May 5, 2025 Monday
Jeremiah 47 and 2 Kings 14
In Jeremiah 47 the Philistines are judged and at this time in 2025 Israel is about to bring the same judgment upon Gaza. It is evident that this judgment is due to pride revealed in idolatry also revealed in their attacks against Israel. In 2 Kings 14 pride creeps into Amaziah after his victory against the Edomites so that he fights against the northern tribes of Israel which God did not tell him to fight. Thus he is defeated and humiliated by Northern Israel.
Jer 47:4-7 (KJV)
4Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.5Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?6O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.7How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.
2Kgs 14:1-4 (KJV)
1In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.2He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.4Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
2Kgs 14:7-8 (KJV)
7He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
2Kgs 14:13-14 (KJV)
13And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.14And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.
2Kgs 14:19-20 (KJV)
19Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.20And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
May 6, 2025 Tuesday
John 3 and Genesis 13
John 3 reveals what being born again of the Spirit is and Genesis 13 shows in Lot what is contrary to being born again.
Gen 13:1-4 (KJV)
1And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.2And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.3And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;4Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
Gen 13:12-13 (KJV)
12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
John 3:3-13 (KJV)
3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
May 7, 2025 Wednesday
Jeremiah 30 and Proverbs 5
Coming to the place of finding their true source of fulfillment and meaning.
Jer 30:17-19 (KJV)
17For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.18Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.19And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
Prov 5:15-20 (KJV)
15Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.16Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.17Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.18Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.19Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.20And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
May 8, 2025 Thursday
Psalms 54 and 2 Samuel 4
In both of these chapters there is betrayal of a leader of God’s people Israel by those under the leader that are supposedly servants committed to the leader. At this time also there is now being exposed those that feigned to be in support of Trump and Maga as in fact seeking to undermine him.
Ps 54:1-3 (KJV)
1To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us? Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.2Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.3For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
Ziphims means smelters. Melting metal.
2Sam 4:2-3 (KJV)
2And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:3And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
Baanah means in the afflictions
Rechab means charioteer or rider.
In the trial do we ride towards the conflict or flee to some escape mechanism that is corrupt and deceitful.
2Sam 4:5-12 (KJV)
5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.6And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.7For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.8And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.9And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,10When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:11How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?12And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
Ishbosheth, also known as Ish-bosheth or Eshbaal, was the fourth son of King Saul and the last representative of his family to be king over Israel, which is the northern kingdom, distinct from the southern kingdom of Judah.
His name originally was Eshbaal, meaning “man of Baal,” but the name was later changed to Ishbosheth, meaning “man of shame,” to avoid association with the Canaanite fertility gods.
After the death of his father, Saul, Ishbosheth was proclaimed king of Israel by Abner, Saul’s cousin and commander in chief, who became the real power behind the throne.
However, Judah followed David, who had been anointed as Saul’s successor by the prophet Samuel, leading to a protracted conflict between Ishbosheth and David.
Ishbosheth’s reign lasted for two years, marked by war with David’s forces as both factions vied for control and legitimacy.
May 9, 2025 Friday
1 Samuel 7 and Isaiah 61 plus Hebrews 3
The common theme in these two chapters is genuine mourning with repentance. Hebrews 3 reveals the importance of not hardening our hearts.
1Sam 7:1-6 (KJV)
1And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.2And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.3And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.4Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.5And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.6And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
Ashtoreth [N] [B] [S]
the moon goddess of the Phoenicians, representing the passive principle in nature, their principal female deity; frequently associated with the name of Baal, the sun-god, their chief male deity ( Judges 10:6 ; 1 Samuel 7:4 ; 12:10 ). These names often occur in the plural (Ashtaroth, Baalim), probably as indicating either different statues or different modifications of the deities. This deity is spoken of as Ashtoreth of the Zidonians. She was the Ishtar of the Accadians and the Astarte of the Greeks ( Jeremiah 44:17 ; 1 Kings 11:5 1 Kings 11:33 ; 2 Kings 23:13 ). There was a temple of this goddess among the Philistines in the time of Saul ( 1 Samuel 31:10 ). Under the name of Ishtar, she was one of the great deities of the Assyrians. The Phoenicians called her Astarte. Solomon introduced the worship of this idol ( 1 Kings 11:33 ). Jezebel’s 400 priests were probably employed in its service ( 1 Kings 18:19 ). It was called the “queen of heaven” ( Jeremiah 44:25 ).
Isa 61:1-3 (KJV)
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isa 61:7-8 (KJV)
7For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.8For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Eccl 7:2-5 (KJV)
2It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.3Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Matt 5:3-6 (KJV)
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Heb 3:6-15 (KJV)
6But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.7Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,8Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.10Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.11So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;15While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 3:18-19 (KJV)
18And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.