Baldhead Bible Podcast

King Amaziah is a fool. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and fools despise wisdom and instruction. Well, King Amaziah was a fool because he followed God, but not wholeheartedly, and in that, he was a fool. Amaziah came to the throne at the age of 25, taking over from his murdered father, Jehoash. He had the chance to do what was right and to obey Yahweh and follow him all his days. But instead, Amaziah chose to imitate his father's heart and follow the LORD a little bit, but mainly with very little loyalty. What will happen to him and southern Israel? Listen on to find out. To follow along, turn to 2 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 25.

This week we say goodbye to the prophet Elisha. After 56 years of serving Yahweh, he finally gets to go home and be with the LORD he loves forever. But even on his deathbed, Elisha continues to minister and try to call the people of Israel back to the service and worship of Yahweh. He calls for the young apostate King of Northern Israel Jehoash and offers to bless him with a bow and arrows. Listen on to hear more of Elisha's final hours and the miracle Elisha performs even after death.

Joash was rescued from certain death by the heroics of Jehosheba and Jehoiada. Without their intervention, he would have indeed died. And then they instructed Joash in the things of the Lord and raised him to be a godly King once he took back the throne from the wicked Queen Athaliah. Joash even demonstrated his faith by caring enough to prioritize rebuilding the temple of the Lord. Joash loved Yahweh and was going to be a godly King the rest of his days. But then Jehoiada died, and Joash now had to be King and follow God on his own. He would do great because he demonstrated faith in God already. Or would he? This week's story is a warning for our age and anyone who cares about their children's faith. Do they own their faith, or is it all outwardly expressing love for you, but not for God?

Jehosheba is a name that I want you to remember. I hope her name goes down in history as one of the great women of faith. Because without her choice to stand up to evil, we wouldn't have the Messiah, the Davidic line would have been lost forever. Who is she and what is her story? Listen to this week's podcast to hear more about her and her courageous act.

We are in a cosmic battle. The forces of darkness versus the forces of light. Yahweh versus Satan. And you are part of this great battle. Our story this week makes the case that God will use you to accomplish His will on earth. And when He does use you, will you follow the call and be fully surrendered to His will? Or will you be like Jehu and instead offer an "incomplete obedience"? Listen on to hear the rest of the story of Jehu.

Elisha sends one of the sons of the prophets to find Jehu, a commander in the army of Northern Israel, and to anoint him the new King of Israel. The only problem is that Israel already has a King, and his name is Jehoram. And Jehoram and the King of Judah, Ahaziah, are friends who will work together to help each other maintain their throne. But this command to anoint Jehu King of Israel came from God through Elisha. How is this going to happen? How will God affect His will against two powerful Kings? Listen on to find out and to find out how Jezebel finally gets the punishment she deserves for all her wickedness.

What would you like to have put on your tombstone at the end of your life? What would you want God to say about your life, its work, and whether your life was worthy of praise? Would you want God to say you died to no one's regret? Well, God did say that about someone, and this week we will learn more about this man and the sad cautionary tale that his life takes. To follow along read 2 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 21.

The writer of 2 Kings loves to talk about the wonders of Yahweh, especially as seen through the work and ministry of the Prophet Elijah. We have been hearing about some of his stories that are found in 2 Kings. This week we get to hear two of them: one good and one bad. Both of them show God working in mysterious ways, and both involve our man Elisha. Listen on to find out what happens.

This week we tell one of the saddest and most horrific stories in the Bible. It reveals the depths of depravity that humanity can fall too, while also revealing the miracle-working God that Elisha serves. I want to warn parents and younger listeners that this week's episode contains material that might be too scary and emotional for younger children and some adults. So please read the end of chapter six in Second Kings first before proceeding.

Have you ever asked the Lord for help over something that you feel is too trivial a concern for the God of the whole universe? Well, in this week's story, we hear a cry for help that seems pretty mundane: I lost my friend's ax. But how God responds, through His servant Elisha, is an encouraging story to make all our requests known to God. And then we end with one of the best demonstrations of the supernatural world written in the Bible. So this week, we go from the commonplace to the sublime, and along the way, we also learn a little more about the wonderful God we serve.