Our reading today from 1 Chronicles 9 lists the priests and Levites of Judah after their return from captivity in Babylon. They were very well organized with roles for each Levite, whether that was being a gatekeeper (vs. 17-27), in charge of the utensils (vs. 28-32), or singers (vs. 33-34).

The prophecy of Ezekiel is a hard book to read. A lot of it details the iniquity of the people and the reason why God brought judgments upon them. But, as with many similar prophecies in Scripture, amid the destruction, there is hope.

How often did the first followers of Jesus misunderstand his message?

Abomination is a powerful word. What comes to mind when you think of abominable things? Perhaps some of the more unsavory aspects of society, things that we want to steer clear of and are abhorrent to us.

The gospel record of Luke is full of couplets, two elements that Luke uses to describe a connection or contrast. When you compare or contrast two things, you’re better able to see the principle being taught.

It is terrifying to contemplate standing in front of Jesus at the judgment and him saying to us, “I don’t know who you are.” That’s far worse than hearing him tell us how sinful we were during our lives and missed so many opportunities to serve him.

When we think of what went on in the wicked city of Sodom, our minds naturally go to the account in Genesis, and the horrible immorality recorded about the men of the city. However, what is intriguing about the sin of Sodom is what is recorded in the two main commentaries on Sodom’s sin outside of Genesis.

The last few verses of Luke 9 mentions three people who want to follow Jesus and are challenged by him to do so. What Jesus wanted them to think about, and for us too, is whether we are willing to put following him first, above everything else.

If you look through today’s reading from 2 Kings 22-23, you’ll find a simple term keeps cropping up – “words.”

There was something remarkable about the faith of the centurion Jesus encountered in Luke 7. After the conversation he had with the centurion’s emissaries, Luke notes, “When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’” (v9).

As if being besieged by a superpower wasn’t enough to test Hezekiah, in today’s reading from 2 Kings 20, he learns that he is going to die. God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” (v1).

Being besieged by a superpower is something of a problem. Nothing had stood in the way of Sennacherib and his army. As the Rabshakeh asked, “Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?” (2 Kings 18:33). They had decimated everyone else, and now it was Jerusalem’s turn.