Spiritual Training

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April 23 - Evening

"After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them,
'Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.'
But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,
“'Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them,
"Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?" Therefore this is what the Lord says: "You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!" '
So Elijah went."

- Second Kings 1:1-4

Israel's King Seeks Council from "The Lord of the Flies"


The land of Moab used the death of Ahab as an opportunity to rebel against Israel who had collected a yearly tribute from them. Ahab’s son Ahaziah succeeded him on the throne, but Ahaziah had fallen from his upper room through the lattice.

Instead of seeking godly council or help from Elijah or Elisha this king who was indoctrinated with pagan philosophies and demonic worship sent messengers to a city of the Philistines 60 miles away from Samaria to seek insight concerning his injury from Baal-Zebub. This is likely an intentional corruption of the name of the god Baal-Zebul which sarcastically transforms the god’s name from “Lord the Prince” (Baal-Zebul) to “Lord of the flies!” (Baal-Zebub). Consider Jezebel’s name. Ahaziah's mother's name was not Jezebub, but Jezebel, or Je-zebel, which meant, “Where is the prince?” and not “Where are the flies?” The biblical writers were likely scorning this god that they hated. (Consider the scorn Gideon meant when he changed his name to Jerub-baal to mock the powerless threats of the priest of Baal in Judges 6:31-32 and 7:1, etc.)

Elijah intercepts the messengers and rebukes them and their king for not consulting the Lord, and sends them back with an answer before they have a chance to reach Ekron. They are to tell the son of Ahab and Jezebel, King Ahaziah, “You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”
Pharmakon (Gr) – sorcery (Eng) – pharmakon is Greek word which literally meant “a drug” and “the preparing and using medicine.” Since drugs were used to cast spells and incantations the word pharmakon and pharmakeia meant “an incantation” and “enchantment.” Pharmakeia (pharmakon) can be found in Galatians 5:20; Revelation 9:21 and 18:23. The NIV translates it as “magic arts.”
Do I seek advice and help from worthless places and sources empty of truth and reality?
I will consider who and where I seek council.



Bible Reading Descriptions Here

Narrative

(morning only)

Complete Text

General Text




Personal

Spouse

Church

Desire to know Christ better
Minorities
China, Taiwan



Robinson's Arch on the southwest corner of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. (Details)
A map identifies the locations mentioned in 2 Kings 13:20-21 and associated with the raising of a dead man by the bones of Elisha.




Someone to Quote

“The human mind, has no more power of inventing a new value than of imagining a new primary color, or, indeed, of creating a new sun and a new sky for it to move in.” – C.S. Lewis

Something to Ponder

The Two Kingdoms:
God’s and Satan’s

Type:
Light vs. Darkness
King:
Jesus  vs. Satan
Residents:
Believers vs. Unbelievers
Quality:
Abundance vs.  Lack
Servants:
Angels vs.Demons/Fallen An.
Character:
Love  vs. Selfishness
Time:
Eternal  vs. Temporal


Here’s a Fact

Thessalonica (modern Salonica) is located on ancient Rome’s famous highway Via Egnatia. Archaeologists found the term “politarchs” used by Luke in Acts 17:6 to identify the magistrates and Thessalonica’s city officials. Skeptics had criticized Luke’s use of the words as a mistake and challenged the authenticity of Luke’s authorship of the book of Acts because this word “politarchs” had never been seen in other Greek literature. But, when the word “politarchs” was discovered in several inscriptions on monuments and buildings in Thessalonica the critic’s ignorance and arrogance was manifest and the authenticity of Luke’s work confirmed.

Proverb

"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die."
- Proverbs 13:13

Coach’s Corner

Renewing your mind to God’s Truth and being conformed into the image of his son will require that a large portion of your time and thoughts be spent on that task.

Judges 6:31-32
New International Version (NIV)
31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”
___
Judges 7:1
New International Version (NIV)
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2 Kings 13:20-21
New International Version (NIV)
20 Elisha died and was buried.
Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring.
21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
2 Samuel 20
New International Version (NIV)
Sheba Rebels Against David
20 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,
“We have no share in David,     no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, Israel!”
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.” So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.
11 One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. 13 After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites, who gathered together and followed him. 15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, 16 a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17 He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.”
22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officials
23 Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
1 Chronicles 2
New International Version (NIV)
Israel’s Sons
These were the sons of Israel:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Judah
To Hezron’s Sons
The sons of Judah:
Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah. He had five sons in all.
The sons of Perez:
Hezron and Hamul.
The sons of Zerah:
Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda—five in all.
The son of Karmi:
Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things.
The son of Ethan:
Azariah.
The sons born to Hezron were:
Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb.
From Ram Son of Hezron
10 Ram was the father of
Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, the leader of the people of Judah. 11 Nahshon was the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, 12 Boaz the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse.
13 Jesse was the father of
Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, 14 the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, 15 the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. 16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. 17 Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
Caleb Son of Hezron
18 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah (and by Jerioth). These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri the father of Bezalel.
21 Later, Hezron, when he was sixty years old, married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead. He made love to her, and she bore him Segub. 22 Segub was the father of Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in Gilead. 23 (But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair, as well as Kenath with its surrounding settlements—sixty towns.) All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead.
24 After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah the wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
Jerahmeel Son of Hezron
25 The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron:
Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.
27 The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel:
Maaz, Jamin and Eker.
28 The sons of Onam:
Shammai and Jada.
The sons of Shammai:
Nadab and Abishur.
29 Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, who bore him Ahban and Molid.
30 The sons of Nadab:
Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.
31 The son of Appaim:
Ishi, who was the father of Sheshan.
Sheshan was the father of Ahlai.
32 The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother:
Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.
33 The sons of Jonathan:
Peleth and Zaza.
These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.
34 Sheshan had no sons—only daughters.
He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore him Attai.
36 Attai was the father of Nathan,
Nathan the father of Zabad,
37 Zabad the father of Ephlal,
Ephlal the father of Obed,
38 Obed the father of Jehu,
Jehu the father of Azariah,
39 Azariah the father of Helez,
Helez the father of Eleasah,
40 Eleasah the father of Sismai,
Sismai the father of Shallum,
41 Shallum the father of Jekamiah,
and Jekamiah the father of Elishama.
The Clans of Caleb
42 The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel:
Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron.
43 The sons of Hebron:
Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. 44 Shema was the father of Raham, and Raham the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. 45 The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
46 Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.
47 The sons of Jahdai:
Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph.
48 Caleb’s concubine Maakah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also gave birth to Shaaph the father of Madmannah and to Sheva the father of Makbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Aksah. 50 These were the descendants of Caleb.
The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah:
Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim, 51 Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.
52 The descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim were:
Haroeh, half the Manahathites, 53 and the clans of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites.
54 The descendants of Salma:
Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the clans of scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the Rekabites.


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