“Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.” (2 Chronicles 21:1 ESV). Jehoshaphat was a godly king who led Judah in faithfulness to the Lord. He sought God’s guidance, removed idols, and taught the people God’s law. Yet his
Chapter: 21
WHAT IS THE COST OF WORSHIP?
“But King David said to Ornan, ‘No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’” (1 Chronicles 21:24 ESV). After David sinned by taking a census, God sent judgment upon Israel. When the angel of the
GOD SHOWS MERCY TO THE HUMBLE
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days” (1 Kings 21:29 ESV). After Elijah confronted Ahab with God’s judgment for his role in Naboth’s murder, Ahab responded in an unexpected way. He tore his clothes, put on
WHAT EVEN THE WORLD ITSELF COULD NOT CONTAIN
“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25 ESV). John wrote his gospel account so that its readers might hear and believe. Yet he was aware that there
REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH
“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28 ESV). After some of His disciples expressed admiration for the beauty of the Jerusalem Temple, Jesus told them that a day was coming when not one stone would be left upon another. The
THE VENOM OF INGRATITUDE
‘And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us”‘ (Numbers 21:7 ESV). There are different types of snake venom. Hemotoxic venom attacks the heart and blood, neurotoxic venom affects the nervous
WHY DID JESUS CURSE THE FIG TREE?
‘And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once’ (Matthew 21:19 ESV). The morning after Jesus had overturned the tables of the money changers
TWO WAYS ARE SET BEFORE US
‘And to this people you shall say: “Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.”‘ (Jeremiah 21:8 ESV). Jeremiah was given the difficult task of prophesying that Jerusalem would fall to the Chaldeans (Babylonians). They could not win a fight against the besieging army because
WHAT WE LOVE MATTERS
“Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich” (Proverbs 21:17 ESV). This proverb states a truth that is usually revealed over time. For the one who loves pleasure and drink may seem happy for a time. But after a while their love of comfort leads
CHOOSING GOD’S GREAT MERCY
‘Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”’ (1 Chronicles 21:13 ESV). When David sinned against the Lord by calling for a census of Israel, the prophet