First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: 2 Kings 3:1-27

Today’s passage: 2 Kings 3:1-27

Helpful thoughts:

  • King Jehoram continued in the sins of Jeroboam, but when his own plans weren’t going the way he hoped he was certainly able to blame the Lord for it (Verse 10, 13).
  • God’s solution for their need of water also turned into a winning battle strategy as the mistaken appearance of blood caused the Moabites to run right into their defeat.
  • The hardness of the hearts of man is on display in verse 27.
    • A king killed his own son, the crown prince, in desperation to call on a fake god.
    • The sight of this deed roused anger in the Moabites, not against their king, but against the Israelites.

Questions to consider:

  1. When it seems obvious to us throughout Scripture that people should believe in and obey the Lord of hosts, why don’t they?  Jehoram should have been angry with the golden calves and Baal, the Moabites should have been angry at Chemosh or even their king…Israel should have seen the Lord as giving them victory, yet they left this battle thinking Chemosh had ended the conflict (Verse 27), why?
  2. How much of this battle (The build-up, the conflict, the results) was under God’s sovereign control?  Even if nations in our day view victory as a simply consequence of superior tactics, training, resources, etc. how much control does God still exert today?
  3. When “good” things happen in your life, who gets the credit?  When “bad” things are happening, who gets the blame?  How can “good” things and “bad” things turn us away from the Lord…or TO Him? (2 Timothy 4:10, Romans 8:28-29)

Devotional: 2 Kings 2:1-25

Today’s passage: 2 Kings 2:1-25

Helpful thoughts:

  • Elijah and Enoch (Genesis 5:24) were the only two people to be “taken away” without dying.
  • Elisha was not necessarily asking to be twice the prophet that Elijah was.  Though, he is recorded as having been used by God to perform twice as many miracles.
    • In a family in that time, the eldest son would normally receive a double portion of the inheritance and become the new head of the family when the father died.  Elisha had journeyed along with these other prophets, but was the one who would succeed Elijah as the main prophet in Israel.
    • Elisha was asking for this responsibility of leadership and ministry, and it would be hard.
  • The sign that Elijah called for was to show whether God had chosen to do what Elisha had asked for.  Elijah did not have the ability to choose Elisha’s role in Israel, that was too hard for him to do.  But God had sovereignly chosen him for the task.
    • Taking up Elijah’s mantle symbolized what had become a reality.  Elisha was now serving in Elijah’s place.

Questions to consider:

  1. If God was going to send a vehicle to take someone like Elijah home to Heaven today, what do you think it would be?  The sign of strength, protection and speed in that day was the chariot.  What was God communicating by allowing us to know this was how Elijah was taken up?
  2. Since Elijah had just been taken up, what do you think these young boys (Or likely, young men) were saying when they mocked Elisha with the words, “Go up?”  What was their disrespect communicating concerning their view of Elijah, Elisha, and the God they spoke for?  What did their cursing and God-ordained judgment communicate to those who would hear about this event?
  3. What can we learn about God from this passage today?  How would these events stir up in us a healthy fear of the Lord?  How could it encourage us to take God’s Word seriously in our reading, teaching, preaching, and our pursuit of obedience?  How can it make us more thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?

Devotional: 2 Kings 1:1-18

Today’s passage: 2 Kings 1:1-18

Helpful thoughts:

  • To give an update on the spiritual condition of the kings of Israel, when Ahaziah (King Ahab’s son) falls and gets injured, his first thought is to inquire of the Lord of the Flies (Baal-Zebub).
    • Baal-Zebub would not be answering Ahaziah, because he doesn’t exist.  Yahweh, however, knew exactly what was going on.
  • Ahaziah sent over a hundred men who died and was willing to see more die in order to hear directly from Elijah.  When he did hear directly from Elijah, he just got the same message.
    • The word of the Lord is the word of the Lord, whether you hear it directly from Jesus face to face or read it in an English translation in the 21st century.
    • You read God’s word today!  Way to go!
  • Jehoram was Ahaziah’s brother, the next in line to the throne.

Questions to consider:

  1. In what way was God’s response to Ahaziah appropriate, or even merciful? (Exodus 22:20)  How did this king use his leadership to bring even more sin to God’s chosen people?
  2. Even though Elijah had been used by God to bring judgment on these servants who had rejected Him, what did God still say to Elijah to reassure him (Verse 15)?  Why might Elijah have been afraid to go with them?  What things can we fear when interacting with other who we know do not follow Christ?  What truths about our Lord and who He has called us to be can take away our fears?
  3. Considering the fact that Ahaziah was more interested in hearing from Baal-Zebub first, what did he really want to hear from Elijah?  Would he have truly wanted to hear from the Lord or would he have wanted to keep trying until he changed the Lord’s word?  How could this desire be a possible motivator for people today who want to hear from God, when He has given us His sufficient word (2 Timothy 3:16-17)?   How could this desire for a new word become a troublesome temptation?

Devotional: Psalm 89

Today’s passage: Psalm 89

Helpful thoughts:

  • This psalm could be divided into three parts:
    • Verses 1-37 recount the promises of God, His covenant with David and Israel.
    • Verses 38-45 give the perception of the psalmist at the time of his writing.  All was not well.  It seemed God had forgotten His covenant.
    • Verses 46-59 are utilized to make the request from the Lord to remember His people and take away their reproach.
  • God is faithful and will fulfill His covenant with David and Israel.  A King will reign who has descended from David, forever. (Matthew 1:1-17)
  • The “firstborn” (Verse 27) is a term of prominence.  Being the firstborn in a family meant special honor and double inheritance.  Being chosen as “firstborn” was a term used in special circumstances by God.
    • Israel was the “firstborn” among the nations. (Exodus 4:22)
    • David was the “firstborn” among the kings of the earth. (Vs. 27)
    • Jesus is the “firstborn” among all creation. (Colossians 1:15)

Questions to consider:

  1. What is the challenge of verse 39?  Had God truly renounced the covenant and defiled the crown?  How do verses 30-37 help us answer this?  Who had sinned and what was God going to do about it?
  2. Had we been with the psalmist when he wrote this appeal to God, how might we better understand where he was coming from?  In the midst of their trouble, why would it make sense to ask God these questions and appeal to His character and promises?
  3. How does going to and knowing the promises of God in the Scripture help us to persevere during hardships?  How is all of this going to end? (Revelation 21:1-5)  Why is it always right to take our concerns directly to God, especially when we might feel like He isn’t doing what we expect Him to do?

Devotional: Psalm 88

Today’s passage: Psalm 88

Helpful thoughts:

  • This psalm of lament does not have a happy ending in sight, though there certainly is one in store (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
  • Throughout the Old Testament, we see many in Israel turn to false gods for answers.  This writer continues to pray to the one true God through the adversity and feelings of hopelessness.  Though he was physically sick, he had been spiritually (Therefore eternally) healed.
  • He writes from the perspective of the living (Physically).  Verse 5, 10 and 11 speak of our actions and relationship with God and others while still physically alive.

Questions to consider:

  1. What is the psalmists view of God’s sovereignty?  Is there anything in his life he has not attributed to God’s will?
  2. On what basis does the psalmist make his appeal?  What does he hope to regain if he should be given good health?  What does he hope to do in service to the Lord?
  3. In what ways can our afflictions give us a platform to do the very thing we would hope to do without them?  This psalmist want to declare God’s glory and steadfast love…what did we just read him doing?  How can God use our faithfulness in the midst of suffering for our good, for the good of others, and for His glory?

Devotional: Psalm 87

Today’s passage: Psalm 87

Helpful thoughts:

  • “Rahab” is another word that was used to refer to Egypt during those times.  All those mentioned in verse 4 are nations/cities surrounding Israel that will one day worship the Lord in Zion, happily recognizing the Lord’s favor for Israel and Jerusalem.
  • Zion will be established because the Most High Himself has set His love on her.  This is a work of gracious love, ultimately made possible through sacrifice.
  • The “springs” are sources of joy, blessing, and life.  All our “springs” are from the Lord.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why won’t those from Gentile nations be offended that God did not choose Cairo, Beirut, even Mecca…or Grand Rapids over Jerusalem?  What will be true of all worshipers of Yahweh in that day? (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)
  2. What would have been important for the Jews to remember about their homeland, or even their hometown (Being born in Jerusalem)?  What are we prone to do when we hear that we are pretty special in some way?  Are we humbled by that or do our heads start to swell?  Why are you a Christian?  Why will you share in this eternal inheritance?
  3. How can the promises of God’s covenants encourage us through the hardships of our time?  How do the troubles of our day compare or fit into the big picture of world history?  Where is world history trending toward?  Who wins?  And…how great is our God that He also cares about our daily concerns and desires for us to cast those daily cares on Him?

Devotional: Psalm 86

Today’s passage: Psalm 86

Helpful thoughts:

  • Whenever trouble comes, we have at least two options.  One is always to try to figure it out ourselves…and worry.  The other option is to take it to our almighty, faithful loving Father in prayer.
    • If David didn’t believe the things he was praying about God, this prayer would not have done much to calm his own heart.  Sometimes we say words like these in prayer in hopes they will “work” in taking away our hardships, when in reality, part of the working of this kind of prayer is to put us at rest in Him.
  • Verse 2 could be tricky to interpret correctly.  David called himself “godly” or “holy” as part of his appeal for God’s intervention.  This was not an appeal to how great David was…he didn’t think God owed it to him as a favor.
    • David is “holy” in that God has consecrated him, or set him apart from others.  The word “holy” means set apart, unlike the rest.  God sanctifies His people this way when he places us in Christ!
    • So, verse 2 could be understood this way, Preserve my life, because I am Yours (Set apart); and You are mine (My God);save your servant who trusts in You.
  • When David prays, “Unite my heart to fear your name,” he is praying for victory over double-mindedness.  This is the same struggle shared by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:13-25.  It’s also the same as the beatitude of Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart.”

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is it important that David requested things like the uniting of his heart (Single-mindedness) from God as opposed to telling God that he was going to work really hard on making that happen himself?  What does a right understanding of grace do for our humility and our praise as we see growth in our walk with Christ?
  2. Do you think the sign David is asking for in verse 17 is a sign like Gideon asked for (The dry or wet ground and fleece)?  Or, was David asking for victory over these foes which would be a sign of encouragement to him and of warning to those who would oppose the Lord’s chosen king of Israel?
  3. Given the last four verses of this psalm, what events and concerns may have been the leading objects of David’s struggle to be of one mind?  How was this prayer itself a battle for his mind, and a winning strategy at that?  What concerns tend to pull your attention away from your Lord and Savior?  What promises has He made that you could appeal to Him in prayer today?