the passions of the flesh and man’s sin nature rebelled and disobeyed. Jesus Christ fully obeyed the Law and took the penalty of death on our behalf for our law-breaking. Now that we have trusted Christ and come under the new covenant of grace through His shed blood, we count ourselves alive to God and dead to sin and its passions. A dead person cannot be influenced to sin because their passions are also dead. Since we are dead to sin and now are alive eternally in Christ, we also must daily present our bodies to God for Him to use as instruments for righteousness. Sin no longer has dominion over us for we live by God’s grace daily in thanksgiving.
1st Kings 1:5 “Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the gift of grace and righteousness through Your Son, Jesus Christ. He took my sin and its penalty and I died with Him. I was buried with Him and rose again to the newness of life eternal as He rose from the dead. I present my body to God to be used for His glory and to share His grace to build each person who repents into a habitation of God through His Spirit.
1st Chronicles 28:9-10 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”
Honoring Christ the Lord!
Scripture reading for October 14th: 2nd Kings 24-25, 2nd Chronicles 36, Psalm 126, 1st Peter 3
Key Scriptures: 1st Peter 3:13-16 “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your heart honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”
Peter encouraged the church to do good works, even if it brought suffering. Suffering for righteousness was part of the package. There should be no fear of those who trouble us, because we honor Christ as Lord of all. He is holy and will protect and defend us. Our job is to be ready to make a defense when asked the reason for our hope and peace, and to make the defense with gentleness and respect. Honoring Christ as holy exalts Him and gives us a clear conscience.
Psalm 126:5-6 “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping; bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I honor You alone as holy and will be prepared to give a defense to all who ask the reason of my hope. Help me to humbly reflect Your holiness and character as I share the gospel. I look forward to the shouts of joy in heaven because of those who are saved!
2nd Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent (His Word) persistently to them by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.”
Confidence before Christ!
Scripture reading for September 22nd: 2nd Kings 22-23, Psalm 73, 2nd Corinthians 5
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 5:6-10 “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body, and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
When we walk by faith in Jesus Christ we can be constantly filled with courage and confidence. It does not matter what is happening to us at the moment, whether we are facing death or suffering in this life. We are confident that it will be better to be with the Lord in our eternal home. We can also have confidence to stand before Christ Jesus at His judgment seat and know we will be rewarded for our faith and obedience. Our confessed sins will be forgiven and forgotten. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 73:23-24 “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will receive me to glory.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, You are my courage and confidence in this life and for eternity. I am confident to stand before You because of what Jesus Christ did for me. Guide me each day to do Your will!
2nd Kings 23:25 “Before him there was no king like him (King Josiah), who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.”
Repentance removes the veil!
Scripture reading for September 18th: 2nd Kings 21, 2nd Chronicles 33, Psalm 71, 2nd Corinthians 3
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 3:15-18 “Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord Who is Spirit.”
Paul explained that the Old Covenant Law came with a fading glory. Moses had to put a veil over his face so that the fading glory would not be visible to the Israelites. Their hearts were hard and the Law brought death. But now the New Covenant of eternal life through the Holy Spirit brings life and access for each believer into the Holy of Holies to behold Jesus. We have freedom to enter through the Spirit and Jesus’ blood covering our sins. The veil was torn from top to bottom when Jesus cried: “It is finished!” We are all being transformed by Jesus’ glory into His image by the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!
Psalm 71:19 “Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You Who have done great things, O God, Who is like You?”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for purchasing my freedom to enter Your presence and behold Your glory. Transform me today by the Holy Spirit into Your image. Let the glory increase to Your eternal glory!
2nd Chronicles 33:12-13 “And when he (Manasseh) was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and he humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to Him and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.”
Remember!
Scripture reading for September 8th: 2nd Kings 20, Isaiah 38-40, Psalm 68, 1st Corinthians 11
Key Scriptures: 1st Corinthians 11:23-26 “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
Paul gave further instructions concerning the Lord’s supper to the Corinthian believers. Some there had been taking this sacrament without proper understanding and personal repentance. The partaking of the bread and cup were to be done in remembrance of Jesus Christ, Whose body and blood they represented. They were to examine their hearts and repent of known sin because Jesus Christ was coming again for those eagerly awaiting Him. The cup of the Lord’s supper was prophetic of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, ushering in the Church as Christ’s eternal ‘Bride’! Proper wedding garments come only through Jesus’ sacrifice!
Psalm 68:24-26 “Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary–the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines. “Bless God in the great congregation, the Lord, O You Who are Israel’s Fountain!””
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the bread and the cup, representing Your body and Your blood, shed for my redemption. I look in anticipation to Your return in power and glory for Your people!
Isaiah 40:30-31 “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles’ they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
That I might save some!
Scripture reading for September 4th: 2nd Kings 18-19, 2nd Chronicles 32, Psalm 67, 1st Corinthians 9
Key Scriptures: 1st Corinthians 9:19-22 “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but being under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”
Paul carefully explained his heart of serving others who were different than himself. He identified with them in their unsaved state so as to be able to share with them the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ that they might be saved. He had great freedom in Christ, but limited his own freedom to reach those lost in sin and cultural idolatry. Paul sought to imitate his Master, Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost.
Psalm 67:1-2 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His Face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.”
Faith confession and prayer: Thank You Lord for the freedom from condemnation and judgment I experience in Jesus Christ. Help me to limit my liberty as You direct to reach those still in bondage and see them saved.
2nd Chronicles 32:8 “”. . . . .with him (the king of Assyria) is the an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”
The appointed time is near!
Scripture reading for September 2nd: 2nd Chronicles 28, 2nd Kings 17, Psalm 66, 1st Corinthians 7
Key Scriptures: 1st Corinthians 7:29-31 “This is what I mean, brothers; the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.”
Paul was writing to the Corinthian church concerning the perilous times that they lived in. He believed the time was short to live for Christ on this earth and that eternity would soon be entered by all. In light of life’s shortness and eternity’s great length and advantage, believers should live with eternity in mind. They should not let relationships, emotions, or greed and attachment to the world’s goods take center stage. All these pass away when we stand before the Lord. Fulfilling God’s will is foremost!
Psalm 66:8-9 “Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard, Who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, help me today to live for eternity and proclaim Your great love and redemption through Jesus Christ. Thank You for reminding me again that the appointed time is near!
2nd Kings 17:38-39 ” . . . You shall not fear other gods, but you shall fear the Lord your God, and He will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”