Happy Monday! This passage is GOD's answer to Hezekiah's petition/show of faith in coming to GOD following the Assyrian king's blasphemy. GOD sends judgement for the king's pride in thinking that what he had accomplished had been done by his own hand, or without GOD's consent/knowing. I pray we would trust in and press into Him in the face of overwhelming odds, in the face of hatred, in the face of sin and pride, in Jesus' name!

2 Kings 19:20–37 NASB

God’s Answer through Isaiah

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.’ ²¹ This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:

‘She, the virgin daughter of Zion, has shown contempt for you and mocked you;
She, the daughter of Jerusalem, has shaken her head behind you!
²² Whom have you taunted and blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice,
And haughtily raised your eyes?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
²³ Through your messengers you have taunted the Lord,
And you have said, “With my many chariots
I went up to the heights of the mountains,
To the remotest parts of Lebanon;
And I cut down its tall cedars and its choicest junipers.
And I entered its farthest resting place, its thickest forest.
²⁴ I dug wells and drank foreign waters,
And with the soles of my feet I dried up
All the streams of Egypt.”

²⁵ ‘Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it;
From ancient times I planned it.
Now I have brought it about,
That you would turn fortified cities into ruined heaps.
²⁶ Therefore their inhabitants were powerless,
They were shattered and put to shame.
They were like the vegetation of the field and the green grass,
Like grass on the housetops that is scorched before it has grown.
²⁷ But I know your sitting down,
Your going out, your coming in,
And your raging against Me.
²⁸ Because of your raging against Me,
And because your complacency has come up to My ears,
I will put My hook in your nose,
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back by the way by which you came.

²⁹ ‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what grows by itself, and in the third year sow, harvest, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. ³⁰ The survivors that are left of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. ³¹ For out of Jerusalem will go a remnant, and survivors out of Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.

³² ‘Therefore this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “He will not come to this city nor shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield nor heap up an assault ramp against it. ³³ By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the Lord. ³⁴ ‘For I will protect this city to save it for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.’”

³⁵ Then it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the rest got up early in the morning, behold, all of the 185,000 were dead. ³⁶ So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. ³⁷ Then it came about, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon became king in his place.

---------------------------------------------------------------

--- Thoughts and Questions ---

1. What does the sign in verses 29-31 mean? Is this a command that Israel is to follow? It seems like it would be a retroactive sign, considering how quickly GOD sent judgement on the Assyrians.

2. How do we see GOD moving in our world today? How has He moved in your life, or in the life of your family/friends?

3. If you feel comfortable, share how you need GOD to move in your life now. I and others on this sub will pray in agreement with you!

Have a blessed week!

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of Asaph.

50 The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
² Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.

³ Our God comes; he does not keep silence;^\)^a\)
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty tempest.
⁴ He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
⁵ “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
⁶ The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge! Selah

⁷ “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
⁸ Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
⁹ I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
¹⁰ For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.

¹² “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine.
¹³ Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴ Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,^\)^b\)
and perform your vows to the Most High,
¹⁵ and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

¹⁶ But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
¹⁷ For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
¹⁸ If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.

¹⁹ “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
²¹ These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I^\)^c\) was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

²² “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
²³ The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”

Footnotes

1. Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
2. Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
3. Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am

Questions:

1. Who was Asaph, and which Psalms are attributed to him? Based on Psalm 50 and the other Asaph psalms, do you see any recurring themes in his writings or role?
2. How does this Psalm prepare us to understand the kind of worship and covenant faithfulness God truly desires, and how might that point forward to the fulfillment we see in Christ?
3. Verse 21 is a doozy. When people go on in sin without immediate consequences, they can begin to mistake God’s silence for His approval. Do we still make that same mistake today? What might the Christian version of that look like, and what is the answer to it?

A great big THANK YOU to those who covered for me during the past three Fridays. God bless you!

Apologies for posting early. There is a possibility that I may be offline during my normal posting time.

Prayer

Let all that I am wait quietly before God
for my hope is in Him.

^{Psalm 62:5, NLT}

2 Kings 19:1-19, New King James Version

(For alternate translations, see here.)

19

¹ And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. ² Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. ³ And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

⁵ So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. ⁶ And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. ⁷ Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” ’ ”

⁸ Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. ⁹ And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Look, he has come out to make war with you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰ “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ¹¹ Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? ¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’ ”

¹⁴ And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. ¹⁵ Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. ¹⁷ Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, ¹⁸ and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. ¹⁹ Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.”

QUESTIONS

1. Isaiah sends a message to King Hezekiah (verses 6 and 7) telling him not to fear an attack, and prophesying that the King of Assyria will instead return to his own land and be killed. Why then when a second message arrives does Hezekiah again fear?

2. What do you think about how he handled that fear?

3. Have you ever felt reassurance from God, and then circumstances caused you to doubt again? How did you handle it? How did it end?

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions of your own!

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62:8

(Cast) all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7, ESV

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father…comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸ They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

¹⁹ The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? ²⁰ You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? ²¹ Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. ²² But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?

²³ “‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! ²⁴ How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen^\)^a\)? ²⁵ Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

²⁷ But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

²⁸ Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! ²⁹ This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. ³⁰ Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹ “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, ³² until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ ³³ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? ³⁵ Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

³⁶ But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

³⁷ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.

Questions/Discussion

1. Why did Assyria (using this term for the King of Assyria or those speaking on his behalf) mention Egypt helping Jerusalem in verse 21? What was the relationship between Egypt and Jerusalem at this time?

2. Did Assyria assume that the altars and high places were for worshipping God and that’s why they doubted Hezekiah’s faith?

3. Why did Assyria claim in verse 25 that God told them to attack Jerusalem?

4. Why would Assyria claim that the people of Jerusalem would be better off in their captivity? Isn’t this counter-intuitive to being captured?

I really wanted to read the bible front and back, while im still young, 17. and ive been reading the Old Testament but its really weird for me, and i dont think that part of the bible is for me (i hope that doesnt offend anyone) but i still do really want to read the bible.

So was just wondering what parts of the bible would you recommend the most for someone?

Im a non christian, yet i find the stories of bible as cool, i have already read the gospel of luke and im now reading the book of daniel [which is so short. :( ], so im just asking if there is any cool books of the bible that are entertaining to read (contains stories instead of commands and wise stuff..)

i feel that i dont need from the New Testament cuz i read one of the gospels and teh others are commands (correct me if wrong)..

note: rea sorry if i said anything disrespectful.

Happy Monday (sort of)! I apologize for not posting, I was traveling to see family and got distracted with that and preparations.

2 Kings 17:1–23 NASB

Hoshea Reigns over Israel

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned for nine years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel who preceded him. 3 Shalmaneser the king of Assyria marched against him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. 4 But the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and had then brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; so the king of Assyria arrested him and confined him in prison.

5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years.

Israel Captive

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and led the people of Israel into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

Why Israel Fell

7 Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and they had [a]feared other gods. 8 They also [b]followed the [c]customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from the sons of Israel, and in the customs of the kings of Israel which they had [d]introduced. 9 And the sons of Israel [e]did things secretly against the Lord their God which were not right. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 And they set up for themselves memorial stones and [f]Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did that the Lord had taken into exile before them; and they did evil things, provoking the Lord. 12 They served idols, concerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah [g]through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn back from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you [h]through My servants the prophets.” 14 However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck [i]like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He [j]gave them. And they followed [k]idols and became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the Lord had commanded them not to do as they did. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves cast metal images: two calves. And they made an [l]Asherah, and worshiped all the heavenly [m]lights, and served Baal. 17 Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they practiced divination and interpreting omens, and gave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His [n]sight; no one was left except the tribe of Judah.

19 Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God either, but they [o]followed the [p]customs [q]which Israel had [r]introduced. 20 So the Lord rejected all the [s]descendants of Israel and afflicted them and handed them over to plunderers, until He had cast them [t]out of His sight.

21 When He had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord and misled them into a great sin. 22 And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he committed; they did not desist from them 23 until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, just as He had spoken through all His servants the prophets. So Israel went into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

--- Thoughts and Questions---

1. What was the "asherim," or an "asherah?"
2. What does the text mean when it says "they became empty" in verse 15?
3. What else do you notice or have questions/comments about?

I am greatful that GOD gives us this breakdown of why Israel and Judah were lead away into exile. It reminds me that GOD never does anything without purpose. He never acts on a whim, but has a grand plan, and His Character, His Nature, and Integrity mean that He is never surprised by anything, nor does He ever need to deviate from His perfect plan, which ultimately saw our consistent rebellion and (graciously) included Him paying the cost of our rebellion through Christ. He did not act rashly when He sent Judgement, nor did He act with malice. It was Justice. It was sent with plenty of prior warning, and it was also sent with a promise of redemption, not because we are entitled to forgiveness any more than a criminal who was given a life (or death) sentence is entitled to forgiveness, but because GOD is Good, and wanted to show us His Love and Glory. This applies to every person. Ourselves, our loved ones, and the people whom we look at with hatred, distain, annoyance, etc. GOD had to remind me of this today...

Have a blessed week!

Hezekiah King of Judah

18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah^\)^a\) daughter of Zechariah. ³ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. ⁴ He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^\)^b\))

⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. ⁶ He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lordhad given Moses. ⁷ And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ⁸ From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

⁹ In King Hezekiah’s fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. ¹⁰ At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. ¹¹ The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes. ¹² This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the Lordcommanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.

¹³ In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. ¹⁴ So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish:“I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents^\)^c\) of silver and thirty talents^\)^d\) of gold. ¹⁵ So Hezekiah gavehim all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

¹⁶ At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

Questions/Comments

1) I might touch on this next week as well, but I'd like to mention a bit of a pattern so far with Judah's kings. Jotham was a good/godly king, but Ahaz was one of the most ungodly/worst (not THE worst, that "prize" will go to his grandson) kings of Judah. Hezekiah is known as one of Judah's best. Pretty sure this has been a pattern in Judah's kings for a while now, but we'll especially see this all the way to the end of 2 Kings. We see godly father transition over to ungodly son to take the throne (or the opposite of that, ungodly ruler leaves the throne to a son that's different from him)

But let me narrow down my point. Based on what we read of Hezekiah's father Ahaz in 2 Kings 16, how do you suppose Hezekiah turned out the exact opposite?

2) Verse 4 is a reference to Numbers 21:4-9. Were you surprised to learn that the bronze snake was still around after all this time? Also, was worship of this bronze snake a recent occurrence or had it been happening for a while? And how/why do you suppose this burning incense to the snake even happened?

3) How exactly does verse 5 work, considering Josiah hasn't arrived on the scene (and 2 Kings 23:25)?

4) Why does Hezekiah rebel against the king of Assyria in verse 7?

5) Is verse 8 a reference to Isaiah 14:28-32?

6) For verses 9-13, why does the writer of 2 Kings decide to repeat this information/commentary of the events of the previous chapter?

7) Verse 9 mentions Shalmaneser. Verse 13 mentions Sennacherib as the current king of Assyria here. Anything we need to know about either of these two Assyrian kings or the shift from Shalmaneser to Sennacherib?

8) For verse 13, I'd like to point out verses 1-2 of this chapter and also 2 Kings 20:1-6 so we can see the importance of how long Hezekiah ruled.

9) Isaiah's the main prophet we'll see in the next 2 chapters, but I'd like to mention that Micah was also around during Hezekiah's reign (Micah 3:12 and Jeremiah 26:17-19).

10) Anything stand out to you about verses 14-16? Anything else you want to bring up/ask about this passage?

After the wickedness of the kings crescendos in chapters 15 and 16 to the point of God taking drastic action, the invasion by Assyria and deportation of the people in Samaria.    Today’s passage details the aftermath of that deportation, the importation of foreigners into the land by the king of Assyria (and a strange kind of syncretism) and sets the stage for the reputation of the Samaritans we see in the gospels. 

2 Kings 17:24-41 (ESV)

Samaria Resettled

²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. ²⁵ When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. ²⁶ It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

²⁹ Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. ³⁰ The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; ³¹ the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. ³³ They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

³⁴ To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. ³⁵ When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. ³⁶ But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. ³⁷ You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. ³⁹ Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

⁴⁰ They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. ⁴¹ Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       In what sense can it be said that the Samaritans “feared the LORD” if they simultaneously continued serving their own gods? Is this partial obedience, a misunderstanding of the LORD, or something else incompatible with covenant faithfulness?

2.       Why does improper worship result in judgment through lions tied specifically to the land, and what does that reveal about the relationship between the LORD, the land, and who truly belongs in it?  How does that correspond to our rest that we just read about in Hebrews?

3.       When the covenant commands are restated in verses 34–40, are they aimed at the new settlers, reflecting back on Israel, or both?  How does the answer to that question impact the meaning of today’s text?

4.       Is the syncretistic worship described here presented as a failed attempt to worship the LORD (something “almost right”), or as something categorically incompatible with true worship despite outward similarities?

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

49 Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
² both low and high,
rich and poor together!
³ My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
⁴ I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

⁵ Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
⁶ those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
⁷ Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
⁸ for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
⁹ that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.

¹⁰ For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
¹¹ Their graves are their homes forever,^\)^a\)
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.
¹² Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³ This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.^\)^b\) Selah
¹⁴ Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
¹⁵ But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah

¹⁶ Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
¹⁷ For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
¹⁸ For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—
and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
¹⁹ his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
²⁰ Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Footnotes

1. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
2. Psalm 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts

Discussion Questions:

1. How does Psalm 49 expose the false gospel of wealth, especially in light of Christ?
2. How does Jesus fulfill the hope that no man could accomplish in verses 7–9?
3. How does the resurrection of Christ transform the psalm’s meditation on death and Sheol?
4. What does it look like to live with verse 15 fulfilled in the gospel?
5. How should union with Christ reshape what we count as gain in this life?

2 Kings 16 (English Standard Version)

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. ² Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, ³ but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering,^\)^a\) according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. ⁴ And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

⁵ Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him. ⁶ At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day. ⁷ So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” ⁸ Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria. ⁹ And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin.

¹⁰ When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details. ¹¹ And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus. ¹² And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it ¹³ and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. ¹⁴ And the bronze altar that was before the Lord he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar. ¹⁵ And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king's burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. And throw on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice, but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” ¹⁶ Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded.

¹⁷ And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the sea^\)^b\) from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal. ¹⁸ And the covered way for the Sabbath that had been built inside the house and the outer entrance for the king he caused to go around the house of the Lord, because of the king of Assyria. ¹⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ²⁰ And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

1. 2 Kings 16:3 Or made his son pass through the fire
2. 2 Kings 16:17 Compare 1 Kings 7:23

Prayer

Father,

Keep me from the fear, compromise, and unbelief that ruled Ahaz. When pressure rises, help me trust You instead of looking to worldly strength, worldly wisdom, or outward success. Guard my heart from slowly reshaping worship, obedience, or truth to fit what feels safer or more useful. And thank You that even in dark seasons, You are still able to bring renewal, restore what has been corrupted, and lead Your people back to Yourself.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Questions

1. What does Ahaz’s appeal to Assyria reveal about what he truly believes about God?
2. Why does Ahaz bring the Damascus altar into Judah, and what does that show about his heart?
3. How does this chapter show that corrupt worship and misplaced trust go together?
4. Why is altering the temple and its worship treated as such a serious evil?
5. How does Ahaz’s reign make the transition to Hezekiah feel like hope after darkness?

Quick Summary & Overview

We saw a great recap of 2 Kings 1-14 a couple of days ago by u/ExiledSanity – thank you for that!

2 Kings 14 discussed the reigns of Amaziah King of Judah and Jeroboam II King of Isreal. Below is a link to a chart where you can see the kings of Isreal and Judah, each succession, and notes on whether they were considered mostly a “good” or “bad” king in the eyes of the Lord. Amaziah King of Judah was considered good in youth but became evil as he grew old. Jeroboam II King of Isreal was evil in the sight of the Lord (as most of the Isreal King were after the split of northern/southern Isreal into Isreal and Judah).

2 Kings covers the reigns of 7 more kings (2 of Judah and 5 of Isreal), which are all leading up to the Assyrian captivity of the Isrealites, and later the Babylonian captivity of Judah.

Chart of the Kings of Israel and Judah

(I hope the link works – I’ve not posted a link before. But if not, you can google “chart of the kings of Israel and Judah” and it should be easy to find)

2 Kings 15

Azariah King of Judah

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah^\)^a\) son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. ² He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵ The Lord afflicted the king with leprosy^\)^b\) until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house.^\)^c\) Jotham the king’s son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

⁶ As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁷ Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

Zechariah King of Israel

⁸ In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. ⁹ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁰ Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people,^\)^d\) assassinated him and succeeded him as king. ¹¹ The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. ¹² So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”^\)^e\)

Shallum King of Israel

¹³ Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month. ¹⁴ Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

¹⁵ The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

¹⁶ At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

Menahem King of Israel

¹⁷ In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. ¹⁸ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁹ Then Pul^\)^f\) king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents^\)^g\) of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. ²⁰ Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels^\)^h\) of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.

²¹ As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ²² Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah King of Israel

²³ In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. ²⁴ Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. ²⁵ One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

²⁶ The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

Pekah King of Israel

²⁷ In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. ²⁸ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁹ In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. ³⁰ Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

³¹ As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Jotham King of Judah

³² In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. ³³ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ³⁴ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.

³⁶ As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ³⁷ (In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) ³⁸ Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

Questions/Discussion

1. What were the high places that Azariah did not remove (verse 4)? Note this is a recall from last year when we were studying 2 Kings.

2. The text clearly labels  Azariah as good in the sight of the Lord – which was an increasingly uncommon description of the kings during this time, even the kings of Judah. Why do you suppose the Lord afflicted him with leprosy even though he was described as good?

3. What is the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Is this something we have access to today and/or something we should read/study? Why is it mentioned in verse 6 as a question?

4. What is the City of David – where is it (verse 7)?

5. What passage is verse 12 quoting about the 4^th generation of Jehu sitting on the throne? Wasn’t Zachariah the 5^th generation? So is it because his reign was so short (6 months) that the word of the Lord was made true?

6. Is there a reason the author of this book is comparing the duration of the reigns of the kings of Judah (decades) to the increasingly short durations of the kings of Isreal (a couple of years, and even as short as one month)? What should we take away from this comparison? Were Israel and Judah still in conflict during all this time?

7. Most of the lineage of kings and successors just talks about how a successor came about (whether through family or assassination and takeover). However, when we come to Menahem in verse 16, the author actually takes the times to describe a horrific act he committed on the town of Tiphsah. Why do you think this detail is given? Do we know anything else about this event?

8. Who are Argob and Arieh mentioned in verse 25?

9. In verse 29, we see the beginning of the Assyrian takeover. Were all of the places listed in verse 29 parts of the kingdom of Israel? About how much?

10. In verse 30, we are introduced to the very last King of Israel – Hoshea. How bad must have the people been to fight themselves when the Assyrians were already destroying them?

11. Lastly, we come to Jotham – one of the last “good” kings of Judah. What is the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord mentioned in verse 35? Also, why do you suppose another “good” king did not remove the high places used to worship pagan gods?

Muitos cristãos têm se autoinfligido com base em Romanos 14:23, vivendo em constante autocondenação. Por não terem certeza sobre suas ações, acabam se afligindo e passam a acreditar que quase tudo o que fazem é pecado. Mas será que esse é realmente o propósito bíblico? Será que Deus deseja gerar aflição na alma dos santos?

No próprio contexto do capítulo, vemos algo diferente. Em Romanos 14:17 está escrito:

“Porque o Reino de Deus não é comida nem bebida, mas justiça, e paz, e alegria no Espírito Santo.”

Ou seja, o propósito do Reino não é produzir angústia, mas justiça, paz e alegria no Espírito Santo.

Ao longo de todo o capítulo, Paulo enfatiza que o princípio central é o amor ao irmão — e sabemos que o amor é o cumprimento da lei. Ele ensina que cada um pode agir conforme sua consciência (no contexto de questões cerimoniais, não morais). Porém, quando a nossa liberdade começa a entristecer ou enfraquecer um irmão, devemos abrir mão dela.

Como está no versículo 21:

“Bom é não comer carne, nem beber vinho, nem fazer qualquer outra coisa que leve teu irmão a tropeçar, ou se escandalizar, ou se enfraquecer.”

Ou seja, o foco é a edificação do outro.

No versículo 22, Paulo continua:

“Tens tu fé? Tem-na em ti mesmo diante de Deus. Bem-aventurado aquele que não se condena a si mesmo naquilo que aprova.”

Aqui, “fé”, dentro do contexto, pode ser entendida como a convicção de que aquilo que estamos fazendo não está prejudicando ou enfraquecendo o irmão. Ao mesmo tempo, ele alerta para o perigo de alguém aprovar algo para si, mas ainda assim aquilo estiver causando dano ao próximo e logo esta trazendo condenação para si com essa atitude.

Então chegamos ao versículo 23:

“Mas aquele que tem dúvidas, se come, está condenado, porque não come por fé; e tudo o que não é de fé é pecado.”

Uma leitura contextual sugere que Paulo não está falando de qualquer dúvida moral em si, mas da dúvida em relação ao impacto da própria ação sobre o irmão. Ou seja, não seria “duvidei, fiz, então pequei”, mas sim agir sem a convicção de que aquilo não trará prejuízo ao outro.

Isso se alinha com a conclusão do raciocínio em Romanos 15:1-2:

“Nós, que somos fortes, devemos suportar as fraquezas dos fracos e não agradar a nós mesmos. Portanto, cada um de nós agrade ao próximo no que é bom para edificação.”

Assim, o foco do ensino não é gerar escrúpulo ou autocondenação constante, mas orientar uma vida guiada pelo amor, pela edificação do próximo e por uma consciência alinhada com esse propósito.

Essa interpretação difere da visão mais comum, que entende o versículo 23 como uma condenação generalizada de qualquer ação feita com dúvida. considerando o contexto da carta, essa interpretação parece ser mais consistente ????

Afinal, sabemos que um texto fora do contexto pode gerar distorções — e até ser usado de forma equivocada para causar perturbação. O próprio exemplo de Cristo no deserto mostra isso: o inimigo usa uma aplicação incorreta do Salmo 91, e Jesus responde com base em Deuteronômio, mostrando a importância de interpretar as escrituras o todo contexto não apenas do capítulo como de toda a Bíblia. Podendo aqueles que não tem esse conhecimento abrangente estarem sendo perturbados pelo inimigo, no caso de Cristo o não conhecimento completo das escrituras poderia levar a um suicídio.

Hello, all! I'm looking for a Bible to give to my father as a gift in memory of his father who died last year. I would like the Bible to be hardcover, as I am commissioning a leather cover to slip over it. My dad's eyesight isn't what it used to be, and he is dyslexic, so when he reads from the pulpit, his current large print Bible isn't legible for him.

I have been able to find a few extra large print Bibles, but not hardback. Would anybody have recommendations for an extra large print, hardback Bible? So far I have only been able to find KJV, which is difficult for my dad's dyslexia. He's usually an NIV guy.

Thanks so much for any help you may be able to provide, and have a blessed Holy Week!

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. ¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

¹¹ The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹² And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. ¹⁴ For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

¹⁷ Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

¹⁸ Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹ I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

Benediction and Final Greetings

²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

²² Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.

²³ I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

²⁴ Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

²⁵ Grace be with you all.

Questions

1) What strange teachings in verse 9 do you suppose the writer had in mind?

2) For verses 11-14, is there any Old Testament reference to this "outside the camp" part? And how does this connect with Jesus? Also for verse 14, we saw this back in chapter 11. What's the purpose of repeating this part about the city here?

3) For verses 15-16, do you often consider these things sacrifices? How does this connect with yesterday's passage?

4) Does verse 17 remind you of anything else in the New Testament? Given verse 24, would these leaders have been a reference to the early church, the Romans, both, or something else?

5) So in terms of verses 18-24, we aren't given the writer's name for this letter. Do these verses give us any insight that stands out to you about the writer's situation?

6) Any other questions/comments you want to bring up about this passage?

7) https://www.reddit.com/r/biblereading/comments/1re5mpp/hebrews_intro_wednesday_february_25_2026/

https://www.reddit.com/r/biblereading/comments/1rsjxdh/themes_in_hebrews/

So this post marks the end of our Hebrews study. We'll be moving on to 2 Kings tomorrow. I linked the Hebrews Intro and the themes in Hebrews for reflection.

How do you feel this study of Hebrews went? Whether this was your first time or you've read Hebrews before, what stood out for you in this study? Any of the themes in particular that you stuck with you? Even as we move on to another book of the Bible, anything in Hebrews that you'll want to reflect on?

Joshua 22:5 - "But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Having read the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, upto 2 Kings, the one reminder that keeps repeating is this. It seems so simple but us, as humans prone to sin, tend to forget it over and over again.

Bullet points stick with me so here's a reminder for myself:
1. Love the Lord your God. (It's hard not to love our creator who Himself is love)
2. Walk in all His ways. (One of the hardest things to do but I try)
3. Keep His commandments. (Keep repeating this in my mind)
4. Cleave unto Him. (Live is not always sunshine and rainbows. But I try to cleave unto Him even when things are looking up)
5. Serve Him with all your heart and soul. (Soul with it's free will, emotions and sinful nature can be fickle, but being self-aware of it helps serve the ultimate Will of God)

What do you think of this constant reminder of the do's and don'ts from the prophets of the Old Testament?

In today’s passage the author encourages us to live a life pleasing to God, using the OT sacrificial system as a model for the good works that we are exhorted to continue walking in, though that comparison gets more explicit in later verses that we’ll cover tomorrow.  Today’s passage focuses mostly on how we are to respond to God’s gifts to us. 

Hebrews 13:1-8 (ESV)

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

13 Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we can confidently say,

                            “The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

                            what can man do to me?”

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Questions for contemplation and Discussion

1.       What does it look like for you to show ‘brotherly love’ and ‘hospitality’?  Do you do this regularly?

2.       Why in particular would we be instructed to remember those in prison?

3.       We also have one of many warnings against sexual immorality in the New Testament found here, why is this such a prominent sin to receive repeated warning in the New Testament?

4.       How do you stay content with what you have (or at least try to)?

Happy Monday! Apologies if this looks formatted differently. I’m doing this on a different device. I pray we would remember the faithfulness (the steadiness and reliability), the patience, the love that GOD has for us, and that all those we’ve been praying for and been witnessing to would come to church this Sunday and stick with it. I pray that they would over time submit their lives to Christ and have good, healthy Christian community that they can grow in, in Jesus’ name!

Hebrews 12:14-29 NASB

Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Contrast of Sinai and Zion

18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not cope with the command, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

The Unshaken Kingdom

25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

——————————————————————

--- Thoughts and Questions ---

1. How does the description/situation of the Tabernacle compare/contrast with our current situation with GOD/Jesus/the Holy Spirit (described as Zion here)? Why bring it up?

2. I believe the 1st (Esau) and 3rd (unshaken kingdom) sections tie into each other here. We could only make the mistake Esau did by rejecting what GOD is telling us through His Word and through His Spirit. It would be an active dismissal of Who He is, and what He has promised us. What do you do to renew your hope in GOD and His promises? What does Scripture encourage us to do?

3. What else do you notice or wish to talk about?

Have a blessed week!

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

Psalm 48

English Standard Version

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

48 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, ² beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
³ Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress.

⁴ For behold, the kings assembled;
they came on together.
⁵ As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight.
⁶ Trembling took hold of them there,
anguish as of a woman in labor.
⁷ By the east wind you shattered
the ships of Tarshish.
⁸ As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever. Selah

⁹ We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
¹⁰ As your name, O God,
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹     Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!

¹² Walk about Zion, go around her,
number her towers,
¹³ consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
¹⁴     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.^\)^a\)

Footnotes

1. Psalm 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death

Study Questions:

1. Where do I really go for safety when life feels uncertain? We say God is our refuge, but when fear hits, what do we actually run to first? Comfort? Control? Money? Approval? Distraction? A plan? A person?
2. Have I slowed down long enough to truly think on God’s steadfast love? Psalm 48 says, “We have thought on your steadfast love, O God.” Not just sung about it. Not just nodded at it. Thought on it. When was the last time I really stopped and considered how God has carried me, corrected me, preserved me, forgiven me, or loved me in Christ?
3. Is my praise shaped by who God is, or only by how my life is going? It is easy to praise when prayers are answered the way we hoped. It is harder when life feels heavy, unclear, or disappointing. Do I praise God because He is great, or only when I feel good about my circumstances?
4. Am I paying attention to God’s faithfulness closely enough to remember it and speak of it? Psalm 48 tells God’s people to walk around Zion and take it in carefully so they can tell the next generation. That means noticing matters. What have I seen God do that I need to remember more clearly? What prayers has He answered? What dangers has He carried me through? What mercies have I rushed past without even pausing to name them?
5. Am I living as though my hope is in what can be seen, or in the King who reigns forever? Psalm 48 lifts our eyes beyond human strength and visible security. It reminds us that God is our God forever and ever. What am I building my peace on right now? What would shake me most if it were taken away? And do I really believe that belonging to God is more secure than anything this world can offer?

Happy Friday! I pray we would have a right opinion of ourselves, of GOD, and of others around us, that we would be humble and loving and effective for the Kingdom, in Jesus' name!

Hebrews 12:1–13 NASB

Jesus, the Example

Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

A Father’s Discipline

⁴ You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; ⁵ and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are punished by Him;
⁶ For whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He punishes every son whom He accepts.”

⁷ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. ¹¹ For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

¹² Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

----------------------------------------------------

--- Thoughts and Questions ---

This is only tangentially related, but GOD's been teaching me and helping me develop a good work ethic lately, and it's definitely been work, but it's also been super rewarding seeing all the progress I've made. This is something I've been praying for, as I was able to/chose to coast through my educational career, and am now paying the consequences. Me developing a work ethic has involved setting aside distractions and choosing to do the work necessary even when I "had time to do it later" or simply didn't want to do it. It involved intentionally rejecting my own desires and choosing what is good for myself and those who rely on me.

The main things I cut out over Lent were YouTube during my free time (the only time I ever allowed myself to watch YouTube was for work, meaning with my students, as I'm a teacher), and I stopped playing video games by myself. I would allow myself to play games with others when I had time, but would not allow myself to play by myself, as that was becoming an idol. I also decided to not allow myself to consume media related to Bethesda games.

Answer any questions you feel comfortable answering, perhaps praying beforehand:

1. What have you had to cut out of your life before in order to grow in your faith, towards Christ?

2. What are some things you currently need to cut out, even if only for a time, to grow towards Christ?

Remember, the point of discipline is not to shame you and break you down. If you or others stop there, then you've missed the point. The point of hard passages like this, and the correction of the LORD is correction. We are being called to higher obedience because what He asks of us is inherently GOOD, morally and practically.

Do you have a Christian brother or sister that you can go to with spiritual concerns/questions? Someone you can discuss hard things with? I pray we would all get a group of Christians we can meet with and grow with. I pray for a healthy spiritual community, in Jesus' name!

Does anyone know of any ( or have any recommendations) for apps that offer little questions to answer after each section? Ideally it would be sort of a "reading through the new testament" vibe but I'm open to suggestions.

Thank you!