Michelle
These 2 chapters have my head spinning this morning. These names are all so similar that it starts to get confusing and it seems like we keep jumping back and forth in timelines. What I did get was that some of the kings follow portions of God's laws and other follow none. No one every takes down the high places and the fact that this keeps coming up makes me think there is some significance, although I do not know why. In chapter 14 there is a part that speaks of something that I keep going back to but don't know why. Verse 9 starts "...A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot." I am not sure what keeps bringing me here as I don't understand it at all even reading the verses surrounding it.
The psalm is David talking of his trust in God. God guides him in truth and is merciful. He goes thru speaking of all God does for him and how he forgives the sins of his youth. This says to me to stay faithful and trust in God and rely only on him and he will guide your path and protect you all your days.
Julie
I am glad you had a question because the most I got out of this was that no king seems to want to follow the commandments of God. Before I get to your question, there was something that stood out to me as well, in chapter 13, verse 21. Elisha had died and they were burying him, but at the same time another man is being buried by marauders and is thrown into Elisha's grave and as soon as he touches Elisha's dead body he comes back to life. This is like a random story in the middle of everything else with no context. The explanation says, "The Israelites need to maintain contact with the great prophets of the past through obedience to their teachings if this 'death' in exile is also to be followed by an unexpected resurrection." Could this be an indication of what is to come with Jesus? I am not sure how they came to this conclusion from just that innocuous statement.
To return to your questions about the verse with the thistle. That one also seems to be somewhat innocuous. However, the explanation that this is a parable that Jehoash uses as an insult and a warning to Amaziah. The explanation says that the point of the parable is, "that a puny thistle (Amaziah), easily trampled by any wild beast, should not make the mistake of comparing itself in might to the immovable cedar on Lebanon (Jehoash). Be content with your glory, and stay home." Apparently, Jehoash was not looking for conflict with Amaziah. I am not sure how much this helps and I wonder how they came to the conclusion that this is what it meant.
I like the way that you summed this up. There are so many great verses within this psalm to help us to remember to trust in the Lord and to remind us of his steadfast love, faithfulness, and forgiveness if we follow him.
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