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About Bible Readings
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What Stood Out in Today's Bible Reading
2023 23:28 – Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? [cf. Rev. 20:12 – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.] 23:30 – And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead. [cf. Rom. 6:3-4 – Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.] 23:32 – And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. [cf. v. 37 – And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. 21:14-15 – And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day. Prov. 15:3 – The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Heb. 4:13 – Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Ecc. 12:13-14 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.] 23:35 – And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh. [cf. Hag. 2:8 – The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.] 24:1 – In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. [cf. Deu. 28:47-48 – Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.] 24:3 – Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did [cf. Hab. 1:12-13 – Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? Rev. 21:2,27 – And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ... And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.] 24:4 – And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. [cf. Matt. 27:1-4 – When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. Heb. 10:26-29 – For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? Matt. 12:31 – Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. Mark 3:29 – But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation; Luke 12:10 – And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.] 24:5 – Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? [cf. Rev. 20:12 – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.] 24:6 – So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. [cf. Luke 20:37-38 – Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.] 24:8-9 – 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. [compare 18:1-4 – Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.] 24:9 – And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. [cf. v. 19 – And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 21:14-15 – And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day. Prov. 15:3 – The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Heb. 4:13 – Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Ecc. 12:13-14 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.] 24:10 – At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. [cf. v. 11 – And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. Deu. 28:47,49,52 – Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things ... The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand ... And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.] 25:1-2 – 1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. [cf. Deu. 28:47,49,52 – Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things ... The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand ... And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.] 25:3 – And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. [cf. Ps. 37:25-26 – I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. John 6:35 – And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.] 25:7 – And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon. [cf. 24:18-19 – Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. Lev. 24:19 – And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him] 25:9 – And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire. [cf. I Kings 9:6-9 – But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.] 25:18 – And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door [cf. Ps. 141:3 – Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. I Pet. 3:10 – For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile] 25:19 – And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city [cf. Ps. 16:8-11 – I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.] 25:25 – But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. [cf. Ecc. 3:1-2 – To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; Heb. 9:27-28 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.] 25:29 – And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. [cf. Rom. 6:17-18 – But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Is. 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Matt. 22:11-13 – And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.] 25:30 – And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. [cf. Matt. 6:11 – Give us this day our daily bread. Luke 11:3 – Give us day by day our daily bread. Matt. 6:31-34 – Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.]
2022 23:24 – Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. ["spie*" (Gen. 42:9,11,14,16,30,31,34; Ex. 2:11; Num. 21:1; Josh. 6:22,23; Judg. 1:24; I Sam. 26:4; II Sam. 15:10; II Kings 9:17; 13:21; 23:16,24; Luke 20:20; Heb. 11:31); "spy*" (Num. 13:16,17; 21:32; Josh. 2:1; 6:25; Judg. 18:2,14,17; II Sam. 10:3; II Kings 6:13; I Chr. 19:3; Gal. 2:4); Ps. 139:23-24 – Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.] 23:25 – And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. [cf. Deu. 6:5 – And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.] 24:4 – And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. [cf. Num. 35:30-34 – Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.] 24:8-9 – 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. [compare II Kings 18:4 – He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.] 24:18-19 – 18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. [cf. 23:31-32 – Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.] 24:20 – For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. [cf. Jer. 25:8-9 – Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.] 25:27 – And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison [cf. Jer. 52:31 – And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison; Ps. 3:3 – But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Ps. 27:6 – And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Luke 21:25-28 – And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.]
2021 23:21 – And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. [This is the only occurrence of the book of this covenant in the King James Bible. There are three occurrences of the book of the covenant (Ex. 24:7; II Kings 23:2; II Chr. 34:30). The phrase the book of this covenant is spoken by Josiah; the three occurrences of the book of the covenant are not. The phrase this covenant, referring to the covenant that God made ... in Horeb (Deu. 5:2), occurs nine times (Deu. 5:3; 29:9,14; II Kings 23:3,21; Jer. 11:2,3,6,8). The only other occurrence of the phrase this covenant is in reference to a covenant that Ahab made with the king of Syria (I Kings 20:34). We are reminded of the apostle Paul's concern that someone would preach another Jesus or that his readers would receive another gospel (II Cor. 11:4), and that the Galatians were so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another [i.e., any other is not really a gospel]; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ (Gal. 1:6-7). He repeated this warning to the Galatians: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9).] 23:21 – And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. [This was in the eighteenth year of king Josiah (v. 23),who did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left (II Kings 22:2). We cannot imagine that Josiah would have totally failed to keep the passover in the previous seventeen years of his reign. Albert Barnes points out that the reading of the book of this covenant had brought to Josiah's attention that the passover was not being kept in the way that God had prescribed. The next verse (II Kings 23:22) tells us that there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah. Regarding the days of the judges, we are told: In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judg. 17:7; also 21:25). We can see how some human tradition would have crept into the way the passover was kept, and how this would have increased in the days of Josiah's great great grandfather Ahaz, who walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim (II Chr. 28:2). Regarding the elders of Israel, the Lord GOD told Ezekiel: Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers (Ezek. 20:4). The focus was not on their own abominations, but on the abominations of their fathers. We have already seen that Josiah had a heart to please the LORD (II Kings 22:2), but eighteen years into his reign, through reading the book of this covenant, he had learned of the abominations of his fathers (which he had not before realized were abominations), and set his heart on stopping them in his own life and reign. Thus we can see how essential Bible reading is to making us aware of the abominations of our fathers that we did not even know were abominations (and which many of our fathers did not know were abominations), so that we can repent of them and live a more holy life. The less we read of the Bible, the more of the Bible remains a hidden book to us as it was before it was discovered by Hilkiah the high priest in the days of Josiah (II Kings 22:8), and the more prone we are to practice the abominations of our fathers.] 23:29 – In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he [Pharaoh-nechoh] slew him [Josiah] at Megiddo, when he had seen him. [Pharaoh-nechoh was passing through Judah and Israel on his way to the river Euphrates, thus motivating Josiah king of Judah to go against him.] 24:2 – And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. [The LORD sent many enemies against Judah. He did it with bands, rather than a full-scale army at this point, probably as warnings, to give them opportunity to repent.] 25:23-25 – 23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 24 And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you. 25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. [Ishmael had two motivations to kill Gedaliah. One is that Gedaliah was urging the Jews to serve the king of Babylon. The other is that Ishmael was of the seed royal, and undoubtedly felt that he had the right to be in charge.]
2020 23:33 – And Pharaoh-nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. 25:19 – And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city
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