Meditating 2 Kings 1-3 (Mar 21)

Picking Up the Mantle

The downward spiral begun in 1Kgs
accelerates as one bad king after
another accedes to the throne.
Standing in the path of this down-
trend are prophets who speak
for God. Elisha takes up the mantle
and ministry of his master Elijah.
Calling upon the God of Elijah,
Elisha watches as God sends
waterlogged valleys as a sign to
Jehoram and blood-red water
signalling defeat for Moab.

Lord, the departure of a well known
leader like Elijah can bring insecurity.
And we learn from Elisha his sense
of unworthiness and his conviction
that God had important work for him.
Help us to Pick Up the Mantle.
Help us to Follow After You.
Help us Seek Your Empowerment.
Help us Draw Near to You. Amen.

Lord, we will Follow After You:
When the Lord was about to take
Elijah up to heaven… Elijah & Elisha
were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha: Stay here;
the Lord has sent me to Bethel.
But Elisha said: I will not leave you.
So they went down to Bethel…
Then Elijah said to him: Stay here
Elisha; the Lord has sent me to
Jericho. And he replied: I will not
leave you. So they went to Jericho…
Then Elijah said to him: Stay here;
the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.
And he replied: I will not leave you.
So the two walked on (2Kgs 2:1-6).
Lord, we note Elisha was determined
to be all that God wanted him to be
for he remained faithful to God’s call.
He was focussed on getting the
resources he could to complete
the work God had given him to do.
Lord, help me be like Elisha, not
to allow anything to divert me from
following Your path for me. Amen.

Lord, we Seek Your Empowerment:
Elijah took his mantle… and struck
the water; and it was divided this
way and that, so that the two of
them crossed over on dry ground.
And Elijah said to Elisha: Ask! What
may I do for you, before I am taken
away from you? Elisha said: Please
let a double portion of your spirit
be upon me (2 Kings 2:8-9).
Lord, thank You for the ministry
that You have given to each of us.
We realise it is a costly thing to
follow You, especially to follow You
fully. But I want Your presence and
the power that goes along with it.
Please give me more of You. Amen.

Lord, we will Draw Near to You:
So the king of Israel went with the
king of Judah and the king of Edom
and they marched… seven days;
& there was no water for the army…
And the king of Israel said: the Lord
has called these 3 kings together
to But Jehoshaphat said: Is there no
prophet of the Lord here that we
may inquire of the Lord by him?
So one of the servants of the king
of Israel answered: Elisha is here…
Now bring me a musician. Then
it happened, when the musician
played, that the hand of the Lord
came upon him (2 Kings 3:9-15).
Lord, We realise that You speak
to our intuitive side more often
than to our logical, skeptical side.
So sensitize me to Your presence
and awaken my heart to know when
You are speaking creatively to me.
And even as we approach You,
we trust Your Spirit will reveal
Your words for us in season. Amen

Preview on 2nd Kings (Mar 21)

Preview on Second Kings 

Dear Friends, 
                                                 As the Bible is arranged by genre, to
enhance understanding of context
we’re covering it by time sequence.
We begin with the 5 books of Laws
to appreciate the Redemptive Plan
of God for mankind and Job (which
occurs in the time of Genesis) to
understand the sovereignty of God.
   In the Second Phase, we meditated
Josh to 2Sam & 1 Chron, up to King
David: the high point of Israel history.
and poetry book of Psalms where
we learn to pray and praise God.
Then we go to the Third Phase on 
the reign of King Solomon in 1 Kings
& cover wisdom poetry in Proverbs,
Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes.

Continuing, Solomon’s zeal for God
cools as pagan wives turn his heart
away from godly worship. The next
century sees the decline of the two
nations,indifferent to God’s precepts.
In 2 Kings, the author weaves the
historical threads of two nations
       into one fabric. In Israel, 19 wicked
         kings in succession led the people
even further from God. Despite the
efforts of Elisha & other prophets,
judgment can no longer be stayed.
Israel finally went into captivity,
being dispersed by the Assyrians.
To the south, Judah survives 150
years longer. But in the end, the
damage done by corrupt leadership
again brings a bitter harvest:
70 years of exile in Babylonia.

We’ll cover 2 Kings over 3 weekends
under the following six divisions:
2Kgs 1-3: Ministry of Elisha
2Kgs 4-8: Ministry of Elisha
2Kgs 9-12: Jehu and Joash
2Kgs 13-17: Assyria Destroys Israel
2Kgs 18-21: Hezekiah the Reformer
2Kgs22-25:Babylon Conquers Judah
Lord, we learn from 2 Kings of the
disastrous end of those who shut
God out of their lives. We believe
in You and help us to live for You
in our lives & in Your church. Amen.