Water appeared as God promised.
The Moabites mistook the water for blood and assumed that all the kings killed each other. They ran to the camp of Israel who fought them. They slaughtered the Moabites and destroyed their towns, covering the fields in rocks, stopping up the springs, and cutting down the trees.
The King of Moab tried to break through to the King of Edom but failed. He offered his firstborn son as a sacrifice on the city wall. The israelites withdrew.
13) God provided water, which was mistaken as blood by the Moabites, which got them off balance for the war ahead.
14) All of the land of Moab was destroyed, prompting the king to sacrifice his firstborn son to their gods. This causes the Moabites to hate the Israelites for what they did to their land and for forcing them (in their minds) to make such a sacrifice to their gods.
15) That He is faithful. That He answers prayers. That He wants the desires of our hearts to come true.
Great victory often contains great sadness or sacrifice (such as the pagan sacrifice of the son).
Sometimes what God tells us to do doesn’t make sense until it’s done.
God uses the ditches to save the men in more ways than one: with water and with confusion to the enemy.
The king of Moab was desperate when he sacrificed his son. He wanted to honor his gods and help give his people courage in the face of the enemy.
The Israelites saw the sickening sacrifice and left.
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Joram (or Jehoram) son of Ahab became king of Israel during the reign of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned 12 years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but he did get rid of the sacred stone of Baal.
Moab had to pay tribute to Israel with lambs and wool. But when Ahab died, Moab rebelled. Joram set out to control the rebellion. He asked Jehoshaphat to help, which he agreed to do. They set out through the desert of Edom and the king of Edom joined them. However, they marched for 7 days when they ran out of water. Jehoshaphat was the only one to seek God in this situation, asking for a prophet.
Elisha was amongst them. They called for him, and only because of the presense of Jehoshaphat did Elisha prophesy. The Lord said through Elisha to dig ditches that the Lord would fill with water for everyone and their animals. The Lord will hand Moab over to you.
10) King Joram did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but he did get rid of the sacred stone of Baal. King Joram set out to control a rebellion, and he managed to unite Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom, too. This is great influence, indeed.
11a) Moab refused to pay tribute to Israel with lambs and wool. Jehoshaphat, King of Judah and the King of Edom
b) Jehoshaphat had made peace with Israel. (1 Kings 22:44).
c) They got lost and ran out of water.
d) Jehoshaphat called for Elisha to ask for God’s help.
12) One, don’t go wandering in the desert without enough water and no sense of direction. Two, don’t partner with unbelievers. Three, seek God when you’ve messed up. Four, do whatever God tells you to do.
Again, we see God’s great mercy when he not only provides water that the men need to save their lives, but He also grants them victory over their enemies.
Fun Fact: Joram is the 9th evil king over the kingdom of Israel.
Jehoshaphat was more experienced in battle than Joram, which is why he was asked which way to attack the Moabites.
Note how Joram immediately assumes God will not help them, and they have been sent into the hands of the Moabites; whereas, Jehoshaphat seeks God here. Joram blames God.
The three kings humble themselves and go to see Elisha who only agrees to speak to them because of Jehoshaphat. Note how it’s good to be friends with believers.
Note the spiritual power of music here.
God would provide water but in a miraculous way, leaving no doubt it’s from Him.
Note how God has them work first (by digging ditches) before they are rewarded (with life-giving water). God is preparing the people for a blessing by giving them a task they can do, not a task that is insurmountable.
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Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak and used it to part the Jordan River and cross over. The company of prophets recognized that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. Still, they wanted to go and look for Elijah and Elisha let them at their insistance. They looked for three days with no sign of Elijah.
Elisha purified the water of Jericho using salt, saying the Lord healed the water. As Elisha went to Bethel, he was jeered at by some youths. He cursed them and two bears mauled 42 of them. He then went to Mount Carmel and then to Samaria.
7a) He allowed Elisha to have Elijah’s cloak. He allowed Elisha to part the Jordan River the same way Elijah had done. None of the company of prophets found Elijah.
b) In order to leave no doubt who would be taking Elijah’s place as God’s chosen spiritual leader after Elijah’s departure.
8a) It seems that Elisha took the insults personally and had the youth hurt. Plus, they are youth. Young people do dumb things and say dumb things. The punishment seems severe for just jeering.
b) It must have been in a malicious tone and against God to have such dire consequences. Plus, when you consider that they were mocking Elisha then they were also mocking God, then the punishment makes sense.
9) Matthew 7: 6-23 tells us that you can tell by their fruits or works. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 tells us to have confidence in what we know is God’s word.
It’s hard to read the jeering section. Yet, we were not there and cannot hear the tone of the youths (who may have been older since men lived longer back then). Odds are, the words were threatening and insulting enought for Elishat to ask God to intervene.
The picking up of the cloak by Elisha demonstrated him picking up the torch passed from Elijah.
The parting of the Jordan River shows that Elisha inherited the same power that Elijah had since God answered Him.
By Elisha asking “Where it the God of Elijah?”, he’s asking where’s the God who performed miracles, provided for Elijah, and gave Elijah strength during his ministry? That’s the God Elisha is seeking (as we all should).
Remember that Joshua cursed anyone who rebuilt what God has destoryed (Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings16:34). God’s grace and mercy are unbounded here.
The youths were from Bethel that has many pagan places of worship. They basically told Elisha to die when they said “go up” referring to Elijah ascending to heaven. This thus mocked Elisha and the God he served, as well as rejected God. For most of us know, the consequences happen at death. Here, God sent a clear message the consequences of rejecting Him. God’s timing is always perfect.
Note Elisha cursed the men, but God provided the consequences. Elisha left it up to God to do this.
42 men is a lot and there were probably more. It could have been a mob jeering at Elisha, which could quickly get out of control and then needed to be dispersed before Elisha was hurt. Note the word “mauled.” It is possible these men were not killed, just hurt.
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Elijah and Elisha were on their way to Gilgal. Elijah tried to make Elisha stay behind instead of accompanying him to Bethel, but Elisha insisted on going. He also insisted on going to Jericho and the Jordan. 50 prophets stood at a distance while Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the Jordan River with it. It divided so they could cross on dry ground.
Elijah asked Elisha if there was anything he wanted before he was taken to heaven. He asked to inherit a double portion of his spirit. Elijah said if he sees him when he is taken, he will have it. A chariot of fire and horse of fire appeared, separated them, and took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha cried out and then saw him no more. He took his own clothes and tore them in grief.
3) Close. Elisha did not want to let Elijah go.
4) Elisha asked Elijah to inherit a double portion of his spirit, probably meaning to be as wise as he was.
5) A chariot of fire and horse of fire appeared, separated them, and took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. It’s a cool way to get to heaven. It’s very unique, so it makes me wonder just how important Elijah must have been to not have to suffer death like we all have to.
6a) God cares for all of His people, providing their every need.
b) He always provides. Always.
I love this scene. So encouraging and inspiring. I love the relationship between Elijah and Elisha, too. Great stuff!
Commentators believe that Elijah is testing Elisha’s devotion as he moves from place to place as his death nears.
Elisha could have asked for wealth, but instead he wanted the Spirit of God. The double portion refers to the what the first born son receives Deuteronomy 21:17. Itshows Elisha’s commitment to continue Elijah’s work.
Elijah had the strength of Israel with him. We’ll see these same words uttered at Elisha’s death (2 Kings 13:14)
Fun Fact: Only 2 men in the entire Bible, Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah, avoided death to get to heaven.
The company of prophets were most likely prophets in training.
Elijah’s miraculous crossing of the Jordan is reminiscent of Moses’s parting of the Red Sea as the Israelites fled Egypt.
Elijah to Elisha foreshadows John the Baptist to Jesus. One preceeded the other and followd with reconciliation and healing. God is preparing His people for His Son.
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Only those who do the will of the Father will get into heaven. Basically, those who aren’t hypocrites and truly have a heart for God.
Those who follow God’s law and Jesus’s teaching will have a firm foundation like someone who built his house on a rock. Those who don’t are like the foolish man who built his house on sand, so the house eventually fell under the strain.
The crowds were amazing as Jesus’s authoritative teachings.
12a) Only those who do the will of the Father will get into heaven. Basically, those who aren’t hypocrites and truly have a heart for God.
b) You have to walk the walk. It’s important to act on God’s Word and not just know it.
13a) Isaiah 28:16 says trust in God. 1 Corinthians 3:11 says that Jesus Christ is our foundation. You build your life upon God’s Word and Jesus’s teachings by doing your best to follow them.
b) By not following God’s laws, commands, and teachings. By being completely out for yourself. By doing evil.
14) It gives me hope, strength, and encouragement to keep going.
15) Your actions.
I love the foundation analogies because it’s so true. If you are grounded in God and His Word, no storm can penetrate or blow you over.
Jesus warns about those who do not have a heart for God. They merely say things without truly believing it. Saying Jesus is your Lord and Savior is not enough. You have to have a relationship with Jesus in order to be saved.
“In that day” or “On that day” refers to Jesus’s Second Coming.
Preaching is not enough. Just ask Judas.
Note that each house most likely looked the same from the outside; it was what was on the inside — the foundations — that mattered.
Your foundations will be shaken by life; it’s important that they stand the test with Jesus. (Proverbs 10:25)
We must be doers of God’s Word. We must seek out God. Doing nothing is almost as bad as doing evil. (Numbers 32:23) The results are the same.
The listeners had never heard these teachings before, and they had never seen the authority of God. Imagine! I’m sure Jesus had quite the presence.
Once your astonishment is over, it’s time to get to work, implementing the teachings.
This concludes Matthew 5-7, Jesus’s longest recorded speech, the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is concerned with what was on the inside. During these times, the emphasis was on the front you portrayed to others. Those who were religious tried to outdo each other by fasting for show, praying in public, and wearing Bible verses strapped to their foreheads and left arms. We cannot fool God and fake religion. He knows that inside we are broken and need a Savior.
These three chapters are among the most studied in the entire Bible. Yet, Jesus says none of this is new. He comes to fulfill the Old Testament and lays out the one truth we must hold dear: we are to live for God alone. A heart living, not one of appearances.
I hope you enjoyed these chapters as much as I did. They are full of great heart advice and reminders of who is our king and who we live for.
The road to life has a small gate and is narrow and only a few find it. The road to destruction is wide and broad and many enter.
Watch out for false prophets whom you will know by the fruit they bear. They will bear bad fruit and can only bear bad fruit. Good trees bear good fruit, and bad ones bear bad. Bad trees are cut down and thrown into the fire.
9a) That the path to life (heaven) is only through him and not many will find this path. John 14:6 says he is the only way to God. He is the way, the truth, the life. Acts 4:12 says salvation is found only in Jesus.
b) They want to believe the path to heaven is more complicated than that, and they want to be able to do what they want without following God’s law and still gain access to heaven.
10a) They bear bad fruit. John 15:16 says God chooses those to be with Him to bear lasting fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
b) You have to have the ability to discern those who are false prophets from those who are true; those with good hearts versus those who are bad. Judging is about ensuring you are holding yourself to the same standard when you judge others. Thus, by looking at people’s fruit/good deeds, this can help you discern the truth.
11) Be careful of smooth talkers, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and others who sound/say something that is too good to be true. Pray and discern to ensure you are not being led astray.
Good reminder that God chooses those who go to heaven, and that you have to be wary of false prophets.
Good read on false prophets.
As Christians know, the path to heaven is narrow and difficult and will not be easy to traverse. Jesus is telling his disciples to prepare for future hardships.
Being aware that there are false prophets is step one. Watch out for those who motivated purely by self-interest. Do these prophets teach God’s Word, are people growing in God, and do they live out God’s teachings?
Before judging others’ fruit, judge your own. Are you bearing good or bad fruit? You are either bearing one or the other. Those who bear neither good nor bad are considered bad.
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“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” If you ask God, He will give you good gifts like we would our kids.
Do unto others what you want done to you. This is the Law.
6) “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” He promises that you will receive, you will find, and doors will be opened.
7a) That God cares for us more than anything even though we are evil.
b) Romans 8:28 says that God works through all things for our good. After all, God gave us His only Son and gives us all things in His grace.
8a) Be very gentle, listen, offer advice, help, be caring and compassionate.
b) Matthew 22:34-40 teaches us that the greatest commands are to love God and love your neighbor. God gave us the to show us how to live and to point to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for us. God gave us all of this out of His great love. When we love, we have God’s heart.
This is one of my favorite verses of the Bible. God makes things so simple, yet we humans complicate them so much. Ask, seek, and knock. Then love. That’s all it takes to be God’s.
A great read about the best way to live. Check it out!
Jesus takes more time to teach us how to pray. When we ask, we receive, which is the reward of asking. When we seek God, we’ll find Him. He doesn’t hide from us. We knock at God’s door (heaven) to be let in. God opens the door in response to us knocking.
You enter into the Gospel like you enter an open door. While it is there, you have to ask for it and seek it out.
Sometimes you must keep asking, seeking, and knocking; God does not answer immediately. Prayer shows our dependence on God.
God wants to give us what we ask for and more.
The negative form of this was a popular saying in Jewish culture at the time. “You should not do to your neighbor what you would not want him to do to you.” Jesus turned a negative into a positive. Many cultures have a similar saying to the Golden Rule. Jesus wants us to take action.
You cannot break any of God’s laws by treating others as we want to be treated.
None of us can maintain this high standard except Jesus, but it is a worthy goal.
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Jesus is still speaking his sermon on the mount. Do not judge others, and you won’t be judged. Quit being a hypocrite and judging others for it. Do not give your valuables to others who may trample them and tear you to pieces.
3a) Just that — Don’t judge others and think you are better than them when you are not.
b) Discernment by definition is “the ability to judge well” or in Biblical thinking “perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.” God helps you arrive at the best decision. Romans says that discernment is knowing the right thing to do and doing it. You will be able to know God’s will and be able to do it, too. Philippians says discernment is knowing what is best in order to do good and avoid sin. Hebrews says God blesses wise discernment.
c) Galatians says that believers should help those who have been caught in sin with a spirit of forgiveness. If you know about God, you must share it with others. Ephesians reminds us to be gentle, humble, and patient with others in love. Christians are to support one another, forgive each other, and help each other to be better discerners and walkers in God’s word.
4) You must be merciful because you yourself have faults, too, and are in need of mercy. James reminds us to speak and act as though you will be judged.
5) I judge others when they do behavior I think is not right. I have to remember that I probably do the same things, am a sinner, and I’m in need of mercy, too.
I love being reminded about how wrong judging is and to not do it. It’s such a human thing to do, to think better of yourself than others, but in God’s eyes, we are all the same. We need to look at others as such, too.
You will be judged the same way you judge others. That being said, approving of others’ behavior is not the same as judging. This verse does not say you have to approve, only not to judge and/or treat others differently because of what they do, say, or believe.
Can you judge others’ behavior? Yes. But you must do so in the same manner that you want to be judged. Since a lot of people judge others by different standards than they judge themselves, it is often best not to judge at all.
Jesus uses an example to drive home his point. A plank is much larger than a speck. We are often blind to our own faults, but can see the smallest faults in others. In short, we are hypocrites. First, fix your own faults before you worry about others’.
Still, Jesus said we must use discernment to not give precious things to those who will not appreciate them. Or, do not give unbelievers holy things.
Bible scholars say that pearls are precious items. Do not give them to those who don’t want to receive them.
In sum, don’t give all of your precious strength and valuables to those whom God has not prepared to accept him. Look for those who are ready to receive Christ.