Date | Version | Reading Plan |
---|---|---|
October 17, 2024 | ESV (2016) | M’Cheyne Plan 2024 |
1 Kings 20
Ben-hadad, king of Syria, gathered his army and fought against Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Ben-hadad sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, claiming ownership of the silver, gold, wives and children. Ahab complied to the demand indicating that he was “willing to compromise his family and wealth in the face of this military threat.” (FSB) Ben-hadad’s messengers then came again and increased the demand, prompting Ahab to call the elders of the land. The elders urged non-compliance, so Ahab told the messengers of Ben-hadad that he would do all of the first command, but not the second. “When Ben-Hadad was notified of Israel’s refusal, he flew into a rage, boasting that he would strip Samaria so bare that there wouldn’t be a handful of dust … for each of his soldiers.” (BBC) Ben-hadad then told his men to take their positions against the city.
A prophet came to Ahab and told him on behalf of the LORD that He would give the multitude of Ben-hadad into Ahab’s hand. Ahab mustered 232 of the servants of the governors and seven thousand of the people of Israel. “Despite the disparity between Aram’s massive army and the small force of Israel, Ahab defeats Ben-hadad with the help of an unnamed prophet.” (FSB)
In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians to fight against Israel. Again, a man of God (possibly the same prophet as in 1 Kings 20:13 and 1 Kings 20:22, but is unconfirmed) and told Ahab that the Syrians would be given into his hand. The people of Israel struck down 100,000 of the Syrians and the rest fled into the city of Aphek, a city east of the Jordan River. A falling wall demolished the rest of Ben-hadad’s army of 27,000. Ben-hadad fled and his servants said to him that the kings of Israel are merciful. They told him that they should put sackcloth on their waists, ropes on their heads and ask for their lives to be spared. The ropes on the heads refer “to a practice connected to leading war captives away, as depicted in many ancient Near Eastern reliefs.” (FSB) They servants met with Ahab who ordered Ben-hadad to be brought to him. “Ben-Hadad promised to restore the cities which had been taken from Ahab’s predecessor (15:20) and to allow Israel to establish marketplaces … in Damascus (v. 34). Ahab made a treaty on these terms and let Ben-Hadad escape instead of killing him, as he should have done.” (BBC)
A man of the sons the prophets told his fellow at the command of the LORD to be struck down. The man refused (ultimately disobeying the LORD) and was destroyed by a lion. The prophet asked another man the same who obeyed by striking and wounding him. The rest of the events of the chapter are helpfully captured by the BBC:
Then the prophet … disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes and waited for King Ahab. When the king was passing by, the prophet told of being in the battle and of being charged with the custody of an enemy prisoner. He had been warned that if the prisoner escaped, he would have to pay either with his own life or with the exorbitant figure of one talent of silver. The disguised prophet told how he had become preoccupied with other things and how the prisoner had escaped. The king showed no leniency; he insisted that the original terms of punishment be carried out. Then the prophet sprang the trap. He removed his bandage to reveal himself as a prophet known by Ahab. Ahab had had an enemy prisoner, Ben-Hadad, in his grasp. Obedience to the Lord required that the Syrian king be killed. For his disobedience Ahab would be slain. (BBC)
1 Thessalonians 3
Paul sent Timothy from Athens to help the church in Thessalonica. “Timothy could help these believers grow in the faith but would not be as conspicuous as Paul or Silas.” (CSB Notes) When Paul was with them before, he spoke of how he and his companions would suffer affliction and that it had come to pass. For the reason of the persecution of the Thessalonians, Paul sent to learn about their faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted them and that his labor was in vain.
However, Timothy brought Paul a good report of the church, of their faith and that “they had fond memories of Paul and desired to see him again.” (FSB), bringing Paul comfort in his distress and affliction. Paul ascribes God the ability for the believers to persevere through their affliction. “He gives thanks that God strengthened them to endure” (FSB) Paul prayed to see the Thessalonian believers in person in order to supply what was lacking in their faith, a journey that it seems was later fulfilled (see Acts 20:4-5). He asked God to establish their hearts blameless in holiness before God at the coming of the Lord Jesus with all the saints.
Daniel 2
In the second year of his reign, the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream the troubled him. He commanded all magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dream and its interpretation. He told them that failure to make the dream known to him would result in being torn limb from limb and their houses being laid in ruins. The Chaldeans asked the king to tell them the dream so that they could give interpretation. The king perceived that they were stalling by asking him the dream, trying to “gain time to formulate an alternative plan.” (FSB) The Chaldeans answered that no one could meet the king’s demand. Angry and very furious, the king decreed that all wise men were to be killed, among whom included Daniel and his companions.
Daniel replied with prudence to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, and requested that he be granted a time with the king to show the interpretation of the dream. Daniel made the matter known to his companions and told them to seek mercy from God concerning the mystery, referring “to a secret that can only be known by divine revelation”. (CSB Notes) The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night and Daniel responded by blessing the God in heaven with a song of praise.
Daniel then went to Arioch, telling him to spare the wise men and that he would show the king the interpretation of the dream. Arioch brought Daniel to the king who proceeded to tell the details of the dream and its interpretation. The king fell upon his face and professed that Daniel’s God is God of gods, Lord of lords and revealer of mysteries. The king gave Daniel high honors and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king and appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the affairs of the province of Babylon but he remained in the king’s court.
Psalm 106
Like [Psalm] 105; [Psalm] 106 is a praise psalm that reflects on Israel’s history. However, the psalmist reflects on Israel’s sacred history from the perspective of exile—being scattered among foreign nations as a punishment for unfaithfulness to Yahweh. This is almost certainly a reference to the Babylonian exile (ca. 586–539 BC). After a call to praise Yahweh (vv. 1–3), the psalmist petitions Yahweh to remember His people (vv. 4–5). He identifies with past generations by admitting guilt (v. 6). He describes Yahweh’s provision for them (vv. 7–12) and their disobedience of Yahweh (vv. 13–43). The psalmist describes Yahweh’s faithfulness to them and expresses hope in Yahweh’s mercy (vv. 45–47). The psalmist expresses that, even though Israel deserves their punishment, they hope that Yahweh will have mercy on them again.
Resources
- J. I. Packer et. al, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016)
- Faithlife Study Bible (Lexham Press, 2016)
- Believer’s Bible Commentary (Thomas Nelson, 2016)
- CSB Study Bible Notes (Holman Bible Publishers, 2017)
- The New American Commentary (Brentwood, TN: Holman Reference)
- The Bible: A Reader’s Guide (Sterling Publishing, 2011)
- Henry, Matthew, and Thomas Scott. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003)
- Constable’s Notes