Justin Houtz

1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 12; Philippians 3

DateVersionReading Plan
June 13, 2026ESV (2016)ESV Life Journal Plan – 2026

1 Kings 13-14

Observation & Interpretation

1 Kings 13

A man of God came out of Judah and cried against the altar in Bethel at which Jeroboam was offering incense. Jeroboam commanded that he be seized, but when he stretched out his hand, it dried up and could not be drawn back. Jeroboam’s disposition toward the man was changed and he asked the man of God to entreat the favor of the Lord to have his hand restored. Jeroboam’s hand was restored and he invited the man of God to come home with him to receive a reward. The man of God refused the offer and went another way, not returning to Bethel.

An old prophet of Bethel heard through his sons about what had happened with the man of God. The prophet asked where the man of God had gone and his sons showed him the way. The prophet went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. The prophet from Bethel invited the man of God to come home with him, but he recited what he had received from the LORD, that he was not to return by the way he came. However, the Bethel prophet told the man of God that an angel spoke to him that he was to bring back the man of God. This was a lie, but the Bethel prophet was successful in bringing the man of God back with him.

While they were eating together, the LORD spoke to the Bethel prophet and told him that the body of the man of God would not come to the tomb of his fathers because he had disobeyed the word of the LORD. As the man of God was going home, he was killed by a lion and his body thrown in the road.

The Bethel prophet found the body of the man of God thrown in the road and buried his body in his own grave. The Bethel prophet told the people that he was to be buried with the man of God when he died. After this, Jeroboam did not turn away from his evil but made priests for the high places, which became a sin to the house of Jeroboam so as to cut it off and destroy it from the face of the earth.

1 Kings 14

About this time, Jeroboam’s son, Abijah, fell sick and Jeroboam told his wife to disguise herself, bring provisions to Ahijah and inquire what was to happen to Abijah. Jeroboam’s wife did so, but the LORD told Ahijah that Jeroboam’s wife was coming. When she arrived, greeted her as Jeroboam’s wife and told her to tell Jeroboam that harm would come to the house of Jeroboam because he had not been like His servant David in keeping His commandments. Ahijah told her to go to her house and that the child would die when her feet entered the city. This came to pass according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke to the Ahijah the prophet. Jeroboam died after reigning twenty-two years and was succeeded by his son Nadab.

Rehoboam was forty-one years when he began to reign in Judah and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem. Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, more than their fathers had done, building high places and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree. There were also male cult prostitutes in the land and they did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.

In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, came and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, including the shields that Solomon and Rehoboam had made. The rest of the acts of Rehoboam are written in the Book of the Chronicles of Judah. He slept with his fathers and his son, Abijam, reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 12

Observation & Interpretation

The contents of the chapter are very similar to that of 1 Kings 13-14, but providing some more detail with which Shishak, king of Egypt, came against Judah. It ends as does 1 Kings 14 with the succession of Rehoboam by his son Abijah.

Philippians 3

Observation & Interpretation

Paul rejoiced in the LORD and found it to be no trouble to write these things to the church. He urged them to watch out for the dogs who mutilate the flesh. By stark contrast, they are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God. Paul spoke of how if anyone had reason to be confident in the flesh, he had more, and provided a list of reasons. However, Paul counted it all as loss for the sake of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. For Christ’s sake, Paul had suffered the loss of all things and counted them as rubbish in order that he may gain Christ and be found in Him. He spoke of how righteousness from God depends on faith, that he may know Him and the power of His resurrection and that by any means possible he may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul clarifies that he had not yet obtained this or was perfect, but that he presses on to make it his own because Christ Jesus had made him His own. Paul spoke of his pursuit of Christ; forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He beckoned the brothers to imitate him in keeping their eyes on those who walk according to the example they had in him. He warned them of the enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is their destruction, whose god is their belly with eyes set on earthly things. Instead, the citizenship of the church is in heaven and from it they await a Savior, the Lord Jesus, who will transform their lowly body to be like His glorious body. This, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to himself.

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