Happy Tuesday y’all! Today I’ll be sharing verses from the books of first and second Kings. While searching for some favorites I came across some major themes – following God’s commands, our stubbornness and God’s faithfulness, and repentance. In one verse we will see how God answers with power, in another we will see his answer come in a whisper. We will see miracles, praises and prayers. So let’s jump in!
I + II Kings
1 Kings 2:1-4 – When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
In this passage we see David imparting key pieces of wisdom to his son. Be strong. Walk in the ways of the Lord. Keep His statues. And then we see a promise that comes with that. ‘That you may prosper in all you do.’ God promises that His children, who follow Him and His Word, will prosper. Another word for prosper is flourish. Those that truly seek Him will always flourish – definitely not always physically – God also promises hardships- but always spiritually.
1 Kings 8:22-23 – Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;
Solomon is praising the Lord for his faithfulness and steadfast love. May this be our worshipping prayer as well. “Oh Lord God, there is no God like you!”
1 Kings 8:33-40 – “When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.
“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.
This passage is a call to repentance. In our sinful world we face many problems and trials. May these struggles bring us to our knees to pray for repentance in our nation. God often uses natural disasters, wars, and upheavals to bring sinful nations to repent and turn from their wicked ways. As believers, we are called to pray for this revival and always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in us.
1 Kings 8:56 – “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.
This is beautiful. Blessed be the Lord! Not ONE word has failed of his good promise. We see all throughout scripture promises that He has spoken to His children – many of these promises which are still true for us today. And it is still just as true that God keeps His promises. He has never failed one.
1 Kings 8:61– Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
Whenever we are reading God’s Word, it’s important to read in context. This verse comes shortly after the verse above, about God’s promises. Notice that we don’t keep His commandments in order that He keeps His promises. We don’t work so we can receive grace. We receive grace so we can work. He gives us promises and He keeps them; therefore, let your heart be wholly true.
1 Kings 18:37-39 – Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
Elijah prays that God would do a mighty work so that the people would see that He truly is God. The Lord responds with a mighty fire and the people fall to their faces in worship. Think about this – how many times in the Old Testament did God show His power in such a mighty way that all the people fell to their knees and repented. (Matthew 27:39-40- Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”) (Matthew 26:53 – Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?) The God who called down fire from heaven and had legions of angels at His disposal, CHOSE to stay on that cross to die for YOUR sins.
1 Kings 19:11-12 – And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
Right after Eijah witnesses this powerful work of the Lord, He escapes to a place of seclusion and cries out to the Lord. He is spiritually exhausted. The Lord comforts him, feeds him and brings him sleep. He encourages his soul with a low whisper. Sometimes God speaks with a loud booming miracle, but many times, He speaks to us with a still, small voice – often through His Word.
2 Kings 6:15-17 – When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Our last five verses will be from 2 Kings. Elijah has passed on and his predecessor, Elisha has asked for and received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (or should we say God’s Spirit). Elisha’s servant is terrified to find himself surrounded by a destroying army. Elisha himself shows know worry. Instead, he prays that his servant’s eyes may be open. The servant’s eyes are opened, and he sees the bigger picture – God’s still got this under control.
2 Kings 6:1-7 – Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
I once heard a sermon preached on this section of verses that really impacted me. When the man’s axe flies into the water he cries out for help. Imagine what would have happened if he didn’t cry out for help. Picture this as our Christian lives. What do we do when we find we are chopping with a missing axe head. We’ve messed up. We find that somewhere along the way, we’ve lost focus. Do we keep swinging, as if nothing happened, hoping everyone will think we are still doing fine? Or do we cry out for help? “Alas my master!” Help! Crying out for help is one of the hardest and greatest things we can do.
2 Kings 13:20-21 – So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
The end of Elisha’s life has come. Remember that Elisha asked God for a double portion of Eijah’s spirit. If you read back through scripture, you discover that Elisha has worked exactly double as many miracles as Eiljah… minus one. After he dies this verse happens. God winks. “Double!”
2 Kings 17:13-15 – Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.
Read this again carefully, allowing God to search your heart. May this not be you and me. Idols like sports, work, hobbies, our phone, our time, people. Anything you feel you can’t go without should be carefully examined as an idol. How much time do you spend on your idol vs. how much do you spend with God? I am constantly convicted of not putting God first in my life. It can be so easy to lose focus. May we always allow God to pull us back to Him again.
2 Kings 22:18-20 – But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’” And they brought back word to the king.
And now we see the opposite. Repentance. May this be us!
God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you!
May He draw you ever nearer and deeper to Himself. May He give you a desire to search His Word!
Bursting Through The Darkness 
These verses are so rich with truth, and your notes on them so insightful!! Thank you for sharing it!
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You are welcome 💖 God’s Word is so powerful!
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