Jeremiah 4-6 It is not looking good for Judah. Jeremiah’s message is not, “Don’t worry. Be happy!” Unlike Isaiah in Hezekiah’s day, Jeremiah does not tell the people of Jerusalem that the LORD will protect the city. On the contrary, he tells the people of Benjamin to flee Jerusalem because destruction is coming. (Jer. 6:1) …
Author Archives: John S.
July 2 / Jeremiah 1-3
Jeremiah 1-3 As I look at the history of both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, I tend to think of Israel as being worse than Judah. After all, the Bible’s assessment of each and every one of Israel’s kings is that they did what was evil in the sight …
July 2023 Readings
Date Reading(s) Verses 01-Jul Psalms 33, 66-67, 100 54 02-Jul Jeremiah 1-3 81 03-Jul Jeremiah 4-6 92 04-Jul Nahum 1-3 47 05-Jul II Kings 23:28-37; Jeremiah 22:10-17;II Chronicles 35:20-36:4 30 06-Jul Habakkuk 1-3 56 07-Jul Jeremiah 26:1-6; 7:1-8:3 43 08-Jul Jeremiah 26:7-24; 11-12 58 09-Jul Jeremiah 47; 46:1-12; 13:1-14; 18:1-17 50 10-Jul Jeremiah 36:1-10; 25:1-14; …
July 1 / Psalms 33, 66-67, 100
Psalms 33, 66-67, 100 Many thanks to Fred for stepping into the gap to provide commentary for the past few days while I was traveling. As it turns out, we get to hear more from him today, too! See:
June 27 / II Chronicles 29-31
II Chronicles 29-31 Rewind. We get another look at the reign of Hezekiah, this time from the Chronicler’s perspective. Here we see that, right out of the gate, in his first month as king, Hezekiah initiates a complete 180-degree reversal from the practices of his faithless father, Ahaz, who had shut up the Temple and …
June 26 / Isaiah 25-27
Isaiah 25-27 A tale of two cities… In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:“We have a strong city;He sets up salvationas walls and bulwarks.Open the gates,that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.You keep him in perfect peacewhose mind is stayed on You,because he trusts in You.Trust …
June 25 / Isaiah 22:1-14; Isaiah 23-24
Isaiah 22:1-14; Isaiah 23-24 There is quite a bit in today’s reading that I do not fully understand, or, rather, that I just barely understand, or, rather still, that I do not understand at all. But one verse seems pretty clear to me: The LORD of hosts has purposed it,to defile the pompous pride of …
June 24 / II Kings 19:8-37; Isaiah 37:8-38; II Kings 20:20-21
II Kings 19:8-37; Isaiah 37:8-38; II Kings 20:20-21 Unlike his father, Ahaz, Hezekiah listens to the right voice. He listens to what the LORD says through Isaiah. In faith, he recognizes that all those so-called gods of the other nations that Assyria has defeated are no gods at all. And so Hezekiah prays: Truly, O …
Continue reading “June 24 / II Kings 19:8-37; Isaiah 37:8-38; II Kings 20:20-21”
June 23 / II Kings 18:17-19:7; Isaiah 36:2-37:7
II Kings 18:17-19:7; Isaiah 36:2-37:7 Imagine yourself standing on the wall of Jerusalem, peering over the parapet, listening to the Rabshakeh of Assyria taunt Hezekiah’s officials and the people of Jerusalem (including yourself). You’ve heard reports of Assyrian brutality for years. You know that nations larger and stronger than Judah have fallen before the might …
Continue reading “June 23 / II Kings 18:17-19:7; Isaiah 36:2-37:7”
June 22 / II Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38; II Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39; Isaiah 36:1; II Kings 18:13-16
II Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38; II Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39; Isaiah 36:1; II Kings 18:13-16 Would you know the power of repentance? Would you understand the strong weapon of salvation and the might of confession? By confession Hezekiah routed 185,000 of the enemy. That was important, but it was little compared with what shall be …