May 15

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR MAY 15, 2026: 2 KINGS 24, MARK 2, PSALM 43 

2 KINGS 24 This chapter closes the books of 1 and 2 Kings and also the history of Judah up until the Babylonian exile. These final episodes can also be viewed from the perspective of the Chronicler in 2 Chronicles and the Prophet Jeremiah in the book named after him. In verse one Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took control of Judah and King Jehoiakim. After three years, Jehoiakim revolted, but Judah was crushed by an alliance of enemies sent by God, Himself. God did this in punishment for all the innocent blood shed by King Manasseh. It’s remarkable how long-lasting the effects of one bad leader can be. Let’s choose our leaders carefully.

Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, then became king. The good news is that he didn’t need to worry about Egypt anymore because they had been eclipsed by Babylon. The bad news is that after just three months of his evil reign, Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar captured Jehoiakim, took all the valuables, trashed Solomon’s temple, and led 10,000 of the people back to Babylon, leaving only the poorest residents. This set the stage for the most horrific possible existence for those “left behind,” which we will read about in Lamentations. You are forewarned!

Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah in place as sort of a puppet king for those who remained. As might be expected, he did evil and attempted a revolt against Nebuchadnezzar. All this hap- pened because of “the anger of the Lord.” Worst of all is this dreadful phrase: “He [God] cast them out of His presence.” For those who are saved and continue to walk with the Lord, this result can never happen. We have this promise: “He [God] Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you’” (Heb. 13:5). We who trust in Jesus can never be forsaken because Jesus was forsaken in our place: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”(Matt. 27:46). 

MARK 2 We encountered the healing of the paralytic man in Capernaum before in Matthew 9:1-8. The additional information we learn here is that his friends could not bring him through the door because of the crowds. Thus, they made an opening in the roof to lower him down.     How creative and persistent are we in bringing our friends to Jesus? Are we easily dissuaded, or can we think outside the box? Maybe four of us can brainstorm to find creative ways.

Here we begin to see opposition building against Jesus’s claim to be God the Son. Mark emphasizes this claim from the first verse of His Gospel. This claim becomes the reason Jewish leaders use to condemn Jesus to death and a test John uses to see if we are Christians: “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15). This is also a claim that some unbelieving biblical scholars amazingly miss: “I think it's

READING FOR MAY 15, 2026 CONTINUED: MARK 2, PSALM 43                                                       completely implausible that Matthew, Mark and Luke would not mention that Jesus called himself God if that's what he was declaring about himself” (Bart Ehrman on NPR Apr. 7, 2014).

In Mark 1, four fishermen left their nets immediately to follow Jesus. Here we see a tax collector immediately leave his office to follow Jesus. Following Jesus’s call may mean leaving in a different sense for us than abruptly quitting our jobs, but it does mean immediately dying to self and making Jesus the highest priority in our lives. In Matthew’s case, following Jesus meant going with Him to interact with non-believers about becoming believers. It still does.

Must we keep the Sabbath as Israel did in the Old Testament? Here are some principles: 

  • Jesus fulfilled all sacrificial, dietary, and ceremonial laws not restated as NT commands (Matt. 5:17).
  • First generation Christians changed the worship day from Saturday to Sunday (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2).
  • Paul allows for freedom and forbids judgment regarding Sabbath keeping (Rom. 14:5-6, Col. 2:16).

Regardless of how or how not the Sabbath is observed, times of rest were certainly practiced and encouraged by Jesus: “And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.’ (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) And they went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves” (Mark 6:31-32).

PSALM 43 This Psalm is an example of working through and praying about one’s internal mindset, going from depression to praise. An ungodly nation and deceitful person can make us feel rejected by God. Here are the steps the Psalmist took, which can serve as a model for us:

  • Clarify the reason for the depression by self-questioning.
  • Seek truth from God as an antidote to the oppression of the enemy.
  • Join with others in praising God, especially through music.
  • Anticipate deliverance by praising and thanking God for His help even before we feel it.