READING FOR NOVEMBER 12, 2025: 2 KINGS 3, 1 PETER 2, PSALM 119:9-16 2 KINGS 3
King Jehoram of Israel succeeded his father, King Ahab. He had the distinct- ion of being evil, but not as evil as his father. That brings up the fact that in the New Testament there are degrees of reward for those in heaven (1 Cor. 3:12-15) and degrees of punishment for those in hell (Matt. 10:15). In 2 Kings 3, Moab was under obligation to pay a substantial tribute to Israel. Since taxes back then were no more popular than they are today, Moab used Israel’s leadership transition as an occasion to break free of that burden. King Jehoram prepared for battle against Moab and invited Judah to join him. King Jehoshaphat agreed and so they decided to attack Moab through and with the support of Edom, the kingdom to the south.
As they made this lengthy circular march south through the desert of Edom, the lack of water became a serious issue, especially for Israel’s troops. Jehoram wanted to give up. Jehoshaphat, being a godly king, asked if there was a prophet of God with whom to consult. One of King Jehoram’s servants mentioned Elisha, who we focused upon yesterday. So, the three kings went to the prophet’s home, a gesture of humility. Imagine leaders seeking God’s wisdom.
Elisha, like Elijah did, displays a bit of attitude. He finally agrees to help them because of his re- spect for Jehoshaphat. In a fascinating detail about the power of music, Elisha asks for a mu-sician to play for him so that the hand of the Lord might come upon him. Could music help us feel closer to God? Maybe it's an underutilized spiritual resource. It worked for this prophet.
The Lord communicated through Elisha that the allied forces should dig trenches in the valley. This maybe seemed a strange strategy, especially with troops who were already dehydrated from thirst. God’s word might often seem counterintuitive to us because it can be at odds with today’s conventional wisdom. To their credit, and as a good example to us, they dug trenches. Do we ever forgo some victories from God because God’s word appears off to us? Likely so.
As Moab prepared for battle in the morning, they saw the entire valley filled with water that God provided. They, however, deceived by the morning sunrays, thought the water was blood. Then they made the assumption that the allied countries had a falling out and killed each other’s soldiers. Thus, they decided to descend into the valley to claim all the booty. The Israelites then put Moab to flight. For some reason, this led the King of Moab to offer his son as a burnt offering on the city wall. Even more bewildering, this weird act prompted Israel to leave the field of battle and return to Israel. Sometimes human behavior is strange.
1 PETER 2 Peter recommends we do a personal inventory and get rid of certain bad traits: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. What a great exercise. Certainly, the Holy Spirit
READING FOR NOVEMBER 12, 2025 C0NTINUED: 1 PETER 2, PSALM 119:9-16 will reveal these to us if we ask Him. Also, he suggests we develop a longing for the Bible that is like a newborn baby’s desire for milk. Do we remember getting up at night to respond to our kids’ cry to be fed? What an analogy. Peter implies we can’t grow spiritually without the word.
Then Peter demonstrates his own reliance on the word by quoting Psalm 118:22 about Jesus being the stone the builders rejected. Jesus was rejected by the authorities but became the key for our salvation. So also were the Gentiles once outside of the covenant people but now are also chosen of God through faith in Jesus. Yes, we as Gentile believers may be slandered for our faith. If so, though, let our behavior reflect well upon Jesus so that God is glorified.
One important way to manifest godly behavior that glorifies God is to submit to authorities. This includes following all laws, company policies, and church guidelines. Rebellion in the Bible is associated with Satan, Adam, Eve, and others who refuse to submit. Peter suggests a fourfold plan for Christians living in relation to others: 1) honor all people, 2) love fellow Christians, 3) fear God, and 4) honor the king. He elaborates on the importance of submitting to our earthly bosses, even if they are not good bosses. This finds favor with God. He holds up the example of Jesus, who committed no sins but rather was grossly abused. He did this all for the purpose of bearing our sins so that we might be healed from spiritual death. THE GOSPEL.
PSALM 119:9-16 Consider all the ways a young male can go wrong today, given the pervasive influence of popular culture and the post-Christian worldview that pervades the educational system. Notice, for example, how many men under thirty attend our church regularly. Is it even possible to be a Christian young man today? Psalm 119:9 says it absolutely is. The all-too secret weapon is living in conformance with the Bible (vs. 9), obeying the commandments (vs. 10), treasuring the Bible (vs.11), being taught the scriptures (vs. 12), verbalizing God’s word (vs. 13), valuing the Bible as great wealth (vs. 14), pondering the implications of the Bible upon life’s choices (vs. 15), and finding enjoyment in studying the Bible (vs. 16).
Is there much hope for our sons without doing all the above? In our current cultural moment, the chances are likely close to zero. The method of placing young men on this spiritual path has not changed over the centuries. Hear these words Moses spoke just before Israel entered the promised land: “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up” (Deut. 6:6-7). It’s our privilege to create this kind of home.
