Category: Bible In a Year
Day 191 – The Babylonian Exile
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read the ten tribes of the former Northern Kingdom are gone. Two tribes in the south, Judah and Benjamin are now in exile. King Zedekiah is captured by the Chaldeans and brings him to Babylon. They kill the sons of Zedekiah before him and then blind him. The last thing…
Day 190 – Judah is Overrun
Thoughts and Reflection Today we learn how Josiah shows his wisdom by reestablishing true worship and celebrating the Passover feast. We also read about the fall of Jerusalem. Jehoiakim and later his son Jehoiachin, the successors of Josiah, both turn away from the Lord and do what is evil. God fulfills his promise and due…
Day 189 – Follow the Lord
Thoughts and Reflection Today we learn about leaders and the “important people” who live in the king’s house. There are also other people people who live in those times and they are called to be faithful regardless of what the kings do. This is a reminder that it is easy to become enamored by those…
Day 188 – The Book of Law
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read the actions of Manasseh who sets up his own altars in the temple and his own high places around Judah. He is later exiled to Babylon where he repents his sins and the Lord hears his prayer. Today in proverbs we read about an adulteress. Adultery can be a…
Day 187 – Praying for Time
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read that Manasseh is only twelve when he becomes king and he will reign for fifty-five years. Manasseh does evil and is one of the worst kings. He is unlike his father, Hezekiah, and more like his grandfather Ahaz. He rebuilds the idols and pagan temples. This will begins the…
Day 186 – Struggles with Self-interest
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read that Hezekiah is near death. Isaiah tells him he will not recover, Hezekiah reaches out to God and receives healing and will live for another fifteen years. An envoy from Babylon arrives. Hezekiah shows the envoy all of his treasures and weapons. Isaiah is upset with Hezekiah for revealing…
Day 185 – Hezekiah’s Prayer
Thoughts and Reflection In today’s reading we see more evidence that Hezekiah is one of the best kings. Sennacherib says that Assyria has destroyed many nations, whose gods did not save them. Hezekiah should not think his people will be saved by the Lord. Hezekiah takes Sennacheribs’s letter mocking his trust in the Lord, reads…
Day 184 – Hezekiah Reigns
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read the story of Hezekiah. His father was Ahaz, one of the worst kings of Judah, but Hezekiah was one of the best kings. Our history is not our destiny and our ancestors do not determine our future. While Hezekiah does not condem Ahaz, his actions undo all of his…
Divided Kingdom Recap
As we started the Divided Kingdom period, it appeared that David’s dynasty was falling apart. The geographic boundaries changed, leaders had lost the trust of the people, and liturgical norms were compromised. Foreign gods and influence from the pagan neighbors increased the temptation toward idolatry for Israel and Judah. The kingdoms succeeded and failed as…
Day 183 – Israel Falls to Assyria
Thoughts and Reflection Today we learn about the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel when all ten tribes were exiled by the Assyrians. The tribes are now gone and all that remains are the two tribes in the south — Judah and Benjamin. In Micah, we hear about the prophecy of Jesus’ birth in…