11/4 Reading (1 Kings 19-21; Psalms 56-59)

1 Kings 19: Ahab and a friend pretty much threaten Elijah, who runs in fear of his life. God meets him on the road and tells him to go to certain people and anoint one as the next King of Israel and another as the next prophet to succeed him.

1 Kings 20: Ben-hadad from Aram wages war against Ahab and Israel. God comes to Ahab’s aid, again in a way to show him his power. Ahab and Israel win, but he lets Ben-hadad live. God gets angry with this because Ben-hadad was supposed to die. A prophet tells Ahab that he will die in Ben-hadad’s place.

1 Kings 21: Ahab’s wife Jezebel has Naboth, the owner of the vineyard next to the palace, killed because he refused to give up this family’s vineyard to Ahab. After he dies Ahab takes the vineyard. God gets angry and sends Elijah to Ahab to deliver a message. God decides not to punish Ahab, but instead punish his son.

Psalm 56: The psalmist is asking for help and protection against those who oppress him. It then ends with a declaration of trust in God and knowing that since God is there, all will be ok.

Psalm 57: Another psalm seeking help while in a difficult situation. The subscription indicates that this psalm refers to the time that David was hiding in the cave from Saul. The psalmist then indicates unwavering heart towards God.

Psalm 58: The psalmist is calling out the “gods” and arguing that they create violence and are wicked. He then calls on God to stop the “gods” and show why he is the one, true God.  

Psalm 59: The psalmist is asking God for help from the forces that surrounds their city. The notes indicate that these forces are Saul’s men in pursuit of David. As is typical with these types of psalms, the psalmist lays down a bunch of praise on God.

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