Daily reading
Today’s reading is: Jonah 1-4; 2 Kgs. 13:12-13; 14:1-27; 15:1-5; 2 Chr. 25:1-26:21
Video
Jonah Chapter One
- The Lord commissioned Jonah to deliver a prophetic message to the Assyrian people of Nineveh (Jon. 1:1-2).
- Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord (Jon. 1:3).
- This was a fruitless effort according to the Word of God (Ps. 139:7-12).
- He attempted it anyway, as he was angry at the thought of an Assyrian revival (Jon. 4:2).
- Tarshish is not identified today with 100% certainty, but the most likely candidate is a Phoenician mining & smelting colony in the western Mediterranean (such as Spain).
- Jonah refused to go to the great city (v.2), fled on the great sea, where a great wind (v.4a) caused a great storm (vv.4b,12), produced great fear (v.16), motivated his being thrown overboard to be swallowed by a great fish (v.17).
- Jonah becomes a type of Christ, in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights (Jon. 1:17; Matt. 12:40).
Jonah Chapter Two
- Jonah’s prayer to the Lord was the prayer of a dying man, from the belly of the whale, and from the brink of the pit (Jon. 2:1-9).
- The Lord delivered Jonah’s body from the fish, and Jonah’s soul from the pit (Jon. 2:10).
Jonah Chapter Three
- Jonah is instructed for the second time to go to Nineveh (Jon. 3:2), and this time he obeys (Jon. 3:3).
- The journey through Nineveh took three days (Jon. 3:3), but the Assyrians responded to Jonah’s message on the first day (Jon. 3:4).
- The Assyrian repentance included their population, their king, their nobles, and even their animals (Jon. 3:5-9).
- The Lord rewarded their repentance with a grace delay in their Divine discipline (Jon. 3:10; Nahum).
Jonah Chapter Four
- Jonah became angry at the Lord’s compassion (Jon. 4:1-4).
- He requested his own physical death (v.3).
- He refused to answer the Lord’s question (v.4).
- The Lord faithfully illustrated His grace for Jonah to learn from (Jon. 4:5-11).
2nd Kings Chapter Thirteen
(vv.12,13 included in yesterday’s outline)
2nd Kings Chapter Fourteen
- In the course of chapter thirteen & fourteen, the TTB2022 Ron Rhodes reading has three side-trips.
- In between 2nd Kgs. 13; 14 we will be reading the Books of Joel & Jonah.
- In between 2nd Kgs. 14:27,28 we will be reading the Book of Amos.
- The reign of Amaziah is described (2nd Kgs. 14:1-20).
- He was basically a good king, along the lines of his father Joash, but not as devout as his father David (v.3).
- First, he executed the conspirators who assassinated his father (v.5).
- He also enjoyed a military victory over Edom (v.7), but a suffered humiliating defeat against Israel (vv.8-14).
- Jehoash’s defeat of Amaziah occurred shortly before Jehoash died, and was succeeded by his son Jeroboam II (2nd Kgs. 14:15-16 ≈ 2nd Kgs. 13:12-13).
- The final 15 years of Amaziah’s life appear to have been shamefully humiliating, and he was assassinated by a conspiracy of his own servants (2nd Kgs. 14:17-20).
(Chapter Fourteen outline continues on Day 178)
2nd Kings Chapter Fifteen
- The reign of Azariah (Uzziah) is described (2nd Kgs. 15:1-7).
- Azariah & Uzziah are different names for the same king (2nd Kgs. 15:1,32).
- Azariah is commonly a name given to the priestly descendants of Zadok (1st Chr. 6:8-15).
- The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia lists a total of 23 different OT characters named Azariah, including Daniel’s young friend who is renamed Abed-nego (Dan. 1:6-7).
- Although Azariah/Uzziah was a good king, he became prideful, and ended his days as a leper (2nd Kgs. 15:5; 2nd Chr. 26:16-23).
(Chapter Fifteen outline continues on Day 178)
2nd Chronicles Chapter Twenty-Five
- Chapter 25 describes the 29 year reign of mostly good King Amaziah (2nd Chr. 25:1-28; 2nd Kgs. 14:1-20).
- Amaziah executed his father’s assassins, but out of reverence for the Law of Moses (Deut. 24:16), left the children of those assassins alive (2nd Chr. 25:1-4).
- Amaziah sparked a tremendous military buildup (2nd Chr. 25:5-10).
- He mustered his own forces, and hired a mercenary force from the northern Kingdom of Israel (vv.5,6).
- An unnamed prophet rebuked Amaziah for his alliance with the northern kingdom (vv.7,8).
- Amaziah responded to the rebuke—even though it cost him financially (vv.9,10).
- Amaziah’s victory in Edom was particularly brutal (2nd Chr. 25:11-13).
- Amaziah chose to worship the very Edomite idols that he had captured from Edom (2nd Chr. 25:14-16). The Lord dispatched a prophet to rebuke Amaziah, but Amaziah rejected the rebuke.
- Amaziah’s pride after the Edom campaign caused him to challenge the northern Kingdom of Israel (2nd Chr. 25:17-21; 2nd Kgs. 14:8-11).
- Joash of Israel crushes Amaziah in a humiliating defeat. Joash plunders Jerusalem, and leaves Amaziah to the mercies of the elders of Judah (2nd Chr. 25:22-24; 2nd Kgs. 14:12-14).
- The elders of Judah assassinated Amaziah like they had done to his father (2nd Chr. 25:25-28; 2nd Kgs. 14:17-20).
- Azariah/Uzziah becomes the next King of Judah (2nd Chr. 26:1; 2nd Kgs. 14:21).
- The chronology of the Amaziah & Azariah reigns is a puzzle for students of the OT.
- Anchor Bible Dictionary has Amaziah’s 29 year reign from 798-769BC, and Azariah’s 52 year reign from 785-733BC.
- These time frames reflect the text of 2nd Kings which relate Amaziah & Azariah to the reign of Joash in the northern Kingdom of Israel, and indicate an overlapping co-regency in the south.
2nd Chronicles Chapter Twenty-Six
- Chapter 26 describes the 52 year reign of King Uzziah (called Azariah in 2nd Kings) (2nd Chr. 26:1-23; 2nd Kgs. 15:1-7).
- He was made king by popular opinion of the people of Judah (2nd Chr. 26:1).
- He functions in some respect as king before his father dies (2nd Chr. 26:2).
- The summary of his reign describes the entire time frame of 52 years, including his vice-regency under Amaziah, and Jotham’s vice-regency under him (2nd Chr. 26:3-5).
- Like his father Amaziah, Uzziah built a large military force, and achieved great military victories (2nd Chr. 26:6-15).
- Like his father Amaziah, Uzziah’s victories plunged him into pride (2nd Chr. 26:16-20).
- He entered into the Holy Place to burn incense on the altar of incense.
- The High Priest Azariah led a force of priests to oppose the king, and rebuke his pride.
- Like his father Amaziah, Uzziah failed to respond to the Lord’s rebuke, and was disciplined with leprosy for the rest of his physical life.
(Chapter Twenty-Six outline continues on Day 178)