Read To Me Daily Semester 4Uzorak

2CHRONICLES 24-25:
In 2nd Chronicles yesterday we heard of Ahaziah’s one year reign, and then the reign of his mother, Athaliah. The baby Joash was the only royal descendant of David saved from the slaughter ordered by Athaliah. He was raised in the temple by the high priest Jehoiada and his wife Jehosheba. When Joash reached only seven years old, Jehoiada mounted a dangerous coup, which succeeded.

ECCLESIASTES 2b:
In Ecclesiastes chapter 1, Solomon despaired that life is meaningless and useless, and he found no hope of making the situation any better. In chapter 2, Solomon tells how he sought to find meaning in life through pleasure, folly, wine, and hard work. He didn’t find success there. As far as Solomon could see, both the wise man and the fool share the same fate.

MATTHEW 16:
In yesterday’s reading, Matthew gave more than one hint that Jesus’ work would benefit more than just the Jews. Note that the baskets used in the feeding of the 5,000 were different than the baskets used for the feeding of the 4,000. In the first miracle, the smaller Jewish basket was used. But in the feeding of the 4,000, the larger Gentile basket was used. (This was the same size basket that was used to lower Paul down from the wall at Damascus.)

Let’s pray.
Our heavenly Father and Almighty God, we might strive with all our might and finally become king, and rule a vast domain. But what would we gain? Nothing. And all the time, we might think that we were really succeeding in life. In the end, all that we gain slips through our fingers and evaporates like mist. Yet we see people striving for kingship of one kind or another in every news program. Things might be so much different if our kings (or elected officials) had bothered to think about Solomon’s teachings. Even if we were kings, at the end of our lives, how could any of us expect to find your approval? If we are Israelites, we would be found at best to be ‘lost sheep’. But it is more likely that we would be classed as dogs. None of us have a legal right to insist that we must be saved. But, our Lord God, there is something You delight in honoring: Great faith. So may we fully believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of David, the one that you sent to be our King of Salvation.