If you use Facebook, we are posting these each day on our page there, and we will also post these here each day. We welcome your thoughts here or on Facebook.
Day 108 – Thru the Bible
Today we finish Second Kings and Psalms.
2 Kings 23 – Among Josiah’s many reforms, one key reform was the reinstitution of the Passover. This was a key celebration and memorial for Israel, but one which, strangely, had not “been kept since the days of the judges.” The Passover had been instituted when God graciously and powerfully redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery, “passing over” the home of every Israelite whose doorway was smeared with blood, to spare the firstborn from heaven’s righteous wrath.
The reinstitution of the Passover by Josiah is a major sign and anticipation of the redemption that would one day be accomplished by Jesus. He himself is the final Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). By His blood, all who take refuge in Him are spared from the righteous wrath of God.
Under the New Covenant Jesus replaces the Passover with His Supper. How do you celebrate the finished work of Jesus that He has completed in full?
2 Kings 24 & 25 – This final chapter in the book of Kings records the tragic termination of Israel’s occupation of the Promised Land. Leaders were executed, kings were exiled, treasures were stolen, and the temple of the Lord that Solomon had built was burned to the ground. But remember, all of this destruction and death came about at the Lord’s command (24:3) and was something designed by God long ago (24:2, 13; cf. Deuteronomy 29–31). In other words, though the calamities detailed in these final verses of the book of Kings are shocking, they are not unexpected. From the very beginning (Deuteronomy 29–31), Israel’s tenure in the land of Canaan was intended to be temporary, because God had something so much better in mind—not a single nation limited to a single geographical location but people from all nations spread throughout a new earth (Revelation 21).
When Christians look upon God’s wrath and judgment, we shudder to observe His abhorrence of sin. We are brought to grieve over our own sins. But our grief turns to gladness (Jeremiah 31:13) as we recognize that the punishment we so rightly deserve has been endured, paid for, and eliminated by the work of Jesus on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). Never forget the theme that runs through the book of Kings: “for the sake of my servant David” (1 Kings 11:32, 34; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 19:34; 20:6).
This is our only hope, too—that God will deal with us according to the merits of another David, the true and better David, King Jesus (2 Timothy 2:8; Revelation 22:16). Seek that refuge, to which this book points, from such judgment as this book records. For “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)!
Knowing that in Jesus you no longer stand condemned, how does this encourage you to love those around you?
Psalm 108 – Psalms 108 – 110 are all Psalms of David, the first two being Psalms of lament, and the third a coronation or royal Psalm. The lament of Psalm 108 combines elements of both individual and community lament. While David clearly does lament the apparent absence of the Lord in the face of his enemies, the overarching tone and message of the psalm is hope in God. The opening line expresses this hope: “My heart is steadfast, O God!” And the Psalm ends with this confident declaration: “With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.”
Even though King David is facing formidable opposition from surrounding enemy nations, he also knows that God has promised victory for Israel over neighboring foes, so long as David looks to God who alone can “give salvation” by His strong and merciful right hand. The effect of God’s final triumph over Israel’s enemies is underscored in the early verses of the Psalm. David longs for the “peoples” and “nations” to see the glory of God expressed in God’s steadfast love for His own people.
Because of God’s faithfulness, and because of the certainty of His triumph, David is filled with song and praise and hope. David’s hope finds fulfillment in Jesus, through whom God has, at the culmination of human history, triumphed decisively over all His foes (Colossians 2:14–15). This Psalm expresses lament with trust, instructing the people of God to keep their eyes fixed on the immeasurable love and power of God—the love and power supremely seen on Calvary.
How are you reminded of God’s faithfulness to you?
What other thoughts or questions does today’s reading bring up?
Some of these notes are from the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible study notes. We highly recommend this study Bible.
Videos produced by www.TheGospelProject.com.
All links you need to be a part of this are here – Thru the Bible in 2018.