You Can Read the Bible Guided Podcast

In these chapters, and often throughout his book, Luke presents plenty of images of Jesus in daily life.  Yesterday He was invited to teach in the synagogue, which was quite an honor but not an extraordinary one.  Today Jesus goes fishing… for both fish, and men.  He has dinner with acquaintances and picks grain in a field.  Twice He withdraws to desolate places to pray.  And almost daily He teaches and heals the crowds who come to Him. 

I encourage you to not just look at these as human-interest tidbits, but rather to imagine the purpose they serve for the author.  Remember that Luke set out to write an orderly account, compiling a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us.  He would not have unlimited parchment at His disposal, nor would his readers have an unlimited attention span.  It’s safe to assume that he is executing a plan to show details that he believes are important.

Today’s reading breaks neatly into three basic sections.  In the first, short narrative, Jesus heads out on the lake with Simon, James, and John, where He not only astonishes them but invites them to leave everything and follow Him.  The middle section, which crosses between chapters 5 and 6, is highlighted by four encounters with the Pharisees.  Tensions had surely simmered in the background since His escape from the Nazareth synagogue, and today they take issue with Jesus declaring forgiveness of sins, dining with tax collectors, healing and even plucking grain on the Sabbath.

The third section is launched when Jesus sets aside twelve in the middle of chapter 6 – calling them Apostles – or “Ones who are sent.”  He then teaches them what it means to be His apostle – what it means to “call Him Lord:”  “As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”  Pull out of this collection as much as you can; read it again, and often:  For “everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them… is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”

Our verse for this week is Psalm 27:1: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Luke chapters 5 and 6.  Now let’s read it!

When Solomon’s reign was still young, the author of Kings evoked the promise the LORD had made to Abram, noting that Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea.  Furthermore, …They ate and drank and were happy. Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

But that was over eighty years ago.  The LORD has kept His promises to Abraham, but Abraham’s children have not reciprocated.  Judah and Israel are now two kingdoms; Judah’s kings have wavered between fidelity and idolatry; Israel’s have followed in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 

That sin destroys Ahaziah in 2 Kings chapter 1, who takes over the northern kingdom after Ahab’s death in the battle for Ramoth-gilead.  As his father’s death was random except for the hand of the LORD, so is Ahaziah’s: he is killed not by an accidental fall, but by soliciting the prophets of Baal-zebub, rather than the LORD.  And as Ahab’s death was prophesied by Elijah, so is Ahaziah’s. 

This completes the work of Elijah.  His was a fitful ministry marked by intense faith that the LORD is God: often on the run for his life, courageously returning when the LORD compelled him to.   Yet he never bowed in deference to a king, but proclaimed the word of the LORD, before whom I stand.  Through Elijah we see a depth of faith, and a glimpse at the emotional and physical life of a prophet, that we haven’t been privy to since Moses. 

The final episode of Elijah’s story, at the start chapter 2, begins with the climax: Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind…  Marvel and delight that the Biblical author doesn’t explain the mechanics of this: as Elijah and his protégé Elisha walk along the Jordan – that great boundary line of the Promised Land – chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them….and [Elisha] saw him no more.

Elijah’s cloak falls to Elisha’s feet, and through the rest of chapter 2 we discover that a double portion of Elijah’s spirit has indeed fallen on him as well.   Listen throughout chapters 2 and 3 as the LORD shows not only His power, but also His hand on, and words in, Elijah’s successor. 

In chapter 3 the kings of Israel head out to fight against Moab, which has rebelled against the king of Israel.  Remember that Moab has been subject to Israel and Judah since the days of David, and was also the home of David’s ancestress, Ruth.  Elisha’s power has been revealed to prophets, to Jericho, and to a pack of boys.  Here, on the plains of Moab, the LORD’s spirit in Elisha, fidelity to His people, and contempt for the king of Israel will intersect.  

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Kings 1 through 3.  Now let’s read it!

In all four gospels, the authors launch the story of Jesus’ ministry by introducing John, the Baptist, son of Zechariah. Like the others, Luke recalls John’s message, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But Luke doesn’t just stop there. In answer to the crowd’s question, “What then shall we do?” John provides an answer: “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none…” to the tax collectors, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do…” and to the soldiers, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusations…”

John then answers his listeners’ expectation: Could he be the Christ? No, he replies, “I baptize you with water but He who is mightier than I is coming… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand. These early emphases of Luke’s – of the conduct that reflects repentance, of Jesus’ separating wheat from chaff – can be tucked away for future reference. Introductions have a way of setting the stage for themes that are important to the author.

It’s fitting to read Luke’s gospel in sequence with Matthew’s, because some of their emphases are quite distinct from each other. For example, Matthew routinely cites prophecy; Luke’s focus is the signs and wonders associated with Jesus’ birth and life. In the birth narratives, Matthew’s spotlight favors Joseph, while Luke’s attention is almost exclusively on Mary.

Even their genealogies of Jesus take different tracks: Matthew follows Joseph’s line back through David to Abraham. Luke traces Mary’s line through David, but through Abraham all the way to Adam. Again, there could be themes established here as well.

Chapter 4 opens as Jesus is led from the Jordan into the wilderness, being tempted by the devil for forty days. Three specific temptations are recounted, and in the first two Jesus responds with Scripture. In the third, the devil himself teases Jesus with Scripture, but Jesus again rises above. He then returns to Galilee, again, in Luke’s observation, in the power of the Spirit, and taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

The next story, which begins when Jesus came to Nazareth, is pivotal. Read it slowly, placing yourself in the room as Jesus takes the Isaiah scroll, reads the words “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me...because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, recovering of sight, liberty to those who are oppressed…to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor” then sits back down, and explains, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Our verse for this week is Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Luke chapters 3 and 4. Now let’s read it!

As 1 Kings draws to a close, we’ve gone around 80 years since the kingdom was split in two, up to around 853 B.C.  The recent stories have taken place in and around the northern kingdom of Israel, where Ahab was king.  For the past twenty years Jehoshaphat, whom you’ll meet today, has been ruling in the southern kingdom of Judah. 

The strength and relative wealth of both Israel and Judah point to an era of peace in the region.  For decades North and South had warred with each other.  A series of coups rattled Israel, and Rehoboam and his son had short, turbulent reigns in Judah.  But Judah found faithful kings in Asa and Jehoshaphat, and Omri and Ahab, for their profound apostasy at least provided political stability for Israel. 

However, much of that peace will be rattled today.  Ahab and Jehoshaphat ally on a project to reclaim Ramoth-gilead, formerly a City of Refuge belonging to the tribe of Gad, but now in the hands of Syria.  But the foray is ill-fated, and will bring about Ahab’s prophesied end. 

However, Ahab’s demise does not come soon enough for Naboth, who owns a piece of land that Ahab covets.  Jezebel coaches her husband to behave even more like every other king, orchestrating Naboth’s elaborate execution on trumped-up charges.  Elijah reemerges from hiding to confront Ahab with the word of the LORD: “…Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD…I will bring disaster upon you.” 

Then in chapter 22 we come to the foray in Ramoth-gilead I referenced earlier.  In preparation for battle, Ahab and Jehoshaphat call prophets to seek the LORD’s intentions.  All the prophets predict, in the LORD’s name, a great victory. 

But Ahab calls for one more prophet, one whom he curiously trusts to give him a straight answer: Micaiah.  What follows is one of the more curious dialogues in a book full of curious prophetic exchanges.  Micaiah promises the LORD will give Ahab the victory; Ahab doesn’t believe him; so Micaiah proclaims that Israel will lose its shepherd; Ahab is incensed, the other prophets are furious, and Micaiah gets thrown in jail, to be dealt with when Ahab returns. 

One of the many details to catch here is that Micaiah first tells Ahab that he will triumph, with the LORD blessing, when he clearly will not.  Was Micaiah deliberately misleading Ahab?  Was the LORD?  Or was Ahab judged for his lack of trust in the LORD?  Read thoroughly, keeping in mind that we’re talking about Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like no one else.

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Kings 21 and 22.  Now let’s read it!