Creative Space for Wanderers
and Hezekiah contract some deadly disease and is about to die when Isaiah comes to pay him a visit. Not one to beat around the bush, Isaiah tells him to “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover” (). Hezekiah accepts the word of the prophet, turns aside …
Continue reading “Hezekiah’s Life Extended; Manasseh’s Evil”
Chapter 19 continues the story with Hezekiah’s response to the verbal abuse and physical threats from the Assyrians. All wearing sackcloth, they know they are doomed without God’s help. Hezekiah sends a team to Isaiah, heads down, they are completely humbled and ask merely that he would “pray for the remnant that still survives” (). …
Continue reading “Hezekiah’s Prayer and Jerusalem’s Deliverance”
and Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, became king of Judah when he was 25 years old and reigned for 29 years during the height of Isaiah’s prophetic years. Finally, after reading about horrible leadership we see these words: He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. …
Ahaz follows Jotham, but as with his fellow Israelites in the northern kingdom, he is lured into the ways of wicked and evil people: …and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at …
and Amaziah begins at age 25 and rules for 29 years. He did well in the beginning, but didn’t remove the “high places” and the “people continue to offer sacrifices and burn incense” in such places (). The narrative of the rise and fall of Amaziah has no reference to prophets or seeking God’s will. …
Since we celebrate Valentine’s Day today, I took some time to look through photos curated as “love” from my favorite photo source at unsplash.com. The photo above shows children walking together with their parents leading in the distance. The powerful legacy that I hope Zoë and I can leave our children: follow the narrow path dear …
Continue reading “Love is from God — Let Us Learn to Love One Another”
and Chapter 11 begins with the story of Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah (Judah) hiding Joash (his son must have been really young) for 6 years while the queen mother (my term) Athaliah ruled Judah. She’s not the least bit righteous! Her ascension to the throne we the result of killing off the rest of …
“Some time later…” we pick up the story where the Arameans continue their annoying military coop attempts. The siege in Samara (i.e., against Joram, king of Israel) has reached the point where people are starving. Joram is convinced this is all at the Lord’s calling, but shows little sign of repentance: The king said, “This …