Reading for February 7th

 Read John 3.16-21. In 3.16-21: First summary of the Gospel.. In verses 16-18: God's love is revealed in the giving of his unique son. Compare the use of sent in 5.36; 6.29, 57; 17.1, 8, 18, 21, 23, 25; 20.21; 1 Jn 4.10). The coming of the Son gives life; rejecting him brings death and condemnation see  12.47-48). "Believing" a key term is used 98 times. In verses 19-21: The coming of Jesus as the light of the word (see 1.4-5, 9-13; 8.12; 9.5) creates a situation of a judgment because people cannot avoid the choice of light or darkness. The point emphasizes the inevitability of choice, in which the person is revealed (compare 16.8) as born of God or as a child of darkness (the devil, see 8.43-47). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 6th

 Read John 2.23-3.15. In 2.23-3.15: Jesus and Nicodemus. In verses 23-25: A summary refers to signs and resulting popular belief in his name, which Jesus did not trust. This introduces Nicodemus, a man impressed by signs (3.2). In 3.1: Nicodemus, mentioned here and in 7.45-52; 19.38-42, represents inadequate faith based on signs ( 2.23) and leaders who believe but fear to acknowledge Jesus openly (12.42-43). In verse 2: He comes out of the darkness (3.19-21; 11.10; 13.30) and into the light. His confession, like that of Nathanael (see 1.49), is  introduced by rabbi, indicating minimal understanding. because the story of Nicodemus appears in installments, there is room for development. In verses 3-8: Jesus' response presumes that a question underlies the visit. Jesus makes three solemn pronouncements introduced very truly (vv. 3, 5, 7). Only here in John (vv. 3, 5) does Jesus speak of the Kingdom of God. One can only enter by being born from above or anew. The Greek word for spirit ("pneuma") is also ambiguous. This is clarified in 5-8 (compare 1.12-13). The second "you" in v. 7 is plural, indicating it applies generally, not just to Nicodemus. In verses 11-15: The second "you" in v. 11 and all four occurrences in v. 12, are plural, perhaps suggesting words spoken to the reader by the narrator. In verses 13-15: The emphasis is on ascent: The Son of Man must be lifted up (see 1.51; 8.28; 12.32-34; compare Num 21.9; Isa 52.13), exalted to heaven by way of the cross. Jesus begins by speaking of the kingdom of God and concludes by speaking of eternal life (see also 4.14, 36; 5.24, 39; 6.27, 47, 54, 58; 17.2-3). The subject has not changed, but the language has moved from that of the common Jesus tradition to characteristic Johannine language. Nicodemus his disappeared; these words are addressed to the reader. Comments or Questions...

Reading for February 5th

 Read John 2.13-22. In 3.13-22: Cleansing the Temple. Compare Mt. 21.12-17; Mk 11.15-19; Lk 19.45-48, where this story is placed during the last week of Jesus' life. In verse 13: Passover of the Jews. As many as 100,00 pilgrims went up to Jerusalem (in the hills of Judea) for this festival. In verse 14: Animals were sold for sacrifice, and money changers converted foreign coins to Temple currency for this purpose. In verse 16: See Zech 14.21. Marketplace, "house of trade," that is business. In verse 17: Ps 69.69. In verse 18: Compare 6.30 with this demand for a sign. In verses 19-20: Remodeling of the second Temple was begun by Herod the Great in 20 BCE and was not completed until the early 60's CE. In verse 21: Jesus death and resurrection is the sign (vv.18-19). In verse 22: Only when the disciples remembered from the vantage point of the resurrection did they understand and believe. See 12.16; 14.25-26. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 4th

 Read John 2.1-12. In 2.1-12: The wedding in Cana. This story is found only in John. It is the first of two Cana signs (see 4.46-54), both of which are initiated by requests to Jesus. In verse 1: The third day links this incident to the four days of ch 1. The miracle maybe the first example of the "greater things" (1.50) which culminated in the exaltation of the Son of Man. Cana is a small town northwest of Nazareth. In  verse 4: Woman, an abrupt address, is the only way Jesus greets his mother (compare 19.26). She is not named in the Gospel. Hour, elsewhere the time of Jesus' glorification, refers to Jesus' chosen time to act. In verses 6-8: Rites of purification, included ritual cleansing of hands at meals. the quantity and size of the stone jars is unusual and emphasizes the extravagance of the sign. In verse 11: The first; See 4.54. Other signs are mentioned (2.23); they are important enough to be in the summary conclusion (20.30-31). Signs point to the presence of God, acting in Jesus. In verse 12: Capernaum is on the northern shore of the sea of Galilee (see 6.17, 24, 59). Brother; See also 7.3-9. From this point Jesus travels with his disciples (see 3.22). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 3rd

 Read John 1.35-51. In verses 35-42: Two disciples. In verse 35: Two of John's disciples are the new audience. In verses 37-38: In contrast to the other gospels (see Mk 1.16-20), the disciples of John took the initiative, seeking Jesus, not being called by him. In verses 40-42: Andrew, Simon Peter's brother: The less well-known brother appears first. John commonly uses the double name, Simon Peter, in Greek form though both go back to Semitic originals (Symeon and Kephas, see v. 42 and Gal 2.9. 11). The explanation of Simon's naming takes place after he is introduced. In verses 43-51: John has disappeared, but the two disciples (Jesus and Peter) connect the preceding scene with this. In verses 43-44: Philip appears in 6.5; 12.21-22; 14.8. Like Andrew and Peter he is from Bethsaida (contrast Mk 1.21,29). In verse 45: Andrew had found Simon; Philip now finds Nathanael (who only appears here and  in 21.2). Him about whom Moses (see Deut 18.15, 18) ... and ... the prophets wrote: the messiah. The initiative of the disciples is asserted. son of Joseph: Jesus was a common name. In verse 47: Israel (Jacob, Gen 32.28) was deceitful (Gen 27.34-36). In verse 49: Nathanael's confession, introduced by Rabbi, is minimal, acknowledging Jesus as the Davidic messiah (2 Sam 7.14; Ps 2.7; 89.26; compare in Jn 12.13). The Gospel seeks to expand that vision. In Verse 50: Greater things: See 5.20; 14.12. In verse 51: You is plural. Angels ... ascending and descending might allude to Jacob's dream (Gen 28 .12) or to the vision of the Son of Man (see 3.13), the heavenly king upon whom the angels converge (Dan 7.13-14). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for February 2nd

 THE WAY OF THE INCARNATE WORD IN THE WORLD

In 1.19-12.50: The public ministry of Jesus was divided into two parts: the search for the incarnate Word (1.19-4.54); and the rejection of the incarnate Word (5.1-12.50). 

Read John 1.19-34. In 1.19-4.54: The search for the Incarnate Word (messiah) is portrayed by a sequence of scenes. In 1.19-28: John's witness to the Jews. In response to the priests and Levites (1.19, 24) John reveals his role and that of the messiah. The Jerusalem leadership will come to oppose Jesus; here they are faithful Jews awaiting the messiah. In verse 20: John answers the question, "Are you the Christ?" (1.41). In verse 21: First century messianic expectations were complex (compare Mark 6.14-16; 8.27-30). In verse 21-23: Isa 40.3 ( see Mk 1.3). John is the witness to the coming one (see 1.7). In verses 26-27: Water baptism contrasts with baptism of the Spirit (see Mk 1.8) explained in the next scene (1.33), but this does not answer the question. The coming one is among them but remains unknown; the hiddenness of the messiah accords with Jewish teaching. In verse 28:The location of this Bethany is unknown; contrast the Bethany of 11.1; 12.1. In verses 29-34: John's witness to Jesus. The Jews from Jerusalem are no longer present. The audience for John's words is the reader. In verse 29: John does not baptize Jesus or speak to him. Lamb of God: Lambs were not used as sin offering, but the Gospel associates Jesus with the Passover lamb (19.14, 36). Also see Isa 53.7. In verse 30: See 1.15, 27. In verse 33: His water baptism is the sign that would reveal the coming one to Israel. Spirit descend: The other Gospels (see Mk 1.10) describe this as part of Jesus' baptism; here it is the sign that makes him known. In verse 34: Son of God, a Johannine phrase, replaces Lamb of God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 1st

 PROLOGUE

In 1.1-18: This second is distinct in style and content: The Word is the subject of the prologue; Jesus is the subject of the rest of the Gospel. references to John the Baptist(vv. 6-8, 15) connect the prologue to the beginning of the story (1.19-36; see esp. 1.30).  John's witness and contrast of Jesus with Moses identify the incarnate Word with Jesus Christ (v. 17). Themes introduced in the prologue (light and darkness, witness, knowing, believing, truth, glory born of the Spirit, the Father-Son relationship) are central to the Gospel. The prologue provides the reader with the theological perspective from which to read the story that follows. Most of the prologue is hymnic, marked by a poetic pattern in which a keyword at the end of one line is repeated at the beginning of the next. 

Read John 1.1-18. In 1.1-5: The relation of the Word to God and to creation. In verses 1-2: Echoes Gen 1.1 and positions the story of Jesus as rereading of the creation story. The Gospel speaks of God by telling the story of Jesus. Word: the active and revealing Word of God (Gen 1.1; Ps 33.6; Prov 8.22). In Judaism Word is paradox was identified with Torah. The God-Word relationship is paradoxical: distinction (with God) and identity (was God). In verses 6-8: John is a witness to Jesus; his work is the same as the purpose of the Gospel (30.31). His witness is given in some detail (1.15, 19-23, 26-27, 29-34, 36; 3.27-30, 31-36). In verses 9-11: The world (used 78 times in the Gospel) is the stage for the appearance of the Word and the manifestation of the light. It is both "all things" created by the Word (1.3) and the place where the darkness occurs, part of the paradox that the world, which was created by the Word, rejects the Word. In verses 12-13: The name of God (the father) is made known in the Word made flesh (the Son); compare 5.43; 10.25; 12.13, 28; 17.6, 11, 12, 26. Those who believe are born of God (see 3.3, 5). In verses 14-18: The Word enters history. In verse 14: In the NT only the Johannine writings speak of the incarnation (see also 1 Jn 4.2; 2 Jn 7; compare Gal 4.4). The Word "tabernacles" in the flesh and reveals God's glory (compare2.21-22 and see Ex 25.8; Ez 37.2; Zech 2.10-11; Sir 24.8 for the dwelling of God and his glory with his people). Only son: the Word's unique relationship to the father (monogenes, see 1.14, 18; 3.16, 18). The glory recalls the revelation to Moses at the giving of the law (Ex 33.18-34.8). In verse 17: Only here and in 17.3 is the double name "Jesus Christ" used. Elsewhere "Christ" is used in its meaning as "messiah" (1.20, 25, 41; 4.25 and else where). In verse18; God is hidden but known through the Son. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for January 31st

 Read 2 Kings 215.27-30. In 25.27-30: The elevation of Jehoiachin. The rear is around 562, so that there is a gap of about 25 years between the events described in these verses and those immediately preceding. This may indicate that these verses are a later addition. Their purpose is not clear, but some have suggested that they subtly express the possibility that God may again restore the Davidic monarchy. In verses 27-28: Evil-merodach was Awil-Maeduk. His reason for releasing Jehoiachin from prison is not made clear. Inverses 29-30: Even though he remained captive, probably until he died, Jehoiachin's status was enhanced and his life made more comfortable. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 30th

 Read 2 Kings 25.22-26. In 25.22-26: The rule and assassination of Gedaliah. In verse 22: The word governor does not actually appear in the Hebrew text. Gedaliah is not given any title. In verse 23: The administrative capital was moved from Jerusalem to Mizpah. In verse 25: Perhaps because he was not a descendant of David, Gedaliah was regarded as an illegitimate ruler and was assassinated by members of the royal family. Comments or Questions.

Reading for January 29th

 Read 2 Kings 24.18-25.21. In 24.18-25.21: The reign of Zedekiah and the  fall of Jerusalem. This section is very similar to Jer 52, and the first part of it to Jer 39.1-10.  In 24.20: Here the Exile is blamed mostly on Zedekiah and his generation. 25.2-3: The city of Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 587 or 586 BCE. In verse 4: The Arabah means the Jordan valley north of the Dead Sea. In verse 11: Jeremiah 52.29 gives the number of captives from this deportation as 832. In verses 13-17: On the items taken from the temple, see 1 Kings 7.15-20; Jer 52.17-23. In verses 18-21: The other leaders of the city who were considered responsible for fostering the rebellion were executed. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 28th

 Read 2 Kings 24.8-17. In 24.8-17: Jehoiachin and the Babylonian incursion. In verses 8-9: Again, since Jehoiachin reigned only three months, the judgment that he did evil in the sight of the Lord is a stereotypical formula. In verses 10-12: Jehoiakim died after his rebellion, but before the Babylonians reached Jerusalem. That, plus the fact that Jehoiachin surrendered himself, maybe the reason the Babylonians did not destroy the city in the invasion of 597. Jehoiachin, also called Jeconiah (1 Chr 3.16) and Coniah (Jer 22.24) was the son of Jehoiakim. In verse 14: The statement that all Jerusalem was taken captive is an obvious exaggeration. Evidently, the upper class was exiled. In verse 15: This wave of captives included King Jehoiachin. The prophet Ezekiel was also among them (Ezek 1.1). In verse 17: Mattaniah means "gift of Yahweh." Nebuchadnezzar changed it to Zedekiah, "the judgment of Yahweh," perhaps a reminder that the Lord would bring judgment upon him if he broke his oath of loyalty, sworn by the Lord, to Babylon. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 27th

 Read 2 Kings 23.36-24.7. In 23.26-24.7: The reign of Jehoiakim. In 24.1: The new power at the end of the seventh century BCE was Babylon (see v. 7). Judah came under Babylonian control around 605 BCE and rebelled three years later. In verse 2: Chaldeans is another name for Babylonians. In verses 3-4: As in 23.26, the Exile is blamed on Manasseh. In verse 7: Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had defeated Egyptians in the battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE, so Egypt no longer controlled Judah. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 26th

Read 2 Kings  23.31-35. In 23.31-35: The reign of Jehoahaz. In verse 32: The judgment that Jehoahaz did what was evil in the sight of the Lord is clearly formulaic, since Jehoahaz reigned only three months. In verse 33: Pharaoh Neco apparently deposed Jehoahaz on the way back to Egypt. Jehoahaz, also known as Shallum (Jer 22.11), had evidently been chosen by the people, but Neco did not believe he would be favorable to Egypt and so replaced him. A talent varied in weight from 45 to 130 pounds. In verse 34: Eliakim was Jehoahaz's older brother. Neco found more suitable. His name, Jehoiakim, means "Yahweh establishes" and may have been intended by Neco to remind Jehoiakim that he had sworn an oath of loyalty to Egypt by the Lord (Yahweh). Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 25th

 Read 2 Kings 23.15-30. In verses 15: On Jeroboam's altar at Bethel, see 1 Kings 12.25-33. In verses 16-18: The story of the man of God from Bethel is found in 1 Kings 13. In verses 19-20: According to these verses, Josiah's reforms reached as far as Samaria. He may have annexed at least part of the territory of the former northern kingdom as his own. In verses 21-23: On the Passover see Ex 12.1-32 and Deut 16.1-8. In verse 24: On mediums and wizards, see 21.6. Teraphim or "household idols" play a role in stories in Gen 31.33-35 and 1 Samuel 19.11-16. In verse 25: Josiah was incomparably obedient (22.1; Deut 6.5) as Moses was incomparable prophet (Duet 34.10), Solomon incomparably wise (1 Kings 3.12) and Hezekiah incomparably faithful (2 Kings 18.5). In verse 26: This statement is curious because 23.4-14 makes it clear that Josiah corrected Manasseh's apostasies. The writer is apparently struggling to find a theological reason for the Exile and ends up blaming it on Manasseh. In verse 27: This verse is a reversal of the doctrine in Deuteronomy of a chosen place. In verse 29: King Josiah's sudden death came as a shock to those who had placed trust in his reforms. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 24th

 Read 2 Kings 23.1-14. In verses 1-3: Huldah's original oracle may not have been so bleak or at least it may have been conditional, since it motivated Josiah to try to carry out reforms so as to avoid disaster. On the the language of v. 3, compare 23.25 and Deut 6.5. In verses 4-5: Josiah's reform included purging the Temple of the trappings of the worship of other gods. The Kidron was the valley between the city of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. In verse 6: Throwing the dust from the image of Asherah upon the graves would defile the image all the more. In verse 7: The word translated male temple prostitutes may actually include both male and female prostitutes who served in the fertility rituals of the worship of Baal and Asherah. In verse 8: In bringing the priests out of the towns of Judah and destroying the high places Josiah was executing the deuteronomic ideal of centralization, according to which the Temple in Jerusalem was the only legitimate place to worship the Lord. From Geba to Beer-sheba was the extent of the kingdom of Judah. In verse 9: The priests of the high places, however, refuse to go to Jerusalem. Eating unleavened bread accompanied sacrifices (Lev 6.14-18), which apparently continued outside of Jerusalem despite Josiah's efforts. In verse 10: Topheth was a valley that marked Jerusalem's western border. Also known as the valley of (the son of) Hinnon (Heb., "ge'hinnom"), it became Jerusalem's trash dump and was used by Jesus as the image for hell (Gehenna, see Mt 10.28). It was despised because it had served as a place of child sacrifice to the Ammonite god Molech (a distortion of the name Milcom made by borrowing the vowels from the word "bosheth," meaning "abomination"). In verse 11: This verse suggests that horses were an important part of worship of the sun , which was imagined as being drawn daily across the sky in a chariot. In verse 12: Offerings from altars on the roof are mentioned in Jer 32.29. The altars that Manasseh had made are mentioned in 21.5. In verse 13: Mount of destruction is a play on the Hebrew name for the Mount of Olives ("Mount of Anointing") because of the altars to foreign gods erected there. In verse14: Pillars and sacred poles were used in the worship of the Canaanite gods. Cover(ing) the sites with human bones would further defile them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 23rd

 Read 2 Kings 22.11-20. In verse 11: tearing clothes is a sign of repentance and distress. Josiah is worried of the punishments threatened in the law for disobedience, since the people of Judah have not kept the law. In verse 13: Inquire is a technical term for divining or seeking an oracle from God. In verse 14: The prophetess Huldah is one of the few women in the Bible so designated (Miriam, ex 15.20; Deborah, Judg 4.4, and Isaiah's wife [?], Isa 8.3). The Second Quarter was apparently an expansion of the city of Jerusalem that had taken place, perhaps during Hezekiah's day, in the part to accommodate the influx of refugees from Israel. In verses 15-17: The man who sent you to me is Josiah. This place is Jerusalem. This part of of Huldah's oracle anticipates the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Exile. In verse 20: Most scholars believe at least the second half of Huldah's oracle to be genuine because it seems to be contradicted by history. Josiah did not in fact go to his grave peacefully, if this is what peace means. rather, he was killed in battle (23.29). Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 22nd

 Read 2 Kings 22.1-10. In 22.1-23.30: The reign and reform of Josiah. Josiah, along with Hezekiah, is one of the good kings of Judah and one of the heroes of the Deuteronomistic History. He is renowned for his obedience (22.2; 23.25) to the law boom found during his reign. In 22.3-10: The temple repairs made by Josiah lead to the discovery of a copy of the book of the law, which has long been identified as a form of the book of Deuteronomy. Comments or Questions..

Reading for Januaray 21st

 Read 2 Kings 21.10-26.  In verse 11: Amorites is a general name for the inhabitants of Canaan before the Israelites. In verse 13: The measuring line and plummet suggests that Judah will be judged by the same standards by which Samaria and its worst kings, the house of Ahab, were condemned. Compare Am 7.7-9. To wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish means to empty it completely. In verse 14; The Lord's heritage is the nation of Israel. since the northern kingdom is no more, therefore, predicts the Babylonian Exile and blame it on Manasseh. Quite a different story is told in 2 Chr 33.10-13. In verse 16: This verse may be an addition, since it does not seem to relate well to the surrounding context. In verse 18: Manasseh also is not buried in the city of David but in the garden of Uzza and the location of this garden is unknown. In verse 24: The people of the land may be the landowning nobility, but their identity is disputed. In verse 26: Amon is also buried in the garden of Uzza. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 20th

 Read 2 Kings 21.1-9. In 21.1-26: Manasseh and Amon. In verse 1: Manasseh is credited with the longest reign, fifty-five years, of any king of Israel or Judah. In verse 3: A sacred pole was an important part of worship of the Canaanite goddess Asherah. The host of heaven refers to the astral gods-sun, moon, and stars. These practices were outlawed by Deuteronomy (12.29-31; 17.3). In verse 6: He made his son pass through fire refers to child sacrifice. Mediums and wizards are often used in conjunction and refer to devices used to communicate with the dead. Such practices are condemned by law in Deuteronomy (18.10). See 1 Sam 28. In verses 7-8: Here the promise of the central "place" chosen by Yahweh (Deut 12.5) is combined with the promise of a dynasty to David (2 Sam 7). Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 19th

Read 2 Kings 20.1-21. In 20.1-21: Hezekiah's illness and the Babylonian envoy. The stories in this chapter are probably out of order and originally preceded the invasion of Sennacherib in 701 BCE, since v. 6 promises defense of Jerusalem, and the visit of Merodach-baladan must have preceded Hezekiah's revolt against Assyria. In verse 7: The lump of figs served as a poultice, a medicinal substance applied directly to the the skin, to draw out the boil. In verses 8-11: Comparable to Josh 10.12-13, where the sun stood still, here it retreated 10 hours. In verses 12-19: Merodach-baladan is Marduk-apal-iddina, who ruled in Babylon 702-709 and again in 702 and opposed Assyria. His visit to Jerusalem would have involved plotting for Hezekiah's revolt against Assyria. In this context, however, it has been used to foreshadow the Babylonian Exile. Eunuchs (v. 18) were castrated males who were often employed as guardians and servants in the royal harem. However, the Hebrew word may simply mean a palace servant or official. In verse 20: The conduit by which Hezekiah brought water into the city probably refers to the Siloam tunnel in Jerusalem, which contained an inscription describing its construction. In verse 21: There is no notice about Hezekiah's burial "in the city of David" as there is for his predecessors. The reason is unclear, though it may reflect as actual change in practice. 2 Chr 32.33 says he was buried "on the ascent to the tombs of the descendants of David," which may suggest that the royal tombs of Judah were full. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 18th

 Read 2 Kings 19.20-37. In verse 21: She is the virgin daughter Zion, a reference to Jerusalem. Toss(ing) her head was a way of showing contempt. The idea is that the city of Jerusalem disdains the Assyrian king Sennacherib. In verses 22-24: Sennacherib is caricatured as arrogant and boastful to the point that he reviled the Lord. The speaker is vv.23-23 is Sennacherib. See Isa 10.12-19; 14.24-27. In verses 25-28: Now the Lord speaks. The message in these verses is that it is the Lord who determined Sennacherib's victories and who will now bring him down because of his pride.  In verses 29-31: This oracle is considered more realistic and thus more original than the surrounding material. The sign is describes is a three-year period before agriculture returns to its normal cycle and the Assyrians threat is fully removed (v. 29). The city of Jerusalem from which the countryside will be repopulated after the Assyrian devastation (vv. 30-31). In verses 32-33: These verses reflect the doctrine of the inviolability of Jerusalem, that is, the belief that the Lord would never allow the city of Jerusalem to be captured. The idea may have arisen as a result of the city's survival in 701. It was later countered by t he prophet Jeremiah (Jer 7). In verse 35: This verse describes a plague that devastated Sennacherib's and forced him to return home in shame to Nineveh. The historical veracity of the even cannot be confirmed or denied. In  verses 36-37: Sennacherib's assassination did not take place until 20years later in 681 BCE. Ararat (v. 37) is modern day Armenia north of Assyria. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 17th

 Read 2 Kings 19.14-19. In verse 15: The cherubim is a reference to the ark, which had two cherubim depicted on its lid. These were mythical, griffin-like creatures whose status often adorned temples and places in the ancient Near East. In verses 16-19: Hezekiah's prayer address the Rabshakeh's claim that the gods of the nations had not saved them and neither could the Lord save Judah. Through Hezekiah the author makes the point that those gods were not real but only idols. Hence, Hezekiah calls on the Lord for deliverance as a way of showing the world that the Lord (Yahweh) is God alone. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 16th

 Read 2 Kings 18.36-19.13. In 18.37; 19.1-2: Wearing torn clothes and sackcloth (Heb., "saq") were signs of great sorrow or distress. Isaiah, son of Amoz, is also the prophet behind the book of Isaiah. In verse 3: Children have come to birth, and their is no strength to bring them forth may be a proverb. It alludes to great pain and suffering associated with labor. Here, it expresses frustration because the people of Judah do not have the strength to carry out the rebellion against the Assyrians. In verse 4: It was in his second speech (18.28-35) that the Rebshakeh mock(ed) the living God. In verse 8: Libnah was  southwest of Jerusalem and north of Lachish. In verse 9: Tirhaka (Tarhaka) was from Nubia (Ethiopia) and did not become king of Egypt until around 690 BCE. His name here is probably an error made by the much later biblical writer. In verses 11-13: The Rabshakeh's letters here is very similar to his speech in 18.33-35. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 15th

 Read 2 kings 18.28-35. The Rabshakeh's second speech is is Hebrew (the language of Judah, v. 28), is directed to the common defenders of the city, and is designed to effect a mutiny. he calls on them to surrender, promising prosperity first in their homeland (v. 31) and then in exile (v.32). the part of the speech regarded as blasphemy by the biblical writers is vv. 33-35, where the Rabshakeh compare the Lord to the gods of other nations, none of whom has been able to save their people from Assyrian assault. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 14th

 Read 2 Kings 18.9-27. In verses 9-12: These verses reiterate the information about the fall of Israel in ch. 17. In verse 14: A talent could weigh between 45 and 130 pounds. In verse 17: Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh are all titles for Assyrian military officers. The exact location of the conduit of the upper pool is unknown. In verse 18: The three Assyrians meet with three officials of the court of Judah-Eliakim, Shebnah, and Hoah. The precise functions of their offices as the one in charge of the palace, secretary, and recorder are uncertain. In verses 19-25: Part of the tactics of ancient warfare involved speeches like this one designed to discourage the enemy. The Rabshakeh makes the point that the Assyrians greatly outnumber the forces of Judah (vv. 23-24), and asks who else the people of Judah are relying on. He observes, quite correctly, that the Egyptians to who Hezekiah may have looked for help (v. 24), are powerless compared with the Assyrian army. His comparison of Egypt to a broken reed of a staff in v. 21 is found also in Ezek 29.6 and may have been a proverb. The other possibility he raises is that they are dependent on the Lord. To counter this, he states that Hezekiah removed the Lord's high places and altars (v. 22), which may be true in a sense. That is, in his efforts to centralize the government and religion of Judah, Hezekiah may have outlawed all shrines outside Jerusalem.  The Rabshakeh also claims that the Lord sent the Assyrians against Jerusalem. This claim may also have had a measure of truth to the extent that Hezekiah or his predecessors likely swore an oath by the Lord to be loyal to their Assyrian overlord. In verse 26: Aramaic was the language of diplomacy of that time. The language of Judah was Hebrew. In verse 27: The fates described here refer to the conditions of starvation of a city under siege. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 13th

 Read 2 Kings 18.1-8. In 18.1-19.37: Hezekiah and the invasion of Sennacherib. The invasion of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, which is recounted in these chapters, took place in 701 BCE and is documented both in the Bible and in Assyrian records. Similar versions of the story are found in 2 Chr 32 and Isa 36. The Assyrian version was recorded in Sennacherib's annuals and in a famous relief of the defeat of Lacish on his palace wall in Nineveh. In 18.4: The high places were shrines other than the Jerusalem Temple. They could be used for the worship of the Lord or of other gods. Here it appears to be the latter that is envisioned, since pillars and sacred poles were used in the worship of Canaanite gods. The bronze serpent that Moses had made was to save the people from poisonous snakes (Num 21.6-9). In verse 5: Statements of incompatibility like this one are made also for Moses as a prophet (Deut 34.10), for Solomon for wisdom (1 Kings 3.12), and for Josiah for obedience (2 Kings 23.25). In verse 8: The Philistines had remained more or less independent in their land since the time of David. Hezekiah subjugated them to Judah, probably to strengthen the resistance to the Assyrians. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 12th

 Read 2 Kings 17.29-41. In verses 29-34a: The newcomers, however, also retained the gods of their homelands and worshipped them along with the Lord. The names of the gods in vv. 30-31 are distortions or misspellings of the names of gods from different parts of the ancient Near East. However, the errors do not seem to be intentional. Rather, they betray an author (probably the deuteronomistic) who is unfamiliar with these  different gods and who also writes at a later date, as indicated by the to this day statement in v. 34a. In verses 34b-40: These verses were added by a later writer who viewed the religion of the Samaritans (residents of the province of Samaria) as illegitimate. Verse 34b, therefore, directly contradicts v. 33. many faithful Jews hated the Samaritans in part because of their religious practice, which mixed elements from other religions into Jewish observances. Samaritans were also regarded as practicing a form of Judaism, however, particularly at later periods. The  animosity between the two groups surfaces in Ezra 4.1-3 and is clearly reflected in stories in the New Testament Gospels (Lk 10. 29-37; Jn 4.7-42). In verse 41: The verse summarizes vv. 29-34a and may have been their original conclusion. It agrees with the viewpoint that the settlers worshipped both the lord and other gods. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 11th

 Read 2 Kings 17.19-28. In verses 19-20: These verses are also an addition, perhaps part of the addition in vv. 7-18. They make it clear that Judah was guilty of the same offenses as Israel. They were apparently written in exile (after 586 BCE) as indicated in v. 20, where all the descendants of Israel would include both Israel and Judah. In verses 21-23: These verses conclude the theme of the sins of Jeroboam, which refers to the shrines at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12.25-33) and which every king of Israel is accused of perpetuating. In verse 24: In addition to deporting the people of Israel, the Assyrians settle captives from other countries in the former land of Israel. They also renamed the area the Assyrian province of Samaria (Samerina). In verses 25-28: A widely accepted idea in the ancient Near East was that each country had its own god and each god its own country. It was therefore considered important by the Assyrians that the people whom they had imported into Israel learn the law of god of the land (v. 26), and the attacks by lions were blamed on the failure to do this. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 10th

 Read 2 Kings 17.7-18. Many scholars regard these verses as a later addition, in deuteronomistic style, to the initial Deuteronomistic History, since they explain Israel's fall as the result of idolatry, as opposed to the explanation in vv. 21-23, which culminates the theme of the sin of Jeroboam. Pillars and sacred poles (vv. 10, 16) were trappings of the worship of Canaanite gods. The host of heaven (v. 6) refers to astral deities (sun, moon, stars). Making their sons and daughters pass through the fire is child sacrifice. Comments and and Questions..

Reading for January 9th

 Read 2 Kings 17.1-6. In 17.1-41: The fall of Israel. In verse 2: It is not clear why Hoshea judged to be less evil than his predecessors. In verse 4: Hosea 7.11 may reflect the prophet Hosea's judgment of the foolishness of Hoshea's revolt against Assyria. In verse 5: The fact that Samaria held out for three years is a tribute to its defenses. In verse 6: This verse marks the end of the northern kingdom of Israel. The places listed here to which the people of Israel deported were all close to the Assyrian homeland. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 8th

 Read 2 Kings 16.1-20. In 16.1-20: The reign of Ahaz. In verse 3: Making his son pass through fire is a reference to child sacrifice (see 3.27). In verse 5: This verse refers to the "Syro-Ephraimitic crisis" of 734 BCE. See comments on 15.37. The oracle of Isaiah is Isa 7 is directed to this situation. In verse 6: Judah's problems with Syria and Israel weakened its hold on Elath (see 14.22), and the Edomites took advantage. In verses 7-9: These verses continue with the Syro-Ephraimatic crisis. According to Isa 7, Isaiah counseled Ahaz against seeking the help of the Assyrians. These verses indicate that Ahaz chose to ignore that advice and purchased the aid of Tiglath-pileser against Syria and Israel. This placed Judah in a subject relationship to Assyria that would be the source of future problems. Kir is the place of the Syrians' origin, according to Am 9.7. It is also mentioned as the place of Syrian exile in Am 1.5. It is obviously in Mesopotamia though its exact location is unknown. In verses 10-16: This story is apparently meant as condemnation of Ahaz to illustrate his importation of foreign elements into the worship of the Lord. It maybe, however, that Ahaz intended the new altar to honor the Lord. Uriah the priest is likely the same figure mentioned in Isa 8.2. Ahaz was forced to remove some of the bronze from the temple in order to make his payment of tribute to the Assyrian king. For descriptions of the bronze oxen under the sea and laver stand see 1 Kings 7.23-27. The meaning and nature of the covered portal for use on the sabbath (v. 18) is uncertain.  Comments or Questions..