Esther 9: The first half of this chapter tells of the Jews retaliating against those who tried to kill them. They killed tens of thousands of people. We also see that Esther still has a considerable amount of power over the King. He offers to do whatever she wants. She tells him what she wants and he makes it happen. This all happens on the 14th and 15th days of Adar (the 12th month of the year).
1/13 Reading (Ezra 10; Psalms 75-77)
Ezra 10: Ezra summons all the people to Jerusalem. There he tells them that everyone who married a foreign woman must send away their wives and children. They all agree as a community. That pretty much sucks!
12/8 Reading (2 Chronicles 26-28; Ephesians 1)
2 Chronicles 26: Amaziah’s son, Uzziah, takes over as king. As with the two kings before him, his reign started well in that he followed God and did what he was supposed to do. Eventually, he failed to do this just like his two predecessors. His sin was that he went into God’s sanctuary and burned incense. Only priests who were descended from Aaron were allowed to do this. God inflicted him with a skin disease and he lived alone until he died.
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12/5 Reading (2 Chronicles 16-19; Colossians 2)
2 Chronicles 16: Now we get to the end of Asa. This happens because instead of following the advice given to him earlier (trust in God), he makes a pact with another King when he is attacked by Israel. A seer, Hanani, told him this was a mistake to not rely on God and he will suffer for this. Asa gets angry and throws Hanani into jail. Asa is then afflicted by a disease in his feet and dies. There’s an interesting verse here: “But even in his illness he [Asa] refused to seek the Lord and consulted doctors instead” (2 Chron. 16.12). No wonder some refuse to seek medical attention when they are ill. Verses like this just strengthens the resolve of those who choose to solely rely on the power of prayer when they or a loved one are afflicted with something. Not good!
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11/29 Reading (2 Chronicles 1-3; Romans 14)
Introduction to 2 Chronicles: This book begins with the Solomon’s reign and shifts to focus on the history of Judah during the divided monarchy and exile. I noticed that there is no mention of the Northern Kingdom in the introduction. This comes from the NRSV introduction: “The writer excludes the independent history of the Northern Kingdom because he regards both the kingship and the sanctuaries of this new state as an affront to God (13.4–12)” (p. 617). Kinda harsh.
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Thoughts up this point
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about this experience up to this point and thought I need to just write it down. I expect this to ramble some. And it may not make sense. Oh well.
11/7 Reading (2 Kings 1-3; Galatians 4)
Introduction to 2 Kings: Just a quick explanation of how Israel and Judah end.
10/27 Reading (2 Samuel 22-24; 2 Corinthians 10)
2 Samuel 22: Notes from the NRSV version indicate that this chapter is actually a psalm and is essentially the same as Psalm 18. According to the scholars this was actually written “long after David’s time” (p. 478). Interesting little tidbit. Verses 1-20 focus on God rescuing the psalmist (assuming it’s supposed to be David). Verses 21-51 focus on David’s military activities. Overall the psalmist is thanking and praising God for being there to help.
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10/12 Reading (1 Samuel 16-18; 1 Corinthians 15)
NOTE: I had a lot to say on this reading.
It has become pretty much a daily occurrence for our President to attack the media. This is typically done on twitter. However, in my opinion, what’s transpired these last few days is the worst he’s ever said. His desire to pretty much end any negative coverage of his administration is definitely getting out of hand. But these statements along with other statements where he’s challenged the judicial and legislative branches of our government bother me. He’s acting more like a King or Dictator than a President. Reading about Saul reminds me a little of what we are currently experiencing. Saul’s lust for power was ultimately his downfall. I wonder if that will happen with Trump. Only time will tell.
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What do I believe?
I was running earlier today with a good friend of mine and we were talking about the Bible study. We started talking about what people believe when it comes to the Bible. I mentioned how most in the Episcopal Church view the Bible (not as a literal document) and he said something along the lines of I didn’t have to just believe what the Episcopal Church says I should believe. That got me thinking and led to this post: What do I believe? I anticipate that my answers to this question will change throughout this experience, but I thought I’d take a crack at it now.