Power Read The Bible In 60 Days With Jeff AndersonUzorak

Day 18

SEE THE BIG PICTURE

[Scheduled Reading: 1 Kings 21-22; 2 Kings 1-14]

Some reading segments are harder than others. Today’s read can be difficult. Maybe even like reading Leviticus!

Bouncing around from king to king (mostly bad ones), and back and forth between Judah and Israel, tripping over difficult-to-remember names and depressing themes. Focus is hard.

These were dark times for Israel. Famine, constant war, wickedness. In 2 Kings, we have:

• Two starving mothers forced to cook their sons to eat (Ch. 6)
• Jezebel thrown from a tower and devoured by dogs (Ch. 9)
• A king’s mother kills the entire royal family - except for a child who escapes (Ch. 11)
• Even the somewhat good kings had dark tasks to perform – Jehu invites 80 prophets of Baal to a worship gathering so he can have them slaughtered (Ch. 10)
• And some weird stuff, too – a dead man touches the bones of Elisha and is resurrected (Ch. 13)

With an eye on the big picture, here’s what’s happening...

Solomon’s fade from God set in motion a downward spiral for both of the resulting kingdoms, Judah and Israel. Both are headed toward captivity and we’re in the final stretch.

Hang on readers…