Bible Readings, Week 23; June 5-11, 2023
June 5; 1 Kgs 18; John 14; Ps 6
1. 1 Kings 18:1; "After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."
Who was Elijah?
2. John 14:1-7; "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
What was the place that Jesus prepared? What did it take for Jesus to prepare this place? Did Jesus prepare the place, or is He still to do it? Ps. 6:9; "The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer."
Answering the prayers
3. Ps.6;
Psalm 6 is a Psalm of repentance and confession. Please reread this Psalm as a prayer. Use this Psalm as your prayer of confession in front of the Lord. Please notice how the Psalm ends "for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer" (v.8b-9).
June 6; 1 Kgs 19-20; Ps 7
1. 1 Kings 19:1; "Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword."
Who was Ahab?
2. 1 Kings 19:18; "Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
How is this verse point to Jesus, the everlasting King? Please refer to Phil 2:
3. Ps. 7:1-2 "A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite."
"O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, 2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver."
What is the background of this Psalm? Please refer to 2 Sam. 16. This Psalm reflects the pain and anguish of David as he fled from his son Absalom. But also, this Psalm reflects David's trust in God and His deliverance from Absalom.
What do you do when you face challenges in your life? How do you approach God when you experience pain? What do you learn from this Psalm?
June 7; 1 Kgs 21; John 15; Ps 8
1. 1 Kings 21:1; "Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria."
Who was Naboth the Jezreelite?
2. Ps. 8: 4-6; "what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet."
This passage looks back to the creation of Adam (Gen. 1:26-28). But this passage also looks ahead and points to the last Adam, Jesus. Where do you see Jesus in this passage? Please refer to Heb. 1
3. John 15:1-4; "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me."
The condition for us to bear fruits is to abide in Jesus, the true vine. Are you in Christ? What are the fruits you bear?
June 8; 1 Kgs 22; 2 Kgs 1; John 16; Ps 9
1. 2 Kings 1:2; "Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness."
Who was Ahaziah?
2. John 16:7; "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."
Who is "the Helper?" How is the Holy Spirit essential in our salvation and our journey toward Home?
3. Ps. 9:7-10; "But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."
God is just and merciful God. Are you God's child? If so, what kind of justice do you bring to those around you?
June 9; 2 Kgs 2-3; Ps 10
1. 2 Kings 2:1; "Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal."
Who was Elisha?
2. 2 Kings 2:19-22; "Now the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful." He said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it." So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke."
"The water is bad, and the land is unfruitful" is like our hearts before the work of the Holy Spirit in us. How do you see the salt in this story as a type of the work of the Holy Spirit in us? Did the Holy Spirit heal your heart and make it fruitful?
3. Ps. 10:1 "Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"
This complaint is like from a child to their Father. Do you find yourself some time like cut off from God? Cry to the Lord for help; He is always near. Please do not stop at (v.1) but read the end of the Psalm, "The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."
June 10; 2 Kgs 4; John 17; Ps 11
1. 2 Kings 4:8; "One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food."
What was Shunem?
2. John 17:12; "While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." Where in the Old Testament do we read a prophecy about this passage? Please refer to Psalm. How did the Psalm point to Christ?
3. Ps. 11:3; "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
In v.1, David’s friends asked him to flee from Saul, but David’s answer was “In the Lord I take refuge;how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain” (Ps.11:1).
In v. 3, David’s friends asked him once more to flee, “the foundations are destroyed.” “what can the righteous (David) do?”
What did the Psalmist mean by "the foundations?" What are the foundations you depend on? Do you depend in your life on the Lord or others?
June 11; 2 Kgs 5-6; John 18; Ps 12
1. 2 Kings 5:1; "Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper."
Who was Naaman of Syria?
2. John 18:37; "Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born, and for this purpose, I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."
Pilate was right when he called Jesus King. Does Jesus reign now as the King, or shall we wait for Him when He returns to rule?
3. Ps.12:6; "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times."
Compare the word of God in this verse (v.6) with the words of God's enemies in (v.2) "Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
Whom do you trust? Which word do you keep and obey? How often do you read the word of God?