Day 208 - 2 Kings 7-8 & Psalm 22

 Julie

I don't know that I understand yet why all of these kings have done terrible things. At one point Elisha even tells one of them the kind of king that he will be and knowing that it is allowed. I know that God has us go through adversity for reasons, but I am curious to see if Chronicles does tell us a bit more about why they did these things. 

There is a lot said about how this Psalm is talking about Jesus and the use of it in Matthew. In the context of David, who wrote the Psalm, it sounds like he is at that point of frustration that most people hit. I think this Psalm shows that he is human and while he had great faith in God, he even had moments where he questioned why he was going through these things, but he does end it with praise to God for how he will deliver him from this pain. 

 

Michelle

This reading goes through more of the kings of Judah and Israel and their interactions.  Most of them do not follow God's commands.  I also found it interesting that Elisha tells the one king the awful things he will do, and instead of changing his ways, he does awful things.  You would think that would give a person pause to consider his actions, but it doesn't seem that was the case here.  And he didn't say the person would kill the king, only become king after him, yet Hazael is the one that ended the king's life.  There is a devotional along with chapter 8 that talks of God's promise.  It says that God promised to maintain the line of David so that Jesus could come from that line.  "God remembered his promise to King David that he would preserve a godly remnant so that a Savior, his only Son, could be born through the tribe of Judah."  Now I don't remember reading this in the previous books, but I could have missed that.  But it specifically states that God said a Savior would come from this line.  And this is many, many years before Jesus.  I feel like I should go back to the books about David and read again to see where I missed that.  

In the psalm it seems David is asking God why he has left him, yet as you read further he says God is with him always and he has been with God since birth.  He continues stating that he will share God with his people and then praises all he has done for him.